Then Arshi adjusted a samll pillow beneath her neck, Ishaan and stood near bed, faces tired but anxious. They weren't her blood family, not childhood friends but they still care about her.
Hotel room was silents.
Only Devika's uneven breathing.
Vikram sat beside the bed, he didn't look away from devika. His shoulder were tense.
He was still in his suit, tie loosened, hairs slightly messed from long working day.
But, there was something in him, that didn't fit his usual image of CEO, of power and of steel.
Vikram looked like a storm. That he is holding together
After a few minutes, he said.
"Go to your rooms" he said, cold voice.
Ishaan blinked,"sir"
"She needs rest. And so do all of you" Vikram said, cold voice.
Karan said instantly," we can stay"
"No" vikram didn't raise his volume, but the word cracked through the room like a command." You did what you could. Now leave it to me."
Neither of two boys moved.
Ishaan and karan exchange looks. The kind of where they knew they didn't want to go.
Ishaan looked at Devika again, his eyes protective." She gets scared of hospitals" he murmured.
Ishaan whispers," if her fever spark, she will get panic."
"I am not taking her anywhere," vikram cut him in between his sentence. Expression unreadable." I already called my family doctor. He will be here before anyone else wakes up.
That sentence shocked them.
Not " a doctor."
Not "a nearby clinic."
His family doctor.
Ishaan swallowed,"you called him for her?"
"Do you want me wait until she collapses?"vikram said, cold voice.
Ishaan shut his mouth.
Karan also didn't say anything.
"I am staying," he said, low voice."she gets calm when she hears familiar voice."
Vikram gaze lifted slowly.
Dark.
Deep.
"No" vikram said.
"But" ishaan said.
"GO. To. Your. Room."
The last three words were not loud.
They were sharp.
Ishaan stiffened.
There was no space to argue with that tone.
Not tonight.
Karan gently touched ishaan elbow,"come on."
Ishaan hesitated, then glanced at Devika.
She looked smaller than she ever had, someone who could break if fever pressed harder.
He drew a shaky breath.
And he understood.
Vikram was here. Also arshi.
And that meant, she wasn't alone.
Both boys said goodnight to Arshi.
Then they looked at devika one last time. Like they were scared the moment they stepped out. She will disappear.
Then, they left.
Now only Arshi and vikram present.
Arshi was sat on bed beside Devika, stroking her hair gently. Devika lashed flutters, tiny noises escaping he mouth that didn't sound like words, but just fragments of discomfort.
Vikram sat motionless.
Too still
His eyes fixed on devika, her breathing, every tremor of her fever.
After few minutes he spoke.
"You will message me if her condition worsens" he said, steady voice.
Arshi noded immediately, "i will."
He turned his head slightly, looking at her properly for the first time."i mean it, the moment anything changes, temperature, breathing, if she starts shaking again. You will inform me."
"I understand"she said, low voice.
She wasn't scared of him
But she respected him
And tonight, she could see clearly that he wasn't the ruthless boss everyone feared.
Vikram took out his phone and pressed a contact. Rishi's name pop up, the familier number highlighted on screen.
A second later, a small buzz. Rishi had forward his contract to Arshi's phone.
Arshi's phone lit up with message.
She noded."i have got it"
"Memorize it", vikram said.
She blinked,"okay"
Vikram exhaled slowly, still staring at devika.
"She will get better." Arshi whispered.
Vikram jaw tightened"she has to."
Then he left from there.
Vikram walked down the empty hotel hallway, rishi waited near the elevator, two paper bags in hand, medicines, sport drinks, electrolyte packets, even a thermometer.
Vikram took the bag" doctor's flight?"
"Boarding in forty minutes" Rishi replied,"he will reach by morning"
Vikram noded."good"
He reached his room, swiped the card
Entered.
A silence pressed against him, the moment he shut the door. Not peaceful, but suffocationg. The kind of that suffocation which forces you to think about everything you want to avoid.
He threw the bags on desk and sat on edge of bed, elbows on knees, head bowed.
He never panicked.
He never showed weakness.
Not even a boarding meetings, not when every shareholder looked at him like a kid who inherited power, instead of earning it.
But tonight.
Tonight, devika's trembling didn't leave his mind. Her forehead burning like she was made of fire. Her fingers curling around blanket like she was trying to hide her pain.
Vikram pressed his palms into his thighs, inhaling slowly.
Get grip.
She just had a fever. Normal. People fall sick. They recover.
He told himself this again and again.
Yet, everytime her face flashed in his memory, and then again the doubts returned.
What if she fainted when no one was looking?
What if the fever didn't break?
What if she woke up and couldn't breathe?
He pulled out his phone and opened security footage of the hallway camera outside Devika's room. Still quiet. No movements were there.
He watched it like a guard watching the front gate of fortress.
Minutes passed.
Then half an hour.
Then an hour.
Vikram didn't even lay down.
His back hurt.
Neck stiff.
But he stayed sitting, eyes fixed on screen, waiting for Arshi's message.
It never came.
Meanwhile in Devika room.
Arshi sat against the headboard, hand resting on devika's arm.
The fever wasn't gone, but it had relief. No more violent shivering, just trembling. Her breath came smoother, less painful.
Every few minutes, she would whispers something. Words without meaning, random names, or office task fragments.
At one point, she mumbled." Deadline...don't be late...please don't.."
Arshi wiped devika forehead and whispered," you didn't enough. Sleep."
Ishaan and karan had messaged three times. They didn't dare to go in devika room.
She replied simply," she is still sleeping."
Then silence
The night passed very slow. The kind that stretches time like rubbed. Each seconding pulling nervers thiner.