Page 17 of Shattered

“I must say, you have a caring girlfriend. You’d better value her and stop giving her a hard time before she leaves you for good,” I tease.

He grins at me. “Oh, she’ll never leave me. But I’ll definitely take your advice. I can’t let you be the only one holding me accountable, right?”

I shake my head at his cockiness and ask, “When is she coming back?”

“It’s a year-long project,”he says, making a face.

“Ouch, that’s awfully long,” I say.

“Yeah, it is. But she’s thrilled about the opportunity, and we’ll make it work. Also, it’ll give me plenty of time to figure out how to be a better boyfriend.”

“Wow, happy to hear that,” I reply with a smile.

Just then,Reyansh walks in, with Aunty close behind. I suddenly feel my heart racing in my chest, just like it does every time I see him. God! His unexpected appearance in my life has thrown me completely off balance.

“Are you feeling okay?” Reyansh asks, standing beside my bed withhis hands tucked into his jeans pockets.

“Yeah, I’m,” I assure him.

“Kavya, you didn’t tell me about your special friend,” Aunty complains with a playful smirk, standing next to Reyansh. I roll my eyes, knowing exactly what’s going on in her mind.

“Aunty, we just met yesterday, so we still don’t qualify as friends for me to fill you in,” I clarify, noticing everyone looking at me as if they don’t believe a word I am saying.

“Is that so?” Aunty asks with a mischievous grin.

“You didn’t even tell me about him, Kavya. I thought we were friends,” Akash adds to the banter.

Reyansh raises his eyebrows. “Seriously, Kavya, that’s not good keeping me a hidden secret,” he teases.

I throw my hands up inexasperation. “Seriously?I’ve just gotten out of the hospital, and you all are having fun at my expense. That’s so not fair,” I huff, folding my arms over my chest.

“Sorry, but you know how much we like fooling around with you,” Akash says as he bends to kiss my cheek.Out of the corner of my eye, I see Reyansh shooting daggers at him.

Aunty then pulls out two chairs for herself and Reyansh, setting them next to my bed. We all settle into an easy conversation, and a few minutes later, I let out a small yawn.

“Sorry, I think the medicines are kicking in,” I say sleepilyas they all stand up, nodding in understanding.

“You need to rest. We shall leave now. Just give me a call if you need anything,” Akash says.

“I will,” I reply with a grateful smile.

“Kavya, Mom sent carrot pudding for you. Aunty has put it in the fridge,” Reyansh says.

I nod, a lump forming in my throat. “Thank you for coming, and please let your mom know that I’ll definitely enjoy the pudding.”

“See you soon,” Reyansh says softly. He then reaches down, takes my mobile from the side table, types on it, and drops the mobile in my lap, squeezing my hand gently. “I’ve saved my number. Call me if you need me,” he adds.

I nod, my heart fluttering with butterflies, making it hard to find the words. This man is evoking feelings in me that I am trying so hard to avoid.

With a gulp, I watch as Reyansh and Akash make their way out of my room.

“So, Reyansh, huh?” Aunty’s voice pulls my attention back to her.

“Aunty, I’m really sleepy,” I say, avoiding the conversation as I slip back under the blankets.

Aunty chuckles softly. “I’ll let you off the hook for now, but we are definitely going to have this conversation later,” she says, kissing my cheek before walking out of the room.

I sigh, feeling Reyansh stir up emotions that I’ve kept hidden in my heart. I close my eyes, hoping to drift into sleep, but my mind refuses to rest as it swirls with these newfound feelings. No, I can’t give in to this temptation; I need to stay strong and avoid getting swept away in this sea of emotions.

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