Chapter 4
Sidharth
I’m leaning against the wall just a few feet from her room, staring at the closed door. I don’t even know why I can’t make myself leave the hospital. Instead, I had one of my colleagues bring me a change of clothes and freshened up in the hospital washroom.
It’s been twenty-four hours since I last saw Nisha with my own eyes, breathing, healing, alive. I know she’s safe now, surrounded by people who love her and who’ll take care of her. I also know the bastard who did this to her is finally behind bars, and nothing can harm her now.
But still, something in me won’t let go. Like I need to be here too. Like I belong here, among the ones who truly care about her.
The only control I’ve managed is stopping myself from barging into her room. Reyansh senses the tension coiling inside me too, because every time his eyes find mine, he shoots me that calculating look, his mind clearly racing with questions he hasn’t voiced yet. I know he’s waiting for the right moment to ask. But what the hell would I even say? There’s no explanation that makes sense. Because the fucking truth is, even I don’t know what the hell this feeling is that’s tearing me up from the inside.Even now, when I know she doesn’t need me anymore, every instinct in me is still screaming to see her, if only for a second.
As if it’s some kind of an answer from God, the door opens and Sunita Aunty steps out first. Right behind her are Kavya, Reyansh, and Nisha.
I take my time to study her. She looks beautiful. There’s no other word for it. Dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a T-shirt, with not even a trace of makeup on her face, she looks effortlessly gorgeous.
Feeling my gaze on her, she lifts her head, and her eyes widen as they meet mine. Just the reaction I knew she’d have. I shove the sting of her anxiousness aside and force a smile on my face. I then push off the wall and walk towards her.
“Hey, man,” I say to Reyansh.
He gives me a nod, and then my gaze shifts to Kavya.
“Hey, Kavya,” I say, offering a polite smile, which she returns. Then I turn to Sunita Aunty.
“Namaste, Aunty,” I say, bending down to touch her feet, something I never did in the past, but somehow, it feels right now.
Sunita Aunty’s face lights up. “God bless you, beta. It’s good that you’re here.”
“Thank you, Aunty. I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” I say, my eyes shifting to Nisha. She’s standing there, silent, her guarded gaze locked on mine.
I smile lightly. “You happy you’re going home?”
“I… I’m,” she says in a soft voice, her eyes dropping as she nervously tucks her hair behind her ears.
I nod, choosing not to press further, and we all start walking towards the elevator. Kavya and Sunita Aunty talk about the medicines Nisha needs to take once they get home, and Reyansh adds something about picking up Kavya’s vitamins. I mostly just listen. Nisha’s quiet too, and she doesn’t look even look at me.Not even when we step into the elevator and stand shoulder to shoulder. I notice how she shifts ever so slightly, creating just enough space between us, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
Once we reach the ground floor, we head towards Reyansh’s car parked outside the entrance. I walk ahead and open the door as Reyansh and Kavya help Nisha into the back seat. She still doesn’t look at me. Her eyes remain lowered, quiet and distant.
Sunita Aunty pats my cheek. “Keep dropping by, beta.”
I nod to her as she moves around to the other side, then slips into the back seat beside Nisha.
“Thank you for everything,” Kavya says, slipping into the passenger seat.
Reyansh shuts Nisha’s door gently and looks at me. “We need to talk.”
I meet his gaze without flinching. I knew this was coming. I know the question that’s burning in his mind. And I can’t avoid him forever. So I might as well face it head-on.
“You know where to find me.”
He doesn’t reply, just gets behind the wheel.
With one last look at Nisha in the back seat, I step back. My hands slip into my pockets as they drive away. I stand there a moment longer than I should, watching the car disappear down the road, before finally turning towards my own car and pulling out my keys.
Starting the engine, I shake my head, hoping it will clear the storm of emotions crawling under my skin. But it doesn’t. The way she ignored me, like I’m the last person she wants to see cuts deeper than I’d like to admit. But that doesn’t deter me. If anything, it only makes things clearer. I’ve got my work cut out for me. Nisha’s not going to make it easy. She’s built walls the size of mountains, and after everything she’s been through, no one can blame her. But I’m not walking away either.
???
I slam my laptop shut. It’s been an hour since I got to the office, but I haven’t been able to concentrate on a damn thing. Every time I try to focus, her guarded eyes flash in my mind.
