The Second Bloom • 18+ [Completed ✓]

34. Arguments with Nandani (Malini's POV)

We reached our home a day ago.

Varun resumed his work today itself. But what surprised me even more was, the audacity of that woman to freely walk inside our home.

And talk with my mother-in-law, as if nothing had happened. She didn't had even a trace of guilt on her face which was eating me up even more.

Seriously, I wanted to bang on a hard punch on her face such that her nose breaks down into two pieces.

At noon, after lunch, when Maa-ji went to rest, she stood on the entrance of my room and knocked on my door.

Without my permission, she was about to enter inside the room when I spoke,

“Wahin ruk jaiye, koi zarurat nahin hai humare kamre mein aane ki.”

She probably gulped, I heard her swallowing hard.

“Malini...”

I cut her off,

“Aap bina kisi rok-tok ke iss Ghar mein kadam rakh rahin hai, usey hi kafi samajhiye. Aur hum aapko, itna kuch ho jane ke baad bhi laheje se jawab de rahe hai, iska bhi shukr manaiye, warna hum itne sidhe nahin jitne nazar aate hai, Nandani!”

Her gazes turned sharp.

She spoke, her voice low,

“Tum iss tarah humse baat nahin kar sakti, Malini. Hum bade hai tum se.”

I chuckled.

“Badi hain humse? Lekin bade toh bade wala kaam bhi karte hain na, Nandani JI. Aapne kaun sa Aisa kaam kiya jo hum aapse tameez se baat kare?”

She stepped inside the room like an idiot — which she actually was and gritted her teeth,

“Hum shaant hai iska matlab yeh nahin, Malini ki humare muu mein jubaan nahin hain. Hum shaant hai kyu ki hum Varun ko taqlif nahin Dena chahte. Warna kab ka bata diya hota humne sab ko ki kis tarah Varun ne humare sath jabardasti ki hai Holi ke subah.”

“Acha!” I said, knitting my brows, “Kya kiya Varun ne?”

She frowned.

Then she placed both her hands upon her waist and muttered,

“Hume chhua. JABARDASTI.”

I smiled genuinely, “Aur aapne kya Kiya? Aapne unhe rokne ki ek koshish nahin ki?”

Her eyes flicked nervously for a second but that confidence was back immediately,

“Humne koshish Ki thi. Humne usey rokne ki bohot koshish ki thi. Woh Maan nahin raha tha!”

“Kaise ki koshish? Zara bataiye hume?” I stepped forward, crossing my arms against my chest.

She breathed heavily, and I could see the sweat on her forehead clearly.

“Kaise kiya aapne koshish, Nandani JI?” I emphasized on Ji.

She hesitated, “H-humne.... Humne usey... Dhakka diya, door hataya.... Lekin... Woh mard hai na, hum rokte bhi toh kitna? Woh - woh humari baat sun hi nahin raha tha nashe mein?”

I chuckled.

“Acha! Toh aapne inhe dhakka diya... Door hataya....” I replied innocently, pretending to think something, “Toh... Itni hathapaayi Hui... Aap dono ke bich. Unhone aapke saath jabardasti kiya hoga... Usme bhi....”