Neelam guided Nandini through the threshold of their home, feeling the weight of sympathetic gazes from neighbours adding to the heavy atmosphere.
Aloke, after glancing at the gathered neighbours, closed the door behind them with a solemn expression as he gently assisted his sister to the jute bed in the verandah.
Meanwhile, Shlok peered curiously from his mother's back eager for attention from his beloved Nanhi, his little fist clutching her mother's saree upon not getting her admirable peer.
It had been a full day since Nandini suffered yet another loss, her physical pain overshadowed by the ache in her heart.
Longing to grieve but emotionally drained, Nandini found herself in turmoil.
An elderly hand rested on her head, drawing her attention to her grandfather Omprakash.
"He is now in the utmost care of Lord Shiva. He is at peace," he assured her, his voice filled with solemn wisdom.
Nandini's lips quivered into a faint smile, her eyes reflecting acceptance as she nodded slowly "He is."
Neelam turned to Sadhna, Nandini's pregnant sister-in-law "Sadhna, is the holy bath ready for Nandu?"
Sadhna nodded, Nandini's gaze lingering on her protruding belly until Neelam gently redirected her attention.
"Nandu, you need to cleanse and bathe. Can you manage to walk upstairs, beta?"
Nandini nodded quietly, her face contorted in pain as Neelam helped her to her feet, guiding her towards the stairs with utmost care.
As she ascended the stairs, Nandini caught snippets of her brother and grandfather's conversation "Has Manik performed the holy donation that I told him to?"
"Yes, Dadaji. He and Sheetal Aunty must still be at the Manikarnika Ghat. I'm heading there shortly."The voices faded as Nandini was guided into the washroom, her mind consumed by grief and pain.
With tender care, Neelam helped her daughter change into a simple bathing gown, shielding her modesty as she settled onto the bathing stool, the cool touch of turmeric sandalwood paste a soothing caress against her skin.
As the warm water cascaded over her, Nandini's mind became a battleground of haunting memories.
She remembered the frantic sight of him carrying her limp body to the hospital, his anguished roar echoing in the chaos of the emergency ward.
She recalled his desperate pleas for help, his face etched with fear and sorrow as he watched over her.
She remembered waking to the crushing realization of her loss, only to find him standing silently by her side, his stoic facade betraying the turmoil within.
And despite him being an atheist, she remembered him silently acquiescing to the rituals guided by her grandfather, his silent support a beacon of strength in her darkest hour.
But what she couldn't remember finding no ounce of sorrow in those honey-brown gazes.
Closing her eyes, Nandini surrendered to the cleansing embrace of the holy water of the Ganges, allowing it to wash away not just the physical pain, but the overwhelming weight of her grief, if only for a moment.
The physical pain ebbed, but the emotional scars ran deep.
Later that afternoon, Krish, perched on a stool beside her, presented Nandini with a bundle of documents.
"Here is the certificate of recognition from Shakti, collaboration deed, and contract of our upcoming projects together," he said extending the certificates towards her.
YOU ARE READING
MaNan ff: Tera Ban Gya ✔
Fanfiction; A Sequel To Tera Ban Jaunga; She is a girl who once dreamt of a fairytale. She is a girl who once yearned to be loved. She is a girl who once devoted her heart to only one man. She is Nandini Manik Malhotra who is now loved and worshipped like nob...
