Anaya walked into her room, feeling completely drained. She threw her bag onto the chair and stretched her sore arms. It had been a long day, and she wasn't used to feeling this tired. Life usually didn't feel this exhausting. A warm shower sounded perfect, so she stepped under the hot water, letting it relax her tense body. For the next half hour, she just stood there, letting the steam ease her stress.
After the shower, she put on her softest pajamas and collapsed onto her bed, hoping sleep would come quickly. But, like always, her mind refused to settle. She grabbed her phone and started scrolling through social media.
It was almost 1 AM when a Snap notification from Zain popped up. Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe tonight, they would finally have one of those fun late-night chats, like Ayaan and Aqsa always had—the kind filled with shyness and flirt.
She opened the Snap eagerly. It was a picture of Zain after watching The Notebook. The text read:
"Underrated."
Anaya frowned. Zain had time to watch a movie but hadn't checked in on her all day. He hadn't asked how she was or even tried to meet up—except that one time when she returned his old watch.
She sighed, her thoughts drifting to the past. Something had changed between them after the engagement.
Maybe he was just busy. Or maybe he felt awkward now that they weren't just cousins anymore.
Taking a deep breath, Anaya sent him a message.
"How was the movie?"
Zain saw it almost right away. "Like I said, underrated. It means it was great, right?"
"Okay, guess I'll have to watch it. Was it really as great as you said?" she replied, keeping the conversation light.
A few minutes later, he responded. "Yeah, you won't be disappointed."
Anaya hesitated before typing again. "So, how's everything? Especially you?"
She was about to add something else when his next message popped up.
"Fine. Will talk later, bye."
Anaya lay on her bed, staring at the screen. That was it?
She had hoped for a long conversation—something fun, maybe even flirty. But all she got was a short reply and a goodbye.
Sighing, she put her phone away and turned to her side, pulling the blanket up to her chin. Maybe she was overthinking. Maybe he really was just busy.
But then again, he had time to watch a whole movie.
Something had changed between them. Before, their conversations were easy, filled with laughter and teasing. Now, everything felt... distant.
She closed her eyes, pushing the thoughts away. It was late and she was too tired to figure things out.
"Maybe tomorrow will be better," she whispered to herself before sleep finally took over.
"Darwaza kholiya, Anaya bibi!" The familiar voice called out, jolting Anaya from her deep sleep. She squinted at the clock, her heart sinking. 8:52 AM—it was almost breakfast time.
Panicked, Anaya jumped out of bed, cursing herself for being late, especially after yesterday's incident.
"Khala, aap jayein, aap. 10 minutes mein aa rahi hoon!" she shouted, rushing to get ready.
She quickly brushed her teeth, splashed water on her face, and threw on whatever office clothes she could find. Thank goodness for those office outfits she had bought for rushed mornings like this. It was 9:08 AM—she had no time to waste.
