Arav:
I watched as Prem left the room, and Indu walked in, her eyes immediately locking onto Prem's retreating figure. Mom was still sitting with me.
"How's your leg?" Indu asked with concern.
I merely nodded. As Mom got a phone call and stepped out of the room, I noticed Indu's eyes eagerly fixed on me.
"Hey, what you described earlier, it matches him. Were you talking about him?"
"Hmmm... yes, that one." My annoyance was evident on my face.
"You seem annoyed. Did something happen?" Indu asked, her eagerness palpable.
"Nothing. I just want to know who this man is, how he knows my mom. You should have been here earlier; you might have seen the closeness between them. I want every detail." My voice was dull and flat.
"Hmmm... Who's going to help?" Indu asked, matching my tone.
"Will you help me? Can you find out more about him?" I gave her my best puppy-dog eyes.
"Aww, stop with those looks. I'm not a detective, but I'll try to find what I can." Indu said, then left the room.
After waiting for 30 minutes, I saw Indu enter again, and I stared at her eagerly.
"What happened? Did you find out anything?" I asked, curiosity dripping from my voice.
"I went to your mom, and she was busy on the phone. After waiting five minutes, she left. I saw Prem holding the car door for your mom. You should have seen it; any girl would fall for him," Indu said, excitement evident in her voice.
"Should I call Sudhakar and let him know you're with me, considering you've been avoiding him for so long?" I asked, my tone sassy.
"Oh, really? Go ahead. I won't tell him anything about Prem," Indu smirked. Realizing that I might have annoyed her, I pouted and looked away with a sad expression.
"Okay, let me finish. I took a picture of him, sent it to my PA, and asked him to check his profile. When I saw your dad about to leave, I asked him for details. In a hurry, he mentioned that Prem was the person who took him to the hospital and performed the operation." My jaw dropped—was he a doctor?
Indu continued, "Without giving more details, he left. My PA checked all social media platforms but couldn't find any profiles or pictures that matched him. So, I went directly to Prem and asked for details."
"Really? What did he say?" I asked eagerly.
"Hmmm... he said that if anyone wants to know something, they should ask him directly. I was furious," Indu said, her frustration clear.
"Calm down, Arav. There's no need to worry. If you really want to know, just ask him directly," Indu said soothingly.
"I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to know anything. I hate him," I said sulkily. Before I could finish, Prem walked back into the room.
His serious expression caught my attention, and a nurse followed him with a tray of food.
"You..." Prem addressed Indu.
"I'm Indu," she said with a broad smile.
"Well, tell your friend to take the food and medicine," Prem said sternly. Indu looked puzzled, unsure why he was speaking to her about me. His tone only fueled my frustration.
"Indu, I'm not going to eat a single bite," I declared, noticing Indu's worried expression and Prem's growing irritation.
Prem approached me with a scowl. "If you don't take your food and medicine, I'll perform another operation without anesthesia, since you seem unwilling to take your medicine." With that, he stormed out.
Indu looked shocked. "Man, what's with this guy? If we were to measure his anger, it would be off the charts. It's more intense than any number."
"In the same way, when it comes to the person he wants to protect, his kindness and care seem immeasurable," I said admiringly, with a slight smile.
"Wow, I love this person. I'm curious about how he would act when he falls in love. Should I find someone for him?" Indu asked, her curiosity piqued.
"But unfortunately, the 'love' chapter doesn't exist in his life dictionary," I said calmly.
"What? That's so sad. I really want to see who he would be when he's in love. What about you?" Indu asked with concern.
"Right now, my focus is on my parents and the company. I don't have space for love at the moment," I replied.
"Alright, stop talking and eat, or else this scary man will come back," Indu said as she fed me and I took the medicine.
The nurse came in and took away the tray.
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Indu stared at both Prem and me with intense curiosity. She brought her fingers up to frame Prem's face, then shifted them to frame mine. With a playful grin, she exclaimed, "Picture perfect!" before bursting into loud laughter.
"Okay, bye Arav. I've got work at the office. I'll see you later!" she said cheerfully, waving as she headed out of the room.
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Arav:
Within two days, I was discharged from the hospital. Prem drove me home, and upon arrival, he took out the wheelchair, helped me into it, and wheeled me to my room. Mom and Dad came in to talk for a while, but as time passed, they prepared to go to work. Mom turned to Prem and said, "Please stay with him. Arav needs someone to take care of him, and I see no one better than you."
I watched with annoyance at the interaction between Mom and Prem. I glanced at Dad and nodded for him to come over. "Don't you feel anything?" I asked him.
"Well, I need to ask you something. Will you help me?" I inquired.
"Sure," Dad replied with a smile.
"Let's talk in the evening," I said, noticing Prem's keen interest as he watched me and Dad.
"Okay, bye Arav. I'll come back once I'm done with work. Make sure to eat and don't tease Prem," Mom said loudly as she left. "Bye, Arav," Dad added.
Prem's gaze remained fixed on me, and I met his stare with the same intensity. Annoyed, he retreated to the living room. A few minutes later, needing to use the bathroom, I struggled to get out of bed, unable to move my leg. As I attempted to move slowly, I suddenly lost my balance and fell, screaming out in pain. Prem rushed back into the room.
"Are you out of your mind? Do you know your condition? Are you trying to make things worse?" Prem shouted, clearly angry.
