𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔

𝟰𝟰. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹?

Chapter Forty-Four: Something Special?

If he could describe this morning, he would say it was the best he'd had in the last three years. The sun was rising over the Alps, and Nehmat was in his arms, her face resting on his chest and her hands on either side, snoring peacefully. He could wake up to this sight every day of his life. The life that had seemed dead for the past three years was finally coming back to him.

Stirring in her sleep, she groaned and woke up with a headache, her hair all over the place. She looked at Shubman and asked, "What time is it?"

"It's 8 AM, love," he replied, combing her hair with his fingers.

Nehmat widened her eyes and asked, "Did alcohol make me sleep that long?"

Burying her face in his neck, she murmured, "That's the longest I've slept in a long time."

He chuckled and said, "When you are at peace, you sleep well," while running his hand gently along her back.

"I guess you're right," she whispered. "I haven't felt this peaceful in years."

He kissed the top of her head and held her closer. "We'll make sure you feel this way every day," he promised softly.

Rubbing her eyes, she asked, "What date is it today?" Shubman, still holding her, reached over to the side table to check his phone. "It's the 30th of August," he replied, glancing at the screen.

Nehmat's eyes widened as she realized the significance of the date. "That means..." she trailed off, a mixture of emotions swirling within her.

Sensing her sudden change in demeanour, Shubman furrowed his brows in concern. "What is it, Neh?" he asked gently, his hand instinctively reaching to stroke her cheek.

She clutched his shirt tight, trying to control herself, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions. After a moment of hesitation, she finally whispered, "It's Rakshabadhan"

Shubman pulled her forehead closer and kissed it, calming her down. "You need to sort it out, Nehmat. He's miserable, like all of us, since you ran away," he said softly, his voice laced with concern.

Nehmat felt a surge of anger and hurt, tears welling up in her eyes. She wanted to shout, to unleash all the pent-up frustration she had been holding in for so long. But she managed to control her voice, her tone sharp but controlled. "Are you trying to take his side, Shubman? He was the one behind our broken family and love."

Shubman sighed, his expression pained as he looked into Nehmat's eyes. "I'm not taking sides, Neh. I hate seeing you both suffer like this," he said, his voice tinged with sadness.

Nehmat felt a surge of anger rising within her, bubbling up from the depths of her wounded heart. "He doesn't deserve my forgiveness after what he did. He tore our family apart, and now he expects me to just forgive and forget?"

Shubman's eyes softened with empathy, but he held his ground. "I'm not asking you to forget, Neh. And I know forgiveness won't come easily. But holding onto this anger and resentment will only continue to hurt you," he reasoned gently, reaching out to touch her hand.

Nehmat buried her face in her hands, her fingers tangling in her hair as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm tired of being the cold Nehmat," she cried out, her voice choked with emotion. "But I also can't just let everything go, not after what he did."

Seeing Nehmat so distressed, Shubman's worry deepened. He gently reached out and took her trembling hands in his, his heart aching at the sight of her pain. "I understand, Neh," he murmured softly, his voice filled with compassion. "It's okay to feel the way you do. You've been through so much, and it's only natural to struggle with forgiveness."

He brushed away her tears with his thumb, his touch gentle and reassuring. "But holding onto this pain won't bring you peace," he continued, his gaze unwavering as he searched her eyes for a glimmer of hope. "You deserve to find happiness, Nehmat. And sometimes, letting go is the first step towards healing."

Burying her face in his neck, she let her heart out, sobbing, crying, and wailing. As her tears wore out, he pulled her back gently, brushing the hair sticking to her face behind. "Just don't think about it right now. Go slowly in forgiving, but do forgive. Now, let's go clean up. Only if you want me to join," he said teasingly, brushing his lips against her nose.

Chuckling weakly, Nehmat said, "Once a pervert, always a pervert."

Picking her up in his arms, Shubman carried Nehmat towards the bathroom, her laughter trailing behind them like a melody of nostalgia. As they moved, she felt herself travelling back in time to moments when they were young and reckless, stealing kisses in the bathroom stalls of the stadium, hearts racing with the thrill of getting caught.

But now, years later, they had come so far. They walked together, unafraid and unashamed, their love strong enough to withstand any judgmental eyes.

After their bath, they both emerged from the bathroom, towels wrapped around their bodies, with an extra one on Nehmat's hair. Shubman huffed jokingly, "A bath with you is like giving a bath to a one-year-old."

Nehmat pouted, her eyebrows furrowing in mock offense. "Why so?" she asked, her tone playful as she looked up at Shubman with exaggerated innocence, water droplets glistening on her skin.

Shubman grinned, unable to resist her adorable pout. "Because you splash around like a little kid," he teased, reaching out to flick a droplet of water from her nose.

Nehmat swatted his hand away, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, excuse me for enjoying my bath," she retorted, sticking out her tongue teasingly before breaking into a giggle.

He pulled her closer by her arm, his face inching closer to hers, making her breath hitch in anticipation. Leaning forward, he gently pressed his lips against hers, savouring the sweetness of the moment.

Their kiss was interrupted by a loud yet gentle voice calling out, "Niniii, come down, breakfast is ready."

Startled, Nehmat and Shubman pulled apart, sharing a sheepish smile as they heard the call from downstairs. "Looks like breakfast is served," Shubman said with a chuckle, releasing Nehmat from his embrace.

Nehmat nodded, still slightly flushed from their intimate moment. "Let's go before Vamika comes up here herself," she joked.

Both of them changed and headed downstairs, where Anushka wore a smirk on her face and Vamika looked visibly happy as she saw them descend together. As for Virat, he seemed to be in his usual mood of longing as he noticed his sisters' stares lingering on him for a moment longer than usual.

As they both sat down, Vamika immediately jumped onto their laps, squeezing herself comfortably between them. "So, silly Gilly and Nini are back?" she exclaimed with a grin.

Shubman laughed and ruffled Vamika's hair affectionately. "Yes, we're back," he replied with a playful smile. Nehmat wrapped her arm around Vamika, pulling her closer. "And we're hungry! What's for breakfast?" she asked, glancing around the table.

"Wait, Mumma wants to share something special, and it's more special for me, but you guys too," Vamika said, turning around towards the table. Virat wore a confused expression. "What's something special?" he asked, curiosity evident.

"Yes, Bhabhi, what is it?" Nehmat and Shubman asked excitedly, their curiosity piqued.

Anushka took a deep breath and started, "I........................