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A few days had passed since Ananya had given me that comforting release, making me feel secure in our complex relationship. I still couldn’t shake the nervousness as we prepared for the conversation with her mother, Radhika. The emotional weight of what we were about to discuss was heavy on my chest.
Ananya had reassured me. But I knew that things between the three of us were about to take a massive turn. The day arrived, and I drove to Radhika’s house. As I reached, Ananya welcomed me and held my hand. Her fingers were tracing small circles on the back of my palm. I could feel her anxiety.
“I’ve thought about this a lot, Nikhil,” Ananya said softly, breaking the silence. “We need to be honest with her. We can’t keep this hanging over us.”
I nodded, even though my throat felt tight. “I know. But what if this goes wrong? What if she feels betrayed? I mean, she’s your mom.”
Ananya glanced at me. Her gaze was soft yet firm. “I know her better than anyone. She’s strong. She might be surprised, but she won’t push us away. I think deep down, she’s already felt something too.”
I couldn’t deny that. The tension between Radhika and me had been simmering since the day she visited. The unsaid words and unspoken desires lingered in every glance we exchanged. She squeezed my hand, giving me one last reassuring look before we got into Radhika’s room.
Inside, Radhika was seated on the couch. She looked up as we entered. Her warm smile was greeting us, but I could see a flicker of concern in her eyes. She sensed the seriousness of our visit. Ananya and I sat down on the couch across from her.
My palms were beginning to sweat. This was it, the moment we would cross a boundary that couldn’t be uncrossed.
“You both seem different today. Is everything okay?” Radhika asked.
Ananya took a deep breath. Her hand was gripping mine tightly. “Mom, we need to talk to you. About something important.”
Radhika’s eyebrows folded, but she stayed silent, waiting for Ananya to continue. “It’s about Nikhil and me,” Ananya began, her voice steady but filled with emotion. “And it’s about you, too.”
Radhika’s eyes flicked between us, her concern deepening. “What do you mean?”
I could feel my pulse in my throat. The words we had rehearsed in our heads seemed to vanish. I realized this moment was going to be far more complicated than we had anticipated.
Ananya continued. Her voice was nervous. “Mom, the truth is, I know what happened when you came over to talk to Nikhil. I saw the messages, and I understand what was going on between you two.”
Radhika’s expression froze. Her body stiffened, and for a moment, the silence hung between us. Radhika’s gaze shifted to me, and I could see the mixture of surprise and hesitation in her eyes.
I swallowed hard. my mouth dry. “Radhika, I didn’t expect things to evolve the way they did. But there’s something here, between us. Something I didn’t expect to feel.”
Her lips parted as if she was about to say something, but no words came out. I could see the shock giving way to something deeper, something she had likely tried to suppress.
Ananya shifted closer to me, her hand now resting on my thigh, a silent show of support. “We’ve talked about it, Mom. And I think we all feel the same way. It’s not just about me and Nikhil. There’s something between you and him, too. I’ve seen it. We can’t pretend it’s not there.”
Radhika blinked. Her face was a mixture of disbelief and hesitation. “Ananya, this is complicated. I never wanted to interfere in your relationship.”
“You’re not interfering,” Ananya replied quickly, her voice softer now. “It’s not like that. We’re all adults here, and we know how we feel. We want to be honest with you.”
Radhika’s breathing had become shallow. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. I could see her struggling to find her words, her hands gripping the edge of the couch.
I decided to step in. My voice was low and steady. “Radhika, I don’t want to cause any confusion or hurt. But I can’t deny what I feel for you. This isn’t about Ananya or me trying to force something. It’s real. And I know you’ve felt it too.”
Her eyes flashed with something, maybe anger, maybe fear, I didn’t know. But there was also desire, a desire that had been suppressed, buried beneath her role as a mother. I could see the part of her that was fighting to maintain control.
Radhika’s voice trembled slightly. “This it’s not what I expected, Nikhil. I never imagined something like this could happen.”
Ananya reached across the couch, taking her mother’s hand. “I know, Mom. But it has. And I think we need to be open about it. We can figure it out together. You don’t have to feel guilty or ashamed.”
Radhika looked down at their intertwined hands, her face softening just a little. Her fingers curled around Ananya’s, holding her hand tightly. “But how can this even work? I don’t want to ruin what you two have.”
“You’re not ruining anything,” I said gently, leaning forward. “If anything, this is something we’re all choosing. Together.”
I could see the weight of years of loneliness in Radhika’s eyes, the longing for connection that she had likely ignored for too long. There was something incredibly intimate about this moment, something raw and real.
She glanced at Ananya, her voice barely above a whisper. “Are you really okay with this, Ananya? I don’t want to take anything away from you.”
Ananya smiled softly, her eyes filled with love and understanding. “You’re not taking anything away, Mom. You’re adding to it. We can share this. It doesn’t have to be complicated.”
Radhika’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. For the first time, I saw the walls she had built around herself begin to crumble. She was allowing herself to feel, to be vulnerable, to admit that she wanted this too.
“I never thought… ” Radhika’s voice broke, and she looked away for a moment, composing herself. “I never thought I could want something like this. But you’re right. I can’t deny it either.”
Ananya stood up, walked over to her mother, and gently pulled her into a tight embrace. The sight was almost surreal, this moment of intimacy between mother and daughter, united in their understanding of the situation.
Ananya’s hands stroked her mother’s back gently, comforting her, while Radhika stuck to her as if afraid to let go.
“I love you, Mom,” Ananya whispered into her ear. “And we’re going to be okay. We’ll take it one step at a time.”
Radhika nodded against her shoulder, her tears flowing freely now. “I love you too, Ananya. I don’t want to lose either of you.”
“You won’t,” Ananya said, pulling back just enough to look into her mother’s eyes. “We’ll make this work. We’ll figure it out.”
The emotional weight in the room was palpable, and I felt my heart swell with affection for both of them. This was a turning point, a moment where everything shifted. We had crossed a line, but it didn’t feel wrong.
Instead, it felt like the beginning of something deeper, something more profound than any of us had anticipated. Ananya stepped aside, motioning for me to come closer. I stood up, my legs shaky, and walked over to where Radhika was sitting.
She looked up at me, her eyes still wet with tears. But there was a softness there, a willingness to embrace what we had started.
I knelt in front of her, taking her hands in mine. “Radhika, I want you to know that I care about you. Deeply. This isn’t just some fleeting thing. I want to be there for both you and Ananya.”
Her hands tightened around mine, and she nodded slowly, her gaze never leaving mine. “I believe you, Nikhil. I believe all of this is real. But I’m scared. I’m scared of what this means.”
“We’ll face it together,” I said softly, bringing her hand up to my lips and pressing a gentle kiss against her skin. “All three of us.”
For the first time since we arrived, Radhika smiled, a small, tentative smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Okay,” she whispered. “We’ll figure it out.”
And in that moment, I knew we had all taken the first step into a new adventure.
To be continued
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