Born to Love You

26- Girls Night

Aryan's Pov:

Sleep rarely came to me. Insomnia was my constant companion, and I'd grown accustomed to surviving on a mere 3 to 4 hours a night—definitely not a badge of honor, but hey, a billionaire's gotta do what a billionaire's gotta do, right? But on top of my chronic lack of sleep, there was one particularly infuriating woman who just wouldn't leave my mind. Aradhya. The very thought of her made my blood boil, but oddly enough, her crying had stuck with me. What the hell was that about? I didn't think she was dumb enough to cry over our daily sparring matches, so what was really eating at her?

I hesitated, battling with my own instincts. My body was betraying me, urging me to get up and check on her after our heated argument. What was I thinking? I couldn't be the hero in this ridiculous drama. I wasn't a knight in shining armor, and I certainly wasn't about to play the role of caring husband—especially not after the verbal sparring we'd just had.

But the thought nagged at me, like a persistent itch I couldn't scratch. I threw off the covers, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the chill of the floor against my bare feet. Great. Just great. Now I was going to play the concerned husband role. I should've just stayed in bed and reveled in my sleeplessness. At least it was quiet there.

As I made my way to her room, I found myself questioning why I even cared. Did I actually want to know what was wrong? Or was it just that I couldn't resist the urge to get under her skin a little more? Probably the latter, if I'm being honest.

I was half-hoping she'd be wide awake, ready for a verbal sparring match, but as I stepped into the room, I was greeted by the sight of her sleeping soundly. Well, well, well, I thought. Look at her, the queen of drama, finally at peace. Even in her sleep, she was breathtakingly beautiful, the kind of beauty that was utterly disarming, even if it grated on my nerves during waking hours.

I took a step forward, unable to resist the pull to watch her closely, to study the way her lashes fluttered against her cheeks and how her lips were slightly parted, like she was dreaming of something utterly ridiculous. But just as the urge to lean closer surged within me, I caught myself. What the hell am I doing? I thought. I had to draw the line somewhere.

So, in a moment of sheer self-preservation, I closed the door slowly, trying to avoid making any noise, as if I were sneaking away from a dangerous situation. Yeah, let's not get things out of hand here, I reasoned with myself. I could feel the tension coiling in my gut, that strange mix of annoyance and concern battling it out. It was far safer to stay in the realm of sarcasm and irritation than to delve into whatever complicated feelings she stirred up in me.

"Consider yourself lucky, Aradhya," I muttered under my breath as I stepped away from the door. "You'll live to argue another day."

Aru's Pov:

The next day at college, I found myself at our usual spot with Simmi and Lakshit, my go-to partners in crime for all things dramatic. I needed to vent. I needed to rant about the walking, talking headache that was Aryan Adani. As I plopped down at our table, I launched right into it.

"Ugh, you guys will not believe what that monster put me through last night!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in exasperation. "I swear, he's testing my patience on a daily basis! One minute I'm trying to stand my ground, and the next, he's all intimidating billionaire mode, throwing around threats like they're confetti at a wedding."

Simmi raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a smirk. "But, I mean, he did save you from Chavi, right? That counts for something."

I rolled my eyes so dramatically, I was surprised they didn't pop out of my head. "Oh, great! So now we're praising him for playing the part of the 'hero'? What am I supposed to do, throw him a parade? 'Thank you for saving me from my villainous arch-nemesis; please accept this bouquet of gratitude.'"