TISHNAGI

CHAPTER 24: NAINA

My thoughts were broken by a loud cough and I looked at Mahir ji. I couldn't decipher the look he was giving us, but I knew, I knew I made a huge mistake. He was sad.

"Bhai, good morning!" Yash beamed happily, complete opposite to the look Mahir ji was giving us. He scoffed before leaving the kitchen and I immediately tried to free myself from Yash's hold, which resulted in me getting bumped with the pan on the stove.

I let out an anguish cry of pain. The boiling water burning my arm. "Naina!!" Both of them screamed my name, but Contrary to my needs, Yash held my arm gently and put it under cold water.

Mahir ji was beside me, his hand on my back and his eyes on the red bruise. I looked at him, his eyes held pain.

"Nainu, let's go, I'll apply medicine on this burn." Yash gently held my arm and made us walk out of the kitchen.

I stopped when I felt a tug from behind.

Mahir ji had held my hand, stopping us.

"Don't go." His eyes begged me. Something ached inside of me to see him distressed like that.

"Bhai, what are you doing? It's not the time for your stupid rantings. She might get a blister!" Yash hissed from behind and I saw Mahir Ji's eyes darken. He stared at me, looking for some answers. I chose to stay mute.

I knew I was wrong.

I knew I was hurting him.

I was-

I was fighting my own feelings.

He gave us a final hard stare, before withdrawing his hand and seeing us leave the kitchen.

-

Maa and papa were worriedly looking at us again and again while eating their food. I was sitting with Yash beside me and Mahir ji being opposite to my seat.

He seemed totally pissed, with whatever was going on and it seriously made everything nerve wrecking.

Yash was feeding me food even when I opposed his idea. "Nainu, c'mon you barely ate anything, how would you gain weight if you won't eat anything?!" Yash whined and I closed my eyes gulping the embarrassment.

I fought my tears and opened my eyes to my husband's gaze which was on the man beside me, giving him a full on deathly glare.

"I-I am full, thank you." I confirmed, but he still wasn't budging, so I ate the last bite, completely tired of his act.

We heard a clank, and saw Mahir ji getting up from his seat. "I'll leave for the office now." He informed us before walking towards our room. Taking the chance, I, too got up and went after him.

Closing the door behind me, I knew something was wrong.  Well I was the problem.

Sigh.

He had turned his back on me, and was checking his files, more like, flipping the pages.

"Mahir ji?" I probed. The shuffling of pages stopped and I gulped before, walking towards to him.

"Mahir ji, are you angry?" He didn't do anything. Neither moved, nor said anything.

"Mahir ji?" I was now in front of him. He wasn't looking at me, but rather at the wall behind me.

"Look at me, talk to me." He gazed at me and suddenly I felt short of breath. His eyes were captivating, and no matter how many times I had looked in them, my heart still picked up it's pace whenever I stared into them.

He sighed before, moving towards the cupboard and opening it, to take out his tie.
I huffed in tiredness, and walked upto him and snatched his tie from his hold.

"You promised we would fight in this together. You're not helping me Mahir ji-" He pulled me closer by pulling the end of the tie. His eyes held the agony which he was suppressing under his facade.

"I can't help because it hurts me Naina. It hurts so much that, when he took you with him out of the kitchen, I felt like someone was pulling my soul away from my body. You have no idea of how much I restrained myself downstairs. I wanted to punch that face of his, but you know what hurt me the most?" He didn't blink his eyes and that was giving me anxiety.

"W-what?" I knew the answer so well that I could recite the exact same words he was about to speak.

"When you didn't say anything. I stood there as he blew on the bruise, staring at my wife who was carefully watching her ex fiance help her. She was staring at him so intensely that for a second it looked like she had forgotten about her husband. So how do you want me to help you when...when you're not helping yourself?" His voice broke at the end but he maintained his composure.

I blew out a shaky breath and pulled out the tie from his grasp, which he reluctantly released from his grip. I started tieing his tie, trying to avoid his eyes which were prying for my answers.

"I am trying." I said while criss crossing the tie. "I am trying my best Mahir ji, try to understand my situation too. I cannot just erase him...his-our memories so easily from my mind." He was paying attention to my words, I finally corrected the tie and stared at him.

"I know what he did to me was horrible, and I would never forgive him for that. But trust me it takes a person some time to forget a person he/she truly loved...or believed so, I-uh-assure you that, whatever you felt, the hurt, the sadness, the insecurity, I won't let you feel the same again. I will try my best to ignore him and his tactics." I carefully finsihed my speech. He wasn't looking Pleased with my answers but nonetheless sighed and nodded giving me a small smile.

I held his hands gently and looked into his eyes. "I promise, I won't let you down this time. Just trust me okay?"  He nodded and hugged me.

He pulled me even closer and snuggled into my neck, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

He broke the hug before giving me a big smile and a kiss on my cheek. "I trust you even more than myself Naina. I would help you with your every action, with every thought that comes into your mind. But-but don't let that boy touch you again." I chuckled and nodded my head.

Oh boy, I wanted it to end.

-------

Hi cutiees.

2 saal baad aai hoon, swagat nahin karoge humara?(Lmao)

It's a random update because I wanted to surprise y'all. So tell me if you liked this. Chapter or not!

Comment, vote and follow me cutiies!

Love love