chapter 81

YOU ARE THE RHYTHM OF MY HEART!GChapter 81 :Though Nandu’s eyes flickered with surprise, seeing the storm of emotions swirling in his mother's eyes, he gently squeezed her shoulder, offering silent reassurance, before turning and moving toward Aadhya.Crouching down in front of her, he softly placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her.Feeling the hand on her shoulder, Aadhya swiftly straightened, her eyes snapping open—eyes filled with fear, pain, and dread. But the moment she recognized Nandu, her expression melted into relief.Nandu’s heart clenched at the sight. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, silently vowing to erase this memory from her heart no matter how long it would take.Lifting her gently to her feet, he guided her towards another car that Gaurav had arranged for them.Before stepping inside, Aadhya hesitated, glancing at Nandu with concern.“Krish... is your mother okay?”, she asked softly. “If she needs you, you should stay with her. I’ll manage. It’s not a problem. Gaurav can drop me home”, she offered, her voice trembling with worry.Seeing the way her eyes flickered between him and his mother, Nandu’s heart warmed with tenderness for her gesture.He gently caressed her hair and, without a word, softly pushed her into the car. Circling around, he entered from the other side, pulled her into his arms, and whispered against her hair,“Aadu. Akki is with her. He’ll take her to Dad. She’s in safe hands. Right now… you’re the one who needs me most. And honestly… I need you too… to calm the storm inside me. Please… let me stay with you”.Aadhya leaned against him, her heart finally finding a sliver of peace.Nandu gestured to Gaurav to start the car, and they drove away, leaving behind the shadows of pain, with Akhil and Saagarika following in another car towards their home.Once they approached the house, Nandu helped Aadhya get down. Glancing at Gaurav, he asked, his voice laced with anxiousness and fear,“Gaurav! How is Sruthi?”.“Boss! She’s fine. Just a minor injury. Nothing serious”, Gaurav replied, trying to pacify him.Though Aadhya’s heart was squeezing with anguish, she steeled herself and implored softly,“Krish! Why don’t you go and see her. Your parents need you now”.Nandu held her tightly in his arms and stated firmly,“Right now, my priority is being with you”. Then, turning to Gaurav, he instructed,“Gaurav! You can leave now. Call me if there’s anything, okay?”.“Boss… if you want, I can stay back. In case you need anything”, Gaurav offered hesitantly, unwilling to leave them in such a state.Nandu shook his head. “No, Gaurav. I’m fine. Let me take care of my wife. You can leave”.With that, he turned and gently ushered Aadhya into the house, helping her sit on the couch.Aadhya, who had been holding back her pain in front of Gaurav, could no longer contain it. As soon as he left, her anguish, hurt, and trauma poured out in the form of heavy sobs, her face buried in her palms.Nandu closed the door and locked it before turning to see her sobbing uncontrollably. For a moment, he stood motionless, struggling to find the right words to console her.Taking slow and steady steps toward her, he sat beside her and gently placed a hand on her back, his voice soft and coaxing. “Aadu... please calm down. Everything is fine now. He’ll pay for everything he did. I promise you”.Shaking her head violently, Aadhya cried out,“Even if he pays for everything, how can I ever forget him touching me? It’ll haunt me like a nightmare! How can I forget his disgusting hands on my body? I feel filthy… disgusting… ashamed!”.Nandu sat silently for a moment, his heart breaking at her words. She wasn’t like the women from his past flings—she was innocent, respectful, deeply rooted in her values—and the shame she carried was crushing her spirit.Lifting her tear-streaked face, Aadhya looked at him with pain and asked, her voice trembling,“Krish… how could you still touch me? Don’t you feel disgusted? Don’t you see me as dirty now that someone else has touched me? How can you act like nothing happened?”.-  *KRISH*