16. Emergency Call
Rakshit was discussing a deal with a few clients in his cabin when his phone suddenly vibrated.
His eyes went to the screen and the moment he saw Shivika, he picked up instantly.
"A… k… sh…"
Her broken, crying voice came from the other side.
His heart stopped.
He stood up so fast that the chair screeched behind him.
"Ika, what happened? Why are you crying?" Panic coated every word.
"Ak… sh… come… home…" she managed to say through sobs.
"I'm coming. I'm coming right now," he said, already moving towards the door.
"Stay on the call with me. Tell me, are you hurt? Are you safe?"
By the time he finished, he was already in the parking lot. Rahul ran behind him, calling his name, but Rakshit didn't stop.
Nothing mattered.
No one mattered except her.
If anything happens to her, I won't survive. No… no… nothing will happen. Nothing.
His thoughts were a storm, choking him.
"No… no…" Shivika whispered from the phone.
That one word made him breathe again.
"Don't cry, bacche, please," his voice cracked. "I'm on my way. I'm coming."
Her hiccupping sobs reached him, making his heartbeat race faster.
"Bacche, talk to me. Please say something," he begged, his eyes burning with unshed tears as he pressed the accelerator harder.
He reached the society in record time. Slamming the car door shut, he ran towards the lift.
By God's grace, it was already on the ground floor. He hit their floor number repeatedly.
"Ika… bacche…" he whispered into the phone.
No answer.
He looked at the screen-no network.
"Shit," he muttered, his chest tightening.
The lift doors opened. He rushed out and saw Satyam standing outside their house.
"Satyam… keys," Rakshit said, not stopping for explanations.
Without a word, Satyam handed them over, stunned by Rakshit's condition, his coat missing, two buttons of his shirt open, hair messy, sweat glistening on his forehead, eyes wild with fear.
Rakshit unlocked the door and rushed inside. The living room was empty.
"Ika!"
He ran to the bedroom and pushed the door open.
There she was.
Sitting on the bed, tissues clutched in her trembling hands, eyes red and swollen. The moment she saw him, her control broke completely.
"Aksh…" she cried, stretching her arms towards him.
He crossed the distance in two steps and pulled her into his chest, holding her as if she might disappear if he loosened his grip.
His hand moved soothingly on her back.
"Shhh… bacche," he whispered, his own voice shaking. "I'm here now. I'm here."
Shivika buried her face deeper into his chest, crying freely, while Rakshit held her tighter, relieved, shaken, and grateful that she was safe… right there in his arms.
Rakshit kept rubbing her back in slow, comforting circles. After a moment, he leaned back slightly to look at her face.
Her eyes were red from crying, lashes wet, cheeks flushed a deep pink.
The sight made his heart clench painfully.
He gently wiped her tears, his thumb brushing over her cheeks while she looked at him silently, still hiccupping.
"What happened?" he asked softly.
"At least tell me why you are crying so much."
Shivika didn't answer. Instead, she turned her face to the side. Rakshit followed her gaze and his eyes fell on the comb lying nearby, filled with strands of hair.
"I am having so much hair fall, Aksh," she said in a trembling voice. "This is nothing. During hair wash, it's almost triple of this."
Rakshit looked at the comb, then back at her, then again at the comb, his jaw tightening.
"And my weight is also increasing," she continued quietly. "You know… the clothes in the cupboard are not fitting me anymore."
As if exhausted from holding everything in, she rested her head against his chest. Instinctively, his hand moved back to her spine, rubbing gently, grounding her.
That's when he truly noticed what she was wearing.
His shirt.
And a pair of loose lowers, ones she had never worn before.
For a moment, his breath caught in his throat. Seeing her in his shirt, trying to hide herself, made something twist inside him.
A soft smile tugged at his lips, his cheeks and ears slowly turning red.
Shivika looked up at him, confused by his sudden silence.
"Akshh," she whined softly when he still didn't respond.
Instead of answering, Rakshit took her hand gently and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to her elbows.
Realisation dawned on her face.
"Actually… um…I wasn't feeling comfortable in those clothes, so I took your shirt. I feel better in this. Sorry, I didn't ask you-" she stammered, suddenly shy.
She stopped mid-sentence when Rakshit leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
His lips stayed there for a few seconds, warm and reassuring.
Her cheeks turned crimson instantly.
Who would believe she had been crying rivers just moments ago?
