MALANG

15. Second chance

Jaisalmer

"What's wrong, Nitu?"

I was arranging the beddings of our guestroom when I heard Bhai interogating me, without really taking off his eyes of some random sports magazine that he was reading.

"Nothing." I shrugged casually. "Why do you ask?"

"I have been watching you since the tika ceremony. You don't seem to be in a good mood."

I paused for a bit.
"I was just worried for Vani. Her family members were there na.. and she gets really uncomfortable in their presence, you know."

"Is it?" He kept the magazine and at me into the eye. "Or you choose not to lie?"

"Fine. I'll tell you everything." I slumped on the bed defeated. "....Its about Suvek Somani."

"Vivek's younger brother?"

"The same."

"What about him? I also met him today. He is a nice boy."

Nice boy my foot!
"He flir... err.. misbehaved with me."

Bhai's jaws clenched within a moment as the softness of his eyes got replaced with fury.
"What did he exactly do?"

He touched me without my permission and tried to seduce me with his naked torso.

'Which was hot as fuck!' My subconscience sighed from the back.

I glared at her.
"He was trying to make a pass at me."

"How?" Bhai demanded further explanation.

I scrunched my brows and got up from the bed. "What do you mean by 'how'? Ofcourse he didn't dare do anything infront of his truckload amount of guests!"

"He just made a pass and you became so upset that you didn't smile for once throughout the whole ceremony? How convinsing of you, Ms. Nityami Bharadwaj!!"

"I didn't smile?" So he kept a count! "Well, I will whatsapp you all my 'smiling' photos once I get them tomorrow from Rishi."

To say about Rishi, he was one of my closest friends who worked as a budding photographer in the same publishing house as mine.

"If you say so." Bhai kept down his magazine and came to sprawl on the bed. "But one thing, Nitu.. if that boy disturbs you again, remember that I am just a phone call away."

I guess he won't. He is leaving for Bangalore anyway. But even if he does, I am sorry I won't be informing you again.. because if You know, Vani will come to know about it too. And if She knows, she will think it to be another case of molestation. Though I don't know if I can discard this term as yet, but as long as Vani is not getting married, I am keeping my mouth shut. She doesn't need to know everything and get herself traumatized with the memory of some shaking incidents that took place in her teenhood. It will only hamper her marriage and I can't let that happen. I will save her marriage at all fucking cost.

I heaved a sigh as I smiled at him and nodded my head like an obedient kid.

"Good night, Bhaisaa."

"Good night. Go to sleep." He ordered affectionately as he pulled the comforter to himself.

I switched off the light for him and walked out of the room noiselessly.

•

My slumber broke at six in the morning.

I rubbed my eyes and got up. Uggh, my head hurt with all the work and overthinking from yesterday. But guess people had no consideration for it. Else, who would have come to bother at such an unearthly hour of the day?