"Am I hurting you Mishti? Does it hurt?"
He whispered against her lips and dug his nails deep into her waist by tightly clutching her close to him. She hissed in pain but her eyes never him thinking deeply about him and how a person change this much...
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Anjana glanced up from her laptop, furrowing her brow as she watched him pacing back and forth across their living room. His phone, usually a constant companion in his pocket, was now clutched tightly in his hand. He had taken a call an hour ago, and ever since, he had been restless, his face a mask of tension.
"Dae?" she called softly, trying not to startle him.
He stopped abruptly, turning to face her, his expression blank for a moment before he forced a tight smile. "Yeah?"
"Is everything okay? You seem... off," she said, closing her laptop and setting it aside. "Did something happen?"
He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture she had seen countless times when he was stressed. "It's nothing. Just work stuff."
She stood and walked over to him, reaching out to place a hand on his arm.
"Work stuff doesn't usually get you this wound up. You're not even making sense. You just... you seem different. Distant."
He avoided her gaze, looking down at the floor instead. "I'm fine, Mishti. Really. Just a lot on my mind."
"Dae, talk to me. Please," she urged, her voice gentle but firm. "You don't have to handle whatever it is on your own."
He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping. For a moment, she thought he might finally open up, but then he shook his head. "I can't, wife. Not right now."
Frustration bubbled up inside her, but she kept her tone calm. "Why not? We're in this together, remember?"
Hriday's eyes finally met hers, and she saw a flicker of something fear, maybe before he looked away again. "It's just...complicated. I don't want to drag you into it."
"You're not dragging me into anything," she insisted. "I want to help you. I'm worried about you."
He gave a short, humorless laugh. "Trust me, there's nothing you can do to help."
She felt a pang of hurt but pushed it aside. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together. You don't have to protect me from everything."
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, she thought he might walk away. But then he surprised her by pulling her into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling the tension in his muscles, the rapid beat of his heart.
"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I just need some time to figure things out."
She held him tighter, wishing she could do more, but knowing that pushing him wouldn't help. "Okay," she said softly. "But don't shut me out for too long. I'm here for you, no matter what."
