“After how I have treated you again and again, you did not have to give me this chance,” he said. “I am not a good man, but I am not bad either. I am smiling because after years a victory has fallen into my lap that I did not deserve. You, I don’t deserve.”
“We are not on this earth to love only those who deserve.”
His smile melted. Dark eyes went deeper.
“When you look at me like that,” his voice scraped. “You make me believe you see something that still must be good inside me.”
“Isn’t there?”
“You ask after knowing everything?”
“I don’t know everything.”
His mouth tipped on one side.
“You are still a fortress to me.”
“I am not that important.”
“To me, you will become.”
His mouth dropped open. Their eyes remained threaded.
“Go home, now.” She pointed to the gate with her eyes, her heart beating like a drum suddenly.
“I would like to sleep here tonight.”
“Excuse me?”
“Not in your bed,” he cut her off. “On your sofa. I am ordering an alarm system for the house.”
“I am vacating this property in three weeks when the government shifts back to Srinagar.”
“And I am not here that long.”
“No.”
“I did not ask you.”
“If this,” she pointed between them, “means you get to do all this crazy stuff then no thank you.”
“Installing an alarm system because god forbid robbers jump walls in the light of day when you are not home,” he pointed to the 7-feet walls surrounding the property, “drill open one of the metal grilles,” he pointed at the black grilled windows, “then come back at night, slit your watchman’s throat and enter your house while you are sleeping inside your bedroom? Yes, I will.”
“Why do you have an entire robbery plan made in under a minute?”
“Because I think like them. Now move. I will wait here until your watchman comes and then come inside.”
“You can sleep with my watchman.” She whirled and stalked away, feeling tenderness arise from the depths of that momentary rage. Amaal slowed at the verandah steps and tilted her head enough to get a glimpse of him. He was still standing there where she had left him, looking at her, probably smiling.
————————————————————
Even though she had ordered him to sleep with the watchman, Amaal opened and readied one of the guest bedrooms. She debated the bedsheets in her cupboard, then picked the most non-girly one — a blue gulmohar Mughal print. She took some of the pillows from her own collection and parted with the cotton duvet that she used for warmer nights. He did not look like a man who would feel too cold. Her silk duvet was too thick and too warm for him.
She filled a jug of water and placed it by his bedside. Then placed a folded napkin and a towel if he wanted a shower. Would it make sense to lay out a toothbrush and toothpaste box at this point or offer it to him in the morning? Amaal looked around at the room that had remained closed for so long. Dust was darkening the fan and the ceiling. Her cramping wasn’t too bad now but she didn’t have the energy to climb up and clean them.
This would have to do.
She tried all the switches and fans, then discovered that the AC did not work on any other mode but fan mode. Amaal panicked. She began to run to the next room to check, making a list of the things to shift from the first room when the doorbell rang.
