Chapter 6: About him

Arav:

I felt a cool breeze brushing against my skin, slowly bringing me back to consciousness. My eyes fluttered open, just enough to make out Prem's figure next to me. He was gently wiping my body with a wet cloth, his expression calm and serene, like the quiet stillness of a morning after a storm. I couldn't help but watch him, captivated by the peacefulness on his face, my mind hazy from sleep and weakness.

"Hey, thief…"

Startled by the voice, I immediately shut my eyes in embarrassment, as if I had been caught spying on him. My heart raced.

"I know you're awake," Prem's voice came again, soft and warm, like he had no intention of scolding me.

I reluctantly opened my eyes and realized I was lying in bed, half-naked, wearing nothing but boxers. Quickly, I pulled the bedsheet over myself, trying to shield my body from his gaze. My face must have shown my irritation because Prem met my eyes with an unbothered, almost amused expression.

"What else could I have done?" he said, his tone gentle but firm. "It's been two days since you've cleaned yourself, and your temperature was rising. You haven't had food or water since yesterday evening. I just wanted to help."

I clenched my teeth, frustration boiling inside me. "This is the second time you've looked at my body without my permission," I snapped. "I hate it when you do this."

Prem didn't flinch. Instead, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, and that only made my anger flare hotter. Without thinking, I threw my hand towards his head, aiming to knock that irritating smirk right off his face. But in one swift movement, Prem caught my wrist and twisted it behind my back. His face was suddenly inches from mine, his breath warm against my skin, his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that sent a shock through my entire body.

We froze like that, our faces so close, the tension hanging heavy in the air between us. I could hear both of our hearts pounding thudding in sync, as if they had found the same rhythm. For a moment, everything else faded away. The room fell into a deep silence, and I found myself gazing into his eyes, feeling something, I couldn't quite name.

I heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching the room, and instinctively turned my head. Leela stood at the doorway, her hand on the knob, her expression warm and gentle as she entered. Prem quickly released my hand and moved away, retreating to a chair in the corner of the room. His eyes dropped to his phone, and he began scrolling, as if nothing had happened.

Leela walked over to me with a small tray in hand, a glass of lemon juice perched on top. "How are you feeling now?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern. Her smile was gentle, and I gave her a small nod in response, not quite trusting my voice yet.

"Prem was really worried about you when you collapsed," she added, placing the juice on the table beside me. I glanced over at him, curious. But he was still focused on his phone, acting like he hadn't heard a word. His silence made me wonder if Leela's words were true. Or maybe he just didn't want to show it.

"Drink this," Leela said, gently urging me to take the glass. "You haven't eaten anything. Your blood sugar and BP could spike, and you need some energy."

I hesitated, but before I could respond, Prem spoke up from across the room without even looking up from his phone. "Yeah, drink it. You'll need the energy to shout at me later." His voice was casual, but there was something behind it—a hint of the earlier tension still lingering in the air.

I frowned slightly but took the glass and began drinking. The tartness of the lemon juice cut through the dryness in my throat, refreshing me just a little. Leela smiled at me before turning towards the door.

"I've prepared some food," she said warmly. "Come and join us when you're ready."

With that, she left the room, leaving the two of us alone again. The silence hung in the air for a moment. I glanced at Prem again, who still didn't seem to acknowledge me, and I couldn't help but wonder—what was really going on in his mind?

Prem:

I set my phone aside, feeling a strange, gnawing urge to test something. Were these emotions flooding my mind real, or were they merely illusions? Was I truly experiencing what Nani felt? It couldn't be possible… yet, every time his mood shifted, so did mine.

I stood up from the chair and moved toward the door, intending to leave, but something held me back.

"Thank you," Nani said, his voice steady as he looked at me. "You can leave now. I'll dress and come down."

I closed the door behind me, locking it, my heart beginning to race. When I turned back around, I could see the question mark written all over his face—his confusion only making the tension inside me grow stronger. I wasn't one to feel this kind of tension, not for a long time. But it was there, unmistakable, and I had to be sure.

I walked towards him, each step heavier than the last, as if the air between us thickened with every inch I closed. His eyes stayed fixed on me, filled with uncertainty and growing tension. When I finally reached the bed, I sat down beside him, my hand slowly reaching towards his skin.

Before I could touch him, Nani reacted. He grabbed my hand, twisted it, and in one swift motion, had me pinned against the bed. He climbed on top of me, his face inches from mine, anger radiating from him.

