Can't help falling in love

Chapter 22

"Hello,  Arjun?"
Said a familiar voice
His sleep and grogginess completely vanished. He quickly began collecting his things and looked for Meera in the bathroom, he slowly moved towards the balcony and saw Meera helping Dadu walk in the garden.

He quickly texted her "Need to leave for some emergency, hope you can come home on your own", putting his coat around his arm, he sneaked out of the house before anyone could stop him.
_

Meera held dadu's hands, as fleshy as they used to be, now they were frail, skins wrinkled like an old polythene bag and veins popping out of it. It was a routine before, Dadu and her walking briskly for hours in the garden.

Today however was different, it was the first time in weeks that Dadu had stepped out of the house and even before he could fully complete 2 rounds, he was breathless and asking for help. All the members of the family were quickly summoned and they helped get Dadu back in.

Meera felt a tiny twinge; here was a man who felt weaker than ever and it only made her heart week. She felt herself sinking, she couldn't bare to stay in her own house for a minute, unable to find Arjun in her room, she checked her phone and on finding a message, quickly retreated to the the Goenka Mansion

_

Meera entered her room and finally removed her shades, so no one could see her puffy swollen eyes or her worrisome face. She went and set down on the floor, with the support of her bed and clasped her knees closer to her chest. She slowly went back in time as she took out an album that she had carried from home, she controlled her tears as she let her nose take over.

She couldn't process it, it pained her so much to see such a jolly man in so much pain, so dependent that he couldn't walk!

She almost forgot how time went past, before she knew it, she was lying on the bed, in a while Kurta, aimlessly, staring outta the window. She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Aakash peeped in, "Meera? You're home? You shouldve told us! We had lunch because we thought you were at your mom's place!" He said entering the room

She straightened herself, wiped her nose with her hand and checked to see if her eyes had accidentally teared up.

"Its okay jiju, I'm not hungry anyway"

Aakash looked at her face and walked briskly towards her, "what's wrong!? Are you fine?" He said concerned, looking at her face

"Yeah I was jist having a light head ache, dont worry" she said smiling a little

"Do you want some medicine?"

"I already took it"she lied hoping she could get off the hook and Aakash would leave, what she really wanted now was to be alone

"Achha listen, where is bhai?" aakash asked coming to the point why had come to her room for, in the first place

"I dont know jiju, he told me he had some work and left early in the morning" Meera said looking at her phone for the time, it was 5.10

"He didnt say where he was going was he?"

"No, but why? Is everything okay?" Meera asked sitting up a little attentively

"No,actually, Nobody knows where he is and he isnt even picking his phone or replying to the texts, that's why I'm worried" Aakash explained skeptically

"Maybe there is some office work?" Meera guessed

"I went to the office, he hasnt been there" Aakash explained as he sat down on the bed

"Jiju, is there something else that you're hiding from me?" Meera asked sensing his impatience and restlessness, a deviation from Aakash's usual composure