The love of my life

53. The nervous prince

Ekansh stood at the airport looking at his phone, to check the time waiting for Daman's parents to arrive. He was looking at the updates from Bismat about a search operation when he was greeted.

"You must be Ekansh." He heard and looked up to see Daman's younger brother, Fateh standing there with his hand stretched out. He was in his second year of college when Ekansh had started dating Daman all those years ago. Today, he was a man walking with his wife and infant son followed by Daman's parents. Ekansh shook his hand, nodded in greeting to his wife, Kiran walking forward.

"Yeah, Yes I am. Sat sri akal uncle ji, aunty ji." Ekansh said running to touch their feet.

"Nervousness is not a good look on you." Daman had told him this morning before he had left for the airport while realizing in almost two years of knowing him in college, not once had she seen this man nervous or intimidated by anything. But today, he wanted to make a good first impression.

"Sat sri akal, child." Daman's father Gurdeep said, as his wife kept a hand on Ekansh's hand blessing him.

"Sorry, Tejas gets grumpy in long drives and Daman was... she had a really important commitment." Ekansh said taking the bags from Daman's parents leading the way towards his G-wagon. Yes, he had finally sent the familiar i20 back home, too special with memories of Daman to give up. Now, he barely tried to act as a commoner. He was fine with his identity, and confident in his self defense skills to be his real self.

"More important than us."Daman's father joked as Ekansh nodded and opened the car door letting his dad ride shotgun, before helping out Fateh with the luggage. Once they were all seated and Ekansh put the car in drive, Daman's father finally asked.

"So, what's wrong? Why didn't she show up? Is it... what we think it is?"

Ekansh looked at him, as he pulled out of the airport parking and then nodded. "It's non hodgkin's this time, and the doctor says it'll be a bigger fight. But she's strong and I believe in her. She had her first chemo yesterday evening and is still recovering so we decided to let her rest."

Daman had made it clear that she didn't want her family travelling in grief of this news, but she had also given Ekansh the permission to give this news once in the vehicle so they could be calm before meeting Tejas.

"Do you have a date?" Daman's mother asked as he shook his head.

"No, the night she broke the news to you... she was diagnosed the next day. We might be planning a small engagement party, if she wants to postpone the wedding. It's her decision."

"You studied in college together, right?" Fateh asked, as Ekansh nodded knowing her family knew this, but he wasn't sure they should know the details of what happened. That will make him difficult to be loved by his in-laws.

"I was her senior by two years, yes. I did my masters from here, but my bachelors' degree is from the National institute in Veterinary science."

"So, you knew each other, like just friends?" Fateh asked again, as Ekansh knew that the man was less phased by his sister's diagnosis than he was by his presence in her life.

"Yes, we were good friends. How about we stop at the restaurant have lunch. You must be hungry. Then we can get back on road. It's still a 2 hour drive." Ekansh said changing the topic.

"No, child... Just take us to our daughter. I wonder how she might be, facing so much at such a young age." Daman's mother said, still shocked by the news as he felt that her father was still quiet accepting the fact while her brother seemed in some kind of denial. He nodded hoping the conversation had died, as he turned the volume of the old soothing hindi classics playing in the car.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He parked in the driveway of the extravagant bungalow as a guy in his early 40's, named Anuj ran out to take the car keys and park. They had reached on this decision mutually that Daman be given a room on the ground floor of the mansion instead of her 8th floor apartment when she started treatment, and this would also be spacious enough for when the family showed up. She had quit her job, deciding to focus on getting better and letting Ekansh take care of her. She wouldn't fight the people in her life anymore, when she had a fatal disease to fight for the people she loved.

"Take the luggage in the two bedrooms of the first floor that were cleaned this morning, next to the pantry. How's she?" he asked handing the keys.

"No fever after that, Yuvraj ji. Madam has been sleeping since you left. Anita checked on her twice." He said, as the Daman's family looked around at the vast expanse of lands surrounding the grand estate in a busy city. They had passed by the pool, the golf course on one side of the driveway with the tennis court, and vast expanse of plantations on the other.

"Take them to Daman first, then serve Lunch. I'll go pick up Tejas in the meantime. Tell Anita to make those sandwiches, he likes before he's here." He said then turned to Gurdeep. "Uncle ji, please meet her, eat and rest. I'm sorry I need to..."

"Go, go... Don't be late. If he's anything like his mother he'll throw a tantrum." He said patting the back of his son-in-law to be.

Ekansh left and picked up Tejas from school, holding him in his arms as he walked up the stairs.

"Then Riya said, that sky cannot be orange. It is blue. I said, evening yesterday, it was orange." Tejas chatted as Ekansh asked Anuj who pointed to the dining room. Soon Ekansh stood outside the sheesham wood door with a gold plated handle taking a deep breath.

"Tejas, I love you baby, be on your best behavior but don't let them think that I'm spoiling you or overpampering you. Do not tell them that I ordered you the new PlayStation, your mom will kick me out and return the PlayStation."

"This is your house."

"And she'll still kick me out. So, please promise me?" Ekansh said as Tejas promised and Ekansh opened the door and let Tejas down so he could run to his mom, before meeting the family he was used to video chatting with, especially the little baby Keira.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Daman was almost asleep, when she heard a loud drop near the window to which her back was turned. Ekansh and Daman were sleeping in different rooms, till her parents were here so she couldn't get up and fight whoever it was that decided to loot the mansion.

The glass sliding door opened as she slowly opened her eyes planning to turn and have a look, when she heard the bed next to her shift and a familiar scent filled her senses.

"Ekansh." She whispered leaning backwards into him as he hugged her from behind.

"I'm here. Just wake me up before your parents so I can sneak out." He said and kissed her forehead.

"Good night." She said getting comfortable squeezing herself next to him.

"Night, my queen." He murmured, nuzzling his nose into her neck and ready to drift to sleep.

He wasn't going anywhere. He meant what he said. He was here for the long run, praying to God, that she survived this.

++++Author's note++++
Double update, to make up for the cruelty 😅
I still love you. ❤