"Mistakes don’t define you; how you rise after them does. Forgive yourself and keep moving forward."
X—X—X
NANDINI
Uff….
Ah….
Ohoh…
Uhuhuh….
Mumma….
“Somebody, please save me. I can’t do this.” Please don’t get the wrong idea. I am not making out with Manik; it’s just mosquitoes that are keeping me from sleeping peacefully. I am scratching my arms, neck, and sometimes my legs, too. There is no place left where a mosquito hasn’t bitten me.
“These mosquitoes won’t let me live.”
I can’t curse them anymore. It’s my fault, and I am paying for my mistake.
People were right KARMA PAYS BACK IN THE SAME BIRTH.
I looked around and saw my husband sleeping like nothing, which made me even more frustrated.
Here I am struggling to sleep, but my husband is snoring like a king.
And, how can I let him sleep when I am not getting any sleep? My evil smirk
I touched his arm to wake him up, but felt it warmer than usual. He must have a fever because of his allergy. Soon, the guilt took over me, and a tear left my eye.
Oh god! What have I done?
I cried silently, touching his forehead to check his body temperature, and I can guarantee that his body temperature must have been 103 degrees.
“I am so sorry, Manik,” I whisper to his sleeping self.
“Manik…” Gathering courage, I shook his arm, and he woke up instantly.
“Huh!... Kya hua?” Damn! His drowsy voice. “Are you alright?”
Any girl will melt hearing his drowsy voice, like I am melting right now. In his sleepy state, he is asking about my health.
Nandini, focus!
He is ill because of you.
“Why are you crying?” Hearing him, I realised that my eyes were leaking. I am not crying, if I am doing then, I won’t accept it in front of him.
I wiped my tears while he continued, “You must have had a bad dream. Don’t worry, nothing will happen to you. I am here.”
He pulled his blanket aside to make a space for me and gestured, “Come, sleep here…”
I would have slept in his embrace, forgetting about our differences, because he is concerned about me, and I have only a few people in my life who show true concern.
I checked his forehead again, “You had a bad fever. Let’s go inside.”
He looks at me like I said something in a foreign language that he doesn’t know.
“Huh?”
“Tumhe bukhar hai Manik, andar room mai chalo.” I repeated in Hindi and stood up. I removed the blanket and extended my hand to hold his so that I could support him.
“Were you crying because I have a fever?”
Stupid husband is asking irrelevant questions.
I spat angrily, “I am not crying?”
“Liar.” He fucking smirked at this time and in this condition. He needs a doctor as soon as possible before he loses his mind.
Just a second ago, I was feeling pity for him, but now, I am burning with fury.
If he utters a word more than I will choke him to death.
“Calm down, Nandini. He is your husband and a human. You have no right to take any human’s life. Ayaippa will not forgive you for this sin.” My heart says.
“He and human? You must have made a mistake.” My mind resorts, and I can’t agree with him more.
I said it before, and saying it again: HE IS A DEVIL IN A HUMAN FORM.
Anyhow, I calm down as guilt overpowers me.
“I am crying because you got ill because of my stupid act. Fine?” I accepted the trust as his health is important right now. I can plan his murder some other time, as I have an eternity to bear him.
He opens his mouth to say something with a devilish smile, but I cut him off. “Are you coming inside or not?”
My tone was rigid and final. That’s why he agrees without showing any tantrums.
He held my hand, and I pulled him up. I can feel he has no strength left in him as he stumbles as soon as he stands on his feet.
I supported him, holding his waist with my left hand, and with my right hand, I held his right arm to support him as he walked to bed.
Thank god the room does not smell like before. I helped him lie on the bed and covered him with a blanket, and immediately brought a thermometer to check his temperature.
He shrieked as he saw the thermometer in my hand.
“I won’t take it in my mouth.” Here he goes.
Such a kid he is.
“Don’t act like a kid, Manik.” He glared at me, and I glared back. “Open your mouth.”
This jerk zipped his mouth like a thin line, just like a kid.
Uff! Why did I marry this minor?
Nandini, calm down, he is your husband.
Don’t murder him, although he deserves that, but act cool.
Cool
Cool
I calmed down.
“Aww… Gulu, please, don’t act stubborn and open your mouth. Let me treat you, Gulu…” I said sweetly, using his nickname that Dadi uses.
I know that he hates that name, but I loved it.
Hehehe… I giggle.
He looks at me with his red eyes and opens his mouth to curse me, but before that happens, I put the thermometer under his tongue within a second and hold his head so that he can’t open his mouth.
