Life Ends At You

13. Stuck in Adult Body

Navi's POV

Blinking painfully, I force my eyes open to find Adi staring back at me with a gentle expression. His hand removes mine from my face.

"Don't do that. You cried a lot. Your eyes are already too sensitive." He scolded but in a gentle voice. He cleans the tears away with his handkerchief, his touch soothing and comforting.

When I finally managed to pry my eyes open, I saw that we were in a hospital room. Panic set in as I wondered how long I had been asleep.

"How long have you been sitting here?" I ask with a yawn, struggling to keep my heavy eyelids open. My mind feels weighed down by the emotional toll of crying, and each breath feels like a burden on my chest.

"About 45 minutes," Adi replies nonchalantly, checking his watch while leaning against the car window. His eyes are like pools of calm water that I could easily drown in. But there's also a piercing intensity to them that makes me feel exposed, vulnerable to his scrutiny. It's as if he can see right through me, knows all of my secrets and fears. Those eyes could make even the strongest person feel vulnerable.

"Why didn't you wake me up then?" I grumble irritably, but a smile spreads across Adi's lips in response. It's a serene smile, one that makes it hard for me to look away. He has a way about him that can make even the most upset person crack a smile. His aura exudes warmth and safety, and I can't help but feel drawn to him. Every time he's near me, I just want to curl up in his arms and sleep.

He doesn't answer my question, just continues smiling gently. His smile is contagious, and I find myself mirroring it despite the pain coursing through my body. As if on cue, my wounds begin to ache and bleed again. I wince as I feel blood seeping through the bandages on my knee.

Adi's smile disappears instantly, replaced by a blank expression as he gets out of the car in one swift motion. He opens my door and scoops me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest. I can hear his heartbeat, steady and reassuring, beneath my hand. His body radiates heat, making me feel safe and secure.

As he carries me towards the hospital entrance, I can feel hundreds of eyes on us. Girls giggle and stare, aunties and uncles gawk openly. But Adi seems unaffected by the attention, his focus solely on me. My heart flutters at the sight of him, and I can't help but think that I'm falling for him more with each passing moment.

"Isn't that Advik Ahraya?" a teenage girl exclaims loudly.

"He's even more handsome in person," another girl whispers to her friend.

"I wish I had a man like him who would carry me around," a third girl says wistfully.

"Look at them. She doesn't even look injured. Why does he have to carry her?" an aunty whispers judgmentally.

"Kids these days just want attention," an old uncle adds with a disapproving shake of his head.

The embarrassing stares and comments only seem to escalate as we make our way through the hospital lobby. The embarrassment was becoming too much for me to bear, but Adi didn't seem to care. Was he blind or deaf, or did he simply not give a damn about what people thought?

"It's okay, I can walk," I insist when he doesn't respond, but this time I give him a light punch on the chest to make my point clear.

"Stay still. You might hurt yourself like that."

I shrink back into him, burying my face in his chest, feeling both safe and terrified at the same time. I hate this attention, this unwanted spotlight on me. I would be tomorrow's viral post on every social media app.