Insatiable Desires

Chapter 27

Nandini sat beside Mahir, raising him and adjusting on her lap, kissing on top of his head and smiling, meeting him in the afternoon since morning because of guests and Aagastya. He looked at her, snapping out of daze as he looked at his younger brother getting showered with love by everyone in her family or the relatives for the past month since they arrived. 

Nandini looked at him as he tugged at her dupatta,  making her freeze as he innocently asked, "Meri Mumma kaun hain?"

"Yeh kya bol re ho Mahir? Main hu na aapki Mumma," Nandini replied. Mahir shook his head as he said, "Aap meri ni, Aagastya ki mumma ho. Maine suna sab ko." Before she could reply, he whispered, "Meko mere Papa aur Dadi aur Bui paas jaana hai. Aapke paas nahi rehna."

Nandini was in a daze, shocked after hearing his words and watched him as he got off her lap and ran to the room.

~~~~

"Sarkar, humare bache ko dhundh dijiye. Doh din se gayab hain. Sarkari afsar humari koi madat nahi kar rahe. Pata nahi kaha chala gaya," Manik sighed as the old farmer joined his hands in front of him while crying, pleading with him.

"Hum kehte hai usse dhundne ko," Manik replied while lowering his joined hands. He watched as the farmer walked away, breathing out. This was third villager he had met in the past day with the same complaint. He couldn't understand where teenagers were disappearing all of a sudden and why the policemen were refusing to help.

With all these thoughts roaming around in his mind, he walked towards his room, sighing again at seeing the empty room. After changing, he laid down on bed, staring at the walls as he tried to sleep, his ears involuntarily perked up to listen to the jingles of bangles or anklets or his son's voice and laughter as if they would appear in front of him.

Cursing under his breath, he laid on his back, deciding to bring the three of them back tomorrow morning. It had already been a month and a half anyways.

~~~~

Nandini yawned as her mother, early in the morning, asked her to open the front wooden door as someone knocked. She frowned, wondering who it could be this early until her frown turned into surprise as she looked at her husband. She blinked her eyes, wondering if this was for real.

"Aap," Nandini mumbled, in a daze, "Aap yaha kya kar re hai?"

"Bhul gayi kya tu meri biwi hain aur mere bache tere saath hai? Yahi ghar thodi na basayenge ab," Manik replied, amused as she looked as if she just got up from bed in her plain suit and open hair without any jewellery since in her in-laws house, she already had the entire family's breakfast ready by this time.

"Mere bache bhi hai voh," Nandini suddenly snapped, making him raise his eyebrows as he nodded while saying with a smirk, "Haan haan. Humare bache hai."

Nandini pressed her lips together, trying to hide her flaming cheeks as she heard her mother coming as she shouted, "Kaun tha Nandi–?" She suddenly stopped mid sentence, her persona changing in an instant as she softly exclaimed, "Arey Jamai Ji, aap? Itne achanak se. Aur Nandini tune inhe bahar kyu khadaya hain. Side hat. Andar aane de."

Nandini frowned as she was pushed aside as her mother welcomed her son in law. Nandini watched as he greeted his mother in law by touching her feet and she in return patted his back, blessing him.

"Aap hume batate pehle. Hum tayari kar ke rakhte. Humne toh nashte main bhi kuch khaas nahi banaya," her mother complained as she ushered him inside after enquiring about his and his family's well being and made him sit on the chair while Nandini watched her husband get treated like a devta of the house.