Page 91 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

She gently asked them to leave when she saw my reflection in the mirror. Once all the attendees had departed, she set the ash pot on the table and approached me.

“I’m sorry, Rudra. I didn't do that deliberately. I had no clue your Maasi maa would get so upset,” she spoke in a subdued tone, fidgeting with her fingers.“I know she is someone important to you. I'm sorry, but I don’t know much about her,” she said, keeping her eyes south. I furrowed my eyebrows.

“You heard our conversation?” I asked, and she lifted her eyes, shaking her head slightly.

“I didn't mean to, but you both weren’t exactly discreet with your voices. So I just…” her lingering sentence answered for her. She was avoiding looking at me, and her face seemed restless. When she was about to avert, I pulled her closer to me, holding her wrist. Angling her chin to make her look at me, I affirmed,

“Listen, my little eavesdropper,” I said. She blinked nervously, probably because she couldn’t handle my gaze. I caressed her cheek to ease her discomfort and, holding her shoulders, I added,“The concept of dignity and virtue has no rules or boundaries. Respect is always in the eyes of humans. For me, you’re the mostmorally led and dignified person, not because you’re a virgin or because you’re a princess, or because I have feelings for you, since the context of it is far beyond such social constructs. For me, dignity and purity are about how dutiful a person is, what values they hold, and how human they can be.

And, Nandani, in my eyes, you are the most righteous soul because you treat everyone equally, regardless of their social status. I agree that your ways are sometimes immature and unrealistic, but you care about people’s emotions, which is the true mark of a dignified person. Those who speak of you as undignified likely overlook your good deeds.

So never again think that you lost your dignity. Because if anyone here lost anything, that's me. I, deceiving you, made me lose my dignity and respect for myself in my own eyes. You did nothing wrong to lose something. You simply loved me, and loving someone is not an offence. You are pure and are correct, and will always be, because, unlike me, you're not selfish. You are not prioritising your own needs and desires, but others'. And if people can’t see that, the fault lies in their eyes because their societal beliefs are so inflexible and inconsiderate.

You must know that love, dignity, respect, and any form of emotion lie in the eyes of the spectator, not in the person. My Maasi maa was your father's mistress; as you heard, she had to do many such things to earn money. That made her look disrespectful, undignified, and impure on the social scale that people have created according to their convenience, but not for me. For me, she is the most respectable woman, because I see her from the perspective of a boy who just lost his mother and had no one on his side but her. You, too, should try to see her in a different light rather than questioning your dignity or purity, because you did nothing wrong, understand, little wife?” I asked, cradling her cheeks lightly. She stared at me unresponsively.

?? ? ? ?

Nandani

“Y

ou get it, my little queen?” he asked, holding my face. I nodded absentmindedly.

He gently grazed my chin and muttered,“Good.” An appreciative expression etched across his face.

I peered at him concernedly, because I felt sorry for him and bad about his plight.

When I heard both of them talking, I realized that his Maasi maa wasn’t just filling him with distorted truths about my family; she held oppressive control over his thoughts, provoking and influencing him to believe how much she had struggled solely for him and his brothers.

As a person, Rudra didn't have many friends or a big family like mine. He had very few people in his life whom he respected, cared for immensely, and trusted unconditionally. Whether it was his Badi maa, his brothers, his comrades, or his beloved Maasi maa, he loved them all dearly. There was something about him that suggested he could set the whole world ablaze if anyone tried to harm these people.

His loyalty to them was so resolute and generous that it terrified me. I knew what it felt like to be destroyed by him, because I couldn’t bear even a quarter of that. But what I didn’t realize was how he would feel when he got to the bottom of the truth and uncovered the underlying intentions of his Maasimaa and father.

I suddenly snapped back when he gently grasped my neck from behind and inched closer to my face. He placed a soft, fleeting kiss on my lips and then backed away; it hardly lasted a moment.

“Hold on to this thought, little bird, the sky is your limit,” he said. I nipped my bottom lip, feeling lost in his touch. That kiss took me away for a few seconds.

“You came with me, leaving your family. I don't want you to miss them,” He said, and I nodded distractedly. I didn't know what to say, so, taking the lead, I tightly embraced him.

Leaning into his arms, I grasped his overcoat from behind and mumbled,“Rudra, I love you so much; it is beyond words. Do not ever think that you’re alone and that no one loves you. No matter what, I promise my lifetime to you and will always, always, love you.” I was flooded with emotions, and my voice wavered as I opened up about how I truly felt.

He lightly ran his finger through my damp hair and kissed me on the head.“Are you okay, Nandani?” I couldn't pin down what I was feeling, as I was experiencing a range of emotions. I tried to blink away the tears clouding my vision and nodded.

“Come here,” he said, drawing away from my hold and pulling out a chair. Settling himself with me perched on his thighs, he wrapped me in his arms, allowing me to nuzzle my face into his neck. I closed my eyes in his soothing hold, sinking into his touch.

He wouldn't have trusted me if I had attempted to explain anything to him, and I was skeptical about how he would react to discovering the truth.

Weaving his fingers slowly into my hair, he stroked them gently and asked,“Do you want to meet your family?”

I took a deep breath and planted a kiss on the side of his neck. I did not say anything because that wasn't the cause of my dismay. I didn't know why, but something about the air had not quite settled well with me since morning.

A nagging feeling lingered in the back of my mind, bothering and discomforting me. I couldn’t shake it off. My heart wasn’t at peace; it felt like something terrible was about to happen.

Throughout the time, he kept brushing my hair quietly, moving his fingers gently in a way that calmed my insides and lulled me to sleep. Giving in to the pleasant feeling, I didn't know when I succumbed to slumber in his embrace, within his care.

I woke up on his lap with a stiff back and numb legs. Fluttering my eyelashes open, I straightened up and found him gazing at me.

Leaning forward, he placed a tender kiss on my forehead and, tucking my loose hair strands behind my ear, he muttered,“Youlook beautiful, little butterfly.”

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