✔︎𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞

32 - Win her Back

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AUTHOR'S POV

Nirmaan was stunned, his eyes fixed on his wife, as if trying to process the weight of her words. He knew he had messed up, but he had no idea how deeply he had hurt her until now.

"Nirmaan?" she called out, breaking the silence. He snapped out of his trance. "Biwi?" he replied, his voice laced with guilt.

She hummed in response, and he asked, still in disbelief, "You called me Nirmaan?"

"The way you address someone defines your relationship. If our relationship is to be built on respect and maturity, I should address you as such. And besides, where there is respect and maturity, there can't be childishness." Her smile and words felt like a slap on his face. "It'll remind me to be sensible and not behave like an immature child."

He was speechless. He had really messed things up this time. Now, he had to do something equally significant to win her back.

He cursed himself for his stupid anger issues.

"What time is it?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Almost 7:30," he replied, his mind still reeling from her words.

"Let's go down; it's almost dinner time," she said, standing up from the bed. As she began to make her way out of the room, he rushed to help her, almost catching her as she missed a step on the door.

She slightly pulled her hand back, signaling him to leave, and he reluctantly let go. She walked out, leaving a distance of a few steps between them as he followed her, ensuring she was alright.

Once she reached the living room, safe and sound, and sat down with her mother and grandmother, he returned to his room.

Nirmaan was hurt and angry, but this time his anger was directed at someone else - the person responsible for creating this whole mess.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Hello, hey Nirmaan, how are you?" a girl's voice responded on the other end.

"Hi Khushi, how's it going?" he asked, his tone laced with a mix of emotions.

"It's fantastic, I'm really enjoying myself. But your Bua, well, I can't say the same about her," Khushi said with a mischievous grin. "To be honest, she's a real piece of work. Even after all the torture, she still won't own up to her mistake," she added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Nirmaan's response was stern. "She can't get away without acknowledging her error. Do whatever it takes, but make sure she accepts her mistake. She needs to feel the pain my Subi is going through. She'll stay in the dark until my wife comes out of it," he ordered, his tone firm and unyielding.

Khushi saluted on the other end of the phone and chuckled. "Thank you, Khushi, for helping me out," Nirmaan said, his gratitude evident.

"No, Nirmaan, thank you," Khushi replied. "If you hadn't been there for me that day, I wouldn't be here today. I can't even begin to compare what you did for me. Anyway, I have to get back to unfinished business. Bye," she said, before ending the call.

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"So, Ms. Gauri," Khushi said, as she sat down in the chair in front of her. "Do you want me to start again, or are you going to accept your mistake?" she asked, her eyes locked onto Gauri's, her gaze piercing and unrelenting.

The nasty woman let out a mirthless laugh, followed by a stinging slap to Gauri's cheek. "Well, I suppose the game is still afoot," Khushi said, before departing the abandoned place with a sense of satisfaction.

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Nirmaan punched the railing with unbridled ferocity, his face contorted in anguish as he sprained his hand. "Oh, Subi, forgive me, please, for this huge mistake. I promise to make it right and fix our relationship," he implored, gazing up at the sky with a deep sense of remorse.

His mother entered his room to summon him, and Nirmaan turned around when she called his name. Being a mother, it didn't take her long to see that her son was troubled. "What's wrong, Nirmaan?" she asked, her voice laced with concern, to which he initially denied anything was wrong. "I'm your mother, Nirmaan. I can tell when something's bothering you. So, tell me, what's on your mind?" she said, stopping him from leaving the room with a gentle yet firm tone.

Giving up, Nirmaan began to pour his heart out. "How do you make things right with someone you've hurt really badly?" he asked, his voice heavy with sorrow. His mother looked at him, her face etched with empathy. "I mean, what do you do when you've said something you didn't mean, but it still hurt the person you love?"

"Did you confess to Subi?" his mom asked, her tone curious. "How can I...I mean, what can I do to fix this?" Nirmaan's words trailed off, his thoughts unsure.

"I caught you following her by the stairs. And since this morning, she's been quiet and short with her answers. It's like she's put up a wall around herself, and it's really weird," his mom said, her eyes looking deep into his.

She gently put a hand on Nirmaan's shoulder, her touch making him feel better. "This is between you and your wife, and I won't pry. But sometimes you need to give time a chance to heal things, and saying sorry isn't enough. Show her you're really sorry by doing something to make it right. And don't make it easy for her to keep thinking bad things about you," she advised before departing and inviting him to join the family for dinner, "Come, eat your food, beta" (Aao, khana kha lo).

Everyone was already eating at the table, enjoying their food, while Subi just sat there, her plate untouched. "Hey, bhai, couldn't you have come faster? Bhabhi was waiting for you," his sister teased, her voice playful, before going back to chatting with Akash.

Subi wasn't really waiting for Nirmaan, or maybe she was, but it was also because she didn't want to bother anyone by asking for food, in case it didn't turn out right. In her mind, she was thinking about getting a crunchy apple or a juicy banana later, a small distraction from the trouble she was feeling inside.

But Nirmaan knew why she wasn't eating. This time, instead of feeling bad, he sat down next to her, filled his plate slowly, and quietly replaced hers. Without saying a word, he handed her a glass of water, "Drink some water, Subi" (Pani pi lo, Subi).

He then  took a spoon full of rice taking to her mouth. "Open your mouth ", he said in a low and stern voice. "No..I...", before she could finish Nirmaan spoke again, "Biwi, EAT.", this time his voice much firm. And she followed.

After dinner, they returned to their room. Nirmaan wanted to assist her, but she refused, determined to make it on her own. Though she hit her knee skipping a step while ascending the stairs, she was resolute in not accepting anyone's help.

Nirmaan felt helpless, but he couldn't force her to accept his assistance. He had to give her time. Reaching the room, she stood still, and then taking a few minutes to locate the washroom. After wasting at least five minutes, she finally found it. A lone tear escaped Nirmaan's eye, seeing his wife struggle to be independent but refusing to accept his help.

On the other hand, Subi was trying to prove to Nirmaan that she wasn't helpless. She didn't want him to worry about her or feel burdened by her condition. She was doing this so that Nirmaan wouldn't take her as a responsibility, because people often get tired of forced responsibilities.

Nirmaan remained still, waiting, when he heard Subi's voice calling out, "Nirmaan." He rushed into the washroom, but she wasn't there. When she called out again, he went to the closet, opening the door to find Subi standing in the middle of a complete mess.

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What do you guys think about todays chapter?

Do you think Nirmaan was doing right with Bua ji?

And who is this new character and what is her relation with Nirmaan?

What do you think happened in Closet?

People, the chapter is unedited. So there might be mistakes.
I'm updating the chapter early as you all requested.
See you all Tomorrow.