Dil ke Karib (Early Acess Ch 15)

🎉 How was last Chapter did it make heart pump or stop.

🛎️ New to Nandini and Rajeev’s world? No worries! Catch up on Dil ke Karib (Chapters 1–14) on my website before diving in. Her story is just getting started… 💔✨

🔥 Don’t miss:
Married to My Brother-in-Law, In Love with His Brother — dropping Mon–Fri at 9 PM
Dil ke Karib — continuing Mon–Fri at 9 AM

✨ Two stories. Two time slots. One unforgettable journey.

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

******

The morning light stole in softly, brushing against the floor like the hem of a silk sari. Dust danced lazily in the quiet, as if reluctant to wake the house from its dreams.

Nandini stirred first, blinking into the softness of morning. For a long moment, she didn’t move—just listened to the quiet rhythm of Rajeev’s breath beside her. They hadn’t touched in their sleep, not really. But the space between them had changed. Not empty—just full of questions.

She rolled onto her side carefully, her ankle still sore. Her eyes lingered on him.

Rajeev’s face, usually guarded, looked softer in sleep—peaceful, almost boyish. His brow wasn’t furrowed for once. She wanted to reach out, to trace the curve of his cheek with her fingers, to hold on to the rare calm between them. But she didn’t.

Instead, she whispered, “Good morning.”

His lashes fluttered. He blinked slowly, then turned his head toward her.

“Morning,” he said, his voice low and rough with sleep. His eyes met hers—quiet, unreadable. But not cold.

A pause hung between them. Then he sat up, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll leave to bathe,” she said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

He nodded, still not looking at her.

But when she limped slightly toward the door, he stood immediately. “Wait.”

She turned.

He stepped closer, his hand hovering over her arm. “Your ankle. Let me…”

He knelt down in front of her, gently lifting her foot onto the edge of the bed. She watched, breath held, as he examined it—silent, focused. He touched her ankle with such careful precision, it made her throat tighten.

“You need balm,” he muttered, standing again.

Before she could reply, he crossed the room and returned with a small jar. He unscrewed it, dipped his fingers in, and began applying it with slow, warm circles.

He touched her ankle with a care that bordered on reverence. His fingers moved gently, as though any haste might break a spell neither of them dared name.

She watched him, her heart thudding. “You’re good at this.”

He looked up, a corner of his mouth tugging into something like a smile. “I have a lot of practice. Amma twisted her ankle every winter.”

“Hmm.” She swallowed. “Ji?”

He paused. “Yes?”

“About last night…” Her voice barely rose above a whisper. “If it meant nothing to you, please—say it now.”

His fingers stilled against her skin.

A long silence followed.

Then, quietly, “No. Only… some things are too precious to name in the morning light.”

Their eyes met—honest, exposed.

Before either could speak again, a sharp knock echoed from the front door. Three quick raps. Then a voice: “Rajeev beta!?”

His mother.

Rajeev’s body stiffened. The warmth in the room shifted, cooled.

Nandini pulled her foot away gently and stood. She nodded once, expression unreadable. “I should see who it is,” she murmured, adjusting the pallu of her sari as she turned away.

Rajeev stayed frozen, as if the distance between them had just been rebuilt brick by brick. "You go get ready." He finally moved, but his heart felt heavy with the weight of their unspoken words.

Nandini opened the door to find Rajeev's mother standing there, concern etched on her face. She fixed her veil, touching her mother-in-law's feet. "Good morning, Maaji." Rajeev's mother nodded in acknowledgment, her eyes softening slightly. "Good morning," she replied, her tone warmer than before.

Rajeev watched silently from a distance, feeling a glimmer of hope flicker within him.

"Maa, do you need anything?" he asked, hoping to break the tension that lingered in the air. His mother smiled gratefully at him. "Yes, you, Baba, and Bhai are going to town. If you need anything from there, let me know." Rajeev nodded, relieved to see his mother's smile return in Nadini’s presnce. "No, I am joing them too; I have some errands to run." He quickly excused himself, and Nandini panicked, but she couldn't stop him from leaving.

Vikrant is here, and if Rajeev leaves , it could cause trouble. Nandini's heart raced as she tried to think of a way to keep her away from Vikrant, her ex and Rajeev's cousin.

She wanted to tell Rajeev everything about her past, but then an accidental kiss made her forget everything, and now he is leaving her alone with Vikrant.

Nandini watched as her mother-in-law left. And Rajeev disappears into the bathroom, As the water ran in the bathroom, drowning her thoughts, Nandini lay still—her heart echoing the silence of a hundred unsaid words.

From the shadows beyond the doorway, something lingered. A memory. A mistake. A man.

And with Rajeev gone, the past began to breathe again.

It was the silence.

It was the eyes she could feel on her.

From the doorway.

Her breath caught.

She didn’t need to turn toward the hallway. She could feel it—the air had changed. The way it did when he was near. As if even the walls remembered.

Vikrant.

He was there.

Still watching. Still waiting. Like a shadow she thought she’d left behind.

Her stomach twisted. Her fingers curled into the bedsheet, trying to ground herself. This can’t be happening. Not here. Not now. Not when something between her and Rajeev had finally—finally—started to change.

But she’d seen the way Vikrant looked at her at the wedding. The smirk that barely masked obsession. The way he walked too close. Spoke too softly. Threatened without words.

And now Rajeev was leaving. And she was going to be alone.

With him.

Her ex.

His cousin.

Her heart thundered in her chest, louder than the sound of water. Louder than her thoughts.

He will ruin everything.
He always does.
Why now?

She closed her eyes, pressing her hand to her heart, as if she could still feel the ghost of Rajeev’s fingers there. His voice. His kindness. The balm, warm on her skin.

And now, that warmth was slipping away again.

She had to be strong.
She had to tell Rajeev.
She had to face this.

But as the floor creaked outside the room and the presence at the door shifted forward, all Nandini could feel was the chill of her past catching up—fast.

"Bahbi…" A chill ran down her spine as she heard the familiar voice call out to her. Nandini's heart raced with fear as she knew she could no longer avoid the confrontation that was about to unfold.

*****

📚 Author’s Note

Hey reader 💫

This chapter was all about tension wrapped in tenderness — the calm right before the storm… until one word changed everything: “Bahbi.” 😨

Nandini and Rajeev finally shared something real… but the past refuses to stay buried. 💔

Vikrant isn’t just a shadow — he’s a ticking time bomb. Now, she’s fighting not just for love… but for her very safety.

👉 How did that last line hit you?
🔥 Drop your thoughts below — I’m all ears!

Ready for Chapter 16? Brace yourself. Things are about to get dark, twisted, and unmissable. 👀

— Shaar Shree✍️