The Stigma Called Love - Chapter 107

Pressing his nose deep in the valley of her breasts, Nishant inhaled as hard as he could letting her scent slowly flow through him. As her arms tightened around his neck, he realised that Aparna was silently sobbing.

If the last few months had left him with nothing but loneliness and grief then it had equally wrung her soul bare.

He tightened his grip on her and slowly moved his mouth towards her ear.

“Shhhh! I am here.”

“Don’t say that,” she warned him in an annoyed tone moving away from him a little.

Nishant looked at her strangely not quite understanding her annoyance.

“I have been hearing you say these words in my head, again and again, every single day in the past months.”

Still not getting it, he raised his brows in question.

“It has driven me crazy. I wanted to kick your ass every time I heard them.”

Nishant smiled inwardly understanding her indignation. He stretched his legs a little gesturing her to move. As she slipped away from his lap, he got up and turned away from her.

Then, raised his butt a little and said, “Kick it.”

She looked at his raised bottom and started to laugh hard.

But Nishant could do nothing but turn around and stare. He had never seen Aparna laugh this hard ever not even when she was with him. He came near her as she hiccupped while laughing.

“I know why you wanted to kick my butt.”

“No, you don’t. You can’t know everything.”

“Yes, I do. I shouldn't have let you go. I should have come after you to Darjeeling and convinced you to come back,” he said lowering his head.

She palmed his face and raised it and then, placed her forehead against his.

“You couldn’t have. Bad or worse, it was my choice.”

Sighing, he dragged her to the bed and slid next to her. As she slowly lowered her mouth to his, he cupped her face and said, “Don’t you chicken out on me again. I won’t be able to bear it.”

“I promise I won’t.”

********************

Nishant turned in his sleep middle of the night and instantly became wide awake.

Had he heard it right?

Hiccupped sobs and hushed tones sounded outside the door and he recognised the voices as Prakriti’s and Madhu’s.

What is wrong?

Why is Princess crying?

He was almost going to wake Aparna but then though otherwise the moment he looked at her peaceful sleeping face. Slowly he moved his hand away from her and walked towards the door trying not to make any noise.

As he opened the door and stepped out, he saw Madhu pacing in the corridor with Prakriti in her arms.

“What is it?” he asked as he neared them.

The moment Prakriti heard his voice she just jumped in his arms and buried her tearful face in his neck.

Ruffling her hair, he tried to soothe her, flicking his gaze towards Madhu questioningly.

“She is scared of thunder.”

Nishant smiled and hugged Prakriti tightly in his arms. Then gesturing Madhu to go inside her room, he started to walk towards his own bedroom.

The moment he entered, a shot of lightening brightened the room followed the rumble of thunder. Instantly Prakriti buried her face deep in his neck sobbing hard.

“Shhhhh! Princess, I am here,” he whispered, silently walking towards the window near the side sofa.

As he sat down, he felt her clutching his arms tightly as if saying don’t let go.

“I am not going anywhere,” he said as he pulled her face up.

Prakriti’s tear stained eyes were closed tightly as if trying to block everything that was scary.

“You know you cannot close your eyes to danger.”

Slowly she opened them and looked at him but shut them the next instant as the growl of thunder reverberated along the mountains.

“Why does it do that?” she asked clutching his t-shirt with effort.

“That’s coz the sky is angry and sad.”

“Why?”

Nishant smiled and looked at her innocent eyes and said, “Well, I’ll tell you the story if you promise not to cry again.”

Prakriti nodded and wiped her eyes as he pulled her close to his heart.

“Well, you see the Sky and Earth used to best of friends once. They used to play together and they were inseparable. They loved each other like crazy. But one day Earth left without saying anything and never came back. Sky became angry and then sad, and that’s why it calls out to Earth to come back.”

Prakriti looked at him and said in a sad voice, “That’s why there is thunder, Daddy?”

He just nodded looking at the storm outside.

“Daddy, now I know why it rains,” she said as she sat up on his lap, her eyes shining brightly.

“Why?”

“Coz the Sky cries every time it misses Earth.”

Nishant nodded and hugged her hard but Prakriti touched his cheek and made him look down at her.

“Daddy, did you also cry for Mama and take her name when you missed her as she did?”

Nishant eyes widened as he understood the question. His eyes flicked on the woman sleeping on the bed. Even though her now peaceful face did not convey anything but content but he knew she had suffered a lot.

“Yes, Princess. I did,” he answered not taking his eyes off Aparna’s face.

Slowly, he started to rock Prakriti and eventually felt her body going limp with sleep. He laid her down on the sofa in his arms and gradually closed his eyes as his brain entered the slumberous state.

********************

Aparna did not know what woke her up but the suddenly she felt all alone in the bed. She looked here and there and found Nishant sleeping with Prakriti on the sofa.

She smiled and went up to them. Both looked as adorable as ever. Instinctively she ruffled her daughter’s hair and kissed her forehead. She was about to turn away when she felt his hand on her arm.

“Where’s mine?”

Aparna smiled and was about to kiss him when Prakriti stirred in his arms. He picked her up and laid her down on the bed.

She looked at him lovingly as he pulled the covers on her.

As he came near her, she felt her world becoming complete. She circled her arms around him and kissed his forehead.

Nishant looked into her eyes and lost himself in the love he saw there.

Words were meaningless as he licked the happy tears off her cheeks.

She offered her mouth and he came willingly and both lost each other in the world of love.

Copyright © Paromita Majumder. All Rights Reserved.