Months passed, Nandini was leaning on her balcony thinking.
"Badi maa is right, Nandini. Today or tomorrow you have to get married, you can't escape from this. But how can I be sure that the person I would marry would understand me, and more importantly, respect me."
Her chain of thoughts broke, when she heard a faded knock from her room. She came inside.
"Aa jayein" she said and a maid opened the door.
Nandini looked at her with a questioning look.
"Rajkumari, aapko Sitara bibi ne bulaya hai"
"Okay, I am coming you go" Nandini said and the maid left.
She quickly went to her closet and took out trousers and changed because she was wearing shorts in her room and she can't go like this outside her room.
She went to Sitara's room and knocked and heard a come in from her. She opened the door and saw Sitara was placing Ekansh in the cradle and Abhishek was sitting on the couch with some papers scattered on the table.
"Bhabhi, aapne bulaya" She said to which she hummed and gestured her to sit on the couch. Nandini sat on the other side of the couch and Sitara sat on the bed in front of her.
"I wanted to talk to you" sitara said and Nandini hummed and nodded.
Abhishek looked above from his papers saw towards Nandini then Sitara.
"I think maa is right, we should start finding a groom for you, I am not saying to get married early, all these works take time in finding a suitable guy." Sitara said.
"Bhabhi, I already told everyone that I am not interested in this topic." Nandini said.
"But why, you have to get married one day. Or" she was saying but took a pause.
She took a deep breathe and exhaled, "Or if you like someone, you can tell us" she completed herself.
"What are you saying Sitara, are you out of your mind" Abhishek said.
"I_I just wanted to confirm from her, Nandini I am really sorry if you are disappointed from my statement, but if you do you can tell us, but don't keep us confused." Sitara said.
"You don't have to be sorry bhabhi, and it is nothing like that." Nandini said with her gaze fixed on floor.
She looked up, " Bhabhi how can I marry someone, when I don't know him, what if he" she took a deep breathe and continued. " what if he is a different person from what he showed us. I_I can't stake my life." She finally let her words out. With words, a tears also slipped from her eyes.
"Nandini.. I am so sorry, please don't" sitara said while wiping her tears.
Abhishek saw nandini and took her in his arms. "You are my strong princess, don't cry, it hurts me when these tears fill your eyes." He said and wiped her tears.
"Bhai, bhabhi,I know that I am troubling you all and I also know that I have to leave this house one day, but I am just not prepared to take this big responsibility. I need some time please." She said
"It is nothing like that nandini " sitara said.
"Okay we won't force you, until you aren't prepared, now I don't want tears in your eyes." Abhishek said and kissed her forehead.
After the talk, Nandini left their room.
"I don't know why, but I think she is hiding something from us. She was never this sensitive before, even you remember the sudden change in her." Abhishek said.
"You are just overthinking, I very well remember that change in her, but I think it is normal. It happens with age. Didn't you listen why she didn't want to get married, she is just afraid of new changes in life, even I was, but with time everything gets sorted." Sitara said.
Abhisek nodded, " But why did she cry, all of sudden?"
"Maybe she is having some mood swings, it happens a lot with her." Sitara said.
Abhishek just hummed.
Nandini quickly rushed to her room and locked the door.
"Oh God Nandini!! You can't even control yourself. But it wasn't in my control. I just can't understand anything. Oh God, I still haven't overcome that incident, and here I have to take decisions regarding my life. How do I tell bhai and bhabhi about my fear. I_I can't love anyone. I can't." Nandini said to herself standing near her bed. Tears were streaming from her eyes.
Her hands were trembling and her breathing got heavy.
"No Nandini.. you can't be weak" She said and poured water in the glass with shaky hands and picked it. But state got worsened and her hold on the glass tightened to control herself from shivering. The glass broke in her hand and she saw her hand bleeding.
She fell on the floor with a thud and just stared at her hand, she could not feel any pain.
"Maa papa, why you left me here" she murmured and soon she slept sitting in that position.
Next morning, Nandini woke up with a pain her back. She opened her eyes and saw her condition. She remembered what happened to her last night. She saw time, it was 5 am. She stood up slowly and first went to washroom, and cleaned her wound, though she was having difficulty in doing it with her left hand but still she had to do it. She hissed when she felt the stingy pain while treating the wound. She quickly wrapped bandage around her palm.
She came outside and picked the broken glass pieces and threw them in the dustbin. And went to her balcony,sat on the swing and was staring the sky. She sat there for a some time, and she decided to engage herself in the chores, otherwise she would again end thinking and getting hurt.
She got up and went to bathroom and bathed quickly. She came out and went to her closet and took out her outfit. She wore her small pearl studs and applied her lip and cheek tint, then she sprayed her favorite rose perfume and went downstairs. It was almost 7 am, she quickly went outside, before getting caught by someone.
"Call Shyam uncle, I have to go to Radha Krishna temple"
The guard just nodded and went , after a couple of minutes, her car was in front of her and a guard opened the backseat door for her. She was going to sit, when she saw the other car of guards behind the car.
"No car of guards will come along." She stated.
"But, Rajkumari, how is this-" the guard was saying.
"You can't deny my order" she said in an ordering tone, though she say things like this but today.
The guard just bowed.
Nandini sat in the car and guard closed the door.
"Chaliye Shyam uncle" she said. She wanted some peace that is why she wanted to go Radha Krishna temple, though it was far from her home, but still.
Raghuvanshi Mansion
It was 6:30 am, Abhiraj came from gym and went straight to the bathroom, he took a shower and came wearing a brown shirt with back pants.
As he descended the stairs, Aarav and Revati jumped on him. Abhiraj was shocked.
"Happy Birthday bhai" Aarav said.
"Happy Birthday bhaisa" Revati said.
"Thank you both of you" he said patted Revati's head.
He was going forward, but he was stopped as Revati pulled him by his elbow.
"What?" He asked.
"Bhaisa, it is your birthday, ek photo to banti hai" she said.
"Okay, take fast" he said smiling.
She took out her phone and clicked some selfies with both her brothers.
After their photo session three of them headed towards the dining area. There Abhiraj touched everyone's feet and took blessings. The elders also wished him happy birthday.
Thank you
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