After 2 weeks

Shubman stepped into the house, the warm dim lights of the hall greeting him. He let out a quiet sigh-thankfully, everyone had listened to him today.

Earlier, he had informed them that he would be returning home late from a meeting and told them not to wait for him. Now, the house was bathed in a comforting silence, the kind that felt like a lullaby after a long, exhausting day.

As he climbed the stairs toward their room, his steps slowed when he noticed something odd. The hallway had been dimly lit, yet their bedroom was completely dark. A slight frown settled on his face.

Pushing the door open, he switched on the lights and called out, "Sara."

A faint groan met his ears. His head snapped toward the bed, and his frown deepened when he saw her curled up beneath the blanket.

Worry immediately etched onto his face as he hurried toward her. She stirred slightly, trying to sit up, but before she could, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and the other on her forehead. No fever.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

She nodded, closing her eyes briefly, though she looked completely drained.

He wasn't convinced. He was about to press further when she cut him off. "Did you have your dinner?" she asked, changing the subject.

Shubman nodded, but the truth was, he hadn't eaten. He had been too caught up in work to bother. But he didn't tell her-he knew if she found out, she would insist on making something for him despite looking barely able to stand.

She raised a skeptical brow, sensing his lie. Before he could dodge, his stomach betrayed him, letting out a low growl.

He shut his eyes in irritation and muttered something under his breath. Sara, despite her exhaustion, let out a small chuckle.

"Go freshen up. I'll bring you food," she said, pushing the blanket aside and attempting to get up.

He grabbed her wrist before she could. "No need. You should rest. I'll eat later."

She shot him a glare, clearly unimpressed. "I said na I'll bring it, so just go already!"

He tried to argue, but there was no point-she wouldn't listen. With a sigh, he relented and headed to the washroom.

By the time he returned, she was already at the door, setting down the plate on the side table. But something was wrong.

Her movements were hurried, almost too hurried. His brows furrowed as he watched her hands tremble slightly.

Just as she placed the plate down, she staggered. Before she could collapse onto the cold floor, Shubman lunged forward, catching her just in time.

"Sara!" he called, patting her cheek lightly, his heart racing.

She didn't respond. Her body was limp in his arms, her face eerily pale. Panic gripped him, his breath hitching.

Without wasting a second, he scooped her up and rushed downstairs, shouting for the driver. "Take us to the hospital. Now."

The entire ride, he held her tightly, his fingers gripping her hand as if afraid to let go.

When they reached the hospital, he didn't wait for anyone. He carried her inside, desperation lacing his voice as he called for a doctor.

"Doctor! My wife-she just fainted, and she's not waking up. Please do something," he nearly pleaded, his voice breaking.

The doctor immediately calmed him and ushered them into a patient room. As Shubman gently laid her down on the bed, his hands never left hers.

The examination felt like it lasted an eternity. Every passing second felt heavier than the last. Finally, the doctor turned to him with a reassuring look.

"Don't worry. It's due to her period-her blood pressure dropped too low, which caused her to faint."

Shubman exhaled sharply, a wave of relief washing over him. Stupid. He had imagined the worst.

"She must have lost a lot of blood," the doctor continued. "It's not extremely serious, but if this keeps happening frequently, you should have her properly checked. It's not a good sign."

Shubman nodded, absorbing every word.

"When will she wake up?" he asked quietly.

"She should regain consciousness in a few minutes," the doctor assured. "We'll give her some saline and prescribed medication to help."

A nurse arrived with the necessary items, and the doctor placed the IV drip into her arm. The moment the needle pricked her skin, Sara stirred, her fingers instinctively tightening around Shubman's hand.

Feeling her movement, he immediately turned toward her, relief flooding his face.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the surroundings. When her gaze met his, she let out a relieved sigh before glancing down at the IV in her hand.

The doctor, watching the exchange, smiled knowingly.

"Make sure she doesn't overexert herself. Once her period is over, she'll be fine," he advised.

Shubman sighed. "I told her to rest, but she never listens to me." His eyes never left her, frustration and affection mingling in his gaze.

The doctor chuckled. "That's how it is."

