The anguish I expected to see in her eyes after her emotional breakdown last night, never registered. Instead, I was met with an empty pair of eyes this morning.

She gave me a tight smile and quietly left the room.

I sigh. The night was exhausting.

I will never want to see a repeat telecast of last night. While I was promising her things I would never want to do.

She felt so vulnerable in my arms, sobbing uncontrollably for something I will never be able to provide her. My harsh words werehed away by those tears. She looked so innocent. And only to console her I ended up saying things I didn't want to.

I take a deep breath, this shit is getting to my head. She should get in terms with this arrangement. If she would want more of me than I could offer, she'll end up getting hurt.

I know I can never have feelings for her.

And no amount of kisses and intimate touches can change that.

Either she can fall for me and end up hurting her feelings or we can overlook our emotions and live a peaceful life without expecting things from each other.

Aditya Singha my friend since our undergrad days, yanks me out of my thoughts, handing me the glass of wine, "You need it."

I fold the sleeves of my shirt till my elbow before taking the glass, "Thankyou."

" So how're your days turning out after marriage? Rudra assumed you'd invite us to your home and introduce us to your wife."

" Don't get started on that. "

Aditya gives me a stern look, "You're treating her gently, right?"

"We are friends Aditya. But that doesn't mean you'll forget your boundaries." I grit out.

He sighs," I don't want you to be the absolute shit you were towards your partner with your wife as well. Trust me, you have destroyed your relations because of your ignorance. And don't even try to rebuttal me on that. "

I glare at Aditya, annoyed at him for challenging me. And as expected the man didn't even flinch.

His logic and practicality are irritating; he will not think once before digging out my shortcomings down to the bone and rubbing them off my face. That's him. He had grown too fast, and had no one to look up to. He values relationships too much to risk them.

Eventhough it pisses me off, he knows me too well.

"I am trying." I grumble under my breath.

He'll have my head if he gets to know about the contract.

"I hope you know what you are doing."

I do. And it will turn out the way it should. Protecting both of our hearts.

"Apart from that, when are you throwing the party for acquiring the chairmanship of the board?" He takes a swig from his glass.

I shook my head and gave a humorless smile; that thing swept the dreams away from my sleep. I had tried so hard to acquire the position, but a mere marriage certificate made it serve me on a silver platter.

"I'll do it after the offical statement is made. Till then the information is underwrap."

" That's good. " He says.

" How did your mother react to it?" His tone softening than his normal impassive one.

" She was the one who offered it to me as a bribe in exchange for my marriage to Ishika."

Aditya levels me with a are you fucking joking with me stare.
"I thought It was your decision. You were forced into it?" He flashes me a grin.

" Possibly. " I roll my eyes in irritation.

My phone starts ringing, interrupting our conversation.

"It's Dad." I tell Aditya, before moving to a secluded place.

Quickly picking up the call I answer, "Yes Dad?"

"Abhiraj you'll immediately have to reach our Village. Your Dadi is not well, her condition is detoroiting. We have already left, you and Ishika reach as soon as possible." Dad says under his breath. I can tell he's trying to keep it together. It's his loveable mother.

"We'll reach there soon. Don't worry. Be safe," with that I cut the call.

I look up and take deep breaths, trying to keep in my emotions.

The orange and red tones of the sky are visible. Dusk is approaching and darkness is encroaching on the day's privacy. 

Without any delay, I take action and inform Aditya of the situation.

I climb into the car, connecting my phone with the Bluetooth, I call Ishika.

Sighing and grimacing a little, I retrieve the car from the parking while I waited for her to pick the call.

"Hello?" She answers after three rings.

"We'll have to leave for my native place within an hour. Pack yours and Ivaan's bag, the stay might strech for a week or may be longer." I cut right to the chase.

" What's wrong?" Her voice tense.

" Dadi is not well. " I swallow.

" Should I pack your clothes as well?" She asks with hesitation.

" If you could." I reply, " and if you can be quick. I'll be reaching in 25 minutes. We'll have to leave soon."

" Okey."

I cut the call, dropping my phone in the holder.

             ________________

"How long will it take to reach  Dadi's place?" Ishika asks softly.

" The drive is seven hours long. We will arrive past midnight." We've been going for thirty minutes now.

"Why are we going to your Dadi's place Mr. Big?" Ivaan asks me.

" That's because my dadi is sick, buddy. We all are going to meet her." I smile at him.

Eventhough we had limited interactions last week, the little guy has grown on me. His innocence can make anyone putty to his requests. He even began referring to me as Mr. Big because he believes I am too big for his shortie.

" But I don't have a gift for her. What will I give her when we'll meet? She'll feel sad." He says, looking sad.

" That's okey buddy. We'll buy some flowers for her. She loves orchids."

