The Promised Queen

𝓈𝒾𝓍

Hruday

"Why are you driving so slow?" Ridhima asks me.

We are sitting in my car, both of us not saying anything until she finally broke the silence. Even though we did not say what Baba said to each other, but on the inside we both knew.

"Do you want me to run into an accident instead?" I replied.

It seems like these days; we don't talk to each other unless we are fighting.

"So that is how far you will go to not marry me?" She says, turning her head to look outside the window. Now that she is not looking in my direction, I can finally take some time to admire her. Despite what she did those years ago, this was the woman I wanted to spend my life with. But now, we are more distant than ever.

The car is big but still I can feel that she is sitting beside me, her warmth, her vanilla perfume not even changed after so many years. There is a mole, just below her ears and sometimes it gets hidden behind her long dark hair that she keeps on touching and putting behind her ears.

"Did you agree?" I say suddenly. I keep my eyes on the road. I cannot bear to look at her glittering eyes and not fall for her all over again.

"Did you agree?" She says, looking straight at me. There is a hurt in her voice, a sadness that makes me remember when she was always smiling and cheerful. I miss the old her.

"I had no choice."

"Neither did I." She replied, finally giving me my answer. "But that does not mean-"

She was saying something else when suddenly a sound from her stomach echoed in the car and Ridhima's cheeks turned bright pink in shame. She put both of her hands on her stomach, hugging herself tightly. I hold in my laughter.

"Are you hungry?" I ask.

"No." she says, still not looking at me. As if not happy with her response, her stomach grumbles again and this time I cannot hold back. A small laugh slips from my lips and Ridhima turns to look at me, still blushing in shame. I avoid her eyes but the smile doesn't leave my lips. She acts so tough but she doesn't realize that she cannot hide her emotions from me.

"Stop laughing at me. I said I am not hungry." She defended, still hugging her stomach from the front to stop any noise from coming out.

I slow the car and reach for the cabinet in the front. Inside of it is a Snickers Bar that I keep for myself when I am unable to have breakfast. I bring it out and hold it in her direction.

"No thank you." She says, "I told you I am not hungry."

"Okay. I will put it back then." I reach to put it back but Ridhima quickly reaches to take it for me. Her small fingers brush against my skin and suddenly I am not able to focus on the road. She does not take the Snickers from my hand and my eyes meet hers, our skin still touching each other. Suddenly the space in this car is not enough to keep me away from her. If she looks at me a second longer with those eyes, then I will-

A loud horn breaks both of us out of our moment. I quickly focus back on driving, my heart still beating faster. I already dropped the Snickers on her lap and she is picking it up, looking at the window and not me.

"Do you want some?" She asks, talking with her mouth full of food.

Before I can say no, she is already breaking a piece of it and holding it for me. I take it without saying anything. Like this, it almost feels like everything is normal between us. But then I remember that it is not. She is the same woman who left me without an answer.