37. Hunger

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In Ananya's cabin, she dragged Aditya inside and stopped abruptly, spinning around to face him with blazing eyes.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she snapped, her voice low but venomous.

Aditya raised an eyebrow, his expression calm and indifferent. “Enjoying what, exactly? Being manhandled into a cabin by my so-called wife? Not particularly.”

“Don’t act clueless,” she hissed, taking a step closer. “You know exactly what I’m talking about!”

Aditya tilted his head, clearly amused by her outburst. “Enlighten me, Mrs. Raghuwanshi. I seem to have lost the ability to read minds today.”

Her fists clenched at her sides as she glared at him. “Those girls! The way they were all fawning over you like you’re some… some prince from a fairy tale!”

“And that bothers you why?” he asked, his tone infuriatingly calm.

“It doesn’t bother me!” she shot back quickly, though her rising voice betrayed her.

Aditya smirked. “Sure it doesn’t. That’s why you dragged me in here like a jealous maniac.”

“I am not jealous!” she said, her voice trembling with anger now. “I’m just… annoyed that your presence is such a distraction to the employees. We have work to do, in case you forgot.”

“Ah, so now my face is a workplace hazard?” he quipped, his smirk growing wider.

She took another step closer, pointing a finger at his chest. “Don’t flatter yourself, Aditya.

Just because half the office can’t think straight when you walk in doesn’t mean you’re special.”

He leaned down slightly, meeting her fiery gaze. “Half the office, huh? What about you, Ananya? Distracted much?”

Her breath hitched for a split second before she stepped back, scowling. “Not even in your dreams.”

Aditya chuckled, the sound low and mocking. “You’re too easy to rile up. No wonder you make such a terrible poker player.”

“I don’t play poker,” she snapped.

“Exactly my point.”

She groaned in frustration, throwing her hands in the air. “Why do you have to be so insufferable?!”

“Why do you have to be so entertaining?” he countered, leaning casually against the desk like he owned the place.

Ananya glared at him, her teeth clenched. “Get out of my cabin, Aditya.”

“Gladly,” he said, straightening up. But as he moved toward the door, he paused, glancing back at her with a smug smile.

“By the way, you might want to work on hiding that jealousy of yours. It’s written all over your face.”

Before she could grab the nearest object to throw at him, Aditya was already out the door, leaving her fuming in silence.

"Ughhh!!!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing in the cabin.

Just then, the door opened again, and Aditya stepped back in, as if completely oblivious to her irritation.

"What now?!" she barked, her tone sharp.

Aditya strolled in nonchalantly, a lunchbox in his hand. "Forgot why I came here in the first place."

"And that is?" she asked, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"Ishika bhabhi sent lunch for you," he replied, placing the box on her desk.

Ananya glanced at the box, then back at him. "I’m not hungry."

Aditya let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Right. So your stomach growling earlier was, what, just sound effects for a horror film?"

Her face turned a deep shade of red. "That was—irrelevant!"

"Sure it was," he said with a smirk, stepping back but not leaving. "Go on, eat. I don’t have all day to babysit you."

"Babysit me?" she echoed, her voice rising in indignation. "Get out of my cabin before I—"

"What?" he interrupted, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Throw another pen at me? I’m shaking."

Ananya clenched her fists, her jaw tightening. "Do you ever stop being annoying?"

"Not when it comes to you," he quipped, leaning casually against the wall.

Her glare intensified, but when she looked at the lunchbox, her stomach betrayed her again with a low growl. She cursed under her breath and reached for the box.

Aditya straightened, watching her with a smirk that only made her more self-conscious. "Don’t let me stop you."

She shot him a venomous look. "If you don’t leave right now—"

"I’m not leaving until you finish your lunch," he declared, folding his arms stubbornly.

"Ain't no way!" she snapped but reluctantly opened the lunchbox. As the warm aroma of the food hit her, her resolve wavered.

"Orders from both bhabhis, Divya bhabhi and Ishika bhabhi," he added, his smirk widening.

"Fine, whatever," she muttered, shoving a bite into her mouth.

The moment the flavors hit her tongue, her expression softened. She chewed slowly, her eyes closing in bliss as a small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips.

Aditya chuckled, leaning casually against her desk. "I’ve never seen anyone look this happy over food."

"Shut up," she said between bites, though her tone lacked the usual venom.

Seeing Ananya so hungry and cute, made him hungry too. Aditya, being a busy man, always skipped his lunches.

But now, he was hungry, and that too because of his cute wife whom he found annoying.

As she continued eating, Aditya’s stomach betrayed him with a low growl. Ananya froze mid-bite, turning her gaze toward him.

"Are you hungry? Didn't you eat?" she asked, her mouth still half-full.

Aditya’s jaw tightened, his pride kicking in. "No. I’m not. You continue."

His stomach, however, decided to humiliate him further with another loud growl.

Ananya raised an eyebrow, suppressing a smirk. "Your stomach says otherwise, Mr. Perfect."

"I said I’m fine," he replied sharply, but his eyes betrayed the faintest hint of embarrassment.

Rolling her eyes, she tore off a piece of roti and extended it toward him. "Here. Take this before your stomach starts singing."

"I don’t need it," he said, stepping back as if the roti were a weapon.

"Mr Grumpy, don’t be ridiculous. Just eat it," she said, waving the piece in front of him.

"I’m not eating your leftovers," he said stubbornly.

She narrowed her eyes. "You think I have cooties or something? Just take it!"

He sighed, clearly unwilling but knowing she wouldn’t drop the matter. Reluctantly, he took the roti from her hand, his fingers brushing hers for the briefest moment.

"There. Happy?" he muttered, taking a small bite.

She watched him intently, her lips curling into a triumphant smirk. "See? Not so bad, right?"

"It’s... fine," he admitted grudgingly, though his expression softened slightly as he chewed.

Ananya tore off another piece and held it out. "Here. You’re still hungry, aren’t you?"

Aditya stared at her for a moment, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture. "Why are you being... nice?"

"Don’t read into it," she said flatly. "I just can’t stand the sound of your stomach growling while I eat."

Aditya hesitated but eventually accepted the second piece, eating it more willingly this time.

The two ate in silence for a few moments, the air between them less tense than usual.

Ananya glanced at him from the corner of her eye, noticing how he seemed more human when he wasn’t being insufferable.

"You know," she said, breaking the silence, "for someone so annoying, you’re not entirely unbearable when you’re quiet."

Aditya raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk returning to his face. "And for someone so infuriating, you’re almost tolerable when you’re not throwing things."

Her eyes narrowed, but she couldn’t suppress the small grin that tugged at her lips. "Don’t push your luck, Mr Grumpy."

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a satisfied look. "Noted."

As they finished the meal, Ananya felt an odd sense of calm she hadn’t expected.

Aditya, too, seemed slightly less guarded, though neither would dare admit it aloud.

Enemies they might be, but for a brief moment, they shared something neither could fully explain—a truce, however fleeting.

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Somewhere Deep Down, There Was A Great Light Of Love, Which They Both Refused To Accept Or Let Out.