The boy nods excitingly from the backseat, kicking his little legs back and forth. Ishika smiles as she looks at Ivaan from the rear-view mirror.

My heart sinks with regret as I recall her tears. Yesterday, I was too harsh with my words. And the only way I can make up for it is to be polite.

"Bud whenever you feel hungry, tell us." Ivaan nods shyly before returning his attention to Ishika's phone.

Ishika hands him some wireless headphones.

Everyone stops talking, and I switch to NH 52, picking up the speed a bit to make up for the extra distance on the highway. I turn on the car heater because the temperature has started dropping.

"Can you please stop the car?" Ishika blurts out frantically, forcing me to pull over to the side of the road.

"What happened?" When I looked at her, she had her hands on her mouth.

"I am feeling sick." She gets out of the car, closing the door with a thud.

" What happened to her?" Ivaan whimpers.

I look back at him," Nothing bud. It's just we are in the car from so long, that's why she might be feeling a little sick. You sit in here. I'll take care of her."

" Okey." His face softened and he sounded dull.

I quickly get out of the car and rush towards Ishika. Her body is hunched over, her face pale and sweaty.

" Ishika, are you okey?" I ask, my voice filled with concern.

She glances up at me, her eyes watering, and nods weakly. "I'm f-fine," she manages to choke out between bouts of vomiting.

Hesitant, I reach out, placing a gentle hand on her back. "Do you need anything? Water? Medicine?"

She shakes her head, too weak to respond. I kneel down beside her, wrapping an arm around her trembling shoulders, offering a silent presence of comfort.

As minutes pass, her body finally begins to relax, the violent heaving subsiding. She takes deep, shaky breaths, trying to ease the nausea that still lingers. I remain by her side, my hand gently rubbing circles on her back.

I pull the water bottle from the car, and hand it her.

"Here sprinkle it on your face, and drink some. You'll feel better."

She takes it from me, and washes her face.

As Ishika starts to recover, she leans back on her heels, her eyes filled with fatigue and embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "I didn't want to trouble you."

"You shouldn't apologize for something which is not in your control?"

Ishika's eyes well up with tears, the air is too cold.

"Should we get you in the car? You can rest in back seat. I have a makeshift bed for car, you can be sleep on it . We still have five hours left."

" Yeah..." She lowers her eyes with a sigh,"... that'll be better. "

I open the backseat door," Ivaan, buddy do you wanna switch seats with Ishika? She's tired, she'll be needing rest. "

" Okey. Should I help you?" He asks.

" Thank you bud, but I think I'll manage. Come, I'll get you to the front seat. "

I slowly reached down to him, and unbuckled him from his seat, and he immediately got into my arms. Wrapping his arms around my neck, he turns towards Ishika looking at her with concern.

"Are you feeling better Shortie?"

"I am absolutely fine bubba, just a little stomach bug. Nothing to worry for." She gives him a full smile.

I open the front seat door and buckle him up.

" Give me a minute. Let me prepare the seat for you, then you can lay down. "

I open the car's back door and  retrieves a compact bag from the trunk, containing a special inflatable mattress.

Taking out the inflatable mattress, I unfold and attaches the air pump, a soft hum fills the air. The mattress starts to expand, gradually transforming into a comfortable and supportive bed.

I adjust the mattress onto the backseat, to fit perfectly.

Next, I carefully arrange a set of fluffy pillows on the mattress, ensuring that they are positioned just right for maximum comfort. And then pull out the blanket kept in my trunk and tuck it neatly around the edges, creating a snug and warm space.

Moving back I motion Ishika to step inside. As she hesitantly sits down, I softly say, " Take some rest. And if you want anything, inform me."

I see a flicker of surprise in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything. I know she's wondering what happened to my rude self but I stay silent. I want to be cordial to her as much as possible.

I carefully close the car door, making sure not to slam it. Then, I walk around to the driver's seat and start the engine. As we pull away, I steal a quick glance at her. She's looking at the plush seat, a mix of confusion and gratitude on her face.

No matter how much rude and arrogant I am but I do care about people.

"Sleep Ishika, take some rest. We don't situation will be there, you might not get time to sleep."

" Thankyou. " She gives me a grateful smile. I nod.

As we drive along, I can see her starting to relax. She leans back against the fluffy pillow, closing her eyes for a moment. I can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Maybe, just maybe, this small gesture might help her ignore my harshness.

          To be continued...

Hello Reader's...

Hope you all are doing pretty well. Thankyou for the great responses you all are giving me.

Hope this chapter came out to be as you all expected.

Soo now tell me after reading Abhiraj's pov, what are your opinions on him?

And Aditya that guy seems intriguing right?

Annnddddd they are going to his native place, what might happen their?

Do drop your opinions on this chapter.

Next update Next Tuesday maybe . Till then take care.

Please 👇