NEVER IN A FOREVER (Manan)

54

Nandini

"Hey" Manik's voice was barely a whisper as he stroked my hair softly as I laid my head in his lap after dinner, telling me how his work was going before we both turned quiet.

I still can't believe he chose me himself. That seems unreal and impossible. How can someone pick me? I wanted to hug him tight and cry, but I kept mute knowing we shouldn't have real talks until my exams were finished. An unannounced truce between us.

I tipped my head slightly to see him and noticing it, he gave me a warm smile, which always made my stomach flutter.

His smiles,  the way he handles me, the way he is possessive, protective, and careful about me, everything about him shows how much I mean to him.

And realization drew upon me. I have a crush on my husband. Is it for real? I can't believe it.

"Let's sleep Nandini, we need to get up fast, you have college, and I need to go to the office; the work is too much" His words made me frown immediately.

"Who said you are going to work?" I asked, getting up from the bed as I went to grab the blankets.

"Who said I'm not going to?" A frown settled on his forehead.

"Me, you are not going to work until your wound heals" I replied, my voice stern as I walked to bed with the huge blanket in my arms.

"And why is that Mrs.Malhotra?" Butterflies erupted in my stomach as he addressed me with my new surname.

"Because you are hurt" I replied bluntly, like he is stupid.

"I've had worse wounds before, I'm fine, I need to go to work" he replied, drinking water from the bottle that was on the night stand right beside him.

"Well I wasn't there before either" I challenged him. He raised his eyebrows, completely surprised because of my sudden outburst.

“What’s wrong Nandini?” He asked, forwarding his hand to me as I dropped the duvet on the bed and grabbed his hand, sitting beside him.

“Nothing” I replied, not meeting his eyes. His index finger went under my chin as he lifted my head slightly, his eyes meeting mine and the concern in them made my heart melt into a puddle.

“What’s bothering you?” His voice was like a rich velvet caress.

“I want you to heal as soon as possible, the work and the pressure would make you stressed and you’d be angry that you hurted yourself in anger. Just take off for a week and get the stitches removed before you go to work” I said, voicing out my thoughts, my fingers tightening around him.

“Then you are not going to college either, until I go to work?” He asked as we laid on bed, he pulled the duvet over our shoulder and turned to my side, looking at me like I’m precious.

My arm went under my head as I interlinked my free hand’s fingers with his and muttered “how is that fair?”

“Your feet hurts, your cheek might be hurting and you need rest, you’d be cranky and can’t study” he replied, making me surprised on how much he knows me.

“Manik, I’m having preparation holidays, I’m not going to college even if I’m asked to” I chuckled slightly when his brows furrowed.

“Then go to sleep, we both need rest, '' he muttered and lifted his head sightly before pressing a light kiss to my forehead and muttering good night, without snatching his hand back that made me smile.

“Good night hubby” I muttered and clicked my tongue when I realised what I addressed him as and shut my eyes tightly, hoping for some reply. He just chuckled, that made my cheeks flush.

I opened my eyes after a few moments, to find him already asleep with a smile on his face. I smiled before turning off all the lights and turned on the bed light before drifting into a sleep, hoping no nightmare would disturb my sleep for once.

—--

I frowned, hearing the alarm and pressed the off button on my button before turning away from it, snuggling into the warm teddy bear that had its arms around me, holding me in place.

It feels so heavy, when did the factories start manufacturing heavy teddies? I frowned and tried to wiggle out of the hold when someone grunted, making me still in my place.

Am I kidnapped? Held as a hostage? Am I at a friend's house? But why am I sleeping with someone.

It took me a moment to realise that my head is on someone’s chest, their heart beating in a calm rhythm that almost lulled me back to sleep.

What do I do now?

You should scream. My conscience butted in.

But I’m so lazy and tired, I’ll scream the next time I wake up now I’m just going to sleep with the soft music like heartbeat that was making me embrace sleep.

“Go to sleep baby” a whisper made me confirm that I can scream later.

Humming to myself, I sighed, tightening my arms around the teddy bear, drifting into sleep again.

The teddy bear held me tight too. Wow!

Let’s hope for some lightweight teddy bears the next time I wake up.

____

“No mom, she is sleeping, she is tired from crying and all, let her sleep for some more time, everything else can wait” Manik’s voice made me frown.

I forwarded my hand, trying to check if he was there or if it's my dream when I felt the bed empty. My frown deepened as I sat on the bed, without opening my eyes.

I felt the bed dip right in front of me.

"I'll ask her to call them when she wakes up, yeah bye" I heard him hang up when I felt his lips on my forehead, that already made my day a lot better even before it started.

"Good morning sunshine" he said, his voice husky as I rubbed my eyes slightly, opening them.

Giving him a cheeky smile, I laid my head on his shoulder as he was close to me. I felt him smile as he grabbed my hand, locking my fingers with his, a gesture I started to love.

"Where is my teddy bear?" I yawned before raising my head and looked at him with a frown and then I realised what I just uttered.

Seriously Nandini? So I wasn't held as a hostage?