Chapter 7: A Crack in the Ice

A sharp pain in her lower abdomen woke Ashnoor in the middle of the night. She groaned, curling into a ball on the couch.

Not now.

Her periods had always been brutal—sharp cramps, body aches, and a mood so bad that she barely recognized herself. And now, stuck in a contract marriage with a man who barely spoke to her, it felt a hundred times worse.

She dragged herself to the bathroom, searching the cabinets for painkillers. Nothing.

"Of course," she muttered, clutching her stomach.

She debated waking up one of the maids, but then the thought of Arav entered her mind. Would he even care? Probably not.

But the pain was unbearable.

Taking a deep breath, she shuffled toward the bed. "Arav," she whispered.

No response.

She sighed, moving closer. "Arav," she tried again, nudging his arm.

This time, he stirred. His eyes cracked open, and for the first time, she saw him in a completely different state—his hair messy, his voice rough with sleep.

"What?" he grumbled.

Ashnoor bit her lip. "I need painkillers. I—I have cramps."

For a moment, he just stared at her. Then, without a word, he got up, walked to the closet, and pulled out a small medical box.

"You should have told me earlier," he muttered, handing her the tablets and a bottle of water.

She blinked at him in surprise. "You… keep medicines here?"

"I run a company, Ashnoor. I don't have time to be sick," he said, as if that explained everything.

She took the pills and curled up on the couch again, expecting him to go back to bed.

Instead, he stood there for a second before walking to the bookshelf.

"Do you want tea?" he asked, his voice softer now.

Ashnoor looked at him in shock. Was this Arav Suthar… being nice?

"…Yes," she admitted.

Without another word, he left the room.

For the first time since she had stepped into his life, she felt something shift between them.

Maybe… just maybe… he wasn't as cold as he pretended to be.