"I think I should go look… "
The line went dead. I stared at the black screen of my phone, a sob rising in my throat. I felt like a nuisance, but the dread in my gut was louder than my pride.
Another hour crawled by. I sat on the sofa, eyes glued to the driveway. Finally, the sweep of headlights cut through the room. I jumped to my feet and ran to the gate.
Abhiraj was there, his face tight with anger and exhaustion. He was half-carrying Saurav, whose head hung low, his feet dragging through the gravel. The stench of stale whiskey hit me before they even reached the door.
"Just don't listen to whatever shit he’s spitting," Abhiraj hissed, his eyes darting to me then back to my husband in his arms. "He’s out of his mind."
I reached out to support Saurav’s weight, but Abhiraj stepped back, blocking me. "I've got him. Just... stay back, Kavya."
He hauled Saurav into the bedroom. I followed, desperate to help, but Abhiraj pointed toward the door. "Get out of the room. Please."
I stepped out, my heart hammering against my ribs. Minutes passed like hours. Finally, Abhiraj called me back in.
"I told you to leave me, you bastard!" Saurav slurred. He had lunged forward, his fingers bunched in the collar of Abhiraj’s shirt. Abhiraj didn't flinch. He simply pried Saurav’s hands away with practiced ease and straightened his own clothes.
Saurav let out a sharp, jagged laugh that sounded like breaking glass. He turned his bloodshot eyes toward Abhiraj, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. "Have you slept with my wife yet? She’s got a great body, hasn't she?"
I froze, the air leaving my lungs.
"How much did she charge you?" Saurav sneered, leaning in close to his friend's face. "To get you into her bed?"
The sound of the punch was sickeningly loud. Abhiraj’s fist connected with Saurav’s jaw, sending him reeling back onto the bed. I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth.
"Speak dirty about your wife again, and I’ll kill you myself," Abhiraj hissed, his voice vibrating with rage.
Saurav wiped a trickle of blood from his nose with his hand, his eyes dancing with a manic, terrifying light. "Aww... you’re obsessed with her, aren't you?"
Abhiraj thought of another punch but I rushed forward. "Please, stop! Abhiraj, clean the blood, please."
Abhiraj took a deep, shuddering breath. He reached for the first aid kit on the dresser and began to dab at the cut on Saurav’s face. Saurav relaxed a bit as he squeezed his eyes and again that same grief overtook him.
"I should have listened to him," Saurav whispered, his voice cracking. "I should have told him... how much I cared." He looked up at Abhiraj, his eyes swimming with sudden clarity and immense pain. "I should have chosen the business, Abhi. Not the military. I’m fucked up. I killed him. I’m a murderer."
Abhiraj froze, the cotton swab hovering in the air. He looked at Saurav for a long beat before pulling him into a hard, silent embrace. "Shh," he murmured. "Just be quiet now."
Saurav went still. He closed his eyes and let himself be held, a broken man among ruins. I watched them from the doorway, feeling like a ghost in my own home. Saurav was broken beyond anything I knew how to fix.
Eventually, my husband drifted into a heavy, alcohol-induced sleep. Abhiraj stood up and walked toward me, his face lined with shadows. "It’s not easy," he said softly.
"Where did you find him?"
"A club," he said. His voice was stiff, his gaze shifting away from mine.
"Thank you, Abhiraj."
He reached out, taking my hand in his for a brief moment. "Listen to me. Whatever he said tonight... don't take it to heart. He isn't himself. Just stay close to him, Kavya. No matter how hard he tries to push you away, don't let go." He paused for a moment. “I have to leave for Africa for a few days on business. Take care of him and yourself while I’m gone.”
I nodded and said nothing.
"Do you want me to stay?" He asked, surprising me.
I looked at the man on the bed, then back at Abhiraj. "No. Go home. You've done enough."
After Abhiraj left, I walked back to the bedside. I sat on the edge of the mattress, watching the shallow rise and fall of Saurav’s chest. I missed him so much it felt like an ache in my bones, even though he was lying right in front of me.
He shifted in his sleep, turning his face toward the pillow. That’s when I saw it.