Leena went upstairs in haste and suddenly stopped outside the door. It was as if she wanted to escape from something horrible. She had never felt this frustrated and helpless her entire life.
Her small body leaned against the wall and looked outside the window. Her gaze focused on the national flag that was displayed on the top of the army base. However, the darkness had fallen and the flag also seemed dark in color.
Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder, what if she didn't choose to drink down her sorrow that night? She would probably never meet Kevin. They wouldn't get married and she would live a completely different life. Away from the complications and away from her complex feelings about him.
Kevin frowned as he watched Leena in silence. He had been standing there for a long time but Leena didn't even notice him. She was absent-mindedly looking out of the window. Was there anything outside that drew her attention and troubled her heart? How could she just ignore his presence?
He didn't butt a word as he leaned his body against the door frame. He just remained quietly staring at her. It suddenly occurred to him that Leena had changed in so many ways. She could be smart, lively and active with her brother around. On the other hand, she seemed to have lost her spirit whenever she was with him. Now all he could do was wonder what made her change. Did those changes have anything to do with him? His mind asked.
"Leena," Kevin called gently at last. He decided to stop guessing and talked to his wife.
"Yeah! Have you taken your shower?" Leena collected herself, turned around, and looked at him confusedly.
"Yes. I was looking for you. I didn't expect to see you here alone and troubled. Why don't you just come inside and tell me what happened?" Leena felt embarrassed under his steady and intense gaze.
"Nothing serious. I just found that the night here was charming. It is beautiful. I feel drawn to it," answered Leena. She realized that she had become accustomed to telling lies. Worse was that she wasn't blushing or having nerves attacks anymore whenever she made up stories. Had she already developed a bad habit of lying to her husband? The reality of herself getting used to lying to her husband made her panic. She was afraid that she might have picked a habit that could put their marriage at risk.
"Charming? I don't think so. There's nothing but darkness outside. You can't see anything, not even a shining star." Kevin pretended to believe what she said and also gazed out of the window.
"Tsk! All the stars are scared of you. They must be hiding somewhere." Leena said before bursting into laughter upon seeing Kevin's bewildered face. She didn't waste the opportunity of teasing him.
"Well, er, Am I that ugly and horrible? Those stars can't be scared of my face," answered Kevin amusedly. Then, he touched his face with his hand. Little did Leena know how much her simple laugh cheered him every time. Actually, he would do anything just to make her laugh.
"Yes, they can. It's all your fault! Shouldn't you appear all the sudden, they could have stayed there." Leena looked at Kevin and found that his hair was still wet. She frowned and thought that his wet hair might get him sick.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: It'll Come Naturally