Aashiqui Aa Gayi🧡🍁🧡 ✓

||4||

Shantanu walked into his home, his usual calm demeanor unraveling as he headed straight for his room. 

He pushed open the door, expecting to find Garima there, but the room was empty. 

A frown creased his forehead as he glanced around, noting the absence of any sign that she had been there. 

She was always in the room by the time he got home, usually engrossed in some book or arranging her things. 

But today, she was nowhere to be found.

He checked his watch. It was 8:45 PM. 

"Garima toh 6:00 baje tak aa jaati hai," he muttered to himself, "Toh phir aaj late ho gayi kya?"

Quickly changing out of his work clothes, he felt a growing sense of unease. 

Something didn't sit right with him. He ran downstairs, hoping to find her in the kitchen. 

Maybe she was helping the cooks with dinner, as she sometimes liked to do. 

But as he entered the kitchen, his heart sank when he saw the cooks quietly arranging the dinner—Garima was not there either.

His concern grew by the second. 

He headed to the living room, where his mother, Sunaina, was seated with his father, Mohit. "Mom," he asked, trying to keep his voice steady, "Is Garima not home yet?"

Sunaina looked up from the magazine she was reading, noticing the worry in her son's eyes. "No, beta," she replied calmly. "She called earlier to inform me that she'll be late today."

Shantanu nodded, trying to hide his worry. 

Everyone gathered at the dining table for dinner, but Shantanu's mind was elsewhere. 

His plate was full, but he merely pushed the food around, too distracted to eat. 

Mohit, sitting at the head of the table, noticed his son's distraction and couldn't help but smile inwardly. 

He was the one who had convinced Shantanu to marry Garima, and now he could see how much his son was changing, how deeply Garima's presence was affecting him.

Shantanu glanced at the clock again—it was 9:15 PM. 

Unable to bear the anxiety any longer, he abruptly stood up. "I'll be back," he muttered, already heading for the door.

Sunaina opened her mouth to ask where he was going, but Mohit gently placed his hand over hers, signaling her to let Shantanu go. 

She nodded in understanding, while Samriddh and Neil exchanged glances. 

They could clearly see how worried their elder brother was for their sister-in-law.

Shantanu stepped outside, where the driver was already opening the car door for him. "Sir," the driver began, but Shantanu waved him off.

"I'll drive myself," Shantanu said curtly, getting into the car. 

He didn't want anyone else with him. 

He needed to be alone, to clear his mind, to make sense of the storm of emotions swirling inside him.

As he drove, he called one of his men, who had been discreetly keeping an eye on Garima—something she wasn't aware of. "Is Garima still at the NGO?" he asked, his voice tight with worry.

"Yes, sir," came the reply. "Ma'am is still inside."

"Okay, fine. Keep an eye on her. I'll be there in a few minutes."