"You said you don't hate me. So, can't we start a new chapter?" she said trembling, her eyes filled with hope.
He laughed loudly. "Aliya Emdad are you a stupid or just pretending to be. Listen to me carefully. Yes I don't hate you. Actually I feel...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I opened my eyes, only to see him.
Instinctively, I sat up and brushed my hair back, trying to find my voice.
"Why are you here?" I said, barely concealing the annoyance in my tone. "Oh, wait.....this is your house. So, what's the matter? Do I need to change this room too?"
He sighed, his expression softening as he replied, "Look, I'm sorry about last night. I didn’t want you to find out that way. My mind is... becoming a mess."
"Truth is truth," I answered, my gaze fixed somewhere beyond him.
"No matter how it's told, it doesn’t change. I should’ve known my place." I didn’t want to look into his honey-brown eyes. They held nothing for me.
"Will you have breakfast with me?" he asked, a hint of reluctance in his tone.
"You’ve already said we don’t need to pretend to be a married couple in this house, so what's the point?"
A dull ache began spreading through my head, likely from the allergy meds. "Please, just enjoy your breakfast. I’m going back to sleep," I said, pushing myself to get out of bed. But the room tilted, my head spinning as I held the wall for support.
"Are you okay?" he asked, placing his hands on my shoulders.
I took a sharp breath, closing my eyes. "I’ll be fine. Please, just... get your hands off me."
"I will, once you feel steady," he replied, gently guiding me back to the bed. He left briefly, returning with water and a plate of food.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked, watching me closely.
I gave a small nod and then made my way to the bathroom, hoping he'd leave by the time I returned. But he was still there, making it that much harder for me to shut him out. I’m just a convenience in his life, I thought bitterly.
"Can you please go? I just need more sleep; the allergy meds make me drowsy."
"I’ll leave once you eat. I know you haven't had anything," he insisted.
After a deep sigh, I relented. "Fine. I’m eating."
He stayed silent while I ate, though he eventually broke the silence with, "When did it start? The allergic reaction?"
"Around midnight," I mumbled, barely meeting his gaze. "But it’s not your concern."
He said nothing further, but he didn’t leave until I’d finished eating.
Before heading out, he stopped at the door, hesitating. "Tomorrow is the surgery–my mom’s. She’ll be admitted to H H Complex Hospital."
I froze. "I’m going there now."
He stopped me, his voice gentler than usual. "Come after resting. She’d worry if she saw you like this."
I nodded reluctantly, feeling the fatigue already pulling me back under. As soon as he left, I drifted into a deep, heavy sleep.
