Page 58 of No Boss
An elderly woman lay on the ground, her head in another woman’s lap. Her skin had gone pale. Her breathing came shallow. Her lips looked dry, cracked.
He passed his laptop to the nearest person without looking and dropped to his knees.
The stone burned through his trousers. He ignored it and slid his arms under her, lifting her in one smooth motion.
“Water,” he ordered, rising at once. “Now. And call a doctor.”
Someone ran.
He carried her out of the sun and into the nearest corridor. The crowd followed, voices rising behind him.
He lowered her against the stone and loosened the dupatta at her throat. His fingers went to her pulse.
Too fast. Too light.
Up close, the reality of it settled in. She was far older than she had seemed. The skin on her hands looked thin, the veins raised. She had felt too light in his arms. And her uneven breathing… If this went wrong, it would go wrong quickly.
His jaw set.
“What is her name?” His voice remained controlled.
“Lakshmi Devi,” the woman answered, her voice shaking. “My aunt. Seventy-six.”
Seventy-six.
He nodded once.
Water arrived. He took the glass and looked up. “Cloth.”
A dupatta came forward at once.
He dipped a corner in water and pressed it to her forehead, then her temples, cooling her skin in slow, measured strokes.
His movements stayed controlled. Only the slightest tremor ran through his fingers when the cloth brushed her skin, barely noticeable, gone as quickly as it came.
Her eyelids fluttered but did not open.
“You’re alright,” he told her. “Stay with me.”
He lifted the glass, supporting her head just enough to bring it to her lips. “Just a little.”
A small movement. Her mouth opened a little.
“Can you hear me?”
Her fingers moved against the stone.
“Good.”
He kept speaking, not asking for answers she could not give. Simple questions. Whether she had eaten. Who had come with her.
Her breathing began to ease. Not enough, but better.
Around them, the tension eased.
Abhinav did not ease with it. Even while focused on her, his gaze moved across the courtyard.
Heat rose from the ground. Only a narrow patch of shade existed at one end. A single water point stood to the side. Devotees lined the walls, trying to escape the sun. An old man leaned against a pillar, looking completely exhausted.
