You're glad that he's not interested in raping you anymore.

It would always be the same, he would come in with a metal tray of cooked eggs, fish, fruits or other edible items. He would also prepare a few cups of clean drinkable water for you too.

Sometimes, instead of water, he would give you hot herbal tea. God knows what grass he added in there, it never tasted good though.

But you were forced to drink it, Mayanka would present his weapon if you showed any signs of recalcitrance.

You have no idea where he got all of those. Moreover, you don't understand how