C33 The Quiet Battle

By the time they returned to the apartment, the sun had already disappeared behind the mountains.

The day had been long.

Too long.

Aisha kicked off her shoes near the door and stretched her arms above her head with a tired groan.

“Remind me why I thought working in rural clinics was a peaceful idea,” she muttered.

Arjun closed the door behind them, his eyes automatically scanning the room out of habit before relaxing slightly.

“Because you like helping people,” he replied.

She smiled faintly.

“Unfortunately.”

The apartment felt calm again after the chaos of the clinic. Benji wasn’t home yet, probably still out somewhere in town.

Aisha walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water before opening the small cabinet above the counter.

Arjun noticed immediately.

The small white bottle in her hand.

Pills.

His jaw tightened slightly.

“You take those every night?”

She glanced back at him casually.

“Most nights.”

“How many?”

She shook two pills into her palm.

Then another.

Then one more.

Arjun stepped closer instantly.

“That’s too many.”

Aisha smiled faintly, leaning against the counter.

“You counting now?”

“Yes.”

She popped the pills into her mouth and swallowed them with water before he could stop her.

“Aisha,” he said quietly.

She turned toward him, amused by the concern in his voice.

“You’re doing that intense soldier look again.”

His voice lowered.

“I saw the report.”

The room went still.

For a moment she didn’t react.

Then she sighed softly and walked toward the couch, dropping onto it like someone who had heard this conversation too many times before.

“You weren’t supposed to see that.”

“It fell out of your notebook.”

She leaned her head back against the cushion.

“Well… now you know.”

Arjun stayed standing.

Watching her carefully.

“That dose is high,” he said.

“You shouldn’t be taking that much.”

She smiled faintly, though there was something tired in it.

“If I don’t take it, I don’t sleep.”

“You could try less.”

She shook her head.

“Doesn’t work.”

Her eyes drifted toward the window where the mountain night had already settled.

“My brain doesn’t shut up when I lie down,” she said softly.

“Thoughts just keep running. Memories… conversations… things I wish I had done differently.”

Arjun didn’t interrupt.

“So the pills help,” she continued.

“They turn the noise off.”

His voice was quiet but firm.

“That’s not fixing the problem.”

She looked at him again, smiling gently.

“You sound like Golu.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know.”

She stood up slowly and walked past him toward the bedroom.

Halfway there she paused and turned around.

“Relax, soldier,” she teased softly.

“I’ve been dealing with this for years.”

Then she added with a small playful smile—

“And I survived long before you showed up.”

The words weren’t meant to hurt.

But they sat heavily in the room.

Aisha disappeared into the bedroom a moment later.

Within minutes the quiet rhythm of sleep settled over the apartment.

The medication working quickly.

Arjun remained standing in the living room.

Silent.

Thinking.

He eventually walked to the bedroom doorway and leaned lightly against the frame.

She was already asleep.

Curled slightly on her side under the blanket.

Messy hair across the pillow.

Her face peaceful in a way that only sleep could make it.

The same girl who laughed loudly.

Teased everyone.

Acted like the brightest person in every room.

But inside…

She was fighting something darker than he had expected.

Arjun rubbed his jaw slowly.

His mind already working through possibilities.

Solutions.

Options.

Because soldiers were trained to solve problems.

And right now—

Aisha was a problem he refused to lose.

He looked at the sleeping pills bottle on the bedside table.

Then back at her.

His voice was barely a whisper.

More to himself than anyone else.

“I’ll figure something out.”

Because protecting her from enemies was one thing.

But protecting her from the war inside her own mind…

That was going to be a very different battle.