ʟᴏᴠᴇ- ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʀᴇ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ | ✓

~ f o r t y ~

Ishita was also surprised when she heard Nandini's tone, which she had never used, neither with her daughter not generally. She was worried for Nandini because she know there's something that's disturbing her. Avoiding Ishita's gaze Nandini moved to the kitchen and started cleaning the utensils. Ishita came and stopped her.

"Nandini. You go and see Anahita. I'll take care of these." Nandini tried protesting but Ishita forcefully pushed her out of the kitchen and Nandini came to their room. Entering in, she saw her daughter hugging her bear, which was again a gift by Manik. She sighed realising that whatever she is trying to do, she can hardly succeed in that. Because He is already too much in their lives. Leaving her thoughts there she moved to the bed and got under the covers. She saw the dried tears marks on her daughter's sleeping face and sighed before cleaning them.

Nandini felt miserable for being the reason of her daughter's tears. Nevertheless she hugged her daughter who didn't protested but stay stilled. Nandini kissed the top of her daughter's head and tried sleeping which was far away from her eyes. Tossing and turning for an hour she sighed and looked at the time in side clock which showed only ten pm. Finally, not being able to sleep she got out of the bed and kept pillows at her place so that Anahita won't roll over the bed.

Closing the door of the room softly Nandini came out in living area where she saw Ishita sitting watching movie on tv. Ishita saw Nandini and smiled at her before closing the tv and signalling her to come there. Nandini smiled back and sat beside Ishita on the couch. Ishita looked at Nandini who was looking so deprived of sleep and peace.

"Nandini. Bache, what happen? Now don't give me the same crap that nothing, just you feeling low and all. I've been hearing it for three days now. Why are you so lost darling? What's troubling you?" Nandini could hear the concern laced in Ishita's words. All she wanted at this moment was to tightly hug her and let all her worries out. She wanted to tell her everything that's troubling her. Just like, she would've done with her mother. She was missing her mother. She was missing the nights where she would just lay down her head in her mother's lap for hours. She was missing those days, when her mother would always know that her daughter is in some trouble and would always be there for her. She was simply missing her mother.

She looked at Ishita who was looking at him with concern in her eyes. No doubt, Ishita is just like a mother figure to her. She had held her hand, when her own mother couldn't. She already owe so much to this lady, that now laying out her vulnerable self seems to selfish to Nandini. And she had stopped being raw and vulnerable in the fear, that one day again she will be left alone.

Ishita sighed when Nandini gave her a faint smile and shaked her head in No. She knows that Nandini doesn't feel comfortable sharing her vulnerability, her broken self. She has seen this girl struggling to hide her pain, to hide her tears, hide her broken heart just because she didn't wanted to be a more burden on her that she already is. But only if Ishita could make her understand, that she is not a burden on her. She is just like a daughter to her that she never had.

"You know Nandu, years ago, when I found out that I can never conceive, I was shattered." Nandini looked at Ishita when suddenly she started telling her something she never spoke about. Nandini know about Ishita that she was infertile and hence her husband and in-laws tortured her till the extent where she couldn't bore and left that place. She know Ishita speaks very less about her past, and today she saw the hurt in the lady's eyes.

"But I somehow made my heart understand thinking that I've my husband who loves me. We can always adopt a child. But, it was like his love was limited to me being able to a mother or not. It didn't took me too much time to realise my importance there. And I was actually glad, that I never initiated for adoption because of the toxicity of that house. And after getting divorced, I tried for adoption because, I wanted to be a mother. I wanted to feel that contentment of being a mother. But just because I was single adoption was almost impossible. And, I accepted my fate. My profession became my life. I indulged myself completely in my profession. I was not happy, but it was all good."