C34 The Things We Don’t Say

Morning came and went.

Sunlight had already climbed high over the mountains when Aisha finally stirred.

Her room was warm and quiet, the curtains half open letting in soft afternoon light. For a moment she stayed still, her mind slow and foggy from the sleeping pills.

Her hair was a complete mess, tangled in every direction like she had fought a storm in her sleep.

She blinked lazily at the ceiling.

Her brain still buffering.

Then she heard a soft sound from the other side of the room.

Paper shifting.

Arjun was sitting at the study table.

A pile of printed documents and notes spread around him like a small research project. His laptop was open, and a notebook beside it was filled with neat handwriting.

He had clearly been awake for hours.

He noticed movement behind him and turned.

The sight made him chuckle softly.

Aisha was sitting up in bed now, blanket wrapped loosely around her shoulders, eyes half open, hair wild like she had just rolled out of a dream.

She looked like someone who had the best sleep in the world.

“Good afternoon, lil dentist,” he said.

She slowly nodded once in response.

Still half asleep.

Her eyelids heavy.

He stood up and walked toward the bed, holding the stack of papers.

She rubbed her eyes slowly, squinting at the documents in his hands.

Her voice came out soft, husky with sleep.

Sweet.

And unintentionally seductive.

“What… is this?”

For a second, Arjun’s heart skipped.

That sleepy morning voice had caught him completely off guard.

But he quickly regained his composure.

“These,” he said calmly, holding up the papers, “are lifestyle plans.”

She blinked again.

Still processing.

“For different psychological conditions,” he continued, “and daily habits that help regulate sleep cycles and mood.”

Her brain finally caught up a little.

She leaned forward slightly, squinting at the pages.

“What are you going to do with these?”

Arjun’s expression turned serious.

“Well,” he said firmly, “take you off those pills.”

She stared at him for a second.

Then chuckled.

“Oh please,” she said lazily, stretching her arms. “Let me stay on them.”

He frowned.

“If not,” she added casually, “I’ll go back to smoking zaza to sleep.”

She smirked slightly.

“Believe me… you don’t want a doctor who’s high out of their mind treating your patients.”

Arjun froze.

“You… what?”

He genuinely looked shocked.

She noticed immediately and laughed a little.

“Oh come on. Don’t look at me like that.”

“How did you even get it?” he asked slowly. “It’s illegal.”

She leaned back against the pillow, staring at the ceiling.

A faint smile appearing.

“I once had a boyfriend.”

Arjun’s jaw tightened instinctively.

“He was a paddler,” she continued.

“Used to smoke day and night. His room was basically a hotbox.”

She shrugged slightly.

“I used to go there a lot.”

Her voice softened.

“At that time… it felt peaceful. Quiet. My head finally stopped thinking.”

Arjun stayed silent.

Listening.

“And eventually,” she continued, “I started scoring too.”

She gave a small shrug.

“Addiction happens faster than people think.”

Her gaze drifted toward the window.

“We broke up later.”

“But zaza stayed with me for a long time.”

Arjun’s chest tightened.

“I only started my sobriety journey recently,” she added.

“About two months now.”

She looked at him again.

Her smile faint but genuine.

“I want to be better than before. For myself.”

She tapped the pill bottle lightly beside the bed.

“So I take these now instead.”

Arjun felt something heavy settle in his chest.

“How long?” he asked quietly.

“How long were you smoking?”

She thought for a moment.

Then answered casually.

“I was nineteen when I started.”

Her faint smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Arjun looked away for a moment.

His jaw tightening.

Nineteen.

So young.

Already running away from something.

His mind filled with questions he didn’t even know how to ask.

What had happened to her?

What kind of pain makes someone start destroying themselves that early?

He sat there silently.

Lost in difficult thoughts.

Aisha noticed the expression on his face.

That grim, heavy look.

So she decided to lighten the moment.

She tilted her head slightly.

“So,” she said softly.

“You’ve seen the reports now.”

He looked back at her.

“Do you want to ask anything about it?”

Arjun exhaled slowly.

“I have too much to ask,” he admitted.

“But I don’t even know where to start.”

For a moment the room fell quiet again.

Aisha watched him carefully.

He looked hesitant.

Careful.

Almost afraid to ask the wrong question.

So she made the decision for him.

She shifted slightly in the bed, pulling the blanket closer around herself.

Her voice softer now.

More serious.

“Let me tell you a story,” she said quietly.

“From a few years back.”

And just like that—

The past was about to open its doors.