TANGLED IN THE SHADOWS

Part -17

After they returned to Jadeja's house, everyone went to freshen up. Jadeja pulled Ishan aside, his expression serious. "Ishan, you need to confess your feelings to Shubman. He deserves to know."

Ishan looked away, feeling a mixture of fear and frustration. "I'm not ready yet, Jadeja. It's not the right time."

Jadeja's eyes flared with anger. "Not the right time? Ishan, you already got hurt! What if something worse happens next time?"

Ishan tried to calm him down, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I have the kalava now. It should protect me."

Jadeja shook his head, his voice laced with frustration. "The kalava won't be enough. You saw what happened. The petni attacked you despite it."

Ishan's eyes filled with confusion and desperation. "What difference would it make if I told Shubman now? How would that protect him or me?"

Jadeja took a deep breath, struggling to keep his emotions in check. "Because, Ishan, if Shubman knows how you feel, he will be more cautious. He’ll support you when you need him the most. You won’t have to face this alone."

Ishan sensed that Jadeja was speaking from a place of deep personal pain, as if he were reliving a past mistake. "Are you really talking about Shubman, Jadeja? Or are you talking about someone else?"

Jadeja's face hardened, the memories of his past flashing before his eyes. "I'm talking about both. Don't make the same mistake I did, Ishan."

Ishan sighed, feeling the weight of Jadeja's words. "I promise, I'll confess to him soon. But not now. It's too much for me to handle at the moment."

Jadeja sighed, his anger dissipating into resignation. "Fine. But don’t wait too long. Time is not on our side."

💞💞💞

Inside the room, Rahul was taking a shower. Hardik softly knocked on the bathroom door. "Rahul, can I come in?" he asked gently.

The door slowly opened, revealing Rahul standing under the shower, fully dressed, with water pouring down over him. His usually composed and calm demeanor was shattered, replaced by vulnerability. The sight broke Hardik's heart.

"Are you okay?" Hardik asked softly, stepping closer.

"No," Rahul replied, his voice trembling. He hugged Hardik tightly, his wet clothes soaking through to Hardik's.

They stood there under the shower for a moment before Hardik gently pulled back. "Come on, let's get you out of these wet clothes."

After they both dried off and changed into dry clothes, Hardik led Rahul to the bed and made him lie down. He then lay beside him, positioning Rahul's head on his chest. He stroked Rahul's hair, trying to offer comfort.

"I'm so afraid," Rahul whispered, his voice breaking. "I'm really sorry for dragging you into this mess. I shouldn't have met you in that supermarket during the summer break. I shouldn't have come into your life."

Hardik shook his head, his eyes filled with determination. "Don't say that, Rahul. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Rahul closed his eyes, tears leaking out. "I feel like I'm putting you in danger."

Hardik held him tighter. "Till my heart is beating, I will fight for you. We're in this together."

Trying to lighten the mood, Hardik added with a small smile, "Most people fight for their boyfriends with their parents or exes. But in our case, I'm going to fight with a Shakchunni. We’re built different."

Rahul didn't laugh. Instead, he hugged Hardik tighter, his fear palpable. Hardik hugged him back, whispering reassuring words. "We'll get through this, Rahul. I promise you. We'll face this together and come out stronger."