Chapter 35 - Suman #5
I shook him more urgently, but he nuzzled his face even deeper into my stomach. Before I could wake him, Daadi-sa walked in with a few attendants.
The moment she noticed us, her eyes widened in shock.
“Suman, who’s this?” she exclaimed. I abruptly shook my head.
“Da… Daadi-sa, it’s Kunwar-sa,” I stammered. “It’s him, no one else.”
She moved toward us.
“What is he doing here?” Her face wrinkled in shock.
I glanced down at him, but he didn’t move; instead, he held my hands over his ears, as if trying to block all the commotion. I swallowed anxiously and tried to explain.
“Daadi-sa, I’m sorry. I think he’s tired, so he just came and slept; I’m so sorry.”
She smiled and nodded.
“Oh, it’s okay. But you know you two cannot…” She cleared her throat, hesitant to speak the words. “You understand, right?”
I immediately nodded. “Ji, ji, Daadi-sa, I know. Don’t worry about it; I’ll make sure of it. Also, he’s just a baby; he just came to sleep. He’s not interested in anything else,” I babbled, spilling everything out of my mouth in fear, over-explaining, yet again.
“It’s okay. Calm down,” she chuckled lightly. “And let him sleep now. I’ll come in the morning.”
I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded.
“Ji, Daadi-sa, good night,”
She smiled and blessed us before leaving the chamber.
I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the big baby sleeping peacefully on my lap.
He looked so adorable in his sleep. I felt strangely content watching him so calm, especially after everything we had been through.
I was too ignorant to realise that this was all he wanted—this comfort, this care, this love—and nothing else from me.
I kissed his forehead again, brushed my finger gently on the rim of his ear, and whispered, “Humaare pyaare se chote se bacche, chaliye shayya par so jaaiye,” “My cute little baby, come on, sleep on the bed.” But he didn’t seem to hear me.
I gently caressed the cut on his cheek that he had got the previous year, which had left a mark. Although it had faded, it was still there. The realisation that I could’ve lost him to that war made me kiss him again.
He inhaled deeply and opened his eyes.
“Let’s sleep on the bed, Kunwar-sa,” I muttered. He blinked at me for a moment, then at the bed, stretched his arms wide, and stood up. Stumbling toward it in his sleep, he collapsed onto the mattress.
“You’re coming, right?” he asked sleepily, and I nodded. “Yes, I am.”
Chuckling at him, I tried to stand, but my legs had gone numb from sitting too long. I let the prickling sensation settle before walking around to douse all the lamps and candles and draw all the curtains.
When I returned to the bed, I found him asleep on his stomach. I pouted, seeing no space left for me to sleep, since the prince lay right in the middle of the bed, not to mention his arms spread wide.
I thought of sleeping on the couch, but then I remembered he was my half-husband and would be my full husband in just seven days. If he slept like this, I’d never be able to sleep.
So, I sat beside him and gently brushed his hair away from his face.
“Kunwar Agastya,” I murmured. “Move aside a little; let me sleep too,”
A low groan left him, and he shuffled aside. But suddenly, he sat up and took off his kurta. Then, he took all his rings and neckpiece off. Keeping them on the side table, he pulled me closer and buried his face against my chest. The loose locks falling over his face tickled my skin.
“Not today, Kunwar-sa,” I wiggled under him. “I won’t be able to sleep,”
He clicked his tongue in frustration and then shifted slightly up. With a gentle tug, he turned me onto my side until we were facing each other.
“I love you, Kunwar-sa,” I whispered, kissing his forehead, and noticed him smile in his sleep.
“Can I suck your breasts for some time?” he asked out of nowhere, his eyes still closed.
I gulped at his demand. It felt embarrassing, and it made me nervous. I had never imagined him doing that. He had done it before, yes, but this was different. What if he grew habitual?
“Please, just for a while,” he requested.
I sighed, propping myself on an elbow as I untied the strings of my blouse. His warm breath brushed my chest as he cupped my bosom even before I slipped it off entirely.
“Slow down…” I moaned, but he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close with a single move.
I couldn’t see much in the dark, but the moment I felt his lips encircle my bud, I could clearly imagine his face.
He groaned, flapping his warm tongue over my nipple, eliciting a moan from me. And before I could recover, he nipped at my skin.
“Not so hard, love,” I winced, easing my fingers through his curls. Caressing his ear with my thumb, I murmured, “Are you a baby?”
He hummed in response.
I pulled the comforter over us as the cold of Mahabaleshgarh grew harsh at night.
Suddenly, I felt him draw my skin into his mouth hard.
