Chapter 37 (Magic Word)
“You like ice cream?” Priya’s disbelief lingered in her tone, her eyes widening at the idea of him indulging in something sweet. He seemed more like the type to recoil at the mere sight of sugar.
“Can’t I enjoy it?” Priyank’s grin softened as he intertwined his fingers with hers, a playful gesture that left Priya torn between pulling away and surrendering to the warmth of his touch.
“You can, but you don’t strike me as a sweet tooth,” Priya remarked casually, her gaze flickering between their locked hands.
“I have a sweet tooth, especially for you. I like you, doesn’t it count?” Priyank’s gaze lingered on her, his words laden with double meaning, that she tasted sweeter than any dessert. She was his slice of heaven, a sanctuary from the bitterness of the world.
“Like me? Plenty of people like me because I’m a good person,” Priya countered, her eyes rolling as she reflected his compliment with practised ease.
Priyank couldn’t help but smile at her sassiness, admiring her straightforward nature even as he marvelled at her inability to lie, her honesty a rare and refreshing trait.
“Sir, ice cream,” the driver’s knock interrupted their conversation, prompting Priyank to accept the treat with a grateful nod.
As the driver resumed driving, Priya couldn’t help but gaze longingly at the decadent double chip chocolate ice cream in Priyank’s hand.
It was a luxury she had never experienced, far surpassing the simple pleasures she was accustomed to.
Though she tried to convince herself of her contentment, the sight of the exquisite dessert stirred a longing within her. She wanted to taste it, to savour its richness, but the fear of rejection held her back. What if he thought less of her for asking?
‘He offered you before though’,
But a voice inside her reasoned, reminding her that he had offered before.
Yet, fear still gripped her, whispering tales of potential humiliation.
‘Remember the cake incident,’her mind interjected.Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.
Indeed, he hadn’t done anything to hurt her at that time, so maybe if she asked for a little bite, he wouldn’t be angry-or perhaps he would be angry. She didn’t know what to do.
Her heart screamed to ask for just one bite, but her mind fought against it.
The temptation was strong, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to give in, but the scent of the ice cream was overpowering her rational thinking.
Priyank glanced at her, noticing the longing in her eyes as she gazed at the ice cream. He knew she wanted it.
In fact, he ordered it for her, knowing she had just refused it out of fear or whatever reason she had.
But seeing Priya, who would seemingly jump in front of a truck for ice cream, he denied it didn’t sit well with him.
It was clear that it worked-the way she looked at it indicated that she wanted it.
“You want it? Why are you eyeing the ice cream like that?” Priyank asked, biting his tongue as he posed the question, already knowing she desired it and just trying to play it cool.
He couldn’t just give it to her, even if it was for her. She should ask for it and show a little gratitude.
‘Even if it’s your indirect apology?’ his conscience chimed in.
‘Yeah, that’s true. It might be an apology, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a little thanks from her,’ he reasoned. ‘It wouldn’t hurt if she appreciated the effort, which she clearly doesn’t seem inclined to make.’
“No, I’m not staring at the ice cream. I’m observing how it’s melting. You should eat it before it goes to waste,” Priya replied, licking her lips as she spoke.
“That also means you’re looking at the ice cream. How else would you know it’s melting without looking at it?” Priyank retorted.
“You’re holding my hand, so where else am I supposed to look?” Priya replied, her eyes still fixed on the ice cream, ready to pounce.
If only she could.
She longed to pounce and devour the entire ice cream; she felt she deserved it after enduring so much torment from him. A sweet treat would be a fitting reward in her eyes, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it to his face.
If it were someone else, like her orphanage kids, she would surely snatch the ice cream and gobble it up like a thief.
Even though it was wrong, she would still commit the small crime just to taste the ice cream.
And in her eyes, he was clearly wasting it-the way he wasn’t eating it, allowing it to slowly melt and smear his fingers. It was akin to committing the gravest of crimes in Priya’s eyes.
“Your eyes could be enjoying the outside view. Didn’t you like it before?” Priyank reasoned, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.
“Let go of my hand. I need it,” Priya insisted.
“You’re not that dense. Do you need your hands to see? Why do you need your hand?” he questioned.
“I just don’t want to get my hand dirty,” Priya replied.
“My other hand is holding the ice cream,” Priyank reasoned.
“So what? Okay, I admit, I want to eat the ice cream, but at the same time, I don’t want to eat it,” Priya confessed.
“What do you mean you want to eat it, but then you don’t want to eat it?” Priyank inquired.
“I’m scared. You easily get angry at me, and I don’t want to get hurt. My feet are already in pain, so I thought maybe if you could give me a little bite,” Priya innocently blinked her eyes.
Now she couldn’t stop herself. How long could she resist? She wanted to eat, and this seemed like a good option. He could give her one bite; it didn’t seem like a punishable offence in her eyes.
“Where’s the magic word?” Priyank teased.
“What magic word?” Priya asked.
She didn’t know what magic word he wanted to hear, but she was willing to say whatever he wanted, because the ice cream was melting, and that was making her anxious.
With each passing moment, the ice cream was melting faster and faster.
“Add please, maybe I’ll be happy and give you some,” he replied.
“Please, give me one bite,” Priya pleaded.
“Have the whole thing.”