Reiha lay down on the bed facing the window.
In the sky few birds were flying freely, and inside that room she felt like she was trapped in a cage.
A cage looked a beautiful and peaceful home from a distance, but as soon as she touched it, she got locked into it.
Looking at them, Reiha fell asleep.
Few hours later she heard the door unlocking, but she didn’t turn.
She kept her eyes shut.
Arthav entered into the room, and his gaze dropped to the food trolley beside the bed.
Breakfast remained untouched, exactly the way it had been brought.
The tea has gone cold, and the perfectly arranged plates look less like food and more like decoration abandoned in silence.
He took a deep sigh and said in a gently low voice, “You didn’t touch anything.”
Reiha didn’t reply to him and pretended to be asleep.
“I know you are awake. Answer me.”
He moved his hand forward to touch her arm.
But the moment his fingers neared her, Reiha instantly flinched and pulled back on the bed as it burned.
Arthav’s hand stopped in the air; a white bandage was wrapped on his hand.
He looked at her for a long second, his gaze dropped, and he walked out to the room without saying anything.
A few minutes later, he came back.
Reiha looked at his hand; he was holding a small pouch filled with ice.
He quietly sat beside her on the bed and carefully lifted her chin.
“Let me see.” He gently put the ice pouch on her neck as it got red and bruised.
Reiha grabbed his hand and pushed it away from her neck.
‘Don’t,’ she ground out.
Arthav put the ice bag on the bed.
“You should eat something.”
“Why do you care?” she said angrily.
“Don’t you wanna win this war?”
Reiha looked at him with a blank stare.
“And what exactly is the price?”
Arthav bent down and looked into her eyes.
“Freedom from me. Don’t you want revenge after what I did to you? Playing with your feelings.”
Reiha gazed fixed on him.
“But starving yourself only makes you weak.”
“Fine.” He slowly took a step towards the food trolley and lifted the sandwich and took a bite.
“Mm, it’s good.”
Taking another bite from the sandwich, he looked at her.
“You’ll lose before the game even starts.”
“I don’t care about this game, whether I win or lose. I don’t even want to play this shitty game in the first place.”
She took a deep breath.
“You almost killed me in the morning.”
After hearing her words, Arthav’s jaw tightens; he took a deep breath and lowered his gaze, and gently he lifted the soup bowl.
He picked up the spoon and held it towards her.
“After hearing her words, Arthav’s jaw tightened.
He took a slow breath, lowered his gaze, and quietly lifted the bowl of soup.
Picking up the spoon, he held it out toward her.
His hands trembled slightly, and beneath the white bandage, blood slowly seeped through.
“Your hand is bleeding.”
Arthav glanced at his hand and chuckled; he shifted the spoon from his right hand to his left, “Eat first.” He said, leaning closer to her, “You think I’ll let you destroy yourself before I do?”
Reiha glared at him in disbelief and shot him with an irritated scowl.
“I hate you.”
“I know,” he says softly.
“Eat anyway.”
Reiha took the spoon from his hand and took a sip.
He smiled lightly, and the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
“Good girl,” he murmured.
Reiha narrowed her eyes at him before taking another sip.
Seeing her eating, Arthav left her alone and walked to the washroom; his hand was still bleeding.
He gently unwound the bandage tied around his hand; beneath it, there was a straight, deep cut.
Arthav sighed, closing his eyes.
He put a cotton ball on the wound to stop the blood and started to look for the first aid box.
When he opened the cabinet, the box slipped from his weak grip and fell on the ground.
Hearing the loud thud, Reiha immediately rushed toward the washroom.
Arthav was sitting on the floor, beside the sink, while the first aid supplies lay scattered across the tiles around him.
Arthav looked up at her, and exhaled slowly, gazing down.