Dil Ke Karib (Early Acess Ch 18)

🎉 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 1–18) on my website before diving in. Her story is just getting started… 💔✨

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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… 👇

******

Night had fallen like a shroud, thick and unwelcoming. The house—so often full of chatter, footsteps, and clinking utensils—now hummed with a silence too deep, too sharp.

Nandini turned the latch in her bedroom door with trembling fingers. One click. Then another as she pushed the latch across. Still not enough.

She slid a chair beneath the handle.

Just in case.

Her breath came in shallow bursts, ears straining at every creak and groan of the old house. Where are you, Rajeev? her heart whispered. But the walls had no answers—only shadows.

She didn't want to guess what Vikrant might be capable of with the other men gone. She had seen that look before. Heard that tone. Too playful to be harmless, too knowing to be innocent. She was alone. And the truth? A woman’s voice—her pain, her fear—was so easy to ignore in a house like this. One wrong word, one misunderstood breath, and the world would turn on her.

So she locked herself away. For safety. For silence.

Nandini curled into Rajeev’s side of the bed, clutching the pillow he slept on. It still held the warmth of him, the scent of sandal, a trace of his laughter in its worn cotton. She buried her face in it, grounding herself. The moon poured silver light through the curtains, softening the fear… just enough to let her eyes drift closed.

Sleep, at last, took her.

Outside, the wind picked up. The trees whispered warnings in a language only the night could understand.

The window creaked.

A shadow moved just beyond it—too slow to be the wind, too deliberate to be an accident.

The latch lifted.

The curtains stirred.

A figure stepped inside.

Vikrant.

His eyes glinted in the moonlight as he took in the sleeping figure. The smirk on his lips was wrong—twisted, intrusive, and entitled. He approached the bed slowly, barefoot. He crouched beside her, watching her face, his breath shallow.

Her saree shifted as she turned—a moment so small, so human—yet he stared like a thief eyeing gold through glass. A hunger curled behind his teeth, dark and ugly. He told himself it meant nothing. That he wouldn’t cross a line. But he’d already crossed it, just by being here.

The moonlight cast a haunting glow on his conflicted expression, revealing desire. She turned slightly in her sleep, and her saree loosened—innocent, unknowing. But his eyes lingered with a hunger that didn’t belong in any devar's heart.

Vikrant's eyes lingered on the delicate curve of her neck, his inner turmoil warring with his forbidden desires.

His hand hovered. Closer. Her breath caught—still asleep. His jaw flexed. And then—
Knock.

Loud. Firm. A man’s voice at the front door.

"Nandini!"

Vikrant froze.

She stirred in her sleep, whispering something incoherent, clutching the pillow tighter.

Rajeev knocked again. This time louder. “Open the door—please!”

Vikrant’s jaw clenched. He backed away, slinking toward the window like a thief interrupted. One last glance at her sleeping form—then he vanished into the night as swiftly as he came.

Downstairs, the mother-in-law stirred, lighting a lantern.

"Beta…you came. Why so late ?" she muttered, her voice thick with sleep. "The wheel got caught in mud, and we had to walk back," Rajeev replied, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Maa, go sleep now; I will take care of everything," he said, guiding her back to her room before heading back out into the night.

Nandini blinked awake, disoriented, the sound of Rajeev’s voice echoing in her mind. She rushed to the door, fumbling with the latch.

Rajeev stepped in, concern etched deep into his brow. “Are you okay? Why were you sleeping with the door locked like that?”

She hesitated. "I... was scared. That’s all.”

He stepped closer, brushing a lock of hair from her face. “You never have to be scared in this house, Nandini. This is your home.”

She wanted to believe him. God, she did. But the night’s chill hadn’t left her bones yet. So she only nodded—twice—then looked away.

But her eyes darted once toward the window—left ajar. As she feels a shadow pass over her, a shiver runs down her spine, and she realizes that maybe her fears were not unfounded after all.

She said nothing. Not yet.

But now she knew: the real danger didn’t knock.

It crept. In shadows.

*****

Author’s Note 💬

Hey friends, can we just pause and breathe after that? 😰 Chapter 18 really hits deep—Nandini’s fear, that creeping shadow of Vikrant, and the chilling truth that danger often doesn’t announce itself with a knock. It sneaks in quietly, from the people closest to us.

In this universe, predators aren’t strangers lurking in the dark—they’re often the men we know, live with, or trust. That’s the hard truth I wanted to explore here, and it’s so important to remember.

Have you ever felt that kind of silent fear? Or noticed how easy it is to doubt your own feelings when danger is disguised behind familiar faces? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences—let’s open that conversation together. 💬❤️

And tell me—what do you think Vikrant will do next? Can Rajeev truly protect Nandini, or is the real battle just beginning? Share your predictions below! 👀🔥

Thanks for sticking with me through every twist and turn. Your support means the world. Don’t forget to like, share, and tag someone who needs to read this story. Let’s keep this dialogue alive and help each other see the shadows before they creep in. 🌟✨

Stay safe, stay strong—and see you in the next chapter! 🚪🌙

Shaar Shree.