ENIGMA

Tantrums

By the time she returned, freshly bathed and still looking a little hesitant, Advik was back in the room, standing by the window, arms crossed. He motioned toward the table where the fresh plate of food now sat, his eyes never leaving her as she approached. Without saying a word, she sat down, her gaze flickering nervously to the food.

“Eat,” he said, his voice calm but undeniably commanding.

Ruhani sat down, her eyes drifting to the plate in front of her. The sandwiches were filled with vegetables, which she immediately frowned at. She pushed the plate slightly, wrinkling her nose. "I don’t like vegetables in my sandwich," she mumbled, more to herself than to him.

Advik’s sharp gaze snapped to her. "You’re going to eat every bite." he said, his tone chillingly strict.

She protested softly, poking at the sandwich with her fork. "The eggs, the sandwiches... I can’t eat all of this."

He replied, his voice unwavering. "I don’t care if you don’t like the vegetables, Ruhani. You haven’t eaten anything since last night. It’s about what you need."

Ruhani hesitated for a moment, eyeing the vegetables stuffed into the sandwiches. With Advik watching her so closely, she didn’t dare voice any complaints. Instead, she carefully picked up the sandwich and took a small bite. As she chewed, she subtly began picking out the vegetables, placing them underneath the other sandwich on her plate, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

But he did.

Advik, standing tall and watching her every move, saw exactly what she was doing. He didn’t say anything at first, but a small chuckle escaped his mind at her attempt to sneak past his rules. However, his amusement quickly gave way to authority. He stepped closer, his voice dropping in a tone that was both calm and ironclad.

“Ruhi,” he said, his eyes narrowing slightly as they locked onto hers. “You’re not going to pick anything out of that sandwich. You’ll eat everything on that plate.”

She froze, her hand halfway to her mouth, the guilt written all over her face. “But... I don’t like the vegetables,” she mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear.

Advik’s jaw tightened, and he leaned down, placing one hand on the back of her chair, his presence looming over her. “I didn’t ask what you liked,” he said, his voice firm and leaving no room for debate. “This isn’t about your preferences. You’re going to eat everything. No more excuses.”

Her heart raced, knowing there was no point in arguing further. His tone wasn’t angry—it was commanding, the kind of tone that made it clear he expected obedience. She swallowed hard and reluctantly picked up the sandwich again, this time taking a full bite, vegetables and all.

Advik straightened up, crossing his arms again as he watched her eat, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

She scowled, picking up the sandwich and taking a reluctant bite, carefully picking out the vegetables with her fingers and tucking them under the other sandwich. "I can’t eat this," she whined, her voice laced with frustration as she attempted to avoid the veggies.

Advik’s eyes narrowed, watching her antics, but he remained silent for a moment, slightly amused by her behavior though he didn’t show it. When she continued, picking out more vegetables, he finally spoke, his voice firm and commanding.

"You don’t like vegetables?" he asked, his gaze unwavering.

Ruhani shook her head quickly. "I don’t eat vegetables. Never have."

"Well, now you will," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You used to not eat them. Now you will. From today."

She frowned, once again picking at the sandwich. This time, however, Advik stepped forward and firmly placed a hand on the table. "Stop picking them out. Eat everything, or leave it."