The Stigma Called Love - Chapter 17

Nishant saw Aparna turn with surprise and shock written all over her face. For a second, he wanted to soothe those tension lines along her forehead but then he just smiled.

“And, I know that Kavin Malik is your ex-husband.”

Aparna just looked at him with bewilderment not knowing how to react. Even after knowing everything, Nishant had accepted her the way she is. As she looked onto him, a sudden disturbing thought crossed her mind. Her eyes clouded with tears and she turned towards the window again, not wanting him to see her like this.

Somehow, Nishant understood the change in her and he knew the reason behind it. If he went and took her in his arms right now, he knew she will come to him willingly but that would only be a weak surrender due to circumstances and gratitude. He did not want that. He wanted Aparna to want him as much as he wanted her. Sighing, he shook his head as hushed sobs escaped her.

“You are wrong if you think that I want you because of this. After knowing everything, I respect you more than I want you. And, that is never going to change.”

“You don’t know anything,” Aparna said her voice trembling with emotion as the tears feel freely.

“Aparna, I don’t need to. But, I will always be there to listen whenever you want to say it all. But don’t tell me everything because you want me to know but say it because you want to let it go finally.”

Nishant’s compassion and his heartfelt words were enough to break her resolve. The painful memories of the past just poured out one by one. For once, Aparna did not want to be strong. She wanted someone to just listen to what she had gone through.

She wanted no judgement.

Nishant’s fist and jaw clenched with effort as he heard the atrocities. Angry tears filled his eyes as Aparna went on. His blood boiled with rage when her sobs reverberated in the room. All he wanted to do now was find Kavin Malik and kill him. But, somehow he urged his mind to calm down.

Aparna clutched the corners of the table hard to control her instinct to run away from the room. Suddenly, she felt his warm fingers brushing her knuckles softly.

As fresh sobs hit her, Nishant clutched her in his arms and let her cry.

“Nishant, I am not strong. I have never been able to retaliate,” Aparna said burying her face in his chest.

Pulling up her face, Nishant looked into those brilliant eyes and said in grave voice, “Who said you have not fought back? Whether you know it not but you retaliated the day you packed your bags and left him.”

Aparna looked at him amazement and tried to believe his words.

“You retaliated the day you decided to give Prakriti a beautiful life. And, believe me, you are still fighting against all odds to survive and you will continue doing that till you achieve what you want.”

For the first time in her life, someone was trying to make her believe that she was the strongest of the lot.

“You fear not for yourself but for Prakriti. Right?” Nishant asked brushing her tears away.

Aparna nodded not able to take her eyes off this wonderful man’s face.

Nishant let her go and held her face in his hands and looked intently into her eyes.

“Do you trust me?”

When she nodded, he said with vehement conviction, “Then, I promise nothing will ever happen to Prakriti till I am there.”   

Aparna could do nothing but hug him hard not because of his promise but for being him.

Nishant circled his arms around her and placed his lips on her forehead, and kissed it softly.

“But don’t fight because I am standing behind you. Fight because you have to: because you need to.”

Aparna clutched him hard to her. All these years she had felt guilty of what she done but slowly Nishant’s touch and words were giving her the support she had always craved. He was willingly giving her everything without asking anything in return. She lovingly pressed her nose to his shirt and inhaled hard trying to take in his scent.

Nishant felt her body changing under his hands. As she pressed her nose to his chest, a sudden heat engulfed his veins and instinctively his hands started to caress her hips softly.

Shyly, Aparna turned around and Nishant pulled her to him as she was about to walk away.

Sliding her hair to one side, he looked at the trinkets touching her back and suddenly remembered their play during the party. One by one she kissed everywhere they touched. Taking one of the threads between his teeth, Nishant pulled hard and finally the knot gave away.

Aparna’s heart drummed with the sensations rising in her body. Every pore is her back came alive with his soft touches. As his lips closed on the side of her neck, she whimpered and clutched his hands in hers. His lips reached her ears and she held her breathe as he pulled her earlobes with his lips. Something primitive and pulsating started to bubble inside her stomach and went lower between her thighs.

Nishant pulled away the lapels of her blouse away from her shoulders and pressed his nose to her naked skin. Her smell was as intoxicating as she was. The tip of her tongue escaped his lips and grazed along her shoulder lines. Suddenly a dark burned circular mark on her shoulder caught his eyes.

Looking at it with shock, Nishant closed his eyes as he tried to control the burning desire in him. He turned her around and Aparna looked up at him with eyes, which answered the passion in him. But still, he wanted to wait. Taking her hands in his, he pulled her towards the bed and laid her down.

“I don’t want to do anything that I cannot stop and once is not going to be enough,” Nishant whispered in her ears, pressing his face in her neck as he lay next to her.

Aparna smiled and understood what he was trying to say. Pulling him close to her, she clutched his hand to her bosom.

“Sleep, we need to leave for Kasol in the morning.”

Nishant closed his eyes and buried his face more into her. As her arm went around him, he felt at home finally. 

Copyright © Paromita Majumder. All Rights Reserved.