I smile in victory, and he glares at me as if I care.
If his glares can kill, then I would be deep in the earth.
“Gulu, aise mat dekho nahi toh pyaar ho jayega.” I said mischievously.
He pinched my waist, and I yelled.
“OUCH!”
Jerk.
I pulled the thermometer from his mouth and looked at it to find it at 103 degrees.
Oh shit! He is literally burning with fever.
“NANDINI!....” He yelled, and I ignored him royally.
Now, what should I do? I don’t know how to take care of this, as no one did anything for me or taught me.
“You are a bitch!....”
Yes! Mom would help me.
“I won’t forgive you for this.”
I pushed him back on the bed and tugged him properly under the blanket as he kept cursing me.
“You are not less than a WITCH!”
He is behaving like a kid who is yelling and throwing tantrums after his mother ditched him, saying that she won’t beat him, but ends up taking his class.
“You are bad…” Tantrum kid.
He keeps yelling at my back, and I walk out.
“Oye, where are you going? Ok… ok…. I won’t curse you. I am sorry…. Sorry…”
I heard him when I exited the room and laughed.
I understood one thing that he becomes a kid when he gets ill.
Cute!
I gasped when I realised that I had called him CUTE!
CUTE?
I shook my head to remove such atrocious thoughts.
He can be a devil, a monster, a jerk, a bastard, but never a CUTE.
Nandini, get a grip on yourself.
I reached Mom and Dad’s room and took a deep breath. I know Maa will scold me, but I don’t care. It’s my fault, and I deserve Maa’s scolding.
I knocked on the door, and Maa opened the door while rubbing her eyes, so cute.
“What happened, Nandini?”
Before I could answer Maa’s question, Papa interrupted me. His voice is drowsy just like Manik's. Like father, like son.
“Nandini, kya hua beta? Manik ne kuch kiya.” Papa’s sleepy eyes open wide, he holds my hand and drags me towards my room. “Chal tu mere sath, mai batata hoo use toh.”
Oh, how sweet!
But I feel guilty too.
“Papa, aisa kuch nahi hai.” I stop him and fondle my fingers nervously. “Woh, Manik ko fever hai and…”
Maa interrupted me, “Usse fever kaise hua?”
We all marched towards our room. Maa instantly sits beside him, and he puts his head in her lap, asking for her attention.
Cutiepie!
NO!...
NANDINI, get a grip on your mind.
Maa ruffles his hair while he snuggles in her stomach. “What happened, Manik? You rarely get ill, Manu.”
I gulped and gathered the courage to speak the truth, “Maa, it happened because of me.”
Then, I narrated everything to her, but I kept the reason to myself.
“Nandini… This is not right. You can’t hurt each other for taking revenge.” Maa’s tone is stern and filled with fury.
“I am sorry, Maa.” I am already feeling guilty and have asked his forgiveness.
“Nandini, I didn’t expect this from you. I hope you are mature enough to realize how grave your prank can turn.”
I bend my head in shame. No, I am not angry at hearing Maa’s scolding. I know Maa loves me so much; if she has a right to love me, then she, too, has a right to scold me when I am wrong.
“Maa, let it go. She was not aware of my allergy.” Manik says, and I swiftly look at him, as he is defending me and lip signs a thank you.
“Priya, let it go. This is unintentional.” I bend my head further because I broke their trust. “Nandini would never do that if she were aware of Manik’s allergy.”
“I promise, Maa, this won’t happen again.” I knelt beside her and held her hand.
Finally, she smiles and cups my cheek while I kiss her palm.
“Did you check his temperature, Nandini?”
“Yes, Papa, it’s 103.” I see, Maa, touched his forehead and kissed his cheek, lovingly.
“I gave him a medicine for sneezing, but I don’t know how to treat his fever, that’s why I called you.”
“Bring a bowl of normal water and a cotton cloth,” Maa ordered me, and I brought everything within a minute.
Frankly speaking, I am really worried about him.
Maa taught me how to put a wet strip on his head until his temperature lowers.
“Tomorrow morning we will take him to the doctor, ok?” Papa said.
“Ok, Papa.” I agreed and made a note to cancel tomorrow's flight to Kashmir. “Papa, what is his doctor’s name? I will book an appointment for tomorrow.”
“I will message you his name.”
“Thank you.” I genuinely smile, making him smile too.
“Welcome, darling.” Papa kept an assuring hand on my head to bless me. “Don’t take tension, he will recover soon.” I hummed as I had no words to say.
