....
Looking down at my plate, I softly said,
"What are your hobbies? I want to know everything about you."
He smiled at me.
"You'll have to figure them out yourself."
"Come on, just tell me," I insisted with a warm gaze.
"No," he replied with a slight smirk. "Find out on your own."
He watched me for a few moments. Then we continued eating in silence—a silence that wasn't awkward, but full of unspoken thoughts. After a few minutes, he stood up, looked at me, and said,
"I'll be back in twenty minutes. Wait for me in the living room."
When he left, I cleaned up the dishes and then went to my room. I grabbed my laptop, took the USB stick, and returned to the living room. I sat on the couch, plugged in the USB, and started looking through the photos of Chak that Noon had taken. In all the pictures, he looked serious, cold, almost unreachable. Just like when I first met him.
I didn't even notice when he came back.
"What are you doing?" he asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"Nothing," I answered quickly, closing the laptop in panic.
"Show me," he said calmly, but firmly.
"I'd rather not," I replied, avoiding his gaze.
"Niran, show me. Now," he said in an icy voice. His eyes pierced through me.
I swallowed hard, slowly opened the laptop, and showed him the pictures. He looked at them, but instead of anger, his eyes softened. They became warm.
"You know," I began quietly, "when I look at these photos, I see the Chak I first met—strict, arrogant, distant. But now… now I see someone with a softer side. A side I discovered. A side that's just for me. And one that would do anything for me. I like you, Chak… just the way you are."
I leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. When I pulled back, he just looked at me. With his right hand, he cupped my face and softly caressed my cheek.
"I don't want to run from my feelings anymore," he whispered and pulled me into a tight embrace, as if he was afraid I might disappear.
After a while, he asked,
"Why were you so scared? Why didn't you want to show me what you were looking at?"
"I thought you'd be mad if you saw I was looking at your photos," I admitted.
"Why did you speak to me in that cold voice?" I then asked.
"Because I knew you'd show me if I pressured you. I already knew what you were looking at," he said softly.
"How did you know?" I asked, surprised.
"You get that sparkle in your eyes when you're with me," he answered quietly.
Later, I went to my room, sat on my bed, and picked up my phone. I saw a message from my sister Nira.
Hey
Are you coming to visit this weekend or next week? You can stay over if you want.
I smiled and replied:
Maybe I'll come stay over some days .
I added a smiley emoji.
Chak entered the room and said,
"I'll be gone for a few hours. Don't wait up, just go to sleep."
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"I've got something to take care of."
He noticed the way I looked at him and continued,
"It's nothing serious. I promise I'll be back quickly."
He stepped closer and kissed me on the forehead.
Then he left the room and closed the door.
I put my phone down on the bed, got up, and followed him.
I saw him already opening the front door.
I grabbed his hand and looked him in the eyes.
"Be careful," I said. "Come back to me soon."
I hugged him.
After a few seconds, he let go.
He walked to his car. Before driving off, he looked at me one last time, then left.
I closed the door and leaned against it.
My thoughts were racing.
Where was he going this late at night, and why wouldn't he tell me?
I decided to wait for him, even though he told me not to.
After a few minutes, I went to the living room, turned on the TV, and checked if there was anything interesting.
I flipped through the channels, but nothing caught my attention.
I turned off the TV and went to my art room.
I grabbed my sketchpad and pencils, hoping drawing would help take my mind off the confusion and worry I felt. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't concentrate. My thoughts kept drifting back to Chak—his absence, his silence, the strange way he hadn't told me where he was going. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
I stared at the blank page in front of me, the pencil in my hand barely moving. I tried to focus on the shapes, the lines, but they didn't make sense. Nothing felt right. The only thing that made sense was the emptiness I felt without him there. I closed the sketchbook in frustration, put it aside, and let out a deep sigh. The clock ticked on, each second dragging longer than the last.
I left the art room and went to my bedroom.
I took a shower and then lay on my bed, turning off the light.
I stared at the door, waiting for it to open.
An hour passed. No Chak.
Then two. Then three. Still no sign of him.
It was 2 a.m. when I heard the door open.
Chak walked into the room, went around the bed, and lay down beside me.
He gently hugged me. I turned to him.
"You're still awake?" he asked softly.
"Yeah " I replied. "I was waiting for you."
"You really can't obey, can you?" he said with a smile. "You're getting punished in the morning."
"Now sleep. I'm right here beside you," he whispered.
"Goodnight, Chak," I told him.
"Goodnight, my artist," he replied and kissed me on the forehead.