Chapter 21: Unspoken Comfort
Siara took a deep breath, trying to calm the lingering tremors in her hands. She wasn’t fragile. She wasn’t weak. She had handled worse things before.
Then why the hell was she still feeling like this?
She exhaled sharply and looked at Ekansh. “I should get going.”
Ekansh leaned against the car, arms crossed. “I’ll drop you.”
Siara frowned. “No need. I can go myself.”
Ekansh didn’t even blink. “I wasn’t asking.”
She let out a humorless chuckle. “Well, I’m saying no.”
Ekansh sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, his patience visibly thinning. “You’re still shaken, Siara. I’m driving you home. End of discussion.”
Siara scoffed. “Right, because getting interrogated by my family is exactly what I need right now.”
Ekansh raised an eyebrow. “They’ll ask questions?”
Siara gave him a deadpan look. “A murder happened in front of me, I was almost being chased down, and I look like I just crawled out of a horror movie. Haan, bilkul, koi bhi questions nahi honge.” (Yes, of course, no one will ask questions at all.)
Ekansh’s lips twitched. “So what’s the plan, Sherlock?”
Siara rolled her eyes. “My office.”
Ekansh narrowed his eyes. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope,” she said, popping the ‘p.’ “Because if my family finds out about this, un logo se to bach gayi, par ghar par murder pakka hai.” (I escaped from those people, but if my family finds out, murder at home is guaranteed.)
Ekansh sighed in exasperation. “And going to work, right now, makes perfect sense to you?”
Siara smirked. “What can I say? I thrive under pressure.”
Ekansh gave her a long look before shaking his head. “Fine. But I’m still dropping you.”
Siara made a face but knew arguing was pointless. “Fine.”
Still, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick message.
Siara: Pick up my car from this location. Don’t ask. Just do it.
Ekansh glanced at her. “Who are you texting?”
“A very useful friend,” she said vaguely.
He didn’t push. Instead, he walked to the driver’s seat and gestured for her to get in. Siara huffed but slid into the passenger seat.
And so began the most unexpected car ride of her life.
At first, silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Siara stared out the window, trying to distract herself from the ghost of the murder scene still clinging to her mind.
Ekansh, meanwhile, drove with calm precision. His grip on the wheel was firm, his jaw tight. He looked like he had a million things he wanted to say but was keeping them to himself.
Eventually, Siara sighed dramatically. “So, do you drive all your business rivals home, or am I just special?”
Ekansh’s lips quirked. “You’re special.”
Siara blinked. “Wait, what?”
He smirked, eyes still on the road. “Specially troublesome.”
Siara gasped in mock offense. “Excuse me?”
Ekansh chuckled. “You heard me.”
Siara crossed her arms. “Wow. I bare my soul, share my trauma, and this is how you repay me?”
Ekansh glanced at her, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You mean how you made a reckless decision and nearly got yourself killed?”
Siara groaned, sinking into her seat. “Ugh. Will you ever let that go?”
“No.”
She shot him a glare. “Ekansh Vardhan, professional grudge-holder. Good to know.”
Ekansh smirked but said nothing.
Siara sighed. “Fine. I admit. Maybe—just maybe—I was a little impulsive.”
Ekansh snorted. “A little?”
She rolled her eyes. “But in my defense, I had a plan.”
Ekansh glanced at her knowingly. “Did your plan include running for your life?”
Siara groaned again, covering her face. “Shut up.”
Ekansh chuckled, shaking his head.
As the city lights blurred past, the exhaustion finally started catching up to her.
Her body was drained.
Her mind exhausted.
And before she knew it, her eyelids started drooping.
Just a quick rest…
Just for a second…
Her body tilted forward.
Shit.
Her head was about to crash into the dashboard—
But before that could happen, a firm hand caught her.
Siara’s breath hitched.
Ekansh had stopped her just in time, his fingers curling gently around her arm, steadying her.
Siara blinked, disoriented. “Huh?”
Ekansh sighed. “If you’re that tired, just lean back and sleep properly.”
Siara straightened, rubbing her eyes. “I wasn’t sleeping.”
Ekansh arched an eyebrow. “Really? So almost breaking your skull against my dashboard was what? A power nap?”
Siara scowled. “You’re so dramatic.”
Ekansh tutted and reached out again, this time adjusting her seat slightly. “Stop resisting for once and just rest.”
Siara frowned. “I don’t need—”
But before she could finish, Ekansh reached over and adjusted her seatbelt, pulling it snugly across her frame.
Siara froze.
For a moment, all she could focus on was his proximity.
The scent of his cologne.
The way his fingers brushed against her wrist as he pulled back.
And the way, for the first time in forever, she felt…
Safe.
Siara swallowed. “You’re being weird.”
Ekansh smirked. “And you’re finally listening to me. A miracle, really.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t get used to it.”
Ekansh chuckled but didn’t respond. Instead, he kept driving, one hand on the wheel, the other lightly drumming against his thigh.
Siara yawned, slumping slightly in her seat. “I still don’t get it.”
Ekansh glanced at her. “Don’t get what?”
Siara turned her head, watching him. “Why you’re helping me.”
Ekansh was silent for a moment.
Then, finally, he sighed.
“…Because I hate seeing you hurt.”
Siara blinked.
Ekansh’s jaw clenched slightly, as if he hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Siara’s heart did something annoying.
But she quickly shook it off, forcing a smirk. “Wow. That almost sounded sweet. Should I be worried?”
Ekansh rolled his eyes. “Go to sleep, Siara.”
She grinned. “You’re deflecting.”
“And you’re annoying.”
Siara yawned again, finally letting her body relax.
Maybe she w
as imagining it, but as she drifted off, she could have sworn she heard him mutter something under his breath.
Something that almost sounded like—
“You have no idea how much.”