Love or Game (Complete✅)

Chapter 59- "Reunion..."

He sounds contrite while turning his face to hide the emotion in his eyes. This man! I can't even tease him. I place my palm on his cheek and make him meet my eyes.

"You are not annoying. Instead, you look adorable when you sound over strict and caring for my health. Manik, I also missed this care and love during Manu's birth. It was our destiny that we parted away. But it is our fortune that we again became one. You know that night when you got intimate with me in my unconscious condition, I was determined to rectify that mistake. But perhaps destiny didn't want it and I forgot to take the emergency contraceptive pill. Perhaps God wanted to create another reason to get us closer."

I pause and observe Manik's eyes. They have more questions in them. He takes some seconds and eventually asks in a timid tone,

"Nandini, you got married to me, not because of this child, right? Did I force you again to be with me? Tell me, Nandini. You have forgiven me, right?"

His eyes have pain and anxiety which brim my eyes instantly. I cup his face and utter,

"I married you because I love you. And this child is one of the sweet symbols of our love. I forgave you, Manik. I forgave you from the bottom of my heart. The moment I realised that I can't live without you, I forgot my painful past. Yes, you did a mistake. But I did mistakes too. I kept Maan away from you. I gave pain to my brother. We are humans, Manik. That's why we are prone to do errors in life. But we have our conscience too that tells us what is right and what is wrong. If we can't forget our past then we can't celebrate our present neither we can dream of our future. I love you. Whatever you are. You are mine, Manik Malhotra and even I can't deny this truth."

He scoots forward and joins his head with me. His eyes are closed. We have crossed so many hurdles in life but still, we are together. Our love turned into a game. Then the game lost in front of our love. This is our love story. Tangled but true. I snake his neck and sink my lips into his.

....................................................

"Sometimes I want to slap myself."

Navya grumbles under her breath. Since the morning, she has been seeking the bunch of the newborn babies' suits that she bought last week. She knows that before birth one shouldn't buy anything for the unborn child or it may bring bad luck. But what she could do? Those clothes were so cute and adorable that she couldn't hold herself back from jumping on them. However, right now, she is not being able to find them out. Navya slams the cupboard door to close it and swears at herself again,

"You are worthless, Navu. You are just worthless. You don't have a sharp memory neither you have any capability to manage your home. And when you don't have these qualities then why do you even try?"

She vents out disgust on herself and plummets on the bed. The continuous work makes her fatigue. She pants a bit while dabbing the dupatta on her sweaty forehead. Only then, her eyes catch the sight. The desired packet of the cloths is kept on the top of the almirah. Navya bites her tongue and mumbles,

"For you, Cabir. I am to hide all these things like this."

Since Cabir has come to know about her pregnancy, invisible emotional combat has been started between them. Cabir doesn't want Navya to get over possessive or hopeful about the child. The reason is evident. The doctor is still sceptical about the health of the baby. She even told both of them to be prepared for any bad news. If all go well, then it will be an unexpected result. Navya knows that she has put her and her child's life at risk but she didn't have any other option. She wanted to be a mother and when she came to know about Nandini's pregnancy, this desperation became limitless. They both have conceived at almost the same time and she didn't want to feel the same emptiness once again. No, she is not jealous of Nandini but she is not so generous either. She can't see her empty womb in front of another woman who can have a healthy child. It may sound low and selfish but a woman's deeper emotion can't be judged so easily. Navya gets up from the bed and nears the cupboard once again. The height is high. She can't reach it without standing on a stool. Navya looks all around and walks towards the plastic chair kept in front of Cabir's study table. She drags it to the cupboard and places it in front of it. After thinking a bit, she supports her bloated belly with one hand and grabs the chair to step on it. It feels a little uncomfortable but Navya's adamance to get the packet forces her to bear the trouble. As she lifts another leg to stand on the chair, it tilts backwards. With a fearful yell, Navya tries to balance herself from the downfall. But it goes in vain. She perhaps had fallen flat on her back if two strong hands wouldn't have caught her from behind. Navya let out a suppressed wail,