3 Hearts, 1 Home

6. Separation And Anxiety

Days passed peacefully after their conversation, the trio settling into a comfortable rhythm. Their lives were filled with small moments of intimacy and love—whether it was quiet mornings with tea, cooking together in the evenings, or lazy weekends spent tangled in each other's arms. For a time, it seemed like everything was perfect.

But life, as it often does, had other plans.

It was a late afternoon when Dev got the call. He was at his restaurant, overseeing preparations for the dinner service, when his phone buzzed on the counter. His brow furrowed when he saw the name on the screen—Rajesh, his business partner who had been working to expand their restaurant franchise.

Dev answered with a quick, "Hello?" His voice, as always, calm and steady, though he could sense the importance of this call before the words were spoken.

Rajesh's voice crackled through the line, full of excitement. [Dev, I've got amazing news! You remember how we've been talking about opening a new location? Well, we've found the perfect spot in Ahmedabad. I know it's not Mumbai, but it's a growing city, and this could be huge for us.]

Ahmedabad. The word hit Dev like a sudden gust of wind, knocking him off balance. He hadn't been expecting this, not now, not when his life with Arjun and Karan had settled into such a perfect routine.

"How soon?" Dev asked, his throat tightening slightly. He didn't need to hear the answer to know that it would be fast—too fast.

[We need to start planning right away,] Rajesh replied. [We'd need you there in a few weeks to help oversee the setup. We're talking a six-month commitment at least, maybe more.]

Six months. Dev's stomach dropped. He tried to respond, but the words caught in his throat. The implications of being away from Karan and Arjun for so long were already clouding his mind. They had just talked about spending more time together, about him pulling back from the restaurant to focus on their relationship. How could he explain that he now had to leave?

"I'll... think about it," Dev finally said, his voice soft and uncertain.

Rajesh, still buzzing with enthusiasm, didn't seem to notice Dev's hesitation. [Of course! But I don't think there's much to think about. This is huge, Dev. We'll be in touch.]

Dev hung up the phone, staring blankly at the counter as the noise of the restaurant continued around him. A growing pit of anxiety settled in his chest. How would he break this news to Karan and Arjun? He knew they would support him, but the idea of leaving them—of being apart for six months or more—felt like a weight pressing down on his heart.

---

That evening, Dev returned home, the weight of the call still heavy on his mind. Arjun and Karan were lounging on the couch when he walked in, the warm glow of their apartment welcoming him like it always did. The sight of them—Arjun reading a book with his arm draped casually over Karan, who was scrolling through his phone—made Dev's heart ache. This was what he didn't want to leave behind. This warmth, this love.

"Hey, you're back," Arjun said, looking up and smiling at Dev, though he immediately sensed the tension in his partner's face. "Everything okay?"

Karan, too, picked up on Dev's mood, setting his phone down and turning his full attention to him. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up straighter, concern knitting his brows.

Dev hesitated, not wanting to ruin the peaceful moment, but he knew he had to tell them. He sat down on the edge of the couch, running a hand through his hair as he let out a small sigh.

"I got a call from Rajesh today," he began, his voice quiet but steady. "They've found a location for the new restaurant... in Ahmedabad."

The words hung in the air, and Dev could feel both Karan and Arjun tensing beside him.

"For how long?" Arjun asked, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of concern.

"Six months at least," Dev replied, his gaze dropping to his hands. "Maybe more."

Karan's eyes widened in shock, his voice filled with disbelief. "Six months? In another city?" He ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "You'd have to live there, right? You wouldn't be able to come back every weekend."

Dev nodded silently. The truth of the situation felt like a heavy stone lodged in his chest.

Arjun sat quietly for a moment, processing the information. He knew what this opportunity meant for Dev's career—how hard Dev had worked to build his restaurant from the ground up. But he also knew what this distance would mean for them. They had never been apart for so long. "Do you want to go?" Arjun asked softly, his eyes searching Dev's face for the answer.

"I don't know," Dev admitted, his voice cracking slightly. "This is everything I've worked for... but..." He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

Karan reached for Dev's hand, squeezing it tightly. "We don't want to hold you back. We'd never want that. But... six months is a long time." His voice was raw with emotion, his usual playful confidence stripped away.

"Calm down." Arjun said firmly, his hand covering Karan's and Dev's, linking them together. "We've been through so much together already. We can get through this too."

Dev felt his throat tighten. He had always been the quiet one, the one who carried his emotions with a steady hand. But now, sitting there with the two people he loved most in the world, he felt the full weight of what was at stake. "I don't want to go," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't know how to turn this down."

Arjun pulled Dev closer, wrapping his arm around him in a protective embrace. "Then don't. We will figure it out."

Karan rested his head on Dev's shoulder, his hand still gripping his tightly. "Even if you have to go, we'll make it work. I hate the idea of being apart, but I'd hate even more for you to give up something you've worked so hard for. I hate to say this but, take a decision wisely. Not emotionally... like me."

"Yeah, let only him be an emotional fool here." Arjun added making Karan smack him and the three of them chuckle at once.

Dev closed his eyes, leaning into the warmth of their embrace. His heart ached with the uncertainty of what lay ahead, but in that moment, he felt the love that surrounded him—solid, unwavering, and real. Arjun's steady presence, Karan's fierce devotion... They would be okay. Hopefully. But he had to decide and answer Rajesh and right now his mind was not working. Not working at all.

---

The next few days were a whirlwind of emotion. Dev spent long hours at the restaurant, trying to wrap his head around the logistics of moving to Ahmedabad while also grappling with the idea of leaving behind the life he had built with his partners.

Every night, when he returned home, the conversation inevitably circled back to the same topic—how they would make it work if he went, how often they could visit, how to keep their connection strong across the distance. But each conversation ended with the same lingering tension, the unspoken fear that something would change, that the separation would create a crack in the foundation they had so carefully built.

One evening, after another long day, Dev sat at the kitchen table with Arjun and Karan. The exhaustion in his eyes mirrored the exhaustion in his heart.

"I think I've made my decision," Dev said quietly, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room.

Arjun and Karan both looked up, their eyes filled with a mixture of hope and dread.

"I'm going to go to Ahmedabad," Dev said, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "But I'm going to set it up so I can come back as much as possible. I don't want to be gone for six months straight."

Karan's shoulders sagged with relief, though the sadness in his eyes remained. "As long as you come back," he whispered. "That's all I need."

Arjun, always the practical one, nodded in agreement. "We'll make it work. We've survived everything else. We'll survive this too."

Dev reached out, taking both of their hands in his. "I don't want to be apart from you. But I also don't want to regret not taking this opportunity. I need both of you to know how much I love you. That won't change, no matter where I am."

Karan leaned in, kissing Dev's hand softly. "We know. And we'll be here, waiting for you."

Arjun squeezed Dev's hand and gave him a reassuring smile.