Unconditional Love

86. Shadows of the Past

Virat and Rohit finally reached home, the long flight leaving them both a little worn out.

They unpacked just the essentials, and after a quick shower, Virat was already slipping into his formal wear.

His phone buzzed constantly on the side table, Rahul Bhai's calls and texts keeping him on edge.

Rohit sat on the bed, watching him fix his cuffs.

"I can come with you," Rohit offered, his tone gentle but firm. "I'm not that tired."

Virat glanced at him in the mirror, then turned with a soft smile.

He walked over, cupping Rohit's face tenderly. "No, baby," he said. "I'll manage. You need rest. The flight took a toll on you, and you're still catching up from that headache."

"But—" Rohit started, only for Virat to hush him with a kiss on the forehead.

"Promise me you'll relax for a bit. I'll call when I wrap things up," Virat reassured, grabbing his coat. Rohit nodded and helped Virat with the coat.

He pecked one last kiss to Rohit's lips before rushing out the door. Rohit stood there wishing everything was fine.

For the first hour, Rohit tried to do exactly that—rest. He settled on the couch with a blanket, flicking through the TV channels without much focus. He dozed off in between.

But his mind kept drifting.

Virat hadn't messaged yet. It wasn't like he expected a constant stream of texts—okay, maybe he did—but something about the silence unsettled him.

A while later, restless, Rohit picked up his phone and called Jassi.

It rang twice before Jassi picked up. "Finally remembered us, huh?" Jassi teased lightly, but his voice was missing that usual spark.

Rohit chuckled faintly. "We just got back... Virat had to rush to the office. Thought I'd catch up with you guys. If you're free, I could come over?"

There was a beat of silence, and then Aman's voice joined in on speaker. "Yeah... yeah, come over, Rohit."

Jassi added, "We're home, not doing much."

Rohit blinked, shifting slightly on the couch.

Something... wasn't right.

Normally Aman would be all over him with excitement, asking a hundred questions about their trip, teasing Virat, or pestering them for stories.

But now, both their tones were subdued. Too casual. Too... careful.

He frowned at the phone, rubbing his thumb over the edge.

"Everything's fine, right?" Rohit asked, keeping his tone light even as he felt a flicker of unease in his chest.

"Yeah," Jassi replied quickly. Too quickly.

"Come by whenever," Aman added.

Rohit exhaled slowly. "Alright... I'll be there soon."

But even after hanging up, the feeling lingered.

Something was definitely off. And he couldn't shake it.

Rohit reached Jassi and Aman's house a short while later.

As he rang the bell, he tried to shake the nervous energy in his chest. It was probably nothing, he told himself.

They were probably just tired... or distracted.

But the moment the door opened, he knew he was wrong.