HIS FORCED WIFE

The Curse Of Love

Saturday,

The handsome hunk was settled across from us in the far corner. He was with a woman. I don’t remember a ring on his hand though. But who am I to care?

I directed my attention to the food in front of me. I had ordered half-roasted chicken, with mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce. Fancy little dish. While Justin had Atlantic salmon.

The food was the best thing that happened to me today, or probably the whole week. Maybe there is a reason these restaurants are five-starred.

“You like the food?” Justin asked.

“Yes, It’s delicious,”

He smiled. And then laughed.

“What?” I asked. He took a bit full of fish and sauce and chew on it, still smiling.

“I still can’t believe you asked to pay the bill,”

“Hey, I didn’t know…,” I blushed.

“Knew what?” He asked.

“That the Y chromosome pays the bills on the dates,” I sighed, tilting my head. My hair fell on my lashes as I took another bite.

“You really have never been on a date right?” He asked curiously.

“No, They aren’t lying,”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“We are in high school, The only people ever single up till now are Oliver the Twister, and You,”

“Oliver the twister?”

“He is in my chemistry class, He is a bookworm, who also happens to be asexual, so he got the name twist because of the twist in his sexuality,” He gasped dramatically, “Are you asexual too?”

There was amusement dancing in his eyes. Was I asexual? There could be a possibility. If I don’t ever wanna be with anyone. But the way I reacted to Justin’s gentleness and smiles and especially that hunk, I would say the opposite.

“I am a fighter, not a lover!”

“Which means?”

“I don’t believe in love, I don’t think it is worth it to crumple your beautiful life just because nature wants it. Just because of some chemical imbalances in your mind. It wouldn’t be wrong if I say I don’t ever have fallen in love, nor will I ever be,”

He stared at me with wide eyes. There was now no amusement in his eyes, though a frown between them.

“You think there is no love?” He asks me, chuckling forcefully.

“There is, but only for the fools, that fall prey to it,”

“How will it work,” He asks. “You don’t ever wanna be with anyone?” The frown deepened and I didn’t like the look of it. I shouldn’t have started this conversation, people don’t get me. Hell, I don’t even get myself. But then again how would he have known where I stand?

“Right now, I don’t. Maybe after I have progressed enough in my career and life that I would feel the only thing missing is a Y chromosome, I would date,” I smiled. He didn’t.

“If you didn’t want to date? Why come with me?”

Shit! I don’t know the answer to that. I am a bad selfish b***h, that’s why.

“Annabelle practically forced me to say ‘Yes’. She’s been trying to set me up for years and she thought and I thought you are a good guy, I should definitely try the experience, and also we can be good friends,”

“An experience,” He whispered, “You are on a date with me because you wanna be friends?”

“…” I opened my mouth but nothing came out so, I closed it and took a breath to try again. “None of us would have fallen in love on the first date!”

He looked down, probably contemplating if it were a good idea to throw me from the window because I was thinking about doing it.

He continued eating in silence and his silence ate me up. After being done with food, he asked if I wanted anything else and I smiled and said nothing, he smiled which did not reach his ears, and politely asked the waiter for the bill. I saw the bill and saw my apartment’s rent written on it. Damn it. I am guilty. Justin paid the bill and we flew downstairs via the lift technology.

We had short conversations on our way home. He dropped me off at my apartment and I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

His car receded in view and I found myself standing on the street, not feeling at my best. I unlocked the door and walked in, locking it behind me and securing the bolts.

I reached my room and got out of my heels. My feet were killing me, and demanding a massage. I complied with their command, sitting on my bed and pressing them with my hands.

After a few minutes, I undressed, wore underwear and a sweatshirt, tied my hair in a ponytail, and scrubbed my face. All ready for bed, I grabbed a book and turned off my phone, or I’ll be having Anna call me or details that I really don’t wanna talk about, and she won’t understand.

I dwelled into the book, about the detective searching for his wife’s killer; and called it a day.

Never ever she was ever going to go on a date until she was concretely sure of what she wanted, or if she wants it.

.

.

.

Three days later,

Today was the day they were announcing the top three for the scholarship in one of the biggest institutes in New York. We all gathered in the main hall, waiting for the results. I was shaking my leg nervously, fidgeting with my hands. It should be me, It has to be me. I need it, I need this opportunity. The chief guests were settled in their seats, looking over at us children. They seemed to be like the angels, who write the fates of people. My fate depended on them.

“It’s gonna be alright,” Liam said taking my hand in his and holding it firmly. I took a deep breath as the lady got on the microphone. She greeted and held her head up, smiling cheerfully.

“The first person to get the scholarship, and get the chance to change their lives forever, is Michelle Desmond,”

My heart sank. The crowd from the side of the hall cheered as a girl got up from her seat, and walked up the hall onto the grandstand. She received her card and application. A big smile plastered on her face. Good for her, bad for me.

