His dark obsession

25. A confession

She handed him a plate filled with his favorite dishes, the aroma wafting through the air and tantalizing his senses.

"Eat," she said, her voice soft and gentle. "You must be starving."

He took the plate, their fingers touching briefly as he did. A spark of electricity ran through him, and he met her gaze.

"Thank you," he said, his voice low and husky.

As he began to eat, she sat beside him, watching him with a tender smile.

As he savored the flavors, he turned to her and asked, "Have you eaten?"

She shook her head, her eyes locked on his. "No, I wasn't hungry."

He paused, a forkful of food midway to his mouth. "You should eat," he said, his brow furrowing in concern.

Without waiting for her response, he gently took her hand and guided a bite of food to her lips. Their eyes met as she parted her lips, accepting the offering.

The intimacy of the moment struck him like a lightning bolt. Feeding her by hand, feeling her soft skin and watching her chew, was overwhelmingly tender.

Their gazes held, the air thickening with unspoken emotions. Time stood still as they shared this quiet, vulnerable moment.

"Ramlal's been cooking exceptionally well lately," he remarked, taking another bite.

She fidgeted, her eyes darting around before meeting his. "I-I made it," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes widened in surprise. "You?"

She nodded, her cheeks flushing. "Y-yes. I wanted to surprise you."

The fork slipped from his fingers, clattering onto the plate. "You cooked all this?"

She nodded again, her nervous smile captivating him.

"Why?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.

She took a deep breath before speaking, her words tumbling out in a rush. "I wanted to do something special for you. To show you I care. You've been working so hard, and I know how much you love these dishes..."

He listened, entranced by her sincerity and thoughtfulness.

"I have to admit," she said, her voice trembling, "when you threw the plate at me during our first rasoi, I felt devastated. But then I realized... the ritual was incomplete."

His eyes narrowed, memories flooding back. "You mean the ritual of sharing food?"

She nodded, her eyes sparkling. "Yes. I researched and found out that in our tradition, sharing food seals the bond. And also the first rasoi was also incomplete and when you threw the plate, it was like... it wasn't finished."

He watched, mesmerized, as she continued.

"So, the next day, I cooked for you again. I wanted to complete the ritual, to seal our bond."

His mind reeled, understanding washing over him. "That's why you insisted me"

She smiled softly. "Yes. I wanted to make it right. To show you that I'm committed to this... to us."

His heart swelled, emotions threatening to overwhelm him. No one had ever gone to such lengths to understand and connect with him.

"Why?" he asked again, this time his voice barely above a whisper.

Her response was simple yet profound. "Because I feel a deep connection with you. And I want to explore it, to see where it takes us."

Flashback