Through Time And Expectations

Gaze

The car ride back home had been an eerie silence, filled with thoughts too heavy to voice. Luv sat next to me, staring blankly out of the window as the city's lights flickered by, his usual lively spirit weighed down by the gravity of what had just transpired. We didn't exchange a word, both lost in our own minds, the tension thick and unyielding.

As the car pulled up to my building, I quickly ran up to grab a few essentials. I could feel the knot tightening in my stomach. Luv's Dadu's health... everything was just so overwhelming and sudden. A part of me wanted to react, but I knew I couldn't. Not right now.

After grabbing a few things, I got back into the car, and we made our way to the Jindal bungalow. The silence continued, almost deafening now, and I kept glancing at Luv, who hadn't spoken a word. His face was pale, and his lips were pressed tightly together. This wasn't like him. I'd known Luv all his life, seen him through countless moods, but this...this was different.

We walked into the bungalow together, and the atmosphere inside mirrored our silence. It was as if the weight of everything going on had seeped into the walls of the house. Bare minimum conversations, hushed footsteps, a household on edge. Without saying anything, I reached for Luv, pulling him into a tight hug. He stiffened for a moment, then melted into me. And suddenly, he was crying.

I had never seen Luv cry before. Ever. Not once in all these years. He was always the mischievous, happy-go-lucky one, always quick with a joke or a smart comment. Yes, there were moments of sadness but never like this. But now, he clung to me like a child, his sobs shaking his entire body.

"It's okay, Luv," I whispered, stroking the back of his head. "Sab theek hoga. I'm here, okay? everyone is here... Dadu theek ho jayenge."

It broke my heart to see him like this. His tears soaked through my sweater, and I tightened my hold, trying to give him all the comfort I could. I rocked him gently, like a mother would her child, murmuring soft reassurances, even as my own heart ached for what was happening.

Eventually, his sobs turned to sniffles, and he pulled away, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry, di... I just... I don't know what came over me."

"Don't be sorry," I said softly, cupping his face. "You needed that. Now go freshen up, okay? We need to take some things to the hospital."

Luv nodded weakly and shuffled off towards his room. I let out a long breath, trying to push down the emotions swirling inside me. There was no time to fall apart. Not now.

I called for Pavitra aunty, the housekeeper, and quickly gave her instructions about what needed to be packed for everyone at the hospital. Clothes, chargers, food... anything to make the day a little less chaotic. Pavitra aunty moved efficiently, and soon the kitchen was bustling with activity as she coordinated everything.

In the meantime, she directed me to one of the guest rooms to freshen up. I plugged my phone into the charger and jumped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away some of the tension clinging to my skin. But it couldn't wash away my thoughts. Everything that had happened today kept replaying in my mind. Dadu's sudden heart attack, Luv and chachi's halat, the phone call, the way Lakshya had stood there as we held eye contact.

It felt surreal.

I quickly changed into a baby pink knitted sweater and blue jeans, slipping on fuzzy socks and my trusty bunny slippers. I realized, with a small groan, that I had forgotten my shoes again. Of course, Krishvika, I thought to myself.

Downstairs, Pavitra aunty had everything packed and ready in the kitchen. I took a deep breath before heading into the living room, hoping to find Luv and make sure he ate something before we left for the hospital.

But as I entered the living room, I saw him—Lakshya—standing by the sliding glass doors that led out to the backyard, his tall frame silhouetted against the night. He was on the phone, his voice low but firm, speaking in the no-nonsense tone I had come to associate with him. He hadn't changed out of his formal clothes yet, still in the same sharp suit from the morning, his stance rigid as he spoke.

"Handle it before anything leaks out," he said, his tone brokering no argument. "I don't care what it takes, just get it done...if this gets out I'll fire everyone in IT..."

I didn't need to hear more to understand what he was talking about. The press. Of course. His family's accounting firm was too well-known for news like this to stay quiet for long.

As I walked across the room, my slippers made a soft dragging sound against the wooden floor, catching his attention. Lakshya turned his head, his eyes locking onto mine. His face was unreadable, his usual stoic expression in place, but there was something in the way he looked at me—an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.

I quickly looked away, suddenly very aware of myself. I reached for my handbag, fumbling to find my lip balm, anything to keep my hands busy. His gaze felt like it was burning a hole through me, and I just couldn't deal with it right now.

As I turned to leave, heading towards the stairs to call Luv, I heard Lakshya's voice again, this time directed at me.

"Wait."

I froze in the doorway, my hand fiddling with the small tube. Lakshya muttered something to the person on the phone—Yash, I think his name was—asking him to wait, then turned his full attention to me.

"We're leaving in half an hour," he said, his tone still firm but held a softness. "Make sure everything is ready."

I nodded, not trusting my voice to respond, and quickly left the room. My heart was pounding, and I couldn't tell if it was from the weight of the day or the way Lakshya had looked at me just now. Either way, I didn't have time to think about it. There was too much to do.

I headed upstairs to check on Luv, trying to focus on the tasks at hand. But no matter how hard I tried, Lakshya's gaze lingered in the back of my mind.