SR3. 25. Aryan Disappears

Laura's smile brightened as she opened her eyes to find Aryan's face greeting her. She had chosen to enjoy every moment of happiness with him and had not paid attention to his late-night arrival.

This morning, as usual, Laura prepared breakfast for the two of them. She couldn't help but touch her belly, imagining the possibility of carrying their child. Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed the time on the clock: 7:17 AM, and Aryan had yet to leave their bedroom. Curious, she made her way to their room and found Aryan still comfortably wrapped in his thick blanket.

Laura grabbed the remote control for the air conditioner from the nightstand and turned it on. Simultaneously, she drew back the wide silver curtains that covered the glass window, allowing the sunlight to flood the room. The sudden brightness made Aryan reflexively shield his eyes with his hands due to the glare.

"Aryan, wake up! Aren't you going to the office today?" Laura said while tugging at the blanket covering him.

"I want breakfast in bed," Aryan replied, still lying down. "I just want to stay here."

Laura sighed, a bit puzzled by Aryan's recent behavior. He had been acting strange for the past few days. He hadn't gone to the office, and he seemed lost in thought. Laura had tried to contact him several times, but he had ignored her calls and messages.

Laura couldn't help but feel that their morning intimacy had been lacking lately. Aryan had become distant, and even when they were together, he seemed preoccupied.

That morning, Laura felt that her love with Aryan was tasteless. Aryan only fulfilled his desires without much talk. Usually, there would be playful banter and teasing, but this time, Laura clearly sensed Aryan's hesitation.

"What's wrong, Aryan? Is there something bothering you? Tell me, maybe I can help," Laura said while still leaning on Aryan's chest. Aryan remained silent, his hand gently caressing Laura's hair.

"I'm afraid of losing you, honey, if you find out the whole truth," Aryan confessed in a quiet voice.

Aryan gazed into Laura's eyes, trying his best to gather the courage to be honest, but he couldn't bear the risk of losing Laura.

"Tell me, Aryan, do you regret marrying me?" Laura asked, irritated by Aryan's silence.

Laura released herself from Aryan's embrace, then got up to put on her clothes. Aryan did the same, quickly grabbing his boxers and t-shirt and putting them on.

Click... Aryan locked the bedroom door with his remote control just as Laura was about to leave the room. Laura turned around and stared at Aryan sharply. She despised being kept in the dark like this, especially when she felt she had done nothing wrong. Aryan hit the edge of the bed in frustration, and Laura, angered, stood right in front of him.

"I never regretted marrying you. Having you is the most beautiful blessing in my life," Aryan confessed with teary eyes while hugging Laura's waist tightly.

"Tell me, Aryan, what's going on?" Laura snapped while pushing Aryan's hands away from her.

"I... I'm the one who hit you six years ago," Aryan confessed with a hoarse and trembling voice. His heart ached as he saw Laura's gaze filled with hatred.

Thump... Laura froze but immediately her tears flowed down her cheeks. Her heart shattered into pieces. All this time, Laura had been waiting for the person who hit her to come forward and apologize. Laura wanted responsibility from that person, not just money for her medical expenses. She wanted to get to know the person so her heart wouldn't carry any more grudges. And now, that person was standing right in front of her, becoming the most important person in her life.

"I'm sorry, honey. I only found out yesterday," Aryan said with trembling hands as he tried to hug Laura, but she quickly moved out of his reach.

With tears streaming down her face, Laura stared at Aryan sharply, still trying to process all of Aryan's confessions, struggling not to believe him.

"I swear to God, Laura, I love you so much," Aryan murmured softly, desperate. Tears flowed from Aryan's eyes as he looked into Laura's eyes filled with disappointment. He was on his knees, hugging Laura's legs that were still frozen in place. Laura clenched her fists tightly, trying to contain the turmoil in her chest. She no longer knew how she felt about Aryan. Love was instantly overshadowed by deep disappointment.

Like a lifeless body, Laura packed some of her clothes into her backpack. She wanted to be alone for some time until she was sure about her feelings. She couldn't stay with the person who had destroyed her life.

