Her Baby

10| His Darkness

In the darkness of the room, amidst the moonlight, Nandini laid with his arm wrapped around her waist and his head resting on the crook of her neck. Her fingers raked through his hair comfortingly as he played with her mangalsutra in anxiousness as he said, "Maami meko bohot maarti thi. Ek din jab Dadi nahi thi toh unhone mujhe kaha ki main unke liye aur baaki sab ke liye chai banakar lau. Maine kaha mujhe nahi aati toh unhone cig–cigarette se meri saari fingers jala di aur–aur sab uchi uchi hasne lag gaye aur mujhe itna bada mental bolne lage." Manik recalled, fisting her mangalsutra and his eyes, filled with tears, raised to hers as he innocently queried, "Nanni Mumma main mental hoon?"

(She used to beat me alot. One day, when gradma wasn't around she told me to prepare tea for everyone. When I said I don't know how to make it, she–she burnt my fingers with cigarettes and then started laughing loudly. She even called me a mental. **Am I a maniac, Nanni Mumma?)

"Bilkul bhi nahi, mere bacha. Tu toh mera bohot syaana baby hain," Nandini replied, controlling her rage, and turned towards him, pressing numerous kisses on his fingers, making him giggle as he pointed to the end of his pinky finger and said, "Yaha pe bhi tha."

(Not at all. You're such a good baby of mine. **It was here too.)

Nandini pecked it and his his nose one last time, she laid back while he continued, "Aur ek baar maine ek chota sa puppy dekha. Woh na bohot shiver kar raha tha thand main, toh maine Riya Aunty ko kaha ki kya main usse apne saath le chalu toh unhene haan kaha aur hum usse ghar laaye. Raat ko Maami ko pata chala ki ghar main ek puppy hain aur jab unko pata chala toh unhene meko belts se bohot maara tha. Meri saari stomach pe. Mereko bohot pain ho raha tha aur main bahut saara roya aur Riya Aunty ko bhi khub bulaya, ki unhone hi kaha tha par Aunty ne kuch nahi bolo aur bas dekhti rahi. Un sab ne ek ek karke meko bohot maara tha uss raat, Nanni Mumma. Abhi bhi ni gaye woh nishan."

(*Once, I found a puppy on road. He was shivering alot and I asked Riya if we can take her along with us. She agreed and we brought him home. When Maami came to know about him, she beat me alot with belts. On my stomach. It pained me alot and so I cried. I even called Riya and explained that she had said that I could bring the puppy. But, she didn't speek anything. Everyone of them beat me alot that day. The marks are still there, Nanni Mumma.)

Nandini stared at him, her throat choking with tears as he raised his shirt slightly and stared at the burnt marks while showing her. She softly grazed her fingers over them as Manik stared at her before she snapped out of her reverie as he continued, "Esse uhnohe bohot kuch kiya tha mere saath. Mere ko unse bohot dar lagta tha. Par ab toh aap ho na mere pass. Aap meko protect kroge, Nanni Mumma?" Nandini nodded, assuringly and pressed a kiss on his forehead before moving away slightly as he asked, "Riya Aunty se bhi na?"

"Riya Aunty? Kya kiya unhone aur?" Nandini asked with a frown and saw as he nibbled on his bottom lip nervously.

"Woh na jab bhi main akela hota hu na yaa jab meko nahate hain toh woh na–" Manik started saying, his brows furrowed in confusion as he tried to explain himself before taking Nandini's hand in his and said, "Haan. Woh na esse karti hain aur meko bohot ganda lagta hain."

Nandini froze as he traced her hand over his chest, gradually sliding it down before she immediately jerked her hand away as it reached the waistband of his bottoms, making him say, "Woh na esse pura meko bohot touch karti hai. Ganda sa. Aur abhi aapke hath tha na isse bhi niche jaake woh–woh usko apne hands se press bhi karti hain. Maine unhe kaha bhi ki meko acha ni lagta toh unhone kaha ki essa sab ladko ko hi acha lagta hain."

Nandini breathed out before she cupped his cheeks with shaking hands and firmly said, "It doesn't matter ki aap ladki ho ya ladki. If anyone, even me, ever makes you uncomfortable with their touch then you have full right to say it aloud because this is your body and no one has the right to touch you without your permission. Aur agar koi kare toh doh laga dena uske muh par. And neither do you have permission to touch anyone in any way until they say so. Okay?"