The Enchanted Hearts

CHAPTER-12

I walked into the house, feeling the exhaustion from a long day at work weighing on me. As I stepped into the lounge, I saw Zara sitting there, looking anxious and uncomfortable. Just then, I noticed Zain standing way too close to her, his expression smug and irritating.

"Hey there, beautiful," Zain said, leaning casually against the armrest of the couch. "You seem lonely. Need some company?"

I saw the forced smile on Zara's face, her discomfort clear. "I'm fine, thank you," she replied, trying to keep her distance.

But Zain didn't back off. Instead, he moved even closer, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made my blood boil. "Come on, Zara. We should spend some time together. We could get to know each other better."

That was it. I couldn't stand it any longer. "Zain," I said, my voice cold and sharp. "What are you doing here?"

He straightened up, trying to look casual. "Just chatting with Zara."

I took a step forward, my anger barely contained. "I think it's time for you to leave."

Zain muttered something under his breath and finally left the room, casting one last glance at Zara. I watched him go, my fists clenched. How dare he act that way towards her? I turned to Zara, who looked relieved but still tense.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft and uncertain.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair to calm myself. "I'm fine. Why are you sitting here? You should be in your room now."

She shook her head. "Aunty told me to wait for you."

My frustration flared up again. "I told you not to wait for me."

She hesitated for a moment, then spoke quietly, "Aunty said it’s disrespectful to eat before you come home. She scolded me for starting dinner without you."

I paused, taking in her words. The realization hit me hard. "It's mean you didn't have your food, right?" I asked, a bit of concern creeping into my voice despite myself.

She nodded silently.

I sighed heavily, annoyed but also feeling a twinge of guilt. "Alright, I'll go change. Heat up the food, and we'll eat together."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of happiness. It struck me how much such a small gesture seemed to mean to her. I headed to our room to change, my mind racing. What was happening to me? Why did I care so much about Zara's feelings?

When I returned, the food was ready, and we sat down to eat. The tension from the day's events still lingered, but sharing a meal together felt like a small step towards normalcy. We talked a bit about our day, and I found myself actually enjoying the conversation.

"How was your meeting?" she asked, keeping the conversation light.

"It went fine. Just a lot of work," I replied, my tone softer than usual.

As we finished dinner, Zara got up to clean the dishes. I watched her, feeling a strange sense of contentment. It wasn’t a grand gesture, but eating together felt significant. I went to the room.

I settled into bed, my mind still buzzing with thoughts. The small act of eating dinner together had created a shift in our dynamic, something I hadn't expected but couldn't ignore.

Lying there, I couldn't help but think that maybe things were starting to change between us. It was a small step, but it felt important. As I closed my eyes, I allowed myself a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, this could be the beginning of something better.