32. Insomnias

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Ananya stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her jhumkas as they swayed gently against her cheeks.

Her reflection seemed pleased as she tilted her head and admired her handiwork.

Meanwhile, Aditya was in the closet, buttoning up his shirt, entirely focused on his morning routine.

She twirled a strand of her straight hair thoughtfully before speaking aloud to herself, "I should try using a curler for my hair."

Aditya, halfway through tightening his tie, paused and raised an eyebrow. She's never used a curler before? Is she serious? Had she been living under a rock all her life?

"But what if it doesn't look good? Or worse, what if it doesn't work properly?" she continued, pacing now as if this was a life-altering decision.

Then, a devilish grin spread across her face as she stopped mid-step. "I know! I'll order one and test it on Amul Baby first. If it works, I'll use it. If not, Amul Baby will be the bali ka bakra!"

Pleased with her plan, she patted herself on the shoulder. "Genius, Ananya. Pure genius."

Inside the closet, Aditya sighed deeply. This girl... She's a menace. Not only does she delight in annoying me, but apparently, she's roped Amrita into her schemes as well. Poor Amrita...

Before Ananya could delve deeper into her brilliant ideas, a knock at the door interrupted her musings.

She skipped to the door with her usual wide grin, her jhumkas jingling lightly as she opened it.

Standing there was Aaryansh, looking composed and regal as always.

"Bhaiya! Aap? Come in, come in!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm filling the room.

"Good morning, Anu," Aaryansh greeted warmly, stepping inside. "I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Disturbing? Arey, not at all, Bhaiya! Mr Grumpy is busy folding his million shirts inside, so your timing is perfect," she teased, throwing a cheeky grin toward the closet.

From inside, Aditya's sigh could be heard. This girl will be the death of me in my family members' hands.

Aaryansh chuckled softly before his expression turned serious. He sat on the bed, motioning for Ananya to join him.

She perched on the armrest of a chair, curiosity lighting up her face.

"What's the matter, Bhaiya?" she asked, her tone softening.

"It's about Amrita," he began, a hint of concern in his voice.

"Amul baby?? What happened bhaiya?? Did she trouble you??" Ananya asked

"No no.. not at all.. maybe sometimes.. but that's not why I'm here for." Aaryansh began

"She's been having trouble sleeping. Actually, it's been happening every day. She tries to hide it, but I can tell. She's exhausted."

Aditya, who had stepped out of the closet by now, froze in place.

He was adjusting his watch but kept his ears tuned to the conversation, pretending not to listen.

Ananya's playful demeanor dimmed slightly, her smile fading. "It's because of her past," she admitted, her voice quieter.

"I can't tell you much, Bhaiya, but whatever she went through still haunts her. You should ask her yourself. She won't talk about it unless you do."

She hesitated before continuing. "Honestly, Bhaiya, I get it. I have trouble sleeping sometimes too. But Amrita..." She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her dupatta. "She deals with it every single day."

Aditya's heart clenched.

She can't sleep either? That's the reason I sometimes feel emptiness in the bed at midnights...? Cause she wasn't in bed but having trouble sleeping....

His thoughts weren't on Amrita, though. They were fixated on Ananya. She always masked her struggles behind her loud personality, but this was different.

"Does she tell you why?" Aaryansh asked gently.

Ananya shook her head. "She doesn't need to. It's all in the past, but it never really left her. She'll be okay, Bhaiya. Just... be there for her, okay?"

Aaryansh nodded, standing up and patting Ananya's head affectionately. "You're wiser than you let on, Anu."

Ananya rolled her eyes, her usual cheekiness returning. "Obviously, Bhaiya! I'm wise all the time."

Aaryansh chuckled and left, leaving the room feeling lighter than when he'd entered.

Aditya remained rooted in place, his jaw tight. Ananya was back to fixing her jhumkas, humming a tune to herself as though nothing had happened.

"You didn't think to tell me?" he asked suddenly, his voice breaking the silence.

Ananya turned to him, confused. "Tell you what?"

"That you can't sleep," he said flatly, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh, that? It's no big deal," she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It happens sometimes. I'm used to it."

His brow furrowed. "That doesn't make it okay, Ananya."

She blinked, surprised by his tone. "It's nothing Mr. Grumpy! I'll survive. I always do." She grinned, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

Aditya didn't respond. He turned away, grabbing his briefcase and heading for the door.

But as he walked out, his mind raced with thoughts of her sleepless nights, her casual dismissal of her struggles, and the way she always brushed it off with a joke.

For someone who called her annoying, why did her pain bother him so much?

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Love Was The Chaos Between Them ✨