"Sorry… Nani, leave me," I gasped, struggling under his weight. But even as I tried to fight back, my mind was racing with a strange sense of synchronization. Every emotion surging through him—anger, defensiveness, the need to protect—it all mirrored perfectly within me. What was happening?

"What did I tell you?" Nani growled, his voice low but steady. "I warned you not to mess with me. If you treat me well, I'll do the same. Didn't you get that?"

He released me, climbing off the bed. His eyes lingered on me for a moment, but then his expression softened slightly. "Get dressed and come down. We're waiting for you to eat."

With that, he left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts swirling in confusion.

Downstairs, I joined Leela and Chotu at the table. They were already talking animatedly, Chotu's face glowing with excitement as Nani joined us. The question still buzzed in my mind—were my emotions linked to his, or was it all in my head?

Nani took his seat beside me, a smile on his face, as though nothing had happened. Leela was serving food, her calm demeanor soothing, and soon we all started eating. Nani and Chotu began chatting about playing games after dinner, their voices filled with lightheartedness. But I couldn't let it go.

A mischievous thought crossed my mind. I wanted to get back at him for earlier, for pinning me down like that. Slowly, I reached under the table and placed my hand on Nani's thigh. Instantly, his body stiffened, and he choked on his food. I quickly withdrew my hand, watching as Chotu handed him water and Leela scolded him to eat slower.

But I wasn't done. I smirked to myself and once again placed my hand on his thigh. This time, Nani didn't choke. Instead, he grabbed a fork from the table and, without missing a beat, stabbed my hand with it. I yanked my hand back, wincing in pain as he glared at me.

"Huh…" I muttered under my breath, cradling my wounded hand, while Nani's smirk matched mine.

"What happened?" Leela asked, her eyes darting between us.

"Just an ant bite him, Sis. No big deal," Nani answered quickly, his voice carrying a mischievous undertone. He flashed me a grin as if daring me to react. I bit my tongue, deciding to let it go—for now.

Once dinner was over, I stood up, ready to clear the table and take the utensils to wash. But Leela quickly intervened, gently pulling the plates from my hands.

"You should rest," she said firmly. "Wash your hands, and don't push it. Your wound could get worse."

Nani was the first to move toward the sink, washing his hands quickly before stepping aside to let me use it. I washed my hands and grabbed the cloth hanging by the mirror to dry them. As I turned around, I felt an unexpected coldness on my back—wet and sudden. I whipped my head around to see Nani standing there, grinning, his wet hands having left streaks of water on my shirt.

"That's for messing with me," he said, his voice filled with mischief.

Without thinking, I lunged toward him, but Nani darted away, running straight to Leela. "Sis! He's trying to hurt me!" he mock-whined, hiding behind her like a child tattling to a parent.

"Will you stop playing around, Prem?" Leela said, her voice rising slightly in exasperation. She shot me a look, half-annoyed, half-amused.

I sighed, realizing I wasn't going to win this one. Deciding to call it a night, I headed back to my room and collapsed onto the bed. My mind kept replaying the events of the evening, especially Nani's smirk, his quick reflexes, the strange connection between us. Slowly, my eyes grew heavy, and before I knew it, I drifted off to sleep, still thinking about him.

Nani:

I sat quietly by the shore, watching the sun dip into the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of orange and pink. The gentle sound of the waves lapping at the sand was soothing, but my mind wandered. The evening air had cooled, casting a calmness over everything, yet a storm of thoughts lingered inside me.

Chotu's laughter broke the silence as he ran ahead, playing in the sand, his small hands shaping castles and trenches with pure joy. Leela walked over and sat down beside me, her presence familiar and comforting. For a while, we both watched Chotu, our silence filled with the rhythmic lull of the ocean.

"Sis, can I ask you something?" Leela said softly, breaking the quiet.

I turned to look at her, slightly surprised by her tone. But before I could even respond, she continued, her gaze fixed on the sunset. "Is it about Prem?"

Her words caught me off guard. I felt my heart skip a beat, wondering how she had so easily read my mind. How could she always know?

I swallowed and nodded, feeling the weight of the unspoken words between us. Leela turned to face me, her eyes gentle yet probing, waiting for me to speak.

"When I was eight months pregnant, I first saw Prem here," Leela began, her voice soft yet steady. "There wasn't a restaurant then—just a small room nearby where I stayed. I had no one. Not even my own name at the time. I tried to find work, to earn a little for food, but no one would hire me. I lived on people's scraps, and even that became scarce when the place got busier. The business owners didn't want me around. I was starving."