As the medical staff left, the room grew silent.

"Sorry," Sara whispered weakly. "And... thank you."

His heart clenched. "Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault. It's mine. If I had paid attention earlier, this wouldn't have happened."

She smiled softly. "It's okay. I'm fine now."

"Not yet," he countered. "You need to eat something first."

She scrunched her nose. "Ew, that hospital bland food? No way."

He chuckled. "Relax. I ordered your favorite."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Pav bhaji?"

He nodded, amused by the sudden excitement in her face.

Soon, the driver entered with the food. "Sorry, Kaka, because of me-"

"Beta, your health comes first," the driver said kindly before leaving.

Shubman set the food up, but when she tried to eat, the IV restricted her movement. Seeing her struggle, he simply picked up a bite and held it to her lips.

She ate with a smile, but after a few bites, she pushed his hand away. "I'm full now."

"Nope. You're finishing it. Fir se gir gayi toh!"

"Shubman!" she whined, glaring at him.

He smirked. "agar tum nahi khaogi toh mujhe zabardasti se khilana padega."

She raised a brow, challenging, she leaned towards him slightly, feigning innocence "Zabardasti karoge mere sath?"

He leaned in slightly. "karu kya?"

A teasing smile tugged at her lips as she leaned in too. They stayed there, eyes locked, smiles playing on their lips-until the door creaked open.

A nurse froze in place before clearing her throat awkwardly. "Um... I need to remove the IV."

They both immediately straightened, faces heating up. Shubman coughed and stepped back while Sara looked away, embarrassed.

Once the IV was removed, his phone rang. "Nush Bhabhi's calling. I'll be back in a minute," he said before stepping out.

Later that night, when they were finally home, he noticed her pale face again.

"Sara," he murmured. "Turn around."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Just turn."

She did, her back facing him. He gently curled his fist and began pressing soft, rhythmic hits against her lower back, easing the pain.

A relieved sigh escaped her lips. "You still remember?"

He smiled. "I never forget."

Her breath hitched slightly at his quiet confession.

As she drifted into sleep, he kept going, exhaustion weighing on him. Eventually, he too fell asleep-his hand still resting against her back.

••••••

January, 2014

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the third period. It was finally time for recess!

The students of 9th A leaped out of their seats with excitement, grateful that the boring math lecture had come to an end. Everyone waited impatiently for Mrs. Mishra to leave the classroom.

Just as she reached the door, she paused and turned back toward the class. "Students, as you all know, the pre-boards for 10th and 12th grades begin today," she announced.

The class nodded eagerly, some even mimicking exaggerated nods.

"So, because we'll all be very busy, your classes are officially suspended until the pre-boards are over. This was your last lecture for now."

The room erupted into cheers, the "macchi market" chaos taking over instantly. The students were overjoyed.

Mrs. Mishra frowned, banging the duster on the table. "Silence! Silence!" she shouted.

The class reluctantly quieted down as she continued, "I expect you all to behave while we're not around. And make sure you finish the ninth chapter. Especially you, Ishan."

She fixed her glare on Ishan, who had been motioning to "Chod na," to Shubman as if the lecture didn't matter. He straightened up, trying to appear serious, while Shubman barely suppressed a laugh.

Finally, Mrs. Mishra left the classroom, and the chaos resumed. Ishan and Shubman turned toward the back bench where Abhay was already eating his lunch.

"Kutte saale, hamare bina shuru kar diya!" Ishman yelled, rushing to him.

Soon, the whole group had gathered around, joking and sharing food.

The commotion was interrupted by a knock on the door. A girl entered, addressing the class, "Aditi, Miss Smita is calling you." With that, she left as quickly as she had come.

Shubman's gaze shifted to the last bench of the middle row, where Aditi was sitting beside Sara. They seemed deep in conversation. Aditi asked something, "Pakka na?" and Sara nodded, her face tired and pale.

Shubman noticed the exhaustion on Sara's face, a weariness she couldn't hide. As their group debated moving outside to eat, Neil suggested, "Should we go sit under the mango tree instead?"

