The Second Bloom • 18+

20. Chat with Nandani (Malini's POV)

Sitting in the quiet of the room, sunlight filtering through the small window, I held the half-sewn sweater in my lap, but my mind wandered far from the needle and thread in my hands.

The rhythmic sound of stitching faded into the background as memories of last night and this morning flooded back, consuming me with a warmth I could still feel deep inside. To my core.

Our first time together, our first time making love.

It had been everything—more than I had imagined.

I can still feel him, his hands, his touch, his weight. The way he’d held me, so careful and gentle, as though he was afraid of hurting me. But beneath that gentleness had been a burning passion, a fire I hadn’t seen in him before.

We were wrapped in each other, in the moment. He had kissed me, long and slow, until I could hardly breathe, until I was aching to be closer to him. I remember the heat of his skin, the roughness of his hands as they traced paths over my body, and the way he whispered my name, like it was the only word he wanted to say.

I can still feel him—inside me, around me. I can still feel how his body had moved with mine, how he had made sure that every moment was for me. Just for me. How much he had loved me last night. How tender it was, like we had all the time in the world. Like he wanted to show me how deeply he cared, not just with words, but with every touch, every kiss, every breath we shared.

He fucked me with such care, as if I was something precious and something so valuable in his life. And when it was over, when we had finally laid there together, exhausted but content, I had rested my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, feeling a peace I hadn’t known before. In his arms, I had felt whole. Whole.

My fingers tightened around the needle in my hand, but my thoughts remained far away. I was still with him, in that hut, on that cot, where we had given ourselves to each other in the truest way possible. Until someone knocked on the door and my eyes snapped towards the door.

“Aaiye na,” I said with a smile.

Nandani walked in, a small smile fluttering on her lips. “Hume laga tum aaram karti hogi.”

I shook my head, “N-nahi... Hum bas aise hi...”

I placed the needle and half sewn sweater aside, straightening up my body a little.

She came forward and sat down on the bed infront of me.

“Kaki toh so gayin, toh humne socha tum se hi thodi baatein kar le.”

I smiled, “Zaroor.”

She placed a assuring hand over mine, and said softly,

“Humare Ghar pe bhi koi hai nahin, hum ghar aaye, toh humari Nani ke paas chali gayin, unki sewa karne. Akele Ghar par yun kya karte hum, isliye hum yahan chale aate hain. Tumhe koi pares—”

I cut her off, giving her hand a squeeze, “Bilkul nahi, Nandani ji. Aap inki dost hain, Shanta kaki ki beti hain, parivaar ki hi tarah hain, bilkul aa sakti hain aap, kabhi bhi.”

She smiled. “Dhanyavad, Malini.”

“Dhanyavad ki koi zaroorat hi nahin hai. Aap toh humari shaadi ke pehle bhi yahan aaya karti thi na, inhone bataya tha hume.”

Her lips curved more,

“Haan. Pehle toh hum bohot aaya karte the. Pata hain? Isha didi bhi humari kafi acchi saheli thi, halaki hum se thodi badi thi umra mein, par hum bohot khela karte the bachpan mein.”

I smiled.

She continued further, “Aur pata tha, hum ghar-ghar khela karte the, jisme Isha didi saas banti thi,” she chuckled, “Amrit bhaiya ko toh bilkul bhi yeh khelna nahi pasand tha. Woh door hi rehte the. Hum bahu bante the aur Varun humare pa—”

She paused. And my heart froze for a minute.

She shook her head, laughing, “Bachpan ki baatein hain, Malini. Bachpan ki baatein sunne mein thodi ajeeb lagti hain, hum jaante hain.”

I nodded my head.

After a long pause she said, “Tum batao kuch, apne bachpan ki baatein. Uss samay se hum hi suna rahein hain sirf.”

I thought for a second then smiled,

“Humare bachpan mein... Kuch aisa hua hi nahin... Jo hum bata paye ...”

She squeezed my hand, “Tumhari behne?”

I nodded, “Humari behne thi ... Par... Hum se kafi badi thi.. humara matlab, hum kafi deri se aaye humare maa-baap ki zindagi mein, humari behne humse 8-9 saal badi thi. Toh dost kabhi ban nahi payi, aur ...” I trailed off.

She gulped.

Then her lips curved at corners,

“Hum samajhte hain, Malini.”

I gave her a nod.

“Sach kahe Malini, toh Hume yakeen nahi hota tumne itna sab kuch kaise seh liya.”

I looked up into her eyes. She continued,

“Matlab... Itni jaldi... Amrit bhaiya chal base .... Fir yeh dusri shaadi.... Hum dekh sakte hain, Malini, kis tarah se tum dono apne rishte ko sudhaarne ki koshish kar rahe ho.”

I stiffened at the mention of Amrit and then new marriage, but I nodded. "Hmmm," I hummed carefully, not wanting to open up too much.

She squeezed my hand,

“Aur pata hain, hum jaante hain Varun ko, bohot acche se. Bohot accha insan hai, Varun. Par kabhi kabhi usey... Padha nahi jaa sakta, uske andar kya chal raha hain..”

I hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Because my husband wasn’t difficult to read anymore, not for me atleast. Not after last night. Or previous several nights.

But Nandini didn’t know that.

“Ji,” I said, keeping my voice neutral. “Par...samay sab theek kar de, shayad.”

She nodded, her expression softening.

“Hume bohot accha laga, Malini tumse baatein kar ke. Hum bas tumhe itna batana chahte hain, Malini, ki kabhi bhi tumhe akela mehsoos ho, kisi dost ki zaroorat ho, toh hum hain.  Aur....”

I looked up at her.

“Aur... Hum jaante hain, hum aur Varun pehle kafi acche dost the... Lekin... Tum humare rishte ko.. galat Nazar se mat dekhna, Malini. Humara rishta bohot—”

I cut her off, “Aapko yeh sab bolne ki zaroorat nahin hain, Nandani ji. Sach kahe toh, pehle Hume laga bhi tha, par aapse baatein kar ke humara Mann halka ho gaya. Sach.”

Nandini smiled again, a bit too brightly this time.

“Varun bohot accha insan hai, Malini. Tum bhi, bohot achi ho. Dekhna, tum dono ka rishta jald hi bohot achha ho jaega.”

“Hume pata hain, hum dono hi koshish kar rahe hain,” I replied, my voice a little quieter than before.

She smiled.

Then we talked about so many things. We sat together the entire evening— me, Nandani and Maa-ji.

Specifically Maa-ji and Nandani narrated me the stories of Varun's childhood and I laughed.

It was really late at night, and Varun ji hadn't returned yet to home, thus Nandani left early. Maa-ji forced me to have food on time because of my pregnancy. And we retired to our rooms after having dinner.

── .✦⋆⭒˚｡⋆ּ ֶָ֢.࣪ ִֶָ☾.⭑⛧๋࣭ ⭑✉˖°✿ ── .✦