Chaotic Hearts | ✓

10 | change

A / N

I have an exam tomorrow and look at me, updating here because this stupid brain only works when it's supposed to be studying. But never mind, here's the chapter...

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10 | change

SHIVAAY PULLED THE comforter over her and set all the needy things on the bedside table. “If you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call out for me or anyone in this home, alright? I am just in the living room.” The night was chilly and after giving medicines to Anika, he had tucked her in bed.

“Yeah but isn’t this your room though? Why don’t you sleep here? I think I can manage quite well on the couch,” Anika said, looking around. She had obviously realized it was his room because it was blatantly obvious. The cream and white colored walls, bookshelf at the corner and the ‘Shivaay’ touch just screamed it was his room. Plus, Anika was smart, way more than he was.

Shivaay raised an eyebrow, “Really, love?” He questioned, narrowing his eyes. “Stop acting polite, I know how much you love my bed because you practically used to kick me off the bed.” Shivaay smirked as Anika frowned. He wasn’t just saying it in a rhetorical way. She literally did that because at some nights, he would wake up to find himself sprawled out on the rug.

“If you are insisting,” She shrugged her shoulders and hugged a pillow to her chest.

“So as I was saying, call me if you need me, yeah? I’ll keep checking up on you though,” –or more like stay here after you fall asleep, he said, stuffing his hands inside his pockets and taking steps backwards.

“Uh, sure.” She hesitated for a moment, opening her mouth but then closed it in after thought. He turned around and made sure to leave a light turned on because he knew darkness triggered her bad dreams. He grasped the handle and looked over his shoulder. While he had expected her to find already snuggling in the haven of her comforter, she was fidgeting uneasily in the bed instead. “Is there something you need?”

“Well, not really, it’s just… I mean, you know, sleeping alone kinda sets off the fear mode in my brain, and I am just wondering.” Anika took a deep breath, “Can you sleep here?” She asked and Shivaay stared at her for a few moments.

“Of course,” he said a little too quickly but then remembering Anika’s comfort came first, he added, “but if you want Gauri or mum can sleep with you.”

“I don’t mind. If you have a problem in sleeping here, call Maa or Gauri,” she said.

“Well then, gimme a pillow ‘cause I am sleeping in my room.” He grabbed one of the pillows and made himself comfortable on the sofa that was placed just to the side of their bed. “Nigh Anika,” he said, pulling the duvet over him.

“Night Shivaay.” She clutched a pillow and gave him a soft smile. Shivaay’s inside turned mushy and he rolled over so Anika couldn’t see how his cheeks turned slightly red.

Maybe sleeping wouldn’t be so bad now, both of them thought.

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Anika tossed and turned in the bed but sleep wouldn’t come to her. She had carefully removed the pills that made her so sleepy all the damn time from the stash of medicines because sleeping wasn’t peaceful. The incident had changed Anika drastically, it had taken away who she was because the Anika she knew would do anything to sleep. That Anika could sleep when music was blaring if she wanted to but this Anika would do anything to avoid sleeping. Because sleeping meant bad dreams, memories that she wasn’t ready to go back to.