“Shall we get you something to eat, Kunwar-sa?” she asked, and I nodded weakly in response.
“Um… can you ask Suman to meet me?”
She nodded, bowing. She was the same attendant who had seen us together.
I no longer cared about anything.
Things were worse—the time until death was short, almost a month away. And after death, fear, happiness, and judgments—nothing would’ve mattered. It felt like I had only these three weeks to live my life fully.
Although I refused to accept defeat, the odds were even. Death was a real possibility, and ignoring that would’ve been foolish, given the slim chance of survival.
I waited until I heard her faded footsteps. My breath hitched as I looked at her.
She said nothing and silently sat beside me. The soft crackling of wood catching fire filled our ears like a melody amid the dark silence.
She pulled her knees closer and wrapped her arms around them, making me notice the beautiful green bangles on her wrist.
With just two feet between us, I gently pulled her closer, taking her hand.
She didn’t hesitate or protest.
I wrapped my arms around her, gathering her into my embrace. Her back pressed against my chest, and I shielded her with my shawl, leaving our faces exposed.
“How did it go?” I asked softly, resting my chin on her shoulder. She gulped and closed her eyes, our cheeks grazing one another.
After taking a deep breath, she muttered,“I rejected him.”
I gulped, holding her hands in mine beneath the warm shawl.
Closing my eyes, I breathed in her captivating, natural scent, a sweet fragrance that enveloped me in silence. There was a peculiar comfort in her embrace, something that transcended soothing.
Or I had never felt anything like that with any woman before. Well, I had never experienced this with anyone before.
I didn’t know, but with her, it felt like I could remain natural and silent and express my pain.
“Suman,” I called slowly, and she responded with a soft hum. Her voice tightened my chest. It was lazy, giving, and primarily divine.
She intertwined her fingers with mine, strong as if she were filling me with strength.
A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed hard, feeling weak.
“Why did you reject him?” My voice was slow, audible only to her.
She tilted her head slightly to the side, nestling into my neck. The warmth of her face made me feel lost in a world where no one could reach me, but she found me.
“I cannot marry anyone,” her soft voice brushed against my cheek, sending a slight shiver down my spine. Her submission felt like the most beautiful thing in the world.
She brought silence, relief, and an end to my turmoil.
“Does that mean you accept me as your husband?” I asked in the same slow voice, and she inhaled audibly, making me sense an intensity.
“You didn’t give me a choice; you just cut your thumb and filled my hairline.”
Her words made me smile, reminding me of that day.
“Do you regret it?” I asked lazily, rubbing my thumb against hers inside the shawl.
“Are you making me regret it?” she asked in return, and I chuckled slightly.
