The registry office in Tollygunge is unusually crowded today. No, it’s not the last auspicious day for weddings, nor has a mass marriage event been scheduled. The buzz is all because Anik and Trina are getting married. Their friends have gathered in large numbers, turning the otherwise dull office into a place of celebration. And why not? Anik and Trina were the most loved couple back in college.

Mr. Dutta, the marriage registrar with a heart condition, finds the chaos unbearable and requests everyone to calm down. Once the ceremony concludes, he hurriedly ushers the crowd out of his office with a sigh of relief.

Anik has no surviving parents. Trina has only her father. After the ceremony, Anik brings Trina to his flat in Garia. Their friends join them. Ramola, Anik’s next-door neighbor, performs a small ritual to welcome Trina into her new home. Since Anik lives alone, there’s no grand reception. Instead, the couple decides to celebrate with their friends at home.

Those who missed the registry office event arrive by evening. Around fifteen friends gather. Four boxes of beer are brought in, and expensive food is ordered from a restaurant. Jokes, laughter, pranks, and leg-pulling fill the evening.

As the celebration continues, someone asks how Anik and Trina’s love story began. The friends recall that the year Trina joined college was the year Anik graduated. But during the freshman orientation, Anik saw Trina perform a dance and fell for her instantly. Being the college general secretary, Anik still frequented the campus, and their paths crossed often. Eventually, he proposed to her in dramatic, film-style fashion in front of the entire college, presenting her with a red rose. Every girl dreams of such a proposal. Anik was good-looking, popular, and kind-hearted. Trina couldn’t say no.

After completing his Master’s degree, Anik joined a stock market firm. Around that time, Trina graduated, and her father didn’t object to their marriage.

Anik and Trina are set to leave for their honeymoon the next morning. But their friends tease them, saying they can’t sleep together that night. “Save the honeymoon for the hills!” they say. Laughing, the couple gives in. They spend the night singing, dancing, and making memories with their friends.

The next day, everyone heads home. Anik and Trina leave for a hill station and return after four joyful days. Upon return, Ramola tells them that someone named Neelank came by looking for Anik twice. Curious, Trina asks who Neelank is.

Anik explains: Neelank was his school and college friend — shy, quiet, and introverted. He rarely spoke and never protested even when teased. He was brilliant at taking notes, so the group tolerated him. But he never invited anyone to his home, nor did anyone have his contact details, which is why he wasn’t invited to the wedding.

The next day, Neelank comes to visit. When Anik asks why he hadn’t come in earlier, Neelank shyly says he didn’t know Trina and felt awkward. Anik laughs and introduces Trina. She serves him tea, sweets, and snacks. Before leaving, Neelank hands her a gift-wrapped parcel.

Inside is a book — not surprising. But between the pages, Trina finds a handwritten poem about marriage. The poem touches her deeply. Anik scoffs, saying Neelank used to write poetry, but no one paid attention. Anik, immersed in his corporate life, finds no value in literature or art. But Trina, a true lover of the arts, feels reconnected with her old self after reading the poem. She’s frustrated by Anik’s lack of sensitivity.

Later, Anik runs into Neelank at the market and invites him over. Trina is visibly happy to see him. The two begin to talk about poetry, plays, music, and literature. Even the reserved Neelank becomes animated. Anik finds this amusing — suspecting his friend might be falling for his wife. Trina encourages Neelank to keep writing and even sends his poems to magazines. A few get published, and he receives payment. Their friendship blossoms.

One day, Anik proposes a “game.” He wonders aloud whether Neelank has ever loved a woman — whether the quiet, shy man hides deeper desires. He suggests Trina flirt with Neelank to find out. Trina is furious. But Anik pleads, saying he misses their carefree college days. Reluctantly, she agrees.

From then on, Anik begins retreating into their bedroom whenever Neelank visits. Trina engages him in sweet conversation, her body language carefully crafted. Neelank begins to fall for her. Anik watches from a distance, observing every shift in his friend’s expression. Trina, meanwhile, starts feeling conflicted. She wants to stop the game, but Anik insists.

Days pass. The "game" no longer feels like one. The emotional barriers between Trina and Neelank vanish. They become close — not just in conversation, but in heart. Trina forgets it all began as a trick.

One day, Anik falls seriously ill at the office. Trina and Neelank rush to him. He recovers but is advised to rest. After two days at home, he returns to work, just as busy as before.

Soon, both Anik and Trina notice that Neelank hasn’t visited in two days. He doesn’t have a phone, and no one knows his address. Anik only recalls that Neelank lives somewhere in a lane near the market.

That evening, Anik calls Trina, saying he’ll be late and asks her to do the shopping. Trina goes to the market and decides to look for Neelank. She finds him — down with a fever, all alone. She cleans his room, cooks for him, buys him medicine. This becomes a routine. When Anik calls, Trina lies, saying she’s at a friend’s place.

Eventually, the truth comes out. Anik and Trina have a huge fight. She admits she’s been visiting Neelank. Anik accuses her of falling in love with his friend. Trina, unsure of her own feelings, remains silent. Anik demands to know if she’s slept with Neelank. Shocked, Trina asks, “And if I say yes, will you believe me? And if I say no, will you still believe me?” Anik says he’ll believe a medical test report.

Trina asks, “If the report says I haven’t slept with him, will you accept me?” Anik says yes. Then she asks, “But what if I’ve imagined being with him romantically in my mind?” Anik shrugs. “That doesn’t matter.”

Trina responds, “It matters. A woman who lies with her husband while dreaming of another man is neither loyal nor pure. To you, I’m just a body. My mind doesn’t matter to you at all.”

They sleep in separate rooms that night. At dawn, Trina writes a letter, packs her things, and leaves.

Later that morning, Neelank’s doorbell rings. He’s finally recovered. When he opens the door, he’s surprised to see Trina standing with her bags. She tells him everything and says she’s going to her father’s home. She confesses that she’s fallen in love with him — but doesn’t know if he feels the same.

Neelank, who has lived a life of submission and silence, is finally put to the test. Will he rise as a man? Will he dare to claim the woman he loves? As Trina reaches the door to leave, Neelank gently holds her hand and says, “Anik’s suspicions weren’t entirely wrong, Trina. I want you to stay — with me.” She falls into his arms.

Two days later, Trina sends Anik a divorce notice. He signs it without protest.

Trina and Neelank get married. Anik had done everything to win Trina but failed to cherish her once she was his. That’s how love often works. Neelank, on the other hand, cherished her more with every passing day. He leaves his old job to join a literary magazine as a sub-editor. Trina opens a dance school. They build a life together.

Months later, a legal notice arrives addressed to Trina. When they meet the lawyer, they learn that Anik has left all his property to Trina. Shocked, she asks why. The lawyer replies, “You were the only person Anik considered family.” When they ask why he used the phrase in absence, the lawyer quietly informs them — Anik has passed away.

It turns out Anik had a brain tumor — diagnosed the day he collapsed at the office. He had known the end was near. Perhaps the "game" he played wasn’t a game after all. Perhaps he had orchestrated everything — so that after his death, the two people he loved most wouldn't be left alone.

There are many ways to express love. Some scream it aloud. Others stay silent — but love just the same.