“Kunwar-sa,” I gasped. “Slow down. Your beard is pricking me.”
He left my nipple with a soft pop. “I like it.” I heard his muffled reply, and he went back to sucking again.
I breathed in and began stroking his trimmed beard gently, waiting until he got tired and fell asleep. But he didn’t, and after a while it hurt.
“You should sleep now, big baby. It’s hurting me,” I said, and surprisingly, unlike his usual self, he obeyed and let go of my bud. He even helped me fix my blouse, then went back to sleep, nestling his face against my chest.
Since it was a new place and a new bed, it was difficult for me to fall asleep initially. But eventually, I did.
?????
I woke up in the morning to the sound of anklet bells and giggles.
I sat up, wondering if all these attendants had found me sleeping with him, and I spun to my side. Thankfully, it was empty.
He seemed to have long gone, but the smile he left on my lips stayed.
“Suman,” Just then, Nandani’s voice reached me. I inclined my head slightly toward the doorway with a smile.
She entered the chamber and sat beside me on the bed.
“We’re all thinking of doing Devi Pooja today to begin the rituals before Ranaji and Prince Ranvijay leave,” she said, and I nodded.
She stood up, about to leave, but I immediately caught her wrist. Kneeling on the bed, I pulled her into a tight hug.
“Hey, what happened?” she asked, rubbing my back.
I inhaled heavily.
“Thank you so much, Nandani, for being there for me every time,” I muttered. “Honestly, I know I mess things up often, yet you didn’t leave me.”
I pulled away and looked at her.
“You know, every Suman who’s full of doubts, insecurities, self-hatred, and trauma needs a confident, fierce, and powerful Nandani who always has her back.”
I hugged her again and added, “Thank you so much, Nandani, for coming into my life. I kept searching for goodness in my parents, my previous in-laws, and my dead husband, but in reality, you were my saviour. Without you, I might never have known there was still hope, that there are good people in the world.”
I paused, inhaling deeply.
“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you so much.”
She tightened the hug before pulling away with a frown.
“Are you going somewhere?”
My brows creased. “No.”
“Then why are you giving a goodbye speech, silly girl?” she asked, cradling my cheeks gently. “Come, everyone’s waiting for you. You should get ready.”
I chuckled, shaking my head, and went toward the bathing chamber.
“By the way,” I stopped mid-step at her voice and turned to her. “What was Agastya doing here last night? Did you two…” she pointed her fingers together.
“No…” I quickly shook my head. “We just slept.”
“Oh, I see. So… was it good?” she pressed again.
I rolled my eyes, stepping ahead.
“No, we’re not talking about this,” I said.
“Why not?” She asked, chuckling. “I want to know how your first time with a person who loves you and whom you love will be.”
I turned around and replied, “Well… I’ll tell you once we do it.”
“Great,” she grinned, walking by my side. “That’s like my friend and would-be sister-in-law,”
We both went to the bathing chamber, where she helped me undress. My eyes then fell on the bright red bruise around my nipple, and instinctively, I glanced at Nandani, who was staring at the same spot.
As her eyes widened in wonder, I quickly covered the bruise with my hands, and she burst out laughing.
“Something is wrong with these brothers,” she said through laughter. “They’re suckers for nipples.”
I turned away from her.
“Does Ranaji do it often?” I asked, unsure whether I should let Kunwar Agastya do it as often.
“Often? If it were up to him, he wouldn’t let Rudraja anywhere near my breasts. He loves his daughter so much that he lets her feed from me,” she rolled her eyes, then added, “Oh, but this one time, we were doing it, and he got so out of control, he ended up sucking them.”
My eyes widened in shock.
“Really?” I asked, and she nodded.
We continued talking as I bathed. I also told her that Kunwar-sa had gifted me a beautiful pair of anklets, and she looked so happy for me.
Stepping out, Nandani and Princess Aishwarya, along with a few attendants, helped me get dressed. We had chosen an exquisite pink-and-maroon outfit, adorned with pearls and silver thread work. It was a gift from Daadi-sa.
When it was time to do my hair, Princess Aishwarya said, “You have such lustrous hair, Suman. No doubt why Kunwar Agastya is head over heels for you.” And a wave of giggles echoed in the room.
“You’re right, Aishwarya,” Nandani exclaimed with wide eyes. “But the man isn’t just head over heels for her; he’d literally lick the floor she’d walk on,”
She glanced at Princess Aishwarya once and added, “You haven’t seen the love he has for her in his eyes yet. It’s so mesmerising, yet so destructive at the same time. God… he’s impossible.”
I looked down, unable to contain the rush of heat at her words.