Falling Softly

SOLANCE

Aaryan POV 

The day was nice, completely opposite of what I had expected. Everyone was supportive and welcoming, and my old boss was out of sight, which was satisfying at the office.

However, my mind wasn't at peace. I was extremely anxious about recent events, and on top of that, Kavya went to work even though she was unwell. Is she that upset with me? Or did her manager reject her leave request? It could be anything. It was painful to watch her go in the morning.

Should I call her? I thought about it at lunchtime, but then decided against it. After a few hours, I received a call from my mother-in-law. My heartbeat went through the roof at that moment, and I was hesitant to pick up. Did she tell everything to her mom, and do they want a divorce? I wondered. Wait, did she actually go to the office, or did she go back home? I was tense as I answered the call.

She spoke a few words that I least expected. Her exact words were, "Kavya is admitted in the hospital, you need to go." She spoke with urgency, struggling to catch her breath.

"Wait... what happened?" I was shocked and worried at the same time.

"I got a call from her office. I'll forward you the hospital address they sent me. Please go there." She completely ignored my question, but I couldn't blame her.

"Okay, I'm on my way. Send me the address," I said as I clocked out and quickly sent an email about leaving early while still on the phone.

"Her phone is dead, so call me when you get there. Let me talk to her, okay?" She demanded before hanging up.

A thousand questions raced through my mind, but that wasn't the time to explore them. I was deeply worried. Plus, I wasn't her emergency contact? That stung a bit.

I messaged Nishit and went to his cabin to borrow the keys to his bike. He was always helpful. He showed concern and wanted to tag along but then dropped the idea. So, I headed to the hospital alone.

I quickly reached the location and went inside. I searched for the room number they mentioned in the message and knocked on the door. When nobody answered, I was in such a hurry that I swung the door open and entered.

To my surprise, I heard her laughing and chatting with another colleague while lying on the bed. Both of them stopped once they saw me, and her colleague left after noticing my presence.

She was hooked up to an IV. I stepped closer and sat beside her bed. She looked at me.

"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked, placing my hand on hers.

"Fever and weakness, I almost collapsed at the office," she said with whatever energy she had left.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay." A smile curved up on my face. I was relieved when she smiled back, at least she was talking to me.

I dialed my mother-in-law's number, and they talked for a bit on speakerphone. Her mother told her to eat properly and rest, and even scolded me slightly for not stopping her from going to work, knowing she wasn't feeling well.

We just looked at each other when she said that, with Kavya looking guilty as charged. "Maa, please tell her to listen to me, okay?" I teased. Kavya raised her eyebrows in surprise as she looked at me.

"Well, she's a good girl, but she doesn't listen to me when she's mad," her mother chuckled. It seemed like she knew her daughter very well.

The doctor came in, and we ended our call. He was pleased to see us smiling. He checked her condition, jotted down the medication on paper, handed it to me, and informed us that we could go home. Then, he left the room.

Her colleague returned, about the same age as Kavya. We exchanged hellos as Kavya introduced us. A nurse came in and removed the IV needle.

As we exited the hospital, I thanked her colleague for staying with her the whole time, and she bid us goodbye. I had Nishit's bike, so we walked a bit, and she held my hand tightly.

We reached home quickly, and it turned out to be our first bike ride together. It wasn't how I had imagined it, but it felt nice. When we got out of the lift on our floor, she struggled a bit due to her weakness, and I couldn't hold myself back—I lifted her.

I saw her eyes widen, and her cheeks flushed red. I just couldn't bear to see her suffer, even for a second. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I carried her. Thankfully, no one was around at that time.

When we reached the door, I set her down and opened it, and was about to lift her up again, but she started walking inside. Her face was still red, and she couldn't hide her smile.

I quickly went inside, made her sit on the sofa, and fetched her some water. She relaxed on the sofa while gulping down a good amount of water.

"So many things happened today," she said, finishing the last few drops of water.

"I'm just glad you're okay," I replied as I sat beside her, gently pulling her closer to my chest and wrapping my arm around her shoulders.

"I met Viraj, as I told you yesterday. I tricked him into admitting that he changed those letters," she said, looking furious suddenly.

I was stunned and felt a bit foolish for not recognizing him when we met at the café. But I didn't want to delve into the past—it was over.

"Well, I'm glad you know the truth now," I said, tightening my grip on her shoulder and pulling her into a side hug as she rested her head on my chest.

"I feel bad for how I treated Nishit and Natasha," she said, her expression filled with worry.

"They were fine that day. They understand. We should invite them over for a proper meal next time," I suggested.

"Yeah, and since you have a degree, you'll have to prepare a special meal," she joked.

"I told you, the degree is just for show. There's a long story behind it," I replied with a big smile. "But I'll try to make whatever you want." I looked into her eyes. "I'll give it a shot," I chuckled.

I could feel her breath on me, she looked up into my eyes as our eyes locked. The pull, the attraction, was solid enough that I didn't even realize when we got so close. As she blinked, I kissed her on those beautiful lips. It lasted a few seconds, but it felt like a small eternity—a fleeting moment of connection that I didn't want to end.

When I pulled away, I noticed a hint of surprise in her eyes, followed by a warm smile that spread across her face. She seemed to relax into my arms, her cheeks flushed with a delicate pink.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"For what?" I asked, my own voice softened by the closeness.

"For being here... for caring," she replied, leaning her head against my shoulder. "Even when I make it difficult."

I tightened my hold on her, feeling a sense of warmth settle in my chest. "You don't need to thank me for that, Kavya. I'll always be here."

She let out a small laugh, and I could feel the tension that had built up over the past few days start to melt away. It wasn't a perfect moment, but it was ours, and it was enough.

The weight of the day's events seemed to catch up with her, and she let out a yawn, her exhaustion evident. I gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "Let's get you to bed. You need to rest."

"Only if you promise you'll be here when I wake up," she murmured, her voice sleepy yet playful.

I chuckled softly and helped her up from the sofa, guiding her towards the bedroom. As we walked, her hand remained in mine, her fingers curling around mine with a quiet strength. I promised myself that I wouldn't let go.

◈✦✷✦◈ End of Chapter ◈✦✷✦◈

 "The truth may be hidden for a while, but it always finds its way to the light." ⭐ If you enjoyed this chapter, adding a star would mean a lot to me. I'd also love to hear about your favorite books and authors in the comments because I am looking forward to read some books.