After The Rain

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Beyond The Clear Skies

Note: Not Proofread.

My University classes are resuming next week, which means that I most probably will not be able to update for a while. Before the end of the week, however, I will try to upload one more chapter for Atlantis. I apologise in advance if I once again delay with the remaining updates for both stories.
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This morning
I told the flowers
what I'd do for you,
and they blossomed.

- Rupi Kaur (The Sun And Her Flowers)

~

He stayed with her long after she closed her eyes.

He had intended to leave, just like he told her, but she had ended up falling asleep with his hand tucked under her cheek. In the time he took to wait for her to fall deeper into sleep so she doesn’t wake when he moves, he was too enthralled by the look on her face to leave her.

Sleep had lent her an air of peace and contentment that made her seem all that more precious to him, especially since he had spent weeks watching her face contort in pain whilst she slept in the hospital. And so by the time he finally coaxed himself to return to his room, it was already way past midnight.

He slipped out slowly and carefully, mindful of whether or not there was anyone in the corridor. He didn’t want anyone to see him exit her room at this hour. The ruckus his family would raise was sure to land Khushi back in the hospital.

Thankfully, he didn’t see anyone on his way out. Unfortunately, that did not mean that there was no one in the corridor.

He had made it a few feet away from Khushi's room when he heard the voice – the oily, sickeningly sweet voice that made something paticularly acidic curl in his stomach.

“Arrey Saale-Sahab, what are you doing roaming around at this hour?”

The voice came from behind him, and before he could fully gather himself and rein in the impulses flooding through him, Shyam's face floated in front of him. Oblivious to the storm brewing in Arnav's eyes, Shyam continued, a smile as nauseauting as his voice plastered on his face.

“Looks like you couldn’t sleep either, heh? It's crazy, you'd think we would be all snoring our way through the night after that wedding!”

Arnav had not spoken a word to Shyam ever since Khushi told him the truth. He had not trusted himself to remain calm and pretending was never his strongest suit. He had, therefore, preferred keeping his distance over making false shows of respect to a man he wanted to kill, and he preferred that still.

“I got up for some fresh air,” he said, his tone forcefully subdued. “I was just going back to bed.”

He had barely taken a step forward when Shyam spoke again, his words preceded by a light laughter.

“Oh come on, Saale Saleb! If you wanted fresh air, your poolside would have sufficed. Let us not pretend that you are not up to something else.”

Arnav did not quite understand what it was about his tone that set him off. If it hadn’t been for his earlier concern about disturbing Khushi, he would have swung his fist as he turned around to face Shyam again. His face was impassive but the uncanny grin on Shyam's face was testing a patience he didn’t have.

Suddenly, however, something else occurred to him. His eyes flickered to Khushi's door a couple of feet away and then back to Shyam's face. If the latter hadn’t spoken, Arnav would have lost it.