HIDDEN HEARTS

chapter 68 . efforts

Rudra was pacing back and forth in the living room restlessly, his footsteps echoing softly against the marble floor. The entire family sat quietly, watching him with mixed expressions, some filled with patience, some with amusement.

Naina and Adriti were trying hard to control their laughter at his nervous antics. Every time Rudra turned sharply or muttered under his breath, they exchanged quick glances, almost bursting into giggles. On the other hand, Adhya sighed deeply, resting her hand on her forehead, exhausted from trying over and over again to calm her husband down. She had finally given up, realizing that Rudra was far too anxious to be reasoned with tonight.

It had been only three days since Adheer and Adira's roka, but in those three days, Adheer hadn't let a single morning pass without whisking Adira away to visit some new place. They would leave straight after breakfast and not return before evening, sometimes even late at night, leaving Rudra more troubled with every passing hour.

For Adira, it was a happy little escape ,exploring sights, laughing at silly jokes, tasting local food, and filling her phone with pictures of memories. For Adheer, it was a chance to stay close to her, to make her laugh, to grow their bond secretly day by day. But for Rudra, every outing was an endless source of worry.

Day by day, his frustration had worsened. Adhya had tried explaining sensibly that the two were simply enjoying time together, but eventually she too raised her hands in defeat, realizing the futility of reasoning with her stubborn husband . He simply refused to relax.

That night, after dinner, Dev was playing with the children in the corner of the room. At first, he ignored his father's constant pacing, but when Rudra's agitation grew unbearable, Dev finally looked up and sighed.

"Dad," said Dev calmly, his tone filled with childlike maturity, "why are you so worried? They'll be here any moment. There's no need to stress like this."

Rudra stopped pacing and glanced at his son with frustration. "Do you even realize the time?"

Dev checked the clock on the wall. "It's just past eleven."

"Exactly!" Rudra's voice rose. "They left in the morning. Since then, it's been nearly midnight, and still they are not home. Does that not bother you? They should have been back hours ago."

Dev shrugged casually. "Adheer bhai told us, remember? He was taking Mithu to some of the local tourist spots. And you know how traffic is these days ,it's a nightmare. That's probably why they're late."

"That might be the case," Rudra muttered, his voice lower now but full of anxiety. "But if that's true, they should have called. Do you even realize the level of anxiety I've been drowning in tonight?"

Sighing heavily, Rudra turned back to the window, staring out into the dark, empty street. The rest of the family shifted uncomfortably, growing tired of his relentless worry. With no further choice, Rudra decided to remain silent, folding his arms and quietly settling down near Dev and the children continued playing.

It wasn't long before the sound of a car pulling into the driveway broke the tense silence inside the house. Everyone looked up expectantly. Moments later, the front door opened, and Adira entered first, her face glowing with a wide smile. A soft flush of embarrassment spread over her cheeks when she saw the entire family gathered in the living room as if waiting for her grand return.

She paused at the entrance, suddenly nervous under their gazes, but then quickly covered it with another bright smile. "You all are still awake?" she asked gently.

Gauri smirked and answered teasingly, "No, we were about to sleep, but your dad refused to step into the bedroom without seeing you safely return. And naturally, if he's waiting, the rest of us don't dare move either."