Her Baby

07| Her Life

In the early morning, as the first rays of sun touched the horizon, the clinking of the utensils echoed in the silence of the house as a young girl prepared breakfast. Wiping the sweat lining her forehead, she stored the dish aside carefully before moving upstairs.

Nandini pressed a kiss on his forehead before she covered him properly with a duvet and got up. She moved to the washroom for a bath and a few minutes later, stepped out of the room freshly showered in a maroon salwar kameez. She applied minimal makeup along with the vermillion while the gold earrings along with her nuptial chain and chuda were the only accessories she wore.

Checking on Manik one last time, she stepped out of the room and stepped downstairs, encountering Dadi in the kitchen. She bent down, touching her feet for her blessing before straightening up.

Dadi passed her a smile before Nandini started to make arrangements for breakfast. She looked towards the older woman as she asked, "What is the timing for your interview and when will you return?"

"Umm, it will start at nine. There are other candidates too, so by two it will end. So, I can come back anytime between nine and two," Nandini replied, making Dadi nod despite the worry about Manik.

Nandini hurriedly finished preparing everything as she noticed the time and realized Manik was about to wake up. After a few minutes, she stepped in the room and watched Manik twitching and moving around, trying to find her warmth and opening his eyes, looking ready to throw a fit.

As soon as he let out a strangled cry, she hurried to his side and laid beside him, pulling him closer while his face buried in her chest and wrapped his arm around her waist.

She removed her dupatta and raised her kameez, pulling his mouth closer to her nipple after lowering down the bra cup. Her stomach tightened as his lips flailed around, his eyes closed until they latched on her breast.

His breath deepened as he suckled the milk out of her breast while fisting her nuptial chain. She caressed his hair lovingly as his eyes closed, holding herself from hissing in pain as his movement became frantic. It had been a week since she started feeding him and just felt pain occasionally.

As he fell asleep, she pulled away slowly, wiping the milk from his lips with the pad of her thumb, pecking his head as his breath deepened and he fell asleep. Sitting up, she arranged her bra and kameez before covering him properly with a duvet and got up.

Collecting her handbag and files she moved out of the room, thanking Riya Aunty as she handed her a cup of coffee. Nandini refused as Riya insisted Nandini have her breakfast. She didn't feel like eating because of her anxiousness, not only because of her interview but also because of Manik.

In the past week, he had become accustomed to her presence, clinging to her the whole day and talking her ears off. Nandini had always been patient to him, listening to him patiently and trying to understand him by finally providing him with the love that he always deserved but she didn't want him to feel like she was abandoning him by going for a job.

"I have prepared Manik's breakfast. The bowl is in the oven and if he doesn't eat and if he refuses, be patient with him. He–" Nandini started, stopping when Riya Aunty held her hand, pulling her out of her rambling.

"It's okay. Don't worry about him. We will take care of him," Riya said and Nandini nodded, hoping it to be true. In the past week, what she did know was he loved throwing fits and tantrums in frustration if he didn't get what he wanted and whether he wanted her attention or not just depended on his mood.

Nandini stepped out of the house after bidding Riya a farewell, getting in the cab waiting for her downstairs.

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