“Maa, take a rest. I will do this.”
“Haa, Priya, chalo. Nandini sambhal legi.”
“Ji…” Maa agrees, but not before giving me some more tips to take care of MY HUSBAND.
Maa comes towards me and kisses my forehead lovingly.
See, don’t I say that she loves me?
“Take care of yourself, too.”
“I am sorry, Maa.” I apologised once again.
“Koi baat nahi, Nandini.” She runs a hand in my hair while continuing, “Just remember one thing, there is nothing wrong in fighting or having differences between husband and wife, but hurting each other’s health is a sin.” I hear her attentively, “I am not saying not to fight. In fact, give him a tough time, but never hurt each other mentally or physically, ok?”
I understood her, and I am really guilty of going to such an extent that I hurt him intentionally.
“I am saying this to you, too, Manu.” Maa eyes Manik pointedly, who hums with a pout.
“Arey, Miya Biwi ke beech ki ladai se toh pyaar badhta hai. Toh ladho… Jaise tumhari Mummy mujhse roj ladhti hai.” Papa said jokingly only to get a smack from my dearest mother.
“We are going, you guys take a rest, ok?”
“Ji, Maa.”
“And, yes, Nandini, you have a flight tomorrow to Kashmir, right? Then, don’t worry, I will take him to the doctor.” Maa exclaimed, turning towards me before I could close the door.
“No, Maa, I will reschedule my flight.”
“Doesn’t it affect your work?”
“I will manage.”
“Ok, I will inform Maa too.” I nod as Dadi is accompanying me to Kashmir, too.
We wished each other good night and turned to see a grumpy patient.
“You don’t have to cancel your flight for me.”
“I am not asking you, Mr Husband.” I reverted and dipped the cloth again in the water, squeezed out the excess water, and kept it on his forehead as Maa taught me.
“You are acting like a wife.” His voice drops, making me realize that he is sleepy, but he won’t let the chance go to taunt me.
“Sorry if you don’t like that. But, I can’t deny the fact that we are married, and I am supposed to be your caring wife.”
I adjusted myself properly beside his head, and he moved his head in my lap. I gasped, as this is the first time we are in such proximity. I took a few deep breaths to stop the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach.
“You are everything but definitely not caring.”
“What do you mean by everything?” I asked harshly.
“Don’t shout! I am a patient.”
“You are an annoying patient.”
“I can be a horny patient, wanna see?”
I made a puking face and smacked his shoulder, “Eww…. I can’t even imagine you with a di*k.”
“What do you mean by that, woman?” He asks with a shock, and why not?
But this is true, I can’t imagine him with a hard di*k.
I mean, come on, I hate him, I hate his mere presence. Then, imagining him sexually is difficult, right?
Not difficult, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE.
“I didn’t mean it that way.” I tried to rectify my statement.
“I know what you mean, woman.” He spoke curtly and continued, “Give me consent, and I will show you what you are missing.”
“Pervert!” I wanted to slap him, but I refrained from seeing his condition. I covered his eyes, “Now sleep. You are a patient, but your tongue is working like a scissor.”
“Woman, my tongue does wonders. Wanna take a test?”
Oh god!
He and his dirty mouth.
But, WHY DID MY CHEEKS TURN WARM?
An image of him licking me down there…..
Hey!
Stop!
Don’t go there, Nandini.
I am sure that one day he will make me embarrassed because of his dirtiness.
I composed myself.
“Mr Malhotra, if you utter a word more, then I will tell your doctor to give you an extra injection to shut your dirty mouth.”
Hehe…. Maa told me about his fear of injections.
He literally becomes a kid when it comes to taking an injection. That is why he maintains his health, avoiding medicines and injections.
You won’t believe that he doesn’t even open his mouth further and falls asleep within seconds.
Injection power, right?
Oh, how sweet! I got his weakness.
MANIK MALHOTRA IS SCARED OF INJECTIONS AND MEDICINES, THE BREAKING NEWS.
I continued putting wet strips on his forehead to lower his temperature while his head was still in my lap.
Frankly speaking, I didn’t even blink an eye due to sleepiness.
I don’t know, why?
It was around 3 in the morning, his temperature had lowered, and I stopped putting wet strips on his head. I carefully placed his head on the pillow, for which he winced, annoyingly.
“Nandini…”
Uff! His husky voice.
I patted his head, “Sleep… sleep….”
Am I taking care of a kid?
Yes, maybe.
Then, I lie beside him, creating enough distance between us.
Ahah!... What a hectic night.
To be continued…