Dil Ke Karib (CH 44 Early Access)

🎉 How was the last chapter? Comment down your thoughts.

🛎️ New to Nandini and Rajeev’s world? No worries! Catch up on Dil ke Karib (Chapters 1–43) on my website before diving in. Her story is just getting started… 💔✨

🔥 Don’t miss:
📖 Read: “Married to My Brother-in-Law, In Love with His Brother” — a forbidden 1950s romance filled with duty, desire, and defiance.

✨ Two stories. One unforgettable journey.

Now, let’s dive back into the latest chapter… 👇

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✨ Chapter 44: The Rain Between Us 🌧️💗

The rain had grown heavier through the night. It drummed against the tiled roof of the haveli, a steady heartbeat that seemed to follow Rajeev up the stairs.

Nandini stirred in his arms but didn’t wake. Her breath was warm against his neck, a soft rhythm that somehow soothed the knot of guilt in his chest.

He pushed open the door to her room, moving carefully so as not to wake her. The shawl had slipped from her shoulder, and without thinking, he adjusted it, tucking it gently under her chin.

Her hand, limp in sleep, brushed against his wrist.
And he froze.

He could still see the faint bruise Vikrant had left. The sight sent a slow fire through him—not rage exactly, but something deeper. Protective. Unyielding.

She murmured his name in her sleep. Just once.
Soft. Trusting.

Rajeev sat beside her bed, unsure if he dared to leave. His fingers itched to take her hand, but he didn’t. Not yet. Instead, he simply watched her—the way the lamplight caught in the loose strands of her hair, the way her lips parted ever so slightly with each breath.

She didn’t know what she did to him. Or maybe she did and simply pretended not to.

The hours stretched, the rain never stopping. And somewhere between the thunder’s rumble and the steady rise and fall of her chest, Rajeev felt something dangerous take root.

Not desire.
Not yet.
But the beginnings of something that could outlast the storm.

The rain was relentless.
It pooled in the courtyard below, slid down the tiled roof in silver sheets, and drummed against the wooden windows of Nandini’s room.

Rajeev sat in the chair beside her bed, watching the storm through the half-open shutters.
He had meant to leave after making sure she was settled, but every time he thought of standing, his gaze returned to her.

She lay curled beneath the shawl, her hair spilling across the pillow. The fire from the lamplight painted her in gold and shadow. Even in sleep, her brows furrowed faintly, as if the weight of the day still pressed on her.

A soft sound escaped her lips—his name.
Just once. Barely a breath.

Rajeev’s heart stuttered. He leaned forward before he could think, his elbows on his knees, trying to see her face more clearly.

Her lashes fluttered.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.

For a moment, they simply looked at each other. Neither moved.

“When did you come?" she murmured, her voice still heavy with sleep. "And I am in our room, how?"

“I didn’t want you to wake up alone,” he replied quietly. "So I carried you here."

Something flickered in her expression—gratitude, but also something softer. She shifted slightly, making space on the bed, her gaze never leaving his.

“You can sit here,” she said, her hand brushing the empty space beside her.

Rajeev hesitated. He had been close to her before—in moments of necessity, of protection—but this was different. This was an invitation.

He sat carefully, the charpoy dipping under his weight. She was close enough now that he could see the tiny droplets of rain clinging to her hair from earlier, the faint scent of cardamom still clinging to her from Sobha’s tea.

She leaned toward him, just a fraction. Her head rested lightly against his shoulder.

Rajeev froze, afraid to move, afraid to breathe too deeply in case he broke whatever fragile thing had just formed between them.

“You’re warm,” she murmured, her voice almost a sigh.

“You’re cold,” he answered, without thinking. His hand lifted of its own accord, adjusting the shawl around her. His fingers brushed the skin at her collarbone—soft, warm, alive.

Her breath caught. So did his.

For a moment, the rain outside was the only sound.

He wanted—desperately—to tilt his head, to look at her fully, to close the tiny distance between them. But his throat was dry, and his pulse felt too loud.

“I…” He stopped. Swallowed. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t,” she said simply.

Her gaze held his—steady, open. And before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned in, just enough for his forehead to brush hers.

The air between them felt warmer now. Her lips were so close he could feel the faintest whisper of her breath.

She didn’t move away.

He closed the gap by the smallest fraction—a kiss that was barely there, a trembling press of lips that spoke not of hunger but of care. It was hesitant, shy… and over almost as soon as it began.

When he pulled back, his heart was racing.

Her eyes searched his face, and she smiled faintly. “See?” she whispered. “You didn’t hurt me.”

Outside, the rain slowed to a softer patter. Inside, they stayed as they were—breathing the same air, caught in the same pause.

And though it was only a whisper of a kiss, Rajeev knew something had shifted.

The space between them was no longer empty.
It was full.

****

💬 Author’s Note – 🌧️💗

Hey my dear hearts 💕,

This chapter… sigh 🥹 It’s one of those quiet ones, where nothing explodes, yet everything shifts. The rain outside wasn’t just weather — it was the sound of walls softening, of two people letting the storm pass together. 🌧️🤍

Rajeev and Nandini have been circling each other for so long — bound by circumstance, hurt by truths they can’t say aloud. Yes, they’ve shared closeness before — moments where his presence was her shield, where she leaned on him for emotional strength in a world that kept breaking her. 🫂 But never before has it been because of love. Never before has it carried the tremor of desire. 💗

Tonight wasn’t about passion or grand confessions. It was about presence. About staying. About the smallest brush of lips that somehow felt braver than a thousand fiery kisses. ✨💋

I wanted you to feel the hesitation — the way he holds back because he’s careful, inexperienced, and terrified of hurting her. And the way she lets him know, with the gentlest words, that his care is exactly what she needs. 🫶

For me, this kiss wasn’t the start of romance… it was the start of trust. And trust, as you know, is rarer than love. 💗

If you felt the rain, the pause, the almost-broken breath between them… then you were right there with me while writing it. 🌸

With all my love and a full heart,
—Shaar Shree 🤍🖋️

#TheRainBetweenUs #RajeevAndNandini #SometimesSilenceSpeaks