A Murderer and The Nurse (Slow Updates)

65

TEJASSWI POV
I was worried. My stomach churned, and every slight sound made me flinch. I kept glancing at the clock, counting the seconds as they crawled by painfully. My hands gripped the bags tightly, my knuckles turning white from the pressure. Thanks to Aada and Sister Geeta, each bag was filled with clothes, some cash, and the essentials we’d need—food, water, toothbrushes. But where was Sunny? He said he’d be back in five minutes, and it had now been more than thirty.

Fear gnawed at me. Dark thoughts started to creep into my mind, one after the other, like shadows. What if he was caught? What if they discovered what we were planning? I couldn’t bear the thought. My chest tightened with dread.

Suddenly, the door creaked open. My heart leapt into my throat, and I froze, staring at the figure entering the room. My stomach lurched. It was a guard. Oh God. My mind raced—he was here to stop us, to ruin everything. I gulped, fear spreading through me like wildfire.

But then, through the dim light, I saw something familiar. The uniform was unmistakable, but so was the tall, broad frame, the dark, silky hair falling just right, and the faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

It was Sunny.

Relief flooded my entire body, making my knees weak. My heart slowed, and my hands stopped shaking. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. No one else could look that effortlessly sexy, even in a guard’s uniform.

"That’s amazing" I blurted out, my relief tumbling into excitement before I could stop myself. Sunny shut the door quietly behind him, that teasing glint in his eyes as he approached me.

"You look just like a guard, especially with the lights off. No one will ever know the difference" I said, the tension slowly leaving my voice.

"That was the point Laddoo" he replied, a teasing smile crossing his lips.

I couldn't help but smile back. So far, everything had gone according to plan. Sunny had taken care of Kunaal to get the uniform, and while it was easier than I had imagined, I had to ask the question gnawing at me.

"Did you...?"

"Yeah" Sunny answered softly, his eyes flicking downward for just a moment. "He’s dead"

The room fell into a brief, heavy silence. It was a strange feeling—both the horror and the relief of what had to be done. But there was no time to dwell on it now. Sunny cleared his throat.

"Come on, it was necessary. Now he won't be able to ruin other girls lives" he said, breaking the silence. His voice was steady as ever, like none of this weighed on him the way it did on me.

He gestured to the bags, clearly impressed with how well-prepared we were.

"Hold the bag behind your back like this" he demonstrated, showing me how to conceal it. "I’ll grab your wrist from behind so they’ll be mostly hidden, especially in the dark"

I nodded, doing exactly as he instructed. I felt the warmth of his hand as he gripped my wrist gently but firmly, the bag nestled between us, invisible in the dim light. My heart pounded in my chest, but I trusted him. If the power outage continued, we could slip out unnoticed.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice calm but filled with urgency.

I nodded again. Sunny’s confidence gave me strength, and I clung to it.

"All right. Just be calm and follow my lead. We’ll be out of here in no time, laddo. I promise"

His words were like a lifeline. I believed him. Yet, as we stepped out of Aada’s office and into the dark, a wave of anxiety swept over me again. Every step seemed to echo louder than it should, the shadows of the long corridors stretching ominously. My heartbeat pounded in my ears. We had memorized the layout, but knowing the halls wasn’t the problem—it was the people we might encounter.

As we turned the corner, my heart skipped a beat. An employee was walking toward us, her head down, eyes half-focused. I needed Sunny to say something, to comfort me, but he couldn’t. Instead, I felt his thumb gently brush against my wrist, his silent way of telling me it was okay. Keep walking. So, I did.

Step by step, the distance between us and the employee narrowed. My nerves buzzed as she came closer. But then, just like that, she passed us without a glance. I let out a sigh of relief, but there was no time to relax.

We moved further into the hallways, slipping past another guard. He looked at us skeptically, but didn’t stop us. Sunny’s plan was working. In the dim red glow of the emergency lights, he looked like any other guard escorting a patient.

But then we saw him—Paras. My breath caught in my throat. Paras knew both of us too well. I could feel Sunny tense slightly behind me. I could almost hear his thoughts—Keep moving. Don’t panic.

Paras squinted at Sunny, recognition dawning in his eyes. I could feel my stomach churn. It was over. But then, in a surprising twist of fate, Paras didn’t stop. He didn’t say a word. His eyes lingered on Sunny for just a second longer before he kept walking, as though silently choosing to look the other way. My mind whirled with disbelief. I wanted to ask Sunny what that was about, but now wasn’t the time.

Then, a voice rang out, sharp and commanding. "Hey" another guard called, his voice dripping with suspicion. "What are you doing?"

This guard didn’t look familiar. I felt my pulse quicken, panic rising again. Sunny remained calm.

"I’m taking this patient back to her room, sir" Sunny replied, his voice smooth and unflustered. "She ran out of group therapy when the lights went off"

I was in awe of his ability to lie so effortlessly. But the guard still seemed uncertain. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Sunny. After a few agonizing moments, he nodded.

"All right, thanks" he said.

"No problem sir" Sunny replied. We began to walk again, but my body remained tense. Just as I thought we were in the clear, I heard footsteps slowing behind us.

"Wait a minute" the guard called after us.

Sunny’s grip tightened, and I knew. He had recognized Sunny.

"Hey!" the guard shouted, his footsteps quickening.

Without a word, Sunny and I began to run.