“Now, the second in the lead to win our scholarship and the seat in BHM Nationals is…Romaisa Jane Shaw,”

My heart sank yet again. I gulped hard as my friends cheered loudly for me. Oh, Dear Lord. I won this. I got up from my seat and closely watching my way, so that I may not fall, I walk up the Stage. I would hate to fall on my face on my big day, and there was a great number of times I have done that already. My hands were shaking when I held the card and the application. I smiled and thanked them.

I was back in my seat, my people congratulating me. I had stopped listening to the speakers. I did it.

We were walking down the hall when we ran into Justin. He had a polite smile and congratulated me. All the while having a girl by his arm. The girl was Andrea from my art class. It shouldn’t bother me but it did.

“You heard,” Justin added while going away, “The owner of the restaurant we went to, he was murdered the same day as us, after we left.”

“What? How?”

“Gunshot was involved in human trafficking and stuff,”

The man we were with, in the lift, I remember I felt he had a gun. I was too shocked to even respond and he went away with Andrea at his side. We could have been there when the murder happened. We could have witnessed it. I could have witnessed another murder near me. I shudder at the thought of being in the same place as a murderer. I look over at Justin turning to the right at the end of the hallway.

“You told me everything went great?” Annabelle appeared in front of my eyes, blocking my view to the back of Justin holding hands with Andrea.

“It did,”

“Why is he with another girl?”

“He…he might have not liked it, liked me,” I didn’t want to tell her that I ruined the perfect date with a perfect guy and that I horrified him with my biased opinions of love, and how I might have been a selfish b***h. I am already feeling guilty and I would hate another lecture.

“You did something wrong?” Gosh, I hate lying.

“Maybe,”

“Leave him be Annabelle, We should focus on this woman right here achieving her dreams,” Liam said dramatically. “And of course a treat,” He smiled and I smiled back at him.

Justin and his ‘new girlfriend’ have successfully decreased my happiness and it isn’t even their fault. Again trying to block the thoughts out, I show my teeth to the world and continue walking down the hall.

“I have to go the lady’s room,” Annabelle said, “I’ll be with you in a minute,” And she turned back, going in the opposite direction, and took a left.

“The bathroom’s to the right,” Liam said and looked at me with raised eyebrows and twisted lips. Liam is short for William. William is a mixture of the introverted handsome, and serious Noah, and the Extroverted, cheerful Annabelle. A kind and supportive friend, who has a vocabulary of more than a sentence, unlike Noah. He is the one who actually gets my thoughts about having a love life, or at least pretends to get it.

Ten minutes later, we saw Annabelle walking up to us. Her forehead frowned and her head lowered.

“Okay, let’s go,” She said.

“What’s wrong?” Noah asked her.

“Nothing,” The answer was quick and high-pitched. It was a lie. We looked at each other.

“Ana, There is clearly something wrong, tell us,” Liam asked her.

“I said there’s nothing, end of the discussion,”

“You talked to Justin?” I asked, and she looked at me, her face serious, eyes narrow than usual.

“Yes, Actually I did,”

I sighed. I hope she didn’t embarrass me in front of Andrea.

“I am sorry Rumi, I am a bother to you, trying to get you to understand while you clearly don’t even wanna try,”

“I have told you many times,”

“And then you lie to me about the date?”

“What lies?” Liam asked.

“She told him that she was on a date just to be friends with him and that he was just an experiment for her. She didn’t even wanna pretend to be on a real date,”

“Why would I give him hope when I clearly don’t wanna be with him?” I said, tears in my eyes, “And if he really wanted this, If it was meant to be, why didn’t he even try to make me realize that love is in fact real, he just went up with another girl,”

“You sound like a narcissist,” Annabelle said, riled.

“Maybe I am a narcissist,” I said and turned, going away from them. I wanted to be out of there, from the school. I wanted to be alone.

It was almost sunset when I sat on a bench in the park. The packet of bread I brought to feed the birds was finished and lying next to me, empty. Just like my brain. I was trying to feel numb from my irritation of myself.

Far in the view, I saw a couple, holding hands. They were old. Almost in their sixties. They sat on a bench and I shamelessly stared at them.

The old man sat next to him and kissed the lady on the cheek and held her close to him, smiling brightly.

She looked down at her hands and realize no one ever held them romantically. She had no one to kiss her hello or good bye. No one listens to her when she is down and then embraces her in his arms where she settles and relaxes. No one to call first and tell her about her achievement, no one but her family.

Was her family enough for her? Was she enough for her? Will she be lonely forever?

She didn’t even realize when big tears flew down her cheek and touched her chin. Why is she not one of the fools? Why was she made to realize the ugliness of real life? The curse of love!