TISHNAGI

CHAPTER 24: NAINA

I walked down the stairs freakishly nervous, whatever happened yesterday...I wanted it to be a dream.

Walking inside the kitchen, I drank some water to calm my racing heart down. Keeping the pan on the stove to make some morning chai, I patiently waited for the water to boil.

I felt a pair of hands sneaking down my waist, the familiar warmth engulfed me and I melted under his touch. "Good morning Nainu." My eyes widened and I pushed the person back and heard a groan. I turned back to look at Yash.

No
No
No

"Naina What the hell!" His voice painful. Deep shivers ran down my spine. My heart beating so fast that I was scared it would burst out of my chest.

"Why did you touch me?" No matter how hard I tried, but my voice broke in between. His face softened and goosebumps arose on my arms.

I didn't like it.

Not anymore.

He took a step closer and I reverted back but was stopped by the counter instead. He didn't see my nervousness as he held my hands which I was sure were sweating.

"Naina, why are you doing this to me." His plea made me furrow my eyebrows. "What did I do?" My voice drained of any energy.

"You're hurting me." His voice came out as a whisper and I scoffed, Literally, scoffed.
I was hurting him?! This man made me sick to my stomach!

I withdrew my hand from his hold and pushed him back slightly, making a breathable space between us.

"I guess then that's fair Yash. You broke my heart on the most special day of my life, so I guess this isn't as bad as that pain." I loved how I was standing up for myself. I was feeling sad for my past, but not for my present self.

"Nainu, baby what happened to you? You never spoke like that. Are you ok? Did Bhai do something to you?" I mentally rolled my eyes and took a step closer to him, not petrified this time.

"What happened to me? The thing that should have happened way before, when I was with you. A sense of self respect, self love, which I had forgotten when I lov-...when we were together." I took a deep breath in and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Mahir ji is the one who made me realise my importance, who made me love myself Yash. So thank him." He scoffed and took a step closer to me. I gulped at the proximity.

"Nainu, whatever you're saying is absolutely correct. You should love yourself, but give me a chance to make you feel that way." I furrowed my eyebrows at his request. Was he serious?

"What?!" I asked exasperated. He held my hands in his and gave me a soft look.

"Nainu, please give me a second chance. Trust me, I have changed. I have changed for you!" He sounded desperate and genuine. My heart was melting, I couldn't ignore the fact that I once loved him.

"Yash, I- uh-please leave me." I said defeated by the fact that I was letting my feelings control me. He only held my hand stronger and gazed in my eyes.

"Naina, I love you. Please give me another chance." Shivers ran down my spine. I felt guilty for this, for him confessing his feeling to me.

"Yahan kya hora hai?"
(What's happening here?)

I withdrew my hand from his hold with the speed of light. I turned my head towards the door, where the voice of my husband came from, who had a hurt look on his face which was hidden by his hard stare.

"M-Mahir ji woh-"
(M-Mahir ji  actually-)

My words got stuck in my mouth, when Yash pulled me closer to him by my shoulder and I looked at him wide eyed. He had a lopsided grin on his face and my heart picked up it's pace. It was beautiful.
My favourite thing about him.