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**Chapter 19: The Quiet Storm**
The next morning was a blur for Aanya.
Arjun left early for work. He didn't say goodbye. He didn't have to. His absence spoke louder than words ever could.
Aanya sat at the kitchen counter, her thoughts tangled in knots. Megha's visit was still fresh in her mind. A part of her understood Megha's desire for closure. But another part felt suffocated by the entire situation. Megha had come to check if Aanya was "okay"—but why did it feel like the past was knocking louder than ever?
*You're not okay,* Aanya thought to herself.
She sipped her tea absentmindedly, eyes focused on the same spot on the table, unable to break the suffocating silence in her mind. She could hear the faint hum of traffic outside. The world was moving, but Aanya felt like she was standing still.
She couldn't stop herself from thinking about the conversation she had with Megha the day before. She didn't want to admit it, but Megha had left her with more questions than answers.
*Are you happy?*
Aanya looked at the ring on her finger. It felt heavy now, like a reminder of all the things she couldn't answer, all the promises she hadn't kept—not to Arjun, but to herself.
Her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her reverie. It was a message from her close friend, **Rhea**.
**Rhea:** *Hey, Aanya. How are you doing? I haven't heard from you in a while.*
Aanya smiled faintly, grateful for the distraction. Rhea was a good friend from her college days, someone who had always been a listening ear whenever Aanya needed it most.
**Aanya:** *I'm okay, Rhea. Just… figuring some things out.*
Rhea's reply came quickly. **Rhea:** *You know you can talk to me anytime, right? I've been missing our catch-ups.*
Aanya glanced at the clock. She had a few hours before she needed to leave for work. She quickly typed a response.
**Aanya:** *I'll call you later. Need to clear my head first.*
It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to Rhea, but she didn't know how to explain everything that was going on. Arjun. Megha. The creeping sense of uncertainty in her marriage. It was all too much to process.
***
At the office, Aanya tried to focus on her work, but everything felt like a blur. Her mind kept drifting back to Arjun. To Megha's visit. To the growing distance between them. She had promised herself that she would focus on her MBA preparation in secret, but every step she took felt like a step away from Arjun. A step she wasn't sure she wanted to take.
By the time she returned home, she found the apartment quiet. Arjun's car wasn't parked outside. He wasn't home.
For a fleeting moment, relief washed over her, but it was quickly followed by guilt. She wasn't supposed to feel relieved. He was her husband. But what if his absence was what she needed?
She dropped her bag on the sofa and went to the kitchen to fix something for dinner. She needed to take her mind off everything, and cooking had always been a way for her to unwind.
As she chopped vegetables, her phone buzzed again.
This time, it was a call from Arjun.
Her heart skipped a beat. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she answered anyway.
"Hello?"
"Hey," Arjun's voice came through, sounding surprisingly calm. "I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye this morning."
Aanya closed her eyes, leaning against the counter. "It's fine. I… I didn't expect you to be here anyway."
There was a brief pause. "I'm at the office. But I was thinking… we should talk tonight. When I get back."
"Talk about what?" she asked, her voice betraying her nerves.
"About us," he replied softly. "About everything."
Her heart sank.
"I'm not sure what you want me to say, Arjun. You've said it all already."
"I know. But I need you to understand… I'm scared. I'm scared of losing you. I'm scared that everything we've built together will crumble because I don't know how to fix it."
Aanya's breath caught. "Arjun…"
"I don't want to lose you," he repeated, his voice thick with emotion.
Her fingers tightened around the phone, her chest constricting. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't lie to him, and she couldn't pretend everything was okay when it wasn't.
"We'll talk when you get back," Aanya finally said, her voice soft, almost resigned.
***
That evening, when Arjun returned, the atmosphere in the apartment was heavy with unspoken words. Aanya stood by the kitchen island, stirring the pot of curry as he walked in.
He didn't speak immediately. Instead, he stood by the door for a moment, just watching her. Aanya didn't turn to face him. She couldn't. The weight of the moment was too much.
"I'm sorry," he said after a long silence. "I know I've been... controlling. Overbearing. But I love you. I don't know how to do this without you."
Aanya finally turned, her eyes meeting his. "Arjun, I—"
"I don't want you to say anything yet," he interrupted. "I just… I just need you to understand that I'm trying. I'm trying so hard."
"I know you are," she whispered.
Arjun stepped forward, closing the distance between them. He reached out to touch her arm, but Aanya pulled away gently.
"Don't," she said softly.
He stopped. The hurt was evident in his eyes.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "I just don't know how to let you go."
Aanya closed her eyes. "I'm not asking you to let me go, Arjun. I'm just asking for space."
"Space?" he repeated, confused. "You already have space. You have your life. You have your career, your classes. I'm not stopping you from anything."
"No," she replied, shaking her head. "You're not stopping me. But you're also not really letting me live."
There was a long pause before Arjun spoke again. His voice was barely a whisper.
"Do you love me?"
Aanya froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to say *yes.* She wanted to reassure him. But the words felt stuck in her throat.
"I don't know anymore," she finally admitted, her voice shaking. "I don't know what I feel."
Arjun's face fell. The vulnerability in his expression was raw. For a moment, it was like he was a different person—like the strong, possessive Arjun she had married was gone, and all that was left was a man who was scared to be alone.
"I'm not asking for forever," he said quietly. "I just need to know if I still have a chance."
Aanya closed her eyes. "You have a chance, Arjun. But it's not about what you want. It's about what we both need. And right now, I need to figure that out."
***
That night, they lay in bed, an ocean of space between them. Arjun didn't touch her. He didn't even look at her. He just lay there, staring at the ceiling, while Aanya faced the opposite wall, her thoughts a swirl of confusion.
The storm was coming. Aanya could feel it in her bones. The storm of their feelings. The storm of their marriage.
But the question was: Would they weather it together? Or would it tear them apart?
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**[End of Chapter 19]**