She pointed her hand towards Adhi's room. I nodded my head and walked towards his room. As I stood outside Adhi's room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. I took a deep breath and rapped my knuckles against the wood, hoping that he would answer. But still, there was only silence. I knocked back his room's door after a couple of minutes again. "Adhi, I am Tara here. I have come here for you. I am not going to leave until you open your door," I said, sitting down in front of his door. The minutes ticked by at a glacial pace, each one feeling like an eternity. Finally, after what felt like an interminable wait, I heard the sound of the lock clicking open. I quickly got up, but I realized that Adhi had only unlocked his door but didn't open it. I looked at his parents, who were standing behind me, looking just as confused as I was. I calmed them down and asked them to go back, as it was already late.
I waited there for a few minutes, but later slowly opened his room's door. The room was pitching darker than the night outside. As I flipped the switch, the lights in the room sprang to life, illuminating the chaos that lay before me. The once-neat space was now in disarray, with items scattered haphazardly across the floor and furniture. My eyes landed on the shattered remains of the mirror that had once hung above the vanity, the glass scattered like diamonds on the carpet. Adhi sat on his bed, his head hung low between his hands as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. His immaculate closet stood open, and its contents spilled out onto the floor like a rainbow of clothes.
As I slowly walked towards Adhi, my heart racing with anticipation, I called out to him, but there was no response. My concern grew as I saw him sitting motionless. I quickened my pace and pushed his hands away gently, taking a seat on his lap and wrapping my arms around him in a tight embrace. "Don't hold your emotions inside, Adhi," I whispered urgently. "It's just you and me here. Speak, argue, cry, whatever—let your feelings out." I realized Adhi was responding by hugging me back. He had been carrying such a heavy burden of stress and anxiety, and this hug was his way of letting go of all those negative emotions. I could feel his heart racing, and his breathing was shallow and rapid. He was trembling slightly, and his hold on me only grew tighter, as if trying to anchor himself to something solid. I knew that he was struggling to keep his emotions in check, and I did my best to provide a comforting presence. I started rolling my fingers through his hair and said, "Adhi, what happened to you? Aren't you Prince of Indian cricket? Princes are meant to face hardship, and this is just one tournament. You cannot break down for this. Fans have given you this position of prince as they realized your skill, and you cannot doubt your skill because of one bad performance." The more I spoke, the more I could sense his hug becoming lighter. I woke up from his lap, saying, "Let me bring you something to eat," but he held my hand before I could move away. "Can I hug you a little longer? It makes me relaxed." His voice was soft and gentle, and I felt my heart swell with emotion. I nodded my head and settled back into his lap. He rested his head on my chest. My heart skipped a beat for a second and started to beat faster than before. Adhi sensed it, lifted his head, and quickly said, "Tara, you are here to comfort me; you don't need to panic". I felt embarrassed and quickly turned my head to the other side, saying "Shut up!" Adhi smiled and rested his head back on my chest. "It's soft," he said again with a smile. "Shut up!" I said it again, quickly shutting his mouth. I started rolling my fingers through his hair again, and he fell asleep in no time. I could feel his body relax and his breathing slow down. I slowly rose up from his lap without disturbing his sleep, carefully placed his head on the pillow, and tucked him in.
I looked around the room. I started picking up the clothes and sorting them into piles. Time passed quickly, and before I realized it, two hours had already gone by. I looked around and was pleased to see that his room was now tidy. I glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that it was already 2 a.m. sat on the sofa in front of his bed. I saw Adhi sleeping peacefully. He had a peaceful expression on his face, as if he were dreaming of something beautiful. His thick eyebrows, long eyelashes, sharp nose, pink lips, and cute dimples were mesmerizing. I couldn't help but feel a wave of affection for him. I wanted to stay there and watch him sleep forever, but before I could think further, I suddenly realized why I was thinking all of these now. My brain threw me several questions: Am I falling for Adhi? Is he special to me? Why am I caring for him so much that I even flew to his hometown? Why did I comfort him? Why did I allow him to hug me? Why did I help him? And when I finally realized what all these questions meant, I felt a sudden flush of heat rush through my body. I smiled to myself. For the first time, I was excited about the future. I smiled again and slept on the same sofa as it was already 2:30 a.m.