Unravelled Love || ✔️

♡CHAPTER 12♡

"What's the plan?" I inquired, glancing at Adhrit as he casually slipped his hands into his pockets and eyed the lone bed in the room.

"I'll take the floor," he declared with a nod.

"But you've never slept on the ground before," I pointed out, concerned.

"Have you?" he countered, raising an eyebrow. I shook my head.

"Then we're even," he concluded, grabbing a pillow from the bed and preparing to lie down.

"I can't let you sleep on the floor," I protested as he settled in.

"So, what's your solution? Sharing the bed?" he teased, a realization dawning on him.
"Well, you did mention wanting to share a room on the first day, so I suppose it doesn't matter to you. I mean, I know I'm quite handsome, but don't you think you're a bit..." he trailed off.

"Enough! Fine! Just sleep on the floor, I don't care!" I snapped, tossing a blanket his way before turning over in bed, and facing away from Adhrit.

My cheeks felt hot, the room suddenly stifling. I fanned myself, trying to cool down.
Glancing at Adhrit, I saw him lying with one hand under his head and the other resting on his stomach, eyes closed.

He looked so peaceful.

"Stop fangirling!" I scolded myself, closing my eyes and eventually drifting off to sleep.
.
.
.
I woke up suddenly, only to realize that I was experiencing sleep paralysis again. Lately, this has been happening more frequently - I wake up multiple times during the night and end up dozing off at my study table.

Adhrit, seeing my distress, asked me,
"Are you okay?"

I turned to face him as he sat on the ground, concerned. I reassured him,
"Just a bad dream, not a nightmare."
.
.
.
This was the third occurrence, the sensation of being bound and helpless, unable to move or speak was nerve-wracking.
Despite my discomfort, I couldn't prevent it.

Adhrit, now standing, looked down at me and inquired, "Are you sure you're fine? This is the third time you've woken up like this."

"Yes," I whispered, and he disappeared momentarily before returning with a glass of water.

I gratefully accepted it and took a sip. He knelt, positioning himself to meet my gaze.

"What's troubling you? You can confide in me," he said softly, his eyes filled with compassion.

My heart instantly felt lighter.

"I-I suffer from sleep paralysis," I admitted, locking eyes with him.

He nodded understandingly, briefly closing his eyes.

"I've had it ever since my childhood, and my uncle..." I continued, hesitating to mention the assault.
"To cope, I used to hold the hand of the maid's daughter who sleeps in my room. It helped alleviate the episodes. But lately, it's been getting worse." I glanced down at the cup in my hands.

"So, how do you manage to stop it from recurring?" he inquired.

"Well, if I hold onto someone's hand, it suppresses the paralysis," I explained, looking at Adhrit.
He averted his gaze momentarily, making it difficult to see his face in the dim lighting. Eventually, he turned back to me.

"Alright then, you can hold my hand," he offered, extending his left hand adorned with a watch.

"I don't know if it would bother you to sleep on the floor like that," I mentioned, glancing down at the ground.
After a moment of reflection, he nodded.

"Shift," he instructed, catching me off guard. I stared at him wide-eyed.

"What? Shift," he repeated, motioning for me to move aside.

Hesitantly, I complied, allowing him to sit up on the bed and place his pillow. My heart raced for no apparent reason, and I found myself blushing profusely. Thank goodness the lights were dimmed.

I watched as Adhrit grabbed another pillow and positioned it between us.

"This should do," he declared, dusting off his hands before lying down.

I gazed at him, and he extended his left hand towards me. I followed suit, lying down and intertwining my fingers with his.

His hands were slightly larger than mine, and they felt warm to the touch. I couldn't help but admire his perfect profile as he placed his right hand on his forehead.
The scent of his cologne filled the air, and I inexplicably felt a sense of peace. It was oddly relaxing, although I didn't experience the excitement that novels often describe.
Instead, his presence brought me a sense of calm. I glanced at his face once more before my eyes drifted off to sleep.

When I opened my eyes, Adhrit was right there beside me.
My heart skipped a beat as I remembered how he had offered his hand to help me sleep peacefully.
I couldn't help but smile as I glanced down at my left hand, which was no longer holding his.
Instead, I had unconsciously clung onto his left arm, while he peacefully slept with his face turned away, lost in his dreams.
I knew I had to get up and put the pillow back, so he wouldn't find out that I had thrown it aside and done something he might scold me for.

Just as I was about to sit up, I felt his arms around me and instinctively held onto them.
Oh my, his arms were so muscular! I hadn't realized just how strong he was until I held onto him.
And now that I think about it, his entire body is perfect - not too slim, not too buffed up.
I couldn't help but smile as I admired him.
Adhrit shifted in his sleep, perhaps because I had squeezed his biceps a little too tightly, and he turned to the other side.
Taking that as my cue, I carefully climbed off the bed and returned the pillow to its rightful place.
After fixing my dress, I decided to step outside.

With nothing in particular to do, I engaged in a pleasant conversation with Maya for a while.
She happily left when her husband called for her.
Maya is such a sweetheart. Feeling content, I made my way back to the room, only to find Adhrit awake and massaging his neck muscles.
I entered the room, ready to start the day.

I inquired if he was feeling stiff from sleeping in the same position the previous night.

He glanced at me over his shoulder and replied, "Yes, a little, but it's fine now."

He stood up and began massaging his neck muscles.

"No, it's not okay," I insisted, guiding him to sit back down on the bed.

I proceeded to give him a massage, reassuring him, "Relax, I know what I'm doing. I used to give my grandpa shoulder massages when he had to work late."

As I massaged his shoulders, I noticed how tense he was.

"Loosen up," I gently slapped his shoulder, urging him to relax.
However, I couldn't understand why he was so stiff.

When I used to massage my grandpa, he would always compliment me and suggest that I open a massage parlour. But Adhrit sat there as rigid as a statue.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked him, and he nodded.
I leaned in closer to examine his face, and I noticed he seemed lost in thought. He glanced at me from the corner of his eyes and gasped.

He shifted to the side and asked, "What are you doing?"

I replied, "I just wanted to see your face because you suddenly stopped talking." As I spoke, he stood up.

"It's been twenty-four hours, we should go," he said, clearing his throat and walking away.

I followed him, shaking my head at his peculiar behaviour. It's true what they say, in today's world, people don't appreciate acts of kindness.
Wise words indeed.

As I stepped outside, I bumped into Maya who was just finishing up with the final customs. Before leaving, she urged me to stay in touch, and I readily agreed.

We proceeded to the priest who blessed us for completing the customs.
Leaving the temple, we made our way back.
Strangely, I had a feeling that our visit to the temple somehow brought us closer despite the fallout we had between us.