BA FF: Gilded Cage II UPD = PG 52 (2/10-09) - Page 39

Part Twenty (K):

Hip brushing Aditi's, Bharat carefully sat on the side of the bed. His muscled chest bare, his ridged abdomen standing out in stark relief against the black pajamas pants riding low on his hips. He gently cupped the curve of Aditi's hip. His thumb moving restlessly over her hip bone, covered in slippery silk. His other splayed out on the pillow beside her head, still twisting against the bed linen. "Aditi, wake up baby" Bharat's quiet voice loud in the stygian darkness. She moaned inaudibly, twisting more, but didn't wake. "Aditi!" he said louder, with authority. She flopped in surprise in the tangle of sheets, dark chocolate eyes flying open, frightened and wet with tears as she stared up at him. Not recognizing him, a soundless "nahi" forming on her lips as she yanked her hands free to push weakly at Bharat's chest. Her mouth gaping, unable to pull air into her lungs, or push any out, fighting for one small breath. Not comprehending her struggle, Bharat clasped his hand over hers with a squeeze. The thumb of the hand resting on her hip still gently caressing back and forth. Speaking softly now, he tried to coax awareness back into her frightened eyes. "Aditi, baby, look at me. It's me, Bharat. Come on sweetheart, wake up now. You're all right." His hand leaving hers to cup her cheek tenderly, then pushing back damp tendrils clinging to her forehead and temples.

Black, blue and red spots waltzed dizzily in front of her eyes. Her lungs tight, heavy, the breath lodged deep down. As if crammed in a pocket too small to hold it, but too tight to release it. She pushed and twisted in his hands, making a strangled choking sound. Suddenly realizing what was happening, Bharat reached under her arms, pulling her upright. Calling her name louder, more insistently. "Aditi?" "Aditi!!" She stared at him owl-eyed. She could see his lips moving. But, his voice was a muffled, far away sound. It was as if he was yelling her name from the end of a long tunnel. Everything was in slow motion. Her eyes rounded, clouded with shock, as she opened her mouth, but she couldn't seem to get any sound out - not even a gasp. Trying to figure how to help her, Bharat leaned her against him and began rubbing fast, rough, chafing circles between her shoulder blades. "That had seemed to help when she had been coughing and choking for breath" he thought rapidly. "Come on baby ... breathe" his voice strained and urgent.

Gently, then more forcefully, he patted her back, hoping to dislodge a breath. He felt his earlier alarm return, beginning to gnaw around the edges of his composure as he felt Aditi struggle to suck in air. Finally, with a huge choking cough the air whooshed up and out of her lungs, hot and moist on his skin. Bharat lifted her away from his chest, holding her shoulders firmly she gasped and wheezed. His adam's apple bobbed hard in his throat as he swallowed the pangs of panic that had been swarming and swatting at him. Aditi was limp as he held her suspended in his hands. She quickly sucked in several much need pulls of air. With decided effort, he tried to keep his voice even and steady. "Easy baby, don't force it", forcing himself to sound unaffected, while his stomach jittered and clenched. As her breathing began to flatten out, become less choppy and harsh, Bharat matched his to Aditi's. Chanting softly "in, out; in, out; in, out" trying to encourage a steadier rhythm. "That's it sweetheart" hoping to sound unruffled. "Easy and steady" he said calmly. Without warning Aditi flung herself at Bharat, both grunting at the sudden impact of her forehead connecting with his chin. Ignoring the pain, Bharat pulled her protectively against his chest, holding her tightly.

Hands slipping and sliding from silk nightie to satin skin, he smoothed gentle circles over her back, muttering words of comfort into her hair. With trembling hands, Aditi copied his movements. Polishing slow circles over the sleek corded muscles of his back . Her warm breath whistling across the hot, damp skin of his bare chest. "Hai Bhagwan! You scared the hell out of me sweetheart!" his voice hoarse with emotion. Gently pulling her back from him, he perused her face. Her eyes still wide, echoes of the nightmare reflected in deep dark velvet of her eyes. Cheeks damp with tears and sweat, thin tendrils of hair clinging there once again. Her face crumbled as she pushed back into his arms, hiding her face against his chest. "It was horrible Bharat, horrible! He wouldn't stop. I couldn't make him stop!" her voice shaking with residual fear. Bharat murmured reassuringly, encouraging Aditi to talk it out. "It, she took a shuddered breath, it was Karan. He was choking me! His fingers squeezing tighter and tighter. Screaming he would never let him come between Karan and I. That he would sell him or, her breath hitched, k-ki-ill him before that could ever happen!" her throat clogging with tears and the still fresh terror. "He just kept screaming over and over that he, Karan, would always come first. He must always be the only one, always, as he squeezed my throat harder and harder!" she sobbed, the nightmarish horror vivid as she shuddered. "Who sweetheart? Who was Karan threatening?" Bharat asked quietly, hugging her tightly.

A chill prickled over her skin as she remembered, "mera baccha Bharat, mera baccha!" the words a strangled, guttural moan. Her warm tears smeared across his chest as she rubbed her cheek against him, as if trying to absorb his warmth and comfort straight into her skin. Bharat felt something deep inside him clench tightly and go very still as Aditi clung to him, her fingers digging in, clutching at him frantically. He was having difficulty separating the nightmare from reality after hearing her agonized explanation. Wondering silently, "was it only a nightmare? Or could Aditi actually have had a child? Did that monster Karan beat - kill - his own child?" his thoughts jumbled and scattered as his own horror mirrored Aditi's. He shook his head, trying to wipe the image from his mind. Gently, he pulled a resisting Aditi back away from his chest. His onyx eyes dark with distress and concern. "Aditi, try to calm down sweetheart. It was only a nightmare, remember? It never happened" he said, trying to sound reassuring. But uncertainty was beginning to creep into his thoughts as his eyes darkened even more, clouding with doubt. Hesitantly, he asked "this was only a nightmare ... right Aditi? You don't have ... you don't have ... a child?", almost afraid to hear her answer as his words trailed off softly.

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