Everyone agreed and began heading out, but Shubman's attention remained fixed on Sara. He saw Anya and Neeti approach her, asking if she was coming along. Sara shook her head and motioned for them to go without her. Sighing, they left.

Outside, the group sat under the shade of the mango tree, laughing and sharing their meals. But Shubman couldn't focus. His mind kept drifting back to the classroom, to Sara's exhausted expression.

Unable to ignore it any longer, he stood up abruptly.

"Kaha ja raha hai?" Ishan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shubman hesitated, then replied, "Accha nahi lag raha yaar, thand lag rahi hai. Mein andar ja raha hoon."

Without waiting for a response, he grabbed his tiffin and walked off.

"Arey bhai, parathe toh deta jaa!" Abhay yelled after him, but Shubman didn't even glance back. Yash, sitting nearby, chuckled and handed his box of parathas to Abhay.

Abhay's face lit up. "Love you, meri jaan!" he said, pulling Yash into a tight hug and planting a loud kiss on his cheek.

"Chee, yaar!" Yash protested, pulling away. "Ab nahi de raha parathe!"

Meanwhile, Shubman entered the classroom, and his steps faltered when he heard muffled sobs. "Whole class is outside, who's crying?" His eyes darted toward the sound, and he saw Sara sitting alone, her head in her hands, crying softly.

He rushed over without a second thought. "Hey, hey, what happened? Bol na!" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

Sara looked up, revealing her tear-streaked face. The sight tugged at something deep within him. If there was one thing he hated more than her constant banter, it was seeing her cry.

"Kya hua? Bol na!" he repeated, more urgently this time.

"Meri kamar aur pet bohot dukh raha hai," she sobbed, clutching her stomach.

Shubman's worry grew. He crouched beside her, trying to think of a solution. "Tune dawai li?" he asked.

Sara shook her head, still crying. "Wahi chahiye... par mere paas nahi hai. Aur mujhse utha nahi ja raha."

"Medical room mein milegi?"

Sara nodded weakly.

"Tu ruk, main abhi aata hoon," he said and bolted out of the classroom.

At the medical room, he frantically explained the situation to the teacher. "Ma'am, Sara's crying-her back and stomach are hurting a lot!"

The teacher nodded, retrieving a tablet from the cupboard. "Here, give her this."

Shubman took the medicine but paused. "Ma'am, paracetamol usually doesn't work for her," he added, recalling something Aditi had mentioned once.

The teacher raised an eyebrow, then replaced the tablet with another. "Give her this one instead."

He rushed back to the classroom, handing the tablet to Sara. She sighed in relief but hesitated to take it.

"Khana khaya?" Shubman asked.

Sara shook her head.

"Knew it," he muttered, opening his tiffin. He started feeding her, taking a few bites himself in between.

Once she had eaten, Sara took the medicine and leaned back with a sigh of relief. Shubman moved her bag onto the front bench and gestured for her to lie down.

"Yahan sar rakh," he said.

Sara hesitated but eventually rested her head as he lightly massaged her lower back.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

She nodded and then asked softly, "Tumhe kaise pata yeh karne se aaram milta hai?"

He smiled faintly."Papa karte hai jab Mumma ki tabiyat theek nahi hoti. Jab papa ghar pe nahi hote, toh hum karte hain."

She smiled back but said nothing more.

A while later, their group returned now with Virat, Anushka, Rohit and Ritika, laughing and joking about the pre-board chaos. They crowded into the classroom, but Sara remained resting.

"Shubi, Sara! Waha kya kar rahe ho? Idhar aao!" Virat called out.

"Bhai mujhe thand lag rahi hai, waha fan on hai aur lagegi mujhe, yaha better feel ho raha hai aur, Yeh so rahi hai, toh thodi shanti bhi hai," Shubman replied casually, continuing to help Sara relax.

The elder gang shared a knowing look to each other before nodding and again turning back continuing their laughter.

As the others continued their chatter, Shubman glanced at Sara's peaceful face. A small smile tugged at his lips. For once, she looked at ease, and that was all that mattered.

When will I find my shubman, cause this is my every month routine. T_T

Anyways, hope you liked it.

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