Chronicles Of My Darling Husband

133. Upahar (Part 3)

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Found this cute pic on Pinterest that made me feel- "Hey, that looks like Nishita and Jagdish..." (Except for the beard part, since 'Jagdishji' insists on maintaining a smooth, clean-shaven jawline or according to Nishita- a baby-faced look.)

And my bored-ass made this poster.
(All rights belong to their respective owners; I claim no ownership other than editing, of course, duh...)

Happy Reading!

- Suganthi Lakshminarayanan.

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After having dinner together, Neelesh and Jagdish discussed their work life, sharing stories and catching up on recent projects and achievements. They talked about their future goals and the challenges they were currently facing at work. Meanwhile, having enjoyed the evening with them, Devika wished them goodbye and left for her apartment. Well, it was too dull for her creative mind to sit among men who worked in a toxic environment around the clock and she wanted to be with someone else, not these boring people.

Indira, with a familiar yearning for a mug of warm milk before bed, padded softly into the kitchen. The comforting scent of scalded milk tickled her nose, guiding her towards the source. She found Nishita attentively watching over a stainless steel pot on the stove. A gentle hiss escaped the pot, punctuated by the rhythmic rise and fall of simmering milk. Nishita stirred the milk with a clink of the spoon against the pot, a practiced motion that spoke of their countless bedtime routines together.

"So?" Indira's sudden question startled Nishita, who hadn't noticed her mother approaching.

Nishita blinked and raised her eyebrows. "So?"

"So?" Indira repeated, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "You're not coming to Pune with us after all?"

Nishita shook her head, a hesitant smile briefly flickering across her face before fading. "No, I won't be."

Indira hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm..."

Nishita couldn't help but question the sound, glancing at her mother, who was now sporting a sneaky grin, clearly trying to suppress something in her mind. "What 'hmm'?" she asked.

Indira tilted her head. "Actually, Nishi, I was curious," she began, her voice gentle. "Remember how you were saying you'd feel more settled and concentrate better on your studies if you were back in Pune?"

Nishita fidgeted slightly, her earlier hesitation returning. "I am focused on my preparations here too, Maa," she muttered, avoiding her mother's gaze. "Honestly, I don't think moving back would make much of a difference. Besides, I already travel there every weekend to teach my students anyway."

"Haan!" Indira chimed, her eyes twinkling. "Think about it, no more wrestling with those overflowing weekend bags or those frantic last-minute searches for missing textbooks. You could just grab your things and head straight to your classes. Wouldn't that be much easier than these tiring back-and-forth trips?"

Nishita pursed her lips and poured herself a glass of warm milk. She glanced at her mother and tilted her head, silently offering some. Indira nodded with a smile, and Nishita poured another glass. Retrieving sugar from the overhead cabinet, she added a hint to each glass, gently stirring until the only sound was the soft clink of the spoon against the glass.

Indira furrowed her brow. "Nishi?" she pressed.

Nishita calmly handed her mother a glass and took one for herself. Taking a slow sip, she said, "I'm okay here, Maa. I don't want to move to Pune."

Indira chuckled. "Is it the idea of staying here, or leaving Jagdishji behind that troubles you, Nishi?"

Nishita gnawed on her lip, her eyes flicking around the room to avoid her mother's probing gaze. "Both seem identical to me," she murmured.

"No, they aren't and you very well understand that," Indira countered immediately. After a prolonged silence when Nishita didn't respond, Indira asked, "So, you are in love with your husband, huh?"

"Maa... Seriously?" Nishita whined. "That's not something you ask your daughter!"

"Why not?" Indira retorted defensively, her tone tinged with a hint of indignation. "I'm not asking if there will be a new addition to the Singh family soon."

"Maa!"

Indira didn't mind her daughter's protest. "I understand that your personal decisions are yours alone, and I respect that completely. But as your mother, I can't help but wonder if you're truly content here. Jagdishji is clearly head over heels for you; his affection is plain to see. But I worry about you, Nishi, and whether you feel genuinely happy being with him."

Nishita remained silent.

Indira sighed softly and gently cupped her daughter's face. "Nishi, it's obvious that you have feelings for him... Haven't you ever expressed that to him?"

Biting her lower lip, Nishita muttered, "I don't know if this is how love feels."

Indira smiled. "Hmm..." She hugged her daughter gently and said, "You'll know soon."

"But how can you be so sure?"

"Because I love your Papa... And I know how a woman behaves when she's in love."

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A/N

I've always wanted to write a heartfelt conversation between a mother and daughter. In my other stories, such moments never seemed to fit naturally, so I cherished the chance to create one in this story. It felt incredibly satisfying to finally bring this scene to life.

I remember when "Jaane Kya" was one of my favorite songs. (It still is) I used to play it every day on my way to college, even though it wasn't a recent release back then (The movie was released in 2006 ig, I have no energy to Google this lol, and I was studying in school). I stumbled upon it randomly on YouTube and instantly became so hooked to it.

The lyrics do fit Nishita's state of mind, her state of denial and confusion.

Tomorrow I might update a single chapter, still not down from grumpy state, it's not even PMS... Why am I like this!?

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