Mafia's Heartbeat

chapter 25

🌙 Wedding Night – Nikhil × Aarav

Location: Their softly lit wedding suite, petals and flickering candles surrounding the bed, jasmine scent lingering in the air.

The door closed with a quiet click behind them.

Nikhil turned to look at Aarav, who stood near the window, his wedding sherwani still on, a faint flush tinting his cheeks. The moonlight cast a silver glow on his features—he looked ethereal, nervous, yet so breathtakingly beautiful that it made Nikhil’s chest ache.

Aarav's fingers fidgeted with the edge of his sleeve. “So... this is real now,” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Nikhil walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind, resting his chin on Aarav’s shoulder. “We’re married,” he murmured against his skin. “You’re mine, and I’m yours.”

Aarav turned to face him slowly, their eyes meeting—nervous anticipation flickering behind Aarav’s lashes, and deep warmth in Nikhil’s.

“You don’t have to be scared,” Nikhil whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind Aarav’s ear. “We’ll take it slow. We’ve waited so long for this… tonight, I just want to feel you. All of you.”

Aarav blushed, nodding, his eyes never leaving Nikhil’s. “I trust you, Nikhil.”

That single sentence undid something inside him.

Nikhil leaned in slowly, pressing his lips against Aarav’s in a kiss that started gentle—feather-soft and sweet—but quickly grew deeper, needier, as years of hidden glances, forbidden touches, and yearning poured into it. Aarav’s hands slid up Nikhil’s chest, clutching his wedding kurta as their mouths moved in perfect rhythm.

They pulled apart only to breathe, foreheads pressed together. Nikhil cupped Aarav’s face in his hands and softly asked, “May I...?”

Aarav bit his lower lip, cheeks flushed deep crimson, then nodded. “Yes... please.”

Nikhil lifted him effortlessly, carrying him to the bed with such reverence it made Aarav shiver. He carefully undid Aarav’s heavy sherwani, kissing the skin he revealed—his collarbone, his shoulder, the racing pulse in his neck.

Aarav whimpered softly, his hands running through Nikhil’s hair. “You’re making it hard to breathe…”

“Then let me breathe for you,” Nikhil whispered, lips moving down Aarav’s chest, kissing every inch like worship. He paused only when he heard Aarav’s gasp, pulling him closer.

The night turned into a slow dance of tangled limbs, soft sighs, and quiet moans. Every touch was unhurried, every kiss soaked in devotion. Nikhil was careful, attuned to Aarav’s every breath and expression, pausing when he sensed hesitation, whispering words of comfort and affection.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, eyes tracing every part of him. “I’ve never wanted anyone like this.”

Aarav trembled under the weight of that honesty. “I’ve never let anyone touch me like this... but with you, I want everything.”

Their hands explored, their hearts pounded in unison. The room filled with the music of their sighs, the heat of their skin, the fire of their long-contained passion.

When they finally collapsed into each other’s arms, breathless and blissful, Nikhil wrapped a blanket around Aarav and held him close.

“I love you,” he whispered, brushing a kiss on his forehead.

Aarav smiled sleepily, his head resting on Nikhil’s chest. “And I’ve always been yours.”

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🌙 — A Quiet Night of Comfort 🌙

The haveli had finally quieted down after the long, elaborate wedding rituals. The vibrant noise of drums and laughter had faded into a warm hum of celebration, echoing softly in the walls like a memory. But in the privacy of their bedroom, everything was still.

Tanuj lay curled on the bed, his foot wrapped in soft gauze. His lips trembled with every breath, tears dried on his cheeks, his eyes glassy and red-rimmed from crying earlier. He clutched a small stuffed bunny to his chest, his thumb hovering near his mouth, too ashamed to suck it in front of others but too hurt to resist the comfort.

Nishant sat by the edge of the bed, gently dabbing a cool cloth on Tanuj’s forehead, though he had no fever—just a racing heart and shaken spirit. He watched his little one closely, eyes filled with a mix of guilt and love.

"I'm sowwy..." Tanuj whispered, voice breaking, “I... I ruined the pwecious gweha pwavesh…”

Nishant’s heart cracked.

“No, baby,” he said softly, brushing Tanuj’s curls back from his forehead. “You didn’t ruin anything. You’re the light in this house now. The graha pravesh only became sacred because you stepped into it. Even if it hurt you... you still made this home brighter.”

Tanuj sniffled, burying his face into the bunny’s fuzzy ear.

Nishant reached for the ointment and unwrapped the gauze gently. Tanuj winced slightly, letting out a soft whimper. Immediately, Nishant leaned down, placing the gentlest kiss just above the burn, not touching it, but near enough that Tanuj felt the warmth of his breath.

“Does it sting, sweetheart?” he asked.

Tanuj nodded, lower lip wobbling. “Huuurts…”

“I know, jaan,” Nishant murmured, voice laced with regret. “I should’ve checked the thali first. I should’ve protected you better.”

“Not your f-fault…” Tanuj hiccupped.

Nishant carefully applied the cooling aloe-based ointment, his fingers light and precise. His every touch was full of devotion—he was not just tending to a wound, but to someone more fragile, more precious than anything in his world.

Once the bandage was reapplied, Nishant pulled a soft blanket over Tanuj and sat behind him, lifting the boy gently into his arms.

“Wanna cuddle,” Tanuj mumbled, leaning into him.

“You have me, bunny. Always,” Nishant whispered, pressing his lips to Tanuj’s temple.

Tanuj’s fingers curled around Nishant’s shirt, his little heart finally beginning to settle.

“Sing...” he whispered, almost inaudibly.

Nishant smiled. “Of course.”

In the gentle hush of their room, he began humming a slow lullaby—a soft tune Anjali used to sing when he was a child. He cradled Tanuj close, letting the rhythm of his voice soothe him, his hands running in slow circles over his back.

As the pain ebbed away and the world shrunk down to just the two of them, Tanuj yawned against his chest, bunny squished between them.

“Love you, my hubbby...” he murmured in a sleepy slur.

Nishant kissed the top of his head. “I love you more than anything, my baby. And I’ll protect you. Always.”

That night, under the stars hidden by haveli walls, Nishant didn’t sleep a wink. He just held Tanuj close, listening to the soft puffs of his breath, promising with every heartbeat that no harm would ever reach him again.

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