Dil Ke Karib (CH 45 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 45: Things that are broken ✨

The courtyard basked in the golden warmth of the late afternoon, the scent of dry earth mingling faintly with the perfume of marigolds. Rajeev’s shadow stretched long across the threshold as he returned from the fields, his hands still dusted with sunbaked soil.

He spotted Nandini seated on the charpoy, her dupatta slipping loose from her shoulders, sunlight softening the blush on her cheeks.

“Did you eat?” His voice was gentle, almost hesitant. He crouched beside her, brushing away a rebellious strand of hair that the wind had dared to place across her forehead. His touch lingered, warm and careful.

Nandini’s breath caught, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Wasn’t hungry.”

“You should eat. For you—and for the little one.” Rajeev’s tone was quietly firm, full of a tenderness that made her heart flutter.

She rose to fetch water, but he followed silently, catching the glass from her hands before she could reach the kitchen. “Let me.” Their eyes met, the unspoken weight between them folding the moment into something fragile and fierce.

“You came from the fields, not me,” Nandini murmured, barely audible.

Rajeev’s gaze softened even further as he reached out, fingers brushing a stray lock of hair away from her face. “You’re pregnant,” he said slowly, certain. “And I’m the father. It’s my duty to care for you both.”

Our child. The words echoed inside her chest, tightening and expanding all at once. For a heartbeat, she was speechless.

“And you…” his eyes held hers steadily, “you’re the mother. That’s all that matters.”

Rajeev’s resolve shimmered in his gaze. Even now, knowing the truth, he was determined to make things right.

“Now, are we eating anything or not?” He broke the silence, his voice lighter and teasing. Nandini laughed softly, the sound melting the tension.

“I’ll serve the food. Let’s eat together.”

The kitchen air was thick with cumin and turmeric as they settled cross-legged on the cool floor, hands brushing while passing warm chapatis. Laughter slipped between bites, fragile and healing. For a few stolen moments, they tasted what family might feel like.

From the veranda, Virkant watched, jaw clenched until the muscles twitched painfully. Every tender touch Rajeev bestowed on Nandini was a knife twisting slowly in his gut, each shared smile stoking a fire he could neither quell nor control.

First Sobha, now Nandini—both women denying his authority, daring to challenge him. Disrespect couldn’t be allowed.

Sobha leaned against a pillar, eyes sharp. Her smile was thin and cold. “He’s always so attentive to her,” she said, voice dripping with poison. “As if she’s the only one worth protecting.”

The words were sweet venom, and Virkant’s fists tightened at his sides. "Leave..." he growled, his voice low and dangerous. Sobha's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she sauntered away, leaving Virkant seething with anger and frustration. The realization that he was losing control over the situation gnawed at him, fueling the fire of jealousy burning within.

As shadows lengthened, Nandini walked toward her room. Rajeev followed quietly, carrying the shawl she’d forgotten.

“You’ll catch a chill.” He draped it around her shoulders, fingers brushing her arm in a ghost of a touch. The warmth left behind was a silent promise, an unspoken hope.

They shared a fleeting look—no desire yet, only a quiet closeness that made the heart ache.

Suddenly, a sharp crack shattered the fragile calm. The clay pot exploded against the doorway, shards skittering like frightened birds across the floor. Water pooled in a creeping tide toward Nandini’s bare feet.

Virkant stood there, face unreadable.

“Careful,” he said coldly, gaze locked on Rajeev. “Or someone might break something more than just a pot.” A smirk curved his lips as he turned away.

Rajeev’s hand shot out, gripping Virkant’s wrist before he could leave. “Is that all you know, Virkant? How to break things?” His voice was low but steady, eyes burning with challenge.

Virkant hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. Then, without another word, he pulled free and strode away, leaving behind a tense silence that hung heavy in the air.

Rajeev knelt, gathering the shattered pieces of the pot, his fingers tracing the jagged edges. “That’s where we differ, Virkant,” he muttered under his breath, voice thick with determination. “I know how to mend what’s broken.”

Virkan glanced back, eyes dark and cryptic. “Fix it then. But know this—some things can never be repaired.”

He disappeared into the shadows, leaving Rajeev to wrestle with the weight of those words.

His jaw clenched. The tension between them thickened, unspoken but palpable. The reckoning was coming—the day when Virkant would choke on every sin he had buried deep in darkness.

And by then, mercy would be nothing but a forgotten dream.

****

Author Note 💓

🎉 Hey wonderful readers! So, what did you think of Chapter 45? That quiet closeness between Rajeev and Nandini — did it make your heart flutter like mine? 💓 And oh, Virkant’s jealousy simmering just beneath the surface… things are heating up, aren’t they? 🔥

This chapter felt like a tender pause in the storm — fragile moments of hope and the looming tension of what’s to come. I hope you felt that mix of warmth and danger too.

What do you think Virkant will do next? Drop your theories below! 🔥

🛎️ If you’re new here or want to refresh your memory, Dil ke Karib Chapters 1–43 are waiting for you on my website! The journey is full of emotions, secrets, and slow-burning love.

✨ Want more? Don’t miss Married to My Brother-in-Law, In Love with His Brother — a forbidden 1950s romance packed with desire and defiance.

Thank you so much for reading and being part of this story with me! Drop your thoughts below, and let’s chat! 💬💖