"You can take anything of mine without asking and in the evening, we'll go shopping. Don't worry. We'll buy all the clothes that make you comfortable, okay?" He said gently.
His fingers moved through her hair with care, as if she were made of glass. Shivika didn't look up, still too shy.
Rakshit cupped her face in his palms and lifted it so she had no choice but to meet his eyes.
"I'm sorry," she murmured guiltily.
She felt bad for calling him home over something so small, especially when he had gone to office after a whole week, and that too for important work.
"For what?" Rakshit asked, raising an eyebrow.
"For calling you here for silly things," she said quietly. "And now everything is okay… you can go back."
Her voice was soft, almost childish, the tone he loved the most.
He looked at her for a second, then smirked.
(You scared the life out of me, and now you're saying everything is fine?)
Shivika felt butterflies explode in her stomach. This man had come running from office just because she was crying.
Maybe it wasn't a big thing for the world but for her, it meant everything.
"I am not at fault," she said suddenly, raising a finger at him.
"Everything is your fault."
"Huh?" Rakshit frowned in confusion. "How exactly?"
The moment the words left her mouth, her eyes widened. She bit her lower lip, mentally slapping herself.
It wasn't a lie but she hadn't meant to say it out loud.
Rakshit stared at her, stunned.
Then he spoke, breaking the silence.
She looked at him in disbelief. He wasn't teasing. He was completely serious.
Before she could respond, Rakshit pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her neck.
Shivika wrapped her arms around him just as tightly, finally finding the comfort and solace she had been craving since he left for office.
They stayed like that quiet, warm, safe until Rakshit's phone rang.
Shivika tried to pull away, but he didn't let her go. Still holding her with one arm, he pulled out his phone with the other and put it to his ear, refusing to loosen his grip even for a second.
Because for him, work could wait.
"Yes, Rahul," Rakshit said, his voice calm but firm.
He listened for a moment, eyes still on Shivika, arms loosely around her.
"No," he said clearly. "I'm not coming back. Shivika needs me. You handle everything, and I'll inform you about my schedule later."
Before Rahul could say anything more, Rakshit cut the call and tossed the phone onto the bed without a second thought.
Then he wrapped both his arms around Shivika again, pulling her close to his chest.
Shivika smiled softly, her heart feeling lighter than it had all day.
She rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him.
"You really didn't have to stay," she said, though her eyes betrayed how happy she was.
Rakshit looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. "Oh, really?"
"Yes," she nodded innocently. "I told you I'm fine now."
He hummed thoughtfully.
"That's interesting."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because five minutes ago," he said casually, "someone was crying so hard that I almost broke traffic rules."
Her eyes widened.
"I did not cry that much."
Rakshit gasped dramatically.
"Wow. So now you're also denying it?"
She pushed his chest lightly.
"You're exaggerating."
"Am I?" he leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Should I remind you how you said my name on the call?"
She froze.
"Don't."
"'Aksh… come home…'" he mimicked softly, clearly enjoying her embarrassment.
Shivika's cheeks turned red instantly.
"Rakshit!"
He laughed, the sound warm and light, and hugged her tighter.
She hid her face in his chest, groaning.
"This is why I didn't want to tell you I was missing you."
"Oh no," he said smugly. "Too late for that."
She peeked up at him.
"You're enjoying this way too much."
"Of course I am," he replied easily.
She rolled her eyes. "I never said that."
"You literally did," he said, tapping her nose gently. "Word for word."
She sighed in defeat.
"Fine. Maybe I missed you a little."
"A little?" he repeated.
She raised two fingers. "This much."
He smiled softly, that smile which always made her heart flutter.
"Good. Because I missed you a lot."
Her teasing expression faded into something tender. She wrapped her arms around his waist again, holding him close.
"Next time I won't panic you like this," she said quietly.
Rakshit pressed his forehead against hers. "Next time, you'll still call me."
She looked at him questioningly.
Her eyes softened.
"Because whether I'm in office or anywhere else," he added gently, "this is where I belong."
She smiled, feeling safe, cherished and completely loved as he hugged her once more, refusing to let go.
Rakshit didn't leave her side even for a minute after that.
He made her sit comfortably and brought food himself, feeding her slowly despite her weak protests.
She barely had the energy to argue. Between the exhaustion and all the crying, her body had given up.
"Eat properly," he said gently, holding the spoon near her lips. "You need it more than you think."
She obeyed quietly, her eyes half-lidded, trusting him completely.