Give Me All Your Pain

29. Changing Dynamics

Aanya

A sudden crash jolted me awake from my deep slumber, and my groggy eyes darted around the dimly lit room, searching for the source of the noise.

A heavy sigh escaped me as I shifted my gaze towards the floor, where my phone lay, seemingly knocked down by my movement.

With aching stiffness in my neck from sleeping in an awkward position on the chair near the window, I pushed myself up, my movements sluggish. My heart raced when I picked up my phone, and I glanced at the screen, the pale glow casting an eerie light in the otherwise dark room.

Last night, I had been talking to Abhinav, but I couldn't remember when I had fallen asleep during our conversation. Now, looking at my phone's screen, I realized that our call was still ongoing.

I brought the phone closer to my ear to hear any sound from the other end, but I was greeted with silence.

It seemed Abhinav had fallen asleep. With a gentle sigh and a smile playing on my lips, I ended the call and placed the phone on the nearby table.

It was around six in the morning, and I could see the sun slowly rising from the horizon. My head throbbed with a slight headache due to the lack of sleep, but going back to sleep was not an option.

It had been two days since I had touched my project, and anxiety started to grip me as I realized the submission deadline was nearing, and I had a lot of work to do.

I tiptoed into my room and saw that Mom was still asleep, so I quietly picked up my laptop and workbook, then headed outside the apartment, where there was a small balcony that provided a beautiful morning view. Nidhi and I had already placed two chairs there, and we sometimes enjoyed this morning view.

I settled into the chair and opened up the CAD software. It was hard to tell if it was the looming deadline or a surge of creativity, but I found myself immersed in my project for over two hours without any distractions.

Feeling content that I had finally made some progress, I decided to head back to the apartment. Upon opening the front door, I was immediately greeted by the enticing aroma of spices wafting from the kitchen.

For a brief moment, I lingered by the entrance, the memories of the previous night crashing over me like a sudden wave. I swallowed hard, the emotions still fresh and raw.

My mom glanced up, her warm smile contrasting with the uncertainty that had clouded my thoughts. "Where were you?" she asked with a hint of concern. "I was looking for you everywhere."

I blinked, my momentary detachment from reality fading. "There's a balcony on the other side of the apartment," I explained. "I was there... working on my project."

She cast a glance at the laptop and workbook in my hand, then nodded. "Go freshen up," she suggested. "I'm almost done with breakfast."

I stared at her for a moment, torn between her normality and the unresolved issues from last night.

It was her way of coping, pretending that everything was fine the next day. I wondered why I was still surprised by it.

With a heavy sigh, I retreated to my room. Inside, I opened my cupboard and selected some fresh clothes before heading into the bathroom for a much-needed shower and to freshen up.

I did my best to avoid getting the temporary dressing on my injured hand wet during the process, but it proved to be an unavoidable inconvenience. After finishing my shower, I retrieved a spare first aid kit from the bathroom cabinet.

As I carefully removed the dressing around my palm, I couldn't help but grimace at the sight. The cut was deeper than I had initially realized, and blood began to ooze from it once again.