Unconditional Love

95. For the ones he loves

They were seated in Rahul Bhai's cabin, the atmosphere calm as the meeting wrapped up.

Virat had left earlier for another meeting, leaving the rest of them—Rohit, Aman, Jassi, and Rahul Bhai—sipping coffee and exchanging a few casual words.

Breaking the brief silence, Rohit looked around at them and said thoughtfully, "Tomorrow is Virat's birthday... I was thinking maybe we could do something special for him."

At that, both Aman and Rahul Bhai visibly tensed.

The shift in atmosphere didn't go unnoticed—Jassi glanced between them, concerned.

Aman lowered his gaze, a hint of sadness in his voice as he softly whispered, "Bhai doesn't celebrate his birthday, Rohit... he never did."

Rahul Bhai's fingers tightened slightly around his cup. His expression grew distant, clouded by memories only he knew entirely.

Aman knew one of the reasons, but Rahul Bhai... he carried the weight of both.

Rohit's brows furrowed gently at Aman's quiet words.

"Why?" he asked, his voice tender but firm, eyes scanning each face before settling on Rahul Bhai. "Please... just tell me."

There was a pause—long and heavy.

Rahul Bhai glanced at Aman, then slowly stood up and walked over to the couch, sitting beside him.

He knew this would be hard—for both of them.

He rested a hand on Aman's shoulder for silent strength before looking at Rohit and speaking softly, his voice weighted with years of buried pain.

"In the foster home... birthdays were just another day. No one celebrated them. Virat never knew what it meant to be made to feel special."

He paused, taking a breath. "But then, when Aman's parents adopted him, Virat hoped. He thought—maybe now—he'd know how it feels... a real birthday, a real family."

Rahul's voice cracked slightly, and Aman's fingers curled tighter into his own lap.

"But... the day before his birthday... he lost them. Aman was just a baby then, and Virat... he went numb. All he could think of was Aman. How to protect him. That's all that mattered."

The room was utterly silent.

"And then..." Rahul Bhai swallowed hard, his hand reaching for Aman's and squeezing it gently.

"Years later, when we finally thought maybe... we could give him the birthday he never had... the accident happened. The one that left him shaken, paranoid. We lost so much in that moment. It took a long time to pull him back."

Aman leaned into Rahul Bhai's side quietly, visibly tense, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Rohit just stared at them, stunned.

He hadn't known—any of this. His throat tightened as a tear slid down his cheek.

Jassi quietly moved closer and slipped his hand into Rohit's, grounding him gently.

Just five minutes later, the cabin door opened, and Virat walked in, his presence immediately commanding attention.

He looked around, puzzled by the thick silence and somber expressions.

"Why do you all look like we just lost another project?" he asked, half-joking, placing his laptop bag down.

The others quickly composed themselves.