ENIGMA

BOUNDARIES

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the glass walls, casting a soft glow over the room. It was 8:30 AM when Advik, already showered and dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark slacks, shook Ruhani gently.

“Ruhi, get up! It’s time to start the day,” he said, his voice firm but with a hint of softness.

Ruhani groaned and buried her face deeper into the pillow. “Adi, just five more minutes,” she mumbled sleepily.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s 8:30 already. Come on, get up.”

She slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright morning light streaming into the room. Seeing Advik fully dressed and prepared for the day, she made a face. “Wake me up at 11,” she grumbled, trying to pull the covers back over her head.

Advik wasn’t having it. He firmly pulled the covers away and made her sit up. “No, you need to get up now. We have plans for the day.”

Ruhani groaned in frustration, reluctantly sitting up. “Plans? For what?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Just get ready,” Advik instructed, a teasing glint in his eyes. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

With a sigh, Ruhani dragged herself out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up. A short while later, she emerged wearing the same dress she’d worn the day before, her hair slightly tousled from sleep.

Advik, catching sight of her, raised an eyebrow. “You’re wearing that again? You might want to change. You’re starting to smell.”

Ruhani huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, I don’t have anything else to wear. You didn’t exactly give me a chance to go home and change.”

Advik smirked, eyeing her shorts with amusement. “You definitely need to change into something more appropriate,” he said, his tone teasing. “Not in those.”

Ruhani narrowed her eyes at him, sensing there was more to his comment. “Drop me home so I can change then.”

Advik, considering how best to handle the situation, played it cool. “We’ll see about that after breakfast. Maybe I’ll drop you home, or maybe we’ll go somewhere else first.”

Ruhani frowned, suspicious. “What do you mean, ‘somewhere else’? What are you planning?”

He just gave her a knowing smile and led her to the dining area where breakfast was waiting. “Let’s eat first, and then we’ll talk about it.”

As they sat down to eat, Ruhani couldn’t shake the feeling that Advik was hiding something. But with no other option, she picked up her fork and started on her breakfast, casting wary glances at him from time to time.

As they sat down to breakfast, Ruhani frowned at the sight of the food in front of her. It was a traditional spread—healthy but plain—exactly the kind of meal she wasn't in the mood for.

"Adi," she whined, poking at her food with a fork, "I don’t eat stuff like this. I need something else… maybe toast or, better yet, some pancakes. You know I hate this bland food."

Advik raised an eyebrow, amused by her complaints. "This is breakfast. You need something nutritious..."

She crossed her arms, pushing her plate away stubbornly. "I’m not eating it. I’ll wait until we go out and get something better."

Advik’s expression darkened slightly, though his voice remained calm. "I don’t care if you don’t like it. You need to eat."

Ruhani rolled her eyes, pushing her plate further away. "I told you, I’m not eating this. It’s awful."