The Stigma Called Love - Chapter 22

As Nishant waited for Aparna in front of the lift downstairs, his thoughts centred around what had happened between them. He licked his lips and tasted her on them. The moment he closed his eyes, he saw them together against the table. The visions intensified and a burning heat poured through his veins, coiling around his loins. He rested his back against the wall and almost felt her hands moving in his hair.

“Nishant?”

Her hushed call echoed around him and he opened his eyes. Breathing hard, he looked at her trying not to hide the emotions running rampant in him.

Aparna watched as the expression in his eyes changed from desire to something else and its unexplainable force pulled her towards him. Resting her palm on his heart, she looked into his eyes and drowned.

The bustling noise of the hotel ceased as everything around them vanished in a void. Slipping his arm around her hips, Nishant started to lower his lips on hers.

The sudden vibrating ring of his phone jerked them apart. Sighing hard, he looked at the caller id and disconnected the call.

Aparna rubbed her wet palms against her sari and breathed hard. What is happening to her? Why can’t she keep her hands of him? Shaking her head, she started to walk as he guided her towards the dining hall.

Nishant smiled as he saw a familiar figure sitting at the corner.

“Siddharth?”

A joyous, smiling man turned towards them and engulfed him in a bear hug.

Laughing hard, Nishant hugged him back remembering all those mischievous days of school and college. He, Siddharth aka Sid and Dhruv had been school and college buddies for more than 10 years.

“Let me look at you first,” Sid said pulling apart.

“God, it has been such a long time,” he continued.

“Well, you are the one who does not have the time,” Nishant replied trying to look annoyed but failed.

“You know how it has been for the past 5 years. But now, we are together again and I am not letting you go anywhere.”

Suddenly, Sid looked sideways and saw a woman clad in a blue sari standing behind Nishant smiling at their friendly tryst.

“And, you must be Aparna,” he said extending his hand amiably towards her.

Aparna smiled and shook his hand, recognising his resemblance to Siddha Singh Rajput. Both the brothers had the same charming personality.

As dinner started, Aparna watched and listened silently as the two men shared age old stories of their friendship. Sid told her about Nishant’s mischievous ways of pestering others and his ever rebellious nature. Among all this chatter, she still saw Nishant looking at her every now and then, and every time their eyes met, she saw the same unnamed expression.

Suddenly in middle of dinner, Sid’s phone rang and he went a little further away to answer the call.

Nishant grabbed this opportunity and clutched her hand. Bringing it to his lips, he placed a small kiss on her fingertips. Even though he was enjoying himself but still he could not pull himself away from Aparna’s enigmatic presence. He wanted the dinner to end as soon as possible so that he could take her in the room and do all those things that were zipping through his mind right now. He raised his eyes to hers and again everything around him just vanished. The answering passion in them told him that nothing will stop them this time.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Nishant said trying to pull his eyes of hers but failed.

“Like what?” Aparna asked not hiding her desires because keeping them to herself was not in her control anymore.

His heart drummed a galloping beat as he heard her question. This was the first time Aparna was abashedly expressing herself and it made her want her more than ever.

“Like you are going crazy wanting me.”

“I am going crazy.”

His heart jerked hard against his chest as he heard her. He shifted in his chair trying to control the urge to pick her up and carry her all the way to his bed. He was about to say something when he saw Sid coming back to the table.

They continued their dinner and after almost 30 minutes Nishant was relieved that it was finale over. As he and Aparna stood up to say their goodbyes to Sid, they were stopped by him.

“Where do you think you are going?” Sid asked clutching Nishant’s arm.

When he did not reply, Sid said with a grin, “You are coming with me. We have a lot of catch up. Tomorrow afternoon I am leaving for Mumbai so, tonight you are staying with me.”

Nishant looked at him with a shocked expression trying hard to think of a way to say no, but he couldn’t find one. Giving up he smiled and nodded.

Aparna’s smile vanished a little just as she saw him nodding. But, then she steadied herself and said her goodbyes to Sid. Finally she looked at Nishant and smiled. Then she turned and started to walk towards the lift.

As she neared the lift, she muttered to herself, “Don’t look back, don’t you dare look back at him.”

Sighing she pressed the numbered button and rested her back on the rails. She closed her eyes as she heard the lift doors close. But suddenly she heard them open again and saw Nishant standing in front of her.

“Did you really think I’ll let you go to your room on your own?”

Aparna smiled and rested her forehead on his chest just as the door closed, not able to take this anymore. Nishant pulled her closer and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Out of the lift, he took the card from her and opened the door of her room. Aparna stepped inside and he reluctantly started to close the door.

“Nishant?”

The moment he heard her call his name, he opened the door wide and looked at her. Wringing her fingers, Aparna clearly looked as if she wanted to say something.

“Can you come inside for a minute?”

Nishant did not need any more invitation than this to enter the room. Rushing inside, he closed the door with a kick and took her in his arms.

“God, it’s so hard to let you go,” he said burying his face in her neck.

Aparna did not want to think anything else other than the fact that this gorgeous man was in her arms and she had a commanding power over him. She placed small kisses on his cheeks and throat, and heard him whimper with pleasure.

Nishant turned her around and backed her towards the wall. The moment her arms went around his neck, his lips landed on hers.

Biting, sucking, licking and then finally tongues colliding, they kissed each other with fervent passion.

He was about to let go of her mouth when he felt Aparna pull him more towards her. She pressed her body onto his and Nishant went mad with desire. Finally with rugged breathing, she let him go and buried her face in his chest not wanting to let go.

“I better leave now otherwise I won’t be able go at all,” Nishant said placing tender kisses on her forehead.

Aparna raised her head and looked into his eyes. Even though he was going but he was still staying with her. She pressed her nose close to his throat and inhaled hard. His intoxicating smell engulfed her being and every cell in her body came alive.

“Dream about me,” Nishant whispered in her ears and rushed out of the room.

Suddenly feeling empty, she sat down on the sofa.

What is happening to her?

Why wasn’t she able to control herself when he was around?

Why this sudden emptiness?

Not getting any answers, she stood up, undressed and went off to bed.

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It was 3 in the morning when Aparna woke up with a terrible ache in her lower abdomen. As her stomach twisted with cramps, she rushed to the washroom with a sanitary pad in her hand.  

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