12.01.2025

-

Sunday mornings, you usually sleep in with your 6' 1" human.

But when you woke up today, he was missing and according to close sources was in his office. At 7 in the morning.

Which is why you were currently marching towards the said office, ready to drag him out and back to the bed.

"What is he doing?" You asked as soon as you spotted Robin standing in front of the closed door.

"There's been an emergency," he answered but with slight panic in his usually calm and composed demeanor.

Shubman on the other hand, didn't see you arriving. But he heard you.

The rage in his eyes shifted just a bit while receiving a look from Ishan too.

He isn't given enough credit for waking up this early on a Sunday morning, leaving Shahneel. Especially after she'd asked him to move in with them.

It was a yes. The eight hours he spent sleeping alone, he did while cuddling her.

"You don't pay me enough for this sh!t," Ishan spoke first.

"I don't even pay you," Shubman replied as one of the men handed him a knife. "You hold shares."

"All the same," the older one noted.

"Not the same," he replied again before using his hand to cover the mouth of the man in front of him.

He couldn't exactly hear what you were saying, but it was evident that Robin was trying to buy him time, lest you barge in and see him kill a person.

So without much further ado, he held the knife in a tight grip, looking into the man's eyes before he stabbed it into his stomach.

Methanol is extremely poisonous. 30 ml can be deadly to a child, 60 to 240 ml for adults. Blindness is common and often permanent despite medical care.

Not just a knife. It was shined with methanol before being handed to him.

Shubman twisted the blade until he saw the light leave the offendant's eyes, pulling it out once he was satisfied.

As the now lip body fell to the floor, he turned to the next person.

"If you don't get me what I need," he started and glanced at the corpse beneath him, conveying an unspoken threat.

The man nodded despite his trembling, taking a step back when the mafia boss stalked forward.

"This part of your throat," he tapped the second offendant's neck. "I'll chew and spit it out."

"Not the first time," his best friend muttered beside him.

Handing the knife back, Shubman wiped the blood off his hands with a towel, making sure it wasn't splattered anywhere else on him before he made his way out.

Ishan had wanted to interrogate a couple more people.

"Sunday morning," you said as soon as you saw him open the door and walk out. "You're showering alone," you walked away, knowing very well he'd follow you.

"I'm sorry, baby," he mustered up a puppy face and Robin took his cue to leave. "It was an emergency."

"That's the fifth time since last week," you reminded as you made your way to the kitchen, intending to get yourself a glass of water.

Getting hydrated first thing in the morning.

"Will you allow me to make it up to you?" Shubman finally caged you between himself and the island. "Another café date?"

"Speaking of café," you perked up. "Do you take recommendations?"

You held the glass of water, leaning against the marble countertop as you spoke.

"In your field of work?" You added. "Remember Abhi? The café he was working in had a fire accident."

"The one you and di went to two weeks back?" He asked as if he didn't know, raising a hand up to caress your cheek.

"It was right after we left," you said again. "Thankfully," -to Robin, "All people were evacuated before the place burnt down."

"That's unfortunate for the building," Shubman mumbled, looking into your eyes before he pecked your lips. "Would you like it if I offered him a job?"

You shrugged a little, sipping from the glass before answering.

"He's good with accounts and all that stuff," you suggested. "Though you could consider him."

"Of course, baby," because you said so. "Will he be able to meet me tomorrow?"

"I'll inform him," you smiled and that was enough.

Hell, he'll give up his own position to a greatest rival if you wanted him to.

Reaching out for the counter over your husband's arm, you set the glass aside.

However, you miscalculated just slightly, and without looking, placed the glass right on the edge.

"We can still go on a café date-"

The glass fell from the island before you could realize, shattering into a million pieces on the floor.

You flinched into Shubman's arms, leaving your sentence unfinished as you stared at the broken glass pieces.

Your stomach churned. All you heard was your uneven breathing.

Not even your husband's arms that wrapped around you, trying to divert your attention.

A hand on your cheek made you face him, bringing your panicked eyes to his concerned ones.

You didn't want to speak. You didn't want to answer his words telling that it was okay.

No. You felt like everything you'd built all this time was crumbling down.

"Y/n," you finally heard Shubman's voice.

He rarely used your name. Rarely, synonymous with never.

You nodded and just looking at your unrest face, it felt like someone ripped his heart out of his chest and handed it to him.

It brought you back to that time when you spent weeks not sleeping. Staying up without saying a word.

Can't have nightmares if you don't sleep.

A time that made you feel like you were back in the house you grew up in.

You let your head fall to Shubman's chest, trying to bring your breathing back to normal as he rubbed your back.

"It's okay," he mumbled in your hair. "Deep breaths. In through you-"

"Shubi," you stopped him, fingers still clutching the sides of t-shirt.

You didn't say anything for a few seconds. Your mind went back to the time he talked to you about therapy.

Just a few weeks back. You know it helps.

Shubman told you that being ready was your decision, and not a feeling.

He wanted until you were feeling fully and truly up to talk it out.

Everything you thought you'd moved past.

But clearly no. Not when all it took was the same sound of glass shattering to snap you back to your past.

You can't heal if you keep pretending you're not hurt.

When your breathing finally calmed, though not yet your heartbeat, you raised your head up to look at Shubman.

You'll start therapy.