Royal Arrangement

37) NALINI~ Here yet Again

1 month later,
I turned my eyes back to the small baby asleep in my arms. The soft features, the chubby cheeks, the plump lips gently moving. I smiled softly as a temporary relief washed in my chest.

"Thankyou for holding him for me." Came a stranger's voice. I nodded gently as I returned the kid back to the mother. I looked back towards the mirror and stared at myself. My straight hair falling on both sides, my suit fitting my curves. There was no sign of me being married. There wasn't a ring on my hand, no necklace in my neck. Nothing marked me Kabir's yet I still wasn't able to get over it.

A month and I hadn't seen any texts from him, I had responded to any of his calls. But he tried only once, maybe if he tried for one another day, I would have answered but deep down I knew I was asking for too much. I leaned gently against the counter and smacked my lips with the gloss.

I let out a breath and walked out of restroom. My heart wasn't settling well to this new feeling. I had totally returned to the Nalini I was when I first moved to America, all alone. The last few weeks have been me holding my emotions all in. I haven't let a single thing get to me and somewhere deep I had finally started to understand that what my life could be without Kabir.

I wasn't a depressed lady in distress. I was, but rarely. Only when I missed Kabir. But I knew well that there was me without him before we met, there is still me without him after we had gone through the push and pull, and finally fallen apart.

My phone ringed in my pocket. I rolled my eyes as I pulled it out and put it to my ear. "Yes mom." I said as I walked through the hall to get my Mocha. I rushed outside as I listened to her. My steps came to a halt when I heard the words that echoed from her side.

"But, you said that.." she cut me off and I stared blankly at the ground. Anger and frustration rose within me. She ended the call before I could even express what I wanted to say. I clenched my fists. As the scenes replayed in my head, the pain replayed in my head. The times I had seen Akshita cry replayed in my head. The times I had found myself being hurt over the stupid arrangement I was a part of.

It was a beautiful experience for me, but Akshita, I won't let her go through that shit. I dialled her number. She answered my call on the first ring itself.
"You are not answering them until I am there. Zip your fucking mouth. I will be there in an hour." I didn't wish to listen her voice because it would make me softer than I wanted to be.

"Fuck!" I muttered as I ran to my car.
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I took a deep breath before I stepped inside. I pushed the door open. My eyes found the most unexpected yet so much expected face in the room, Kabir. My heart sinked as the ugliness of how much I had missed him surfaced me. The ugliness of my suppressed emotions surfaced me. My eyes were fixed on him and then they shifted to Abhishek slowly. I halted back into reality.

I tucked my tongue on the inside of my cheek. I eyed the yellow and red suit on Akshita. The way she was dressed said it loud and clear what was wrong here. I looked at the gifts wrapped in red lace. I felt a familiar ache surface my heart. It was just reminding me of what had happened when I first myself realised I was to get married. When Kabir was sitting across me with a nonchalant face, with blank emotionless eyes. His face was the same today. And It just added to the ache I felt. Especially to be reminded of how it all even started.

"Didn't I tell you mother? Akshita's marriage would not happen this way." I didn't even bother looking at Kabir and Abhishek. Instead, I looked at my mother, no, I glared at her. I could feel my insides churning with anger as slowly I was reminded of her emotional blackmailing for me, for Akshita. "I am not letting you drag Akshita in this mess without her consent."