Forcibly Yours

(◕‿◕)||𝔽𝕌ℂ𝕂 𝕐𝕆𝕌||

"Where are you? Why is it so noisy? Aren't you in the café?"
Questions. One after another. As if we were in an interrogation room instead of a phone call.

"Why do you care?" I snapped.
"You just focus on your work, Mr. Rathore. You weren't too concerned when you left me alone at the airport, right? Or when you changed your plans at the very last second and disappeared like a fucking nobody."

I didn't even realize when my voice started cracking. The sarcasm in my tone was working overtime to cover the fact that I was genuinely hurt.

"Why do you care now? I'm doing just fine, thank you very much. In fact, I'm so happy here I've decided I'm not coming back. I'll win this competition, start a new life in China, and marry my favorite Chinese actor!"

I blurted out whatever popped into my head. Apparently, heartbreak activates the nonsense section of my brain.

There was a small pause before he replied.

"Okay okay... I get it. You're happy now."
He sounded so soft it made me want to scream into a pillow.

"I am very, very happy," I snapped back like a five-year-old throwing a tantrum.

"Yes yes, Your Highness is very, very happy," he said quickly. "Now do me a favor and move from wherever you're standing. Go back to the café. It's snowing like crazy there—you'll catch a cold. And don't forget, the competition's still got four days to go."

Ugh.
He had to say that in that tone.

Oh right. That.

I jogged back inside. My fingers were freezing.

"Hmm... so where were we?" I mumbled, catching my breath. "Ah yes, I'll marry that Chinese actor-

what was his name? The one from that drama with the snow and the swords and the tragic backstory...
I was genuinely trying to remember his name when I heard it—

"Hhhss."

"Dheer?"
"Hmm."

"What happened?" I asked, alert. That didn't sound normal. That sounded like pain.

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me, I heard that sound," I said sharply. He was hiding something.

He sighed.

"Oh... that? Yeah, that was just... the sound of my heart."
"Your heart?"

"Yeah. You said you'd marry that HAU-CHAU actor, and it hissed. In pain. Felt betrayed."
His voice was all fake sadness and exaggerated sorrow.

I choked on my own laughter.

"They're not HAU-CHAU! And that's not even a name!" I said somehow controlling my laughter.

"Oh but they sound like that! 'Ni hao... mmm xie xie... wo ai ni...'—I mean, how am I supposed to compete with a guy who sounds like that while ordering noodles?"

I replayed a few lines from that drama in my head—and unfortunately, he was not wrong.
I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

And just like that, the crack in my voice turned into a smile.