Beyond Destiny ~ A Saga Of Timeless Love

15 ~ Drunk

"Believe me when I say I always think of you. No matter how busy I am, no matter what I am doing, my brain is constantly thinking about you."

Ruhanika

As I gazed at him, a deep sadness stirred within me. His words brought forth a wave of emotions, and I couldn't help the tears that welled up in my eyes. Our culture has long demanded strength from men, forcing them to suppress their emotions, as if showing vulnerability is a sign of weakness. The weight of these expectations is suffocating, but this man before me has carried that burden since childhood. The life he has led is beyond anything I can fully comprehend.

At the tender age of ten, he lost his mother, and with her, he lost the innocence of his childhood. The responsibilities of the kingdom fell upon his small shoulders far too soon. While other children played, carefree, he was bound by duties and expectations, never allowed to grieve, never given a moment to simply be a boy. The pain of missing his mother is a wound that still bleeds, one that he has never been allowed to fully express or heal. And now, here he is, turning to me—a stranger—for comfort. The loneliness in his eyes is unmistakable, and my heart aches for him.

"Why aren't you speaking? Rooh, are you upset? I’m sorry," his soft voice pulled me from my thoughts. He looked vulnerable, like a lost child seeking reassurance. For a moment, I saw past the stoic façade he usually wore and caught a glimpse of the boy within, longing for warmth.

I snapped out of my trance, shaking my head slightly. "Why did you drink so much when you clearly can’t handle it?" I asked, my tone firm but not harsh. I’ve always disliked drinking and smoking, and seeing him like this made me uneasy.

He looked at me with a slight pout, his lips forming a soft curve. "I’m not intoxicated," he replied, his voice thick with innocence. My jaw nearly dropped at his response. This was the same man who usually walked around with a cold, expressionless demeanor.

"And I’m Katrina Kaif," I shot back sarcastically, crossing my arms.

"K...Kat...Katrina Kat? Who is that?" His face twisted into an adorable look of confusion, and I couldn’t help but laugh. The way he said it was too funny. In that moment, he wasn’t the stoic figure I had grown used to—he was just a man, playful and slightly lost.

"No one," I chuckled. "Now come on, you must be starving. Let’s get you some food."

It took some convincing, but eventually, I managed to coax him into the living area. He was sluggish, like a massive, immovable boulder, but I persisted. Once we reached the dining table, I placed a plate of food in front of him.

But instead of eating, he just stared at the plate, unmoving.

"What’s wrong? Eat your food," I urged, starting to feel frustrated.

"I... forgot how to eat," he murmured, blinking up at me with wide eyes.

"What? How could you forget how to eat?" I asked, my disbelief evident. He simply giggled in response, and his dimples made an appearance, softening his features. He looked so unbelievably cute at that moment that a fleeting thought crossed my mind—to kiss him until he couldn’t breathe.

"I don’t know, but I forgot," he said with a smile, then added cheekily, "You can feed me."

How could I possibly say no to that face? With a resigned sigh, I sat down beside him, pulling the plate closer. Piece by piece, I fed him, and with each bite, he stared at me intently, his playful mood giving way to something more serious. The way he watched me made the air between us feel charged with something unspoken. He only opened his mouth to eat when I brought the food to his lips, never taking his eyes off me.