Tears streamed down my face as I wiped them away. Prem sat beside me, trying to hold my hand, but I pushed him away. "I don't want to talk to you. I want to see your face! How dare you turn your back on me when I asked you to stay for a while? Did I ask for your help? Did I ask you to perform the operation or take me home? I don't need you. I hate you! I hate you!" I shouted, my tears flowing uncontrollably.
Prem hugged me tightly as I pounded on his back in anger. He held me firmly until my tears subsided. I wiped my face and looked up at him, noticing the calmness in his expression.
"I will stay with you for however long you need. There's no need to sulk," Prem said softly.
"I'm not sulking anymore," I replied, pouting.
"Now tell me what you need. Why were you trying to get out of bed?" Prem asked gently.
In a strained voice, I said, "I need to use the bathroom."
"Alright, let me help you," Prem said. He wrapped my arm around his shoulder and held my waist with his left hand. I felt a sense of ease as he supported me, almost as if he was bearing all my weight. I placed my other hand on the bed to stand up.
"Turn around," I instructed Prem.
I covered my leg with the bed sheet and tried to untie the knot on my shirt. With my nails recently cut, it was difficult to loosen it.
Prem turned away as I asked. "He pulled my hands away and started working on the knot himself. I immediately tried to push him away.
"Seriously, Arav? This isn't the first time I've touched you. I've changed your clothes multiple times, even in the operating theater. And now you're still shy in front of me?" Prem said, his tone raised.
"Those things happened while I was unconscious. How could I not be embarrassed?" I retorted.
"Fine, help yourself," he said casually, turning to leave the room.
"Wait, okay, help me," I said, seeing Prem turn back with a small smile.
"Don't smile like that. It makes me feel embarrassed," I said softly. He nodded and approached me again. He lifted my shirt, holding the knot without touching my skin. His nails were cut short, just like mine, and he struggled to undo the knot.
Then, he brought his mouth to the knot and held it between his teeth. I pushed him gently. "What are you doing?" I asked in a low voice.
"Do you want to use the bathroom or not?" Prem asked, meeting my gaze.
I nodded, and he leaned his head towards the knot, trying to loosen it with his teeth. The warmth of his breath against my belly was intense, and I struggled to control my thoughts as my thoughts were in dirty way, by seeing Prem in that Position, I felt his chin brushing against my boxer. I tried hard to stay focused, but the sensation was overwhelming.
I was slowly trying to touch Prem's hair, my breathing becoming faster. Just then, the door swung open, and I saw Indu's face turn to shock as she saw us in that situation. Panicking, I quickly covered Prem with the bed sheet. Indu, clearly flustered, shut the door behind her.
Prem pulled the bed sheet off with a small smile. "It's loose now," he said, just as Indu opened the door again. "I just wanted to say I am sorry to disturb you. Continue, I'll come back later." She closed the door quickly, leaving Prem looking puzzled.
"Oh God, what do I do now?" I muttered. "I think your little boy is in urgent need to pee." I noticed Prem's gaze lingered on my condition, clearly amused but also acknowledging that my situation had become more complicated due to my wild thoughts about the scenario.
He helped me to the bathroom, supporting me as I relieved myself. When we returned to the room, Prem brought me some food. "Have this; you need to take your medicine," he said gently.
"No, I don't want to," I sulked.
"Oh God, why are you so difficult?" Prem sighed, clearly irritated. "If you want me to eat, then tell me everything about you," I bargained.
"I can't tell you anything right now. Just eat the food," Prem said, trying to placate me.
"Okay, then do me a favor." I pointed to a box of assorted jellies. Prem went over, brought the box, and opened it. Seeing all the different flavors made my mouth water.
As I reached for the jellies, Prem pulled back. "No, not until you've recovered," he said firmly.
"Then I won't eat," I sulked again.
"Fine, you can have one," he relented. My face brightened at his concession.
"But you need to feed me. I'm a bit lazy and don't want to feed myself," I added. Prem nodded and came closer, feeding me with his hands.
"Stop, I want you to feed me with your hands," I insisted. Prem, ever patient, complied, feeding me the food. Each time his fingers brushed my lips, he smiled slightly.
"You seem so smiley today," I remarked.
"It tickles when your lips touch my fingers," he admitted quietly. I tried to avoid touching his lips to keep things comfortable.
After I finished eating and took my medicine, Prem set the box of jellies aside and asked, "Which flavor do you want?"
"I want pineapple," I replied. He unwrapped a jelly and placed it in my hand. I enjoyed it happily until there was a knock on the door. Both Prem and I said, "Come in," at the same time. Indu entered with a small paper bag.
We chatted for about 30 minutes as Indu updated us on her day. I felt a bit embarrassed about how she had seen me and Prem. "I just couldn't open the thread; it was tangled," I tried to explain, feeling awkward.
"Okay, bye Arav. It's getting late, and I need to head home," Indu said sweetly. She handed the paper bag to Prem and added, "It's best to use these things when you have fun."
Prem peeked into the bag as Indu left. I noticed and asked, "Did she give you something?"
"Nothing," Prem replied firmly.
"Give me the bag, right now," I demanded, my voice more serious. Reluctantly, Prem handed it over. Inside were condoms and lubricants. I threw the bag aside, shocked. "That's why I didn't want you to see the bag; you might feel bad."
Prem, understanding my discomfort, put the items on the rack. Exhausted from the day and the effects of the medicine, I went to sleep.