The Broken Vow

12

Author's note: Thank you for the love on the last chapter. Can we please get this chapter to 90 votes?

Aahana Agnihotri

I gripped the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white. I stared down at the address and double checked the house number to make sure I was at the correct place.
Getting Adarsh’s address from HR wasn’t too difficult, but the most difficult part was getting myself down here. Throughout the five weeks that Adarsh was out of the office recovering from the stabbing, he was all everyone was talking about at the office. I had gotten different offers from several different groups to visit Adarsh, but I had obviously refused saying I would do it later. I had put it off so much that it was almost time for him to return to work this Monday.
Even my father who was always so busy for me had made time to visit Adarsh.

All thanks to a parent recording the entire fight and posting it online, Adarsh had now practically become a national hero.
My finger hovered over the ignition. I could just leave. It wasn’t like I owed him anything.

He saved your life, Aahana.

That little voice in my head reminded me for the thousandth time.

A woman walking her dog walked by my car. They both stopped and looked into the car, with judgment in their eyes. Great! They were judging me as well.

I slid lower in my seat to avoid their gaze till they left. 

This was stupid.

I got out of the vehicle immediately before I changed my mind again. Grabbing the bouquet and cheesecake, I made my way to Adarsh’s house.

Exhaling deeply, I walked through the gates. The main door was open so I hesitantly stepped inside the living room. 

The living room was brightly lit with the fluorescent tube light. A beige sofa set was arranged around a glass-top coffee table. The humming of the ceiling fan mingled with TV playing that no one was watching.
It was 7PM so hopefully it wasn’t too late. I wasn’t sure what the appropriate visitation time in these circumstances was. Perhaps I should have just visited with the others. Or I should have called or texted him to make sure that it was okay that I visited, but I didn’t do it because that would mean that I couldn’t chicken out.

A loud whistling sound from somewhere startled me. Before I could contemplate fleeing, an older woman emerged carrying a plate of vegetables. I recognized her instantly from the family photo on Adarsh's desk - his mother. She set the plate down and wiped her hands on her dupatta, eyeing me.

“Yes?” she asked, raising  an eyebrow.

Clearing my throat, I offered her a tiny smile. “I’m here to see Adarsh.”

She gave me a curt nod. “Do you work with Adarsh?”

I wasn’t sure what to say so I gave her a small nod.

“I keep telling Adarsh that he should quit working there and you should too. Only then will these big corporations learn,” she said, huffing.

The comment caught me off guard. “Sorry?”

“They overwork their employees so much and it’s not like they pay well. Look at my Adarsh, he was such a laid-back boy who had so many hobbies, but now all he does is work work. Even now while he is supposed to be resting, he is working. The company can’t even let him recover before exploiting him.”