"Honey, please don't go. If you want some time alone, let me be the one to leave. No matter how long it takes, I'm ready to wait for you," Aryan pleaded, sitting at the edge of the bed, looking at Laura with a dazed expression. He observed Laura as she changed her clothes, wishing he could stop her.

Laura glanced briefly at Aryan, then wiped away her tears that were falling again. Ziiiip... Laura closed the zipper of her backpack and walked toward the door. She stood facing the door for a few seconds, steeling herself for her decision. Click... The door unlocked, and with quick steps, Laura walked out, leaving Aryan sitting at the edge of the bed, still in a daze.

***

Elsewhere, Andra felt anxious. Aryan had been unreachable since last night, and his phone was still off this morning.

"Is there something wrong with you? What's going on?" Arabella asked when she noticed her husband repeatedly glancing at his phone with anxiety. His food remained untouched on the table.

Andra sighed, struggling to find the right way to start. "Well, dear, it's about Aryan and Laura," he began, looking at his wife who was currently feeding baby Azka her baby food.

Andra proceeded to tell Arabella everything about the accident and how his parents were involved in the plan to arrange Aryan and Laura's marriage. Arabella was in shock. She had never expected that Aryan, her friend, was the one who had caused the accident. Arabella had been a witness to Laura's struggle to recover after the accident, especially since Laura had lost her chance to become a professional swimmer, something she had worked hard for over two years.

Arabella and Laura had become friends three months after the accident. At first, Arabella thought Laura was quiet and reserved, but over time, she got to know her as a cheerful and kind girl among her friends. Arabella had been a new student herself at the time, having transferred from Kediri due to family issues.

"Try to contact Laura. Be there for her. But let's drop off baby Azka at my mother's house first," Andra suggested, and Arabella agreed.

Arabella cleaned up the remaining breakfast items and prepared everything baby Azka needed, as was their usual routine. Whenever she had classes, baby Azka was entrusted to Liana, her mother-in-law. Arabella had thought about hiring a personal caregiver for Azka, but Liana always discouraged her.

After dropping off baby Azka, Andra drove Arabella to Laura's parents' house. Meanwhile, Aryan was left in Andra's care. Andra was worried, especially about his younger brother's tendency to disappear without a trace whenever he faced problems.

In the car, Andra tried to contact Aryan once more. This time, the call went through, but there was only silence on the other end. Andra could hear Aryan's heavy breathing through the phone.

"Where are you? I'll come to you right away," Andra urged, but there was still no response from Aryan. The call ended abruptly, and when Andra tried to call him again, Aryan's phone was already turned off.

"Where are you, Aryan?" Andra muttered as he turned the car around, heading back to Aryan's apartment. Andra was getting increasingly anxious. It was already late afternoon, and there was still no word from Aryan. When he visited Aryan's apartment earlier, the security guard had mentioned that Aryan had been out since the morning.

Andra decided to call Arabella to check on Laura's condition. He was slightly relieved to learn that Laura was doing fine. He believed that Laura, being a mature and responsible person, could handle the situation better than his younger brother, Aryan.

Aryan had a habit of causing his family to panic whenever he faced problems. When he had a breakup with Vika, he disappeared for three days. After the accident, he was missing for a whole week, nearly prompting his family to report him as missing to the police. Now, he had disappeared once again, leaving his family in a state of bewilderment. Andra ruffled his hair in frustration, unsure of where to start looking for his younger brother.

Then, Dion came to mind suddenly. Aryan had mentioned Dion's name yesterday at the office. Given Dion's profession as a lawyer, he wouldn't have much trouble locating someone. Andra immediately contacted Dion and arranged to meet with him later in the afternoon.

***

Aryan screamed as loudly as he could, matching the crashing waves against the rocks. The calls of seagulls returning to their nests didn't disturb him, as he was consumed by the heartbreak he was feeling. However, this pain was different; Aryan felt lost and directionless in his life.

As the sun began to set, nearly swallowing his shadow, Aryan collapsed onto the white sand, bearing the deepest wounds of his soul.

Drrt... A vibration in his pants pocket interrupted his solitude, rousing his curiosity. He reluctantly unlocked his phone's screen. At the top of his messages, there was a text from an unknown number.

"Take care of yourself."

The simple message stirred something within him.