Sweet 'n' Sour | ✔

fifty-two

52. mein hoon, chahe jo ho jaaye. (I'm here, no matter what.)

•°•

-priya-

"You're too much work, you know that?" I sat on the bedside stool.

Aditya smiled sheepishly, lowering his head like he was ashamed. But I knew he wasn't. He finds it funny, just like the last time when he broke his fingers. It hasn't even been a week since that incident and we're back at the hospital, with another health issue.

"Don't say that. He'll feel bad." Divya mumbled, shaking her head at me. "Also, would you regret it? Louis was over the moon. He says the pictures came out phenomenal." She chirped, leaning and patting Aditya's shoulder. "Cheer up. No pain, no gain, remember?"

Dhruv snorted. "You're talking as if dancing in the rain was some kind of Olympic game."

"They would have got India a gold medal if it was," she defended.

Dhruv looked at her in disbelief.

"What?" She deadpanned, glancing at all of us. "Am I not making sense right now?"

Aditya and I shook our heads.

"Hey! I'm defending you. At least you should be taking my side." She looked at Aditya with betrayal.

"I can't be with the losing side," Aditya chuckled.

"Wow, you have no conscience, do you?" She scoffed, placing a hand on her hip. "Good that you're here. You deserve this." She pointed at the IV and the replaced cast on his fingers.

"That's harsh," Aditya gaped at her. "It's not even a minute that you were defending me!"

"Of course, I can't be with the losing side." She smiled mockingly at him.

"Alright, we should be leaving now. It's one thirty." Dhruv held her elbow gently, nudging her back as a gesture. "He is advised to rest too. So let's go back to the hotel."

"You sure you can stay here alone?" Divya looked at me, her brows furrowed in concern. "I don't mind accompanying you." She offered.

"Forget it. You should be going. You need rest too." I smiled at them in assurance. "Also, we got a room for ourselves. I'll manage on the couch. And he'll be discharged tomorrow morning anyway."

"You sure?" She asked hesitantly.

I nodded with a convincing smile.

"Alright," she sighed in defeat. "But don't hesitate to give us a call if something happens."

"Aye, don't make a big deal. The doctor said it was only fever and cold." Aditya interrupted.

Divya rolled her eyes. "104 is not a joke. The doctor said things would have worsened if we hadn't brought you here earlier."

He laid his head back and closed his eyes, not having the power to argue with her.

"Anyway, call us if the need occurs. Don't make it awkward thinking that we met just a day ago and all that nonsense. It's a foreign country so we can rely on each other, okay?" She asked me softly.

I nodded. "Thank you."

She waved it off. "Don't thank me. Alright, we'll be off now. Bye, good night."

I got up to see them off until the door.

"Good night," Aditya muttered under his breath.

We stepped out of the hospital room and I slid the door close, blocking the outside world from him. "Thank you," I said sincerely. "I really mean it." I grabbed Divya's hand in mine.