***"You know that when I hate you, it is because I love you to a point of passion that unhinges my soul." ~Julie de Lespinasse ***
Chapter Ten - The Food Poisoning
That went on for a few days. I'd leave for set, leaving her alone for hours and hours with nothing to do.
Whenever I'd return, she'd be sitting on my bed lost in thought.
Many times I'd ask what's on her mind but she refused to talk to me.
Then the day came, where I got a day off work and she had to leave to take her mother to the doctors.
I walked into my room and saw her brushing her hair.
"You going somewhere?"
She turned at the sound of my voice. She placed the brush down on the table and walked towards me hesitantly.
She finally spoke to me again.
"Yeah...remember, I have to take ma to the hospital?"
"Oh, right. I'll come with you. Afterall, she's my sasuma too."
I smirked at her but she looked around, as if she were nervous about something.
"No, it's fine, I'll go myself. I'll be back in a couple hours. I promise."
"Why can't I go with you?"
"I don't want to have to put up a love act in front of ma again. Especially not on the first day of her chemo."
I stared at her as she stared up at me with pleading eyes.
"Fine. You have three hours maximum. If you don't make it home, I'll be coming to visit you."
"Thank..."
She trailed off just as she was about to thank me. I remember staring at her a bit shocked at how she was about to thank me.
We locked eyes for a split second and then she broke the eye lock and walked back towards the mirror to finish brushing her beautiful long locks.
She was gone for two hours. I sat watching a repeat of my movie on TV when I heard her come into my room.
I knew it was her from the light footsteps she took.
"You still had an hour. Back so soon?"
"I..."
She sounded tired. I turned to look at her. She was already sitting on the edge of my bed with her face in her palms.
I figured her mother's first chemotherapy treatment had upset her.
I'm not the type to comfort people. Never was. But I felt it was the best thing to do at the time. Besides, my plan to make her like me was still intact.
I walked towards her and sat next to her.
At first I hesitated, but eventually I managed to put my arm over her shoulders.
For the first time, she didn't withdraw from my touch.
She kept her face in her palms and then I noticed a few tears falling from the side of her hands. She was silently crying.
I rubbed her shoulder.
"It'll be alright. Your mother will be fine. Nothing will happen to her."
I know, me comforting someone? Hearing myself speak sincerely to someone managed to shock me as well.
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes.
She seemed exhausted.
"Really?"
She spoke softly but worried as well.
I simply nodded my head, unable to speak sincerely anymore. One line was enough for me in one day.
For the second time in that day, we locked eyes again.
Her big, beautiful brown eyes stared deeply into mine. They drew me in. I didn't even realize I was closing in on her until she suddenly placed her hand over her mouth.
I pulled away my arm and watched her get up and run to the washroom.
I didn't know what was wrong. But within minutes she walked out of the washroom and stared at me.
"RK..."
"Huh?"
"What have you been feeding me?"
I started laughing as I realized she had food poisoning, or so she thought she did.
She picked up the pillow closest to her and threw it at me.
"Hey!"
"That's for making me feel sick!"
I looked at her and smiled. She seemed cute when she was angry. Especially when she was jokingly angry.
In a way, she seemed comfortable for once. Almost as if she was getting used to her surroundings. Getting used to me...
My smile faded as she sat down on her side of the bed and let out a heavy sigh.
"You alright?"
She didn't answer me.
She just nodded her head.
"You seem tired."
"I was running around all day helping ma, and then...crying..."
"Madh...biwi, she'll be fine."
"I hope so."
"Trust me."
She looked at me, for the first time, with a look in her eyes that seemed dependent. Dependent on me.
comment:
p_commentcount