MaNan ff: Tera Ban Gya ✔

Chapter 13

Nandini smiled curiously sniffing the sweet aroma in the atmosphere of the veranda while descending down from the stairs.

"Maa?"

"In the kitchen." Came Sheetal's response making Nandini trail the voice.

Frowning delightfully, Nandini hummed upon reaching the threshold of the kitchen and smiled contently with the strong warm and sweet aroma coming from what Sheetal was making.

"What is this sweet smell, Maa?"

Chuckling softly, Sheetal looked over her shoulder whilst whisking the content in the pan "I am making besan laddu for Sadhna."

"For bhabhi?"

Turning off the stove, Sheetal emptied the content in a vessel and gestured Nandini to follow behind "Yes, it is her first trimester and she was craving some laddus since last few days. So, I thought why don't I make her some. Although Alok could have made some from his own shop, but I wanted to make her some by my own hands."

"That's really thoughtful of you, Maa." Sitting with Sheetal on the jute cot to help her out with shaping the laddu, Nandini smiled "Bhabhi will be really happy."

"If so, then make me happy too so that I can do the same for you." Sheetal exclaimed with a fleeting gaze in the pretence to pull her leg but instead made the smile from Nandini's face disappear, which apparently being immersed in her task Sheetal didn't catch "You know I have already started dreaming of those days."

Contemplating with the truth biting the back of her head, Nandini dropped her gaze instead without uttering a response which made Sheetal assume her silence as her shyness "Oh Shiva! Look at your face."

Smiling dimly over Sheetal's chortle, Nandini kept her gaze hooded while Sheetal nodded her head smilingly "Don't be embarassed, beta. I am just teasing. And no need to rush up and kill your early married phase with what I just said. Babies can wait." 

Letting Sheetal's word sink, Nandini just could form a brief smile while her eyes remained saddened.
If only she could tell Sheetal the truth.

Sighing within, Nandini continued shaping the laddu when the sudden dropping of a bag on the floor with the two lazy arms engulfing her along with the deep huff of Meera broke her out of the reverie.

"Mhhm, Meera! " Sheetal scolded finding a lethargic stance of her daughter hovered over Nandini with her head resting on her bhabhi's shoulder, who despite being burdened up with Meera's sudden invasion smiled warmly "You do see right that your bhabhi is doing something, yet you came here without freshening up."

A muffled whine was the only response Sheetal got from Meera while Nandini seemed to find herself finally letting out a soft smile dance on her lips "How was your day?"

"Don't ask."

Eyebrow tugged up on her grim voice, Nandini took a freshly shaped laddu near her nose which made Meera sniff and inhale with a blissful sigh before undoing her arms around her and opening up her mouth for Nandini to feed her.

"Oh dear lord!" Sheetal muttered under her breath shaking her head in disbelief.

Mouthful and now sour with her mother's complaining grunt, Meera tweaked her lips and beamed for Nandini by again placing her head on her shoulder "You know, bhabhi I have joined the dance club of our college."

"That's really amazing."

Sulking with an eye roll, Meera took some more made laddus from the plate whilst earning a glare from her mother which she dodged by munching on it "Yeah, and that club is divided by two group. Western and Indian."