Insatiable Desires

Chapter 7

"Arey bas karo, Mahir. Mumma aa gayi na ab," Nandini said tiredly as she picked him up in her arms while Mahir cried his eyes out after Manik and her returned back from his cousin's mehendi, for leaving him back. Saying good night to her mother in-law, she walked to their room.

(Mahir calm down, I have come back see.)

As Mahir refused to quieten down, Nandini felt her patience waning and snapped, "Mahir bas ho gaya ab! Yahi hu na. Bilkul chup ho."

(Mahir stop it! I am here. Quit it immediately.)

Mahir startled, looking at her, his eyes brimming with tears while at the same time Manik entered the room. Nandini swallowed, wondering if he will scold her for treating him like that since she wasn't his real mother. But, Manik said nothing and went to the bathroom to change.

As he came out, she was patting Mahir to sleep and he blew off the lantern and walked towards his side of bed. Some time later, when Mahir slept, Nandini withdrew herself from his hold carefully, wanting to change. She held her breath as he twisted to the other side before sighing in relief as he fell back asleep.

Getting up, she first thought of removing the jewellery, but when she tried to open the lock of the heavy necklace, after several attempts she walked towards Manik.

"Aap soh gaye?" Nandini asked and Manik who was laying down with an arm over his eyes shook his head. She sat beside him with her back towards him and asked, "Yeh kholde. Khul ni raha."

(Have you slept? **Please open this. It is not opening.)

Manik sat up and while his fingers carefully opened the lock, Nandini whispered, "Aap ko bura laga ki maine Mahir ko daanta? Woh bahut tang kar raha tha aur mujhe pata hai mai uski asli Maa—"

(Did you felt bad that I scolded Mahir? He was troubling me alot and I know I'm not his birth mother–"

"Nandini," Manik immediately cut off her sentence and she looked over her shoulder to him as his voice carried finality when he said, "Maine tujhe uske saath dekha. Khoon ka ho na ho, tum usse apni aulad jaisa hi paal rahi ho. Toh jis haq se usko pyaar karti ho issi haq se daant bhi sakti ho."

(Nandini, I have seen you with him. You may not be his birth mother but you treat him like your own. So, you can scold him with the same rights that you use when you love him.)

Nandini nodded, overwhelmed with his unexpected and thoughtful words. As soon as the necklace unlocked, she collected it in her hands but didn't get up as she felt him closing the distance. Her hands fisted in her lap as his mouth aligned against her ear, her cheeks turning red as he whispered, "Aaj bohot khubsurat lag rahi thi." As his hand slipped towards her bare waist, under her dupatta, pulling her closer such that his front touched to her back, he asked, "Tujhe pata hai mujhe humara bacha kyu chahiye itni jaldi." She shook her head and he hoarsely replied, "Taaki sab ko pata chal jaaye ki tu sirf meri hai. Woh tujhe choona toh door, teri taraf galat nigah se bhi dekhte hai na toh mera khoon khaulta hai. Aur meri zyada umar ke karan unhe lagta hai ki woh tujhe dekh sakte hai."

(*You looked beautiful today.
**Do you know why I want our child so soon?
***So that everyone is aware that you're only mine. I feel ready to rip apart the person who even looks at you the wrong way, let alone touch you. And just because I'm aged, they feel it is right to look at you.)

Remembering every male member's eyes on her at his cousin's mehendi, he couldn't control the anger as his hand fisted her hair and she winced as he pulled it back, her head resting on his shoulder and gulping as her eyes met his furious ones as he whispered dangerously, "Tera ye jism, tera dil aur teri ruh, iss par sirf mera haq hai. Aur jis din teri kokh mere bache se bharegi, uss din ye baat har ek insaan ko pata chal jayegi."