Page 132 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

Her eyes widened with surprise, but she didn’t speak for a moment. She just stared at me quietly.

“Really?” she finally whispered.

I nodded slowly.“Thank you. I feel like I’ve eaten something to my heart’s content. After such a long time, I feel full—not just in my stomach,” I said, taking her hands in mine.“I don’t know how to say it, but it’s like… I’ve come home after a long journey,” my voice turned by the end, emotions welling up.

She held my hands tightly, saying nothing, and rested her head against my shoulder again.

I didn’t know why, but it felt like peace. Like the calm after a long storm—a storm that had destroyed everything in its path. Butnow, finally, it was time to rebuild… from scratch. And somehow, that no longer felt impossible.

Silence settled between us, but soothing. After a while, she shifted and gently pulled away.“Come to bed,” she said, holding my wrist as she stood up.

I rinsed my hands in the bowl, dried them, and followed her to bed.

She slipped under the comforter and, patting the space beside her, said.“Now you should also have a backache,” she teased.

I chuckled and lay down beside her. She wrapped her arms around me the moment I did, pulling me close. I rested my head on her midriff and pressed my cheek against her warm skin. My hands settled gently beside her waist, and I could feel her warmth soaking into me.

I closed my eyes as she gently ran her fingers through my hair, calming my restless mind with soft, slow strokes. I didn’t even realise when I drifted off to sleep.

I stirred only when I felt her lightly shaking my shoulder.“Rudra…” she whispered.

I inhaled deeply and shifted slightly over her chest.“Rudra,” she said again, shaking me more urgently. I didn’t want to wake up. It felt too good and calming, like I had finally exhaled after holding my breath for years.

“Rudraaaa…” Her voice now trembled, laced with worry. And I slowly opened my eyes, still heavy with sleep, and looked at her.

She looked pale. Her eyes were wide, her lips were trembling, and her cheeks flushed crimson.

Was my little wife feeling needy again?

I instinctively moved closer and placed my lips on hers, kissing her deeply, sucking her lower lip passionately, cupping her cheek in my hand.

But before I could even savour the moment, she shoved me with all her strength. And I stumbled off the bed, landing with a loud thud on the floor, my legs tangled in the comforters.

“Jawai saa!!!” Two voices reached my ears, and my eyes shot toward the door.

And there they were.

Her mother and grandmother, standing there frozen, wide-eyed, staring at me in absolute horror.

Noooo…

“Aap theek to hai?”(Are you okay?) Her grandmother walked close to me, and believe me when I say that I never felt so embarrassed in my whole life.

I grabbed the comforter, yanked it over my face, and mumbled in sheer panic,“I’m not here… I’m not here…”

“Maasa, chaliye yahaan se,”(Maasa, let’s get going,) I heard her mother whispering.

Her grandmother walked closer.“Ruko, Abhi. Humein jawai sa se mil to lene do,”(Wait, Abhi. Let me meet our son-in-law first.) My heart was racing like crazy.

I took a sharp breath and slowly lowered the comforter from my face. My eyes immediately found Nandani. Her cheeks were flushed deep red as she hid her face in embarrassment, looking like she wished she could vanish on the spot.

“Kuch kshan rukiye Daadisa,”(Wait for some moments, Daadisa.) I managed to speak in a slow voice. I wrapped myself in the comforter, hiding my half-naked body, and shuffled toward the couch. Picking my kurta, I pulled it on quickly and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to compose myself.

Taking a deep breath, I walked to her and reached to touch her feet, but she quickly held my shoulders to stop me.

“Aree, aree! Jawai peir nahi choote,”(No, no, Sons-in-law do not touch feet,) Yet she placed her hand on my head and said,“Sukhee bhava! Mahadev aapki har manokaamna poorn karein,”(Be happy, may god fulfil all your wishes.)

I walked towards her mother, who had her face covered with a veil and was facing the other side.“Ji, Pranaam,”

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