68. The Testimony #4
One wrong move and he would bite.
So instead of saying anything, I quietly walked into the washroom and turned on the shower.
The warm water washed away some of the exhaustion weighing on my body. I felt myself breathe properly.
After changing into my night clothes, I stepped out and spent a few minutes on the balcony drying my hair. The cool breeze felt comforting against my skin.
Once my hair was mostly dry, I left the towel outside and completed my skincare routine.
The entire time, Yugant didn't say a single word. Neither did I.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I finally walked towards the bed and carefully lay down on my side.
My back facing him. My eyes closed. Minutes passed but sleep seemed just as far away from me as it was from him.
Maybe because somewhere along the way, I had gotten used to falling asleep in his arms.
God. It's so difficult.
A quiet sigh escaped me. I was just about to turn towards him when I felt the mattress dip behind me.
My breath hitched as his warmth surrounded me from behind.
His arm slipped around my waist and pulled me closer without a single word. His face buried itself in my hair, and I felt his slow breath against my neck as he inhaled the scent of my shampoo.
The breath I took after that felt like finally reaching home after wandering lost for days.
The tightness that had been sitting in my chest since morning eased a little.
Not because our problems had disappeared or everything was suddenly fine. But because despite the anger, the silence, and the hurt, he was still here.
Still holding me. Still choosing me.
"I am sorry."
His whisper brushed against my ear, and despite everything that had happened today, a small smile finally found its way to my lips.
"For what exactly?" I asked, trying very hard to sound serious.
"For the way I behaved." His arms tightened around me. "I should've controlled my temper. Please forgive me."
God. This man.
The way he said it made it impossible to stay upset with him.
Slowly, I turned towards him.
The moment our eyes met, he gently pushed me back against the mattress and rested his head on my chest.
I didn't protest.
Instead, my fingers slipped into his hair, combing through the dark strands that had grown longer than usual. He really needed a haircut.
The thought almost made me smile.
Almost. Because a second later, I felt something warm against my t-shirt.
My hand immediately moved to his face.
My heart dropped. He was crying.
"Yugant..." My voice softened instantly. "You're crying."
He didn't answer. He just stayed there.
Silent. Broken.
I gently cupped his face and lifted it towards me. His eyes were red. Wet.
Filled with something that looked like guilt.
"What happened?" I asked quietly. My chest felt tight. I wasn't used to seeing him like this.
The man who always stood strong for everyone else suddenly looked exhausted.
"I..." He swallowed hard. "I'm just missing Mom and Dad."
His voice came out rough. As if every word hurt."They trusted Dhrithi with me." His eyes dropped. "And I couldn't protect her."
"Yugant-"
"No." He shook his head. "Let me finish."
I stayed silent.
"They left her in my care." His jaw clenched. "And while I was busy handling everything else, some monster got close to her. He manipulated her, used her, blackmailed her and I didn't even know."
A tear rolled down his cheek.
"I keep thinking... what if I had paid more attention? What if I had checked on her sooner? What if I hadn't been so busy?"
His voice broke.
"When I grabbed her arm today, she flinched."
The words shattered something inside me.
"She looked scared of me, Dhwani." His eyes closed. "And all I could think was that Mom and Dad would've been disappointed."
I immediately shook my head. "No. They wouldn't. Dhrithika isn't a child anymore, Yugant." My fingers brushed away the tears on his face. "You didn't introduce Ruben into her life. You didn't force her to trust him. And you definitely didn't blackmail her."
His expression remained pained.
"Then why does it feel like I failed her?"
"Because you love her." The answer came without hesitation. "Because she's your little sister and you think you're supposed to protect her from every bad thing in the world."
My thumb traced his cheek. "But that's impossible."
He remained silent.
"You know what I saw today?" I asked softly.
"What?"
"I saw a brother who was terrified for his sister."
His eyes filled again.
"I didn't see a man who failed."
I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"Dhrithika doesn't need an angry brother right now."
My fingers slipped through his hair again.
"She needs the same brother who raised her, spoiled her and stood beside her after losing your parents."
A weak laugh escaped him.
"And trust me, nobody can do that better than you."
I pulled him back into my arms and rested my chin on his head.
"You're not failing her, Yugant. You're just hurting both of you just because you love her so much."
My Yugant is broken?????