Rishtey Dillon Ke ~ The Raghuvanshi (✓)

Chapter 18

Ved's mood worsens after Naina leaves. He throws his pillow and feels like crying, missing Diya, which brings back painful memories.

After a while, he feels soft hands on his head. He opens his eyes and sees Naina massaging his head.

Seeing his surprised and innocent face, Naina asks, "What?"

Ved blinks and shakes his head. Naina tells him, "Now close your eyes and rest your head on my lap so I can massage your head more easily. Lie down comfortably."

He obeys and puts his head on her lap. As Naina massages his head, he feels an unprecedented sense of relaxation and comfort, something he had never experienced before, perhaps due to the absence of his mother. The loving care from Naina feels almost maternal.

Naina notices his face relaxing and becoming more comfortable. After some time, she sees that he has fallen asleep peacefully. Gently, she lifts his head from her lap, places it on the pillow, covers him with a blanket, and quietly leaves the room.

Vidhi sees everything, and after Naina leaves, she quietly enters Ved's room and lies down beside her brother, offering silent comfort.

Meanwhile, Naina enters her own room to find Vikram taking off his clothes. Startled, she turns to leave, but he notices her and says, "You can come in. I'm going to the washroom to change," before heading to the bathroom.

As she steps inside, her eyes fall on a gun placed casually on a nearby table. She freezes momentarily, staring at the gun. Moments later, Vikram emerges from the washroom, now dressed in comfortable clothes. He follows her gaze, notices the gun, and quickly picks it up, securing it in a drawer.

Their eyes meet. Naina, feeling a wave of nervousness, blinks rapidly and moves toward the balcony to gather her thoughts.

Vikram, seemingly unbothered, goes to the bed, lies down, and falls asleep almost instantly. Naina stands on the balcony, gazing into the night. Her mind races with thoughts, feeling slightly anxious around Vikram. She knows that love cannot happen so quickly. After a few moments of contemplation, she returns inside, closes the balcony door gently, and sees Vikram already asleep. She lies down on her side of the bed, her back turned to him, hoping to find some rest.

Sometime past midnight, Naina is roused from her sleep by a soft, unsettling noise. She feels Vikram's hand inadvertently touching her. Turning to look, she sees his forehead glistening with sweat, and hears him mumbling incoherently in his sleep.

Alarmed, she widens her eyes and gently places her hand on his shoulder, trying to wake him. "Vikram," she whispers softly, shaking him two or three times.

Vikram, caught in the throes of a bad dream, feels her touch and gradually comes to. His breathing is ragged, and he rubs his hand over his mouth, his eyes still squeezed shut. Naina, seeing his distress, quickly fetches a glass of water. She brings it to his lips, and he starts drinking without opening his eyes.

As he drinks, he opens his eyes to see Naina holding the glass, her expression filled with concern. She watches him intently, her worry evident in her eyes. Vikram continues to drink, his gaze locked onto hers, finding a strange sense of comfort in her presence amidst the remnants of his nightmare.

"Are you fine now?" Naina asks after he finishes drinking the water, looking into his eyes with visible concern. He glances at her hand, resting next to him. Noticing this, Naina withdraws her hand and says, "Sorry, you were having a bad dream, so I woke you up."

"I need something," Vikram says after a moment.

"What do you want?" Naina asks.

"There are some photos on the other side of the cupboard. Bring them," he replies slowly.

She quickly stands up and retrieves the photos as he instructed. When she returns and hands them to him, she starts to leave to give him some privacy. However, he grabs her hand just as she is about to turn away and stands up from the bed, walking toward the balcony. She follows him silently as he opens the door.

They both sit, and Vikram starts looking at the photos. Naina notices a picture of a cute little baby. She sees four siblings in the photos. One picture shows a little boy zipping up his sister's sweater. Another photo shows a young Rajendra with the four children sitting around him.

In another photo, a boy, older than the other three, is tying their shoelaces. In a subsequent photo, the same boy, now a bit older, is feeding the three younger ones by hand. Naina glances at Vikram, who has a relaxed smile on his face, clearly reminiscing fondly about his siblings.

Vikram feels comforted by these old memories, aware that Naina is watching but not wanting to hide anything from her. He appreciates that she isn't asking any questions. Sometimes, silence can be the best support.

"By the way, the experience of taking care of children is very good," Naina says, her eyes lingering on the pictures, "especially such cute children."

"Hmm, quite a lot," Vikram replies. "When Papa used to go out for work, Vidhi and Vedansh were very small."

"Thank you," Vikram says after a while, "thank you for taking care of all three of them and also of Dad."

"The family is mine too, isn't it?" Naina asks after listening to Vikram's gratitude. Vikram looks into her eyes, and she meets his gaze. He nods, and she blinks her eyes.

"By the way, you don't like our profession," Vikram asks, noticing her silence. She quickly looks at him and starts nervously playing with her fingers, unsure whether to speak or not, fearing his reaction.

She blinks and says, "No, it's nothing like that..." Then, looking at the sky, she adds, "It's too late. Let's sleep now."

He grabs her hand to stop her from standing and says in a demanding tone, "Speak up." She opens her mouth, then closes it, finally admitting, "Yes, I don't like it."

"Then why did you marry me?" Vikram asks, stunned by her answer.

"Because of Papa," she replies. "He wanted me to get married now, and I can do anything for his happiness. He is my life."

                         ~~~~

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