She paused, staring at the waves rolling onto the shore. Chotu's distant laughter filled the silence for a moment before she continued. "One day, I was lying by a boat, hiding under a tree from the sun. I was so hungry, I thought I wouldn't wake up. A man came to me, handed me some food. I ate it like I hadn't eaten in days—and in return, he asked me to sleep with him. I was desperate, Nani. I went with him to survive. He gave me a large sum of money afterward, which I didn't want to take at first, but... something in his eyes—pity maybe—I took it. I used it to rent a small room and buy food. Eventually, I found work at a small hotel. I washed dishes, cleaned up, and learned to cook from the head chef, who was an old man, kind enough to teach me."

Her eyes clouded with memories. "One night, during a storm, a man banged on my door, drenched in rain. I let him inside because it was pouring too heavily to turn him away. I told him to leave once the rain stopped, but... after an hour, the rain got worse. I was drifting off when he came toward me. He… he molested me." Her voice trembled, and she stopped, collecting herself before continuing. "I screamed, but no one could hear me over the storm. He left before morning. The next night, he returned, and the same thing happened. His name was Manju. No one cared about what was happening to me. He would take all my money, beat me if I protested."

Leela wiped her eyes, though her expression remained calm. "When I was seven months pregnant, I tried to fight back. I grabbed a knife and tried to stab him, but he stopped me. He beat me, twisted my arm, and threw me against the wall. All I could think about was my baby. He told me, 'If you want to keep your baby safe, don't you ever raise your voice to me again.'"

Nani listened quietly, his eyes wide with shock and sadness. Leela continued, "One day, he was beating me in front of a crowd. I escaped and ran to a man sitting on the shore, lost in his thoughts. I begged him for help. He looked at me, then at Manju. Without saying a word, he stood up and beat Manju until he was covered in blood. I thought he would kill him."

She smiled faintly. "That man was Prem. For days, he stayed near my room, not speaking to anyone. He didn't even speak to me, but he would eat the food I left for him. Then, the night before Chotu was born, Manju came back. Prem beat him unconscious again. The next day, when I went into labor, Prem took me to the hospital. When the doctor asked about my family, Prem told them he was my brother, that my husband had died in an accident. He never hesitated. That's when I learned his name—Prem. We never spoke much before then. We built this restaurant together after Chotu was born. Little by little, Prem came back to himself. And Chotu… Chotu brought light back into his life. He's like a stress reliever for Prem."

After hearing Leela's story, my heart trembled, emotions swirling inside me. Tears began to fall from my eyes, and I hadn't even noticed.

Leela continued, her voice softer now. "Sis, why didn't you ever ask him about his personal life?"

Leela sighed. "He's like the ocean—deep, mysterious. He never lets anyone see the depths inside. I tried asking him before, but all I got in return was silence. After a while, I stopped asking. It's better not to make him remember his wounds."

Curiosity tugged at me. "What about Zara?"

Leela glanced at me, then looked away toward the waves. "I accidentally saw them together at the market once. They seemed so close, so I thought they were lovers. When I asked him about it, he brushed it off, said it wasn't love, just… friends with benefits. I tried talking to Zara about it, and she was more open than Prem ever was, but still... I stopped thinking about it after that."

Chotu broke the silence, running up to us. "Come on, it's 9:40 pm! It's time to sleep!" he called out, tugging at Leela's arm.

I smiled softly at him. "You two go ahead. I'll stay here a little longer. I want to spend more time by the beach. I'll come after a few minutes."

They both went inside, but my mind was still running wild, filled with thoughts about Leela and Prem. How could someone have so many different shades? One moment he's cold, the next he's soft, and then fierce. The more I try to understand him, the more I find myself stuck in a loop. He's almost like Indu when she's on her period—multiple mood swings, except with Prem, it's all the time.

I entered the room and saw him sleeping peacefully. I climbed into bed next to him, pulling the sheet over us. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep as my mind circled back to what had been said about Leela. I turned toward Prem; he lay there with his left hand under his head, peaceful and undisturbed.

I reached over and bit his hand gently at first, testing if he would react, but nothing. Annoyed, I bit him harder this time, sinking my teeth into his muscle—it reminded me of jelly, soft but firm under pressure.

"Sleep quietly..." came Prem's voice, low and steady.

I stopped messing around and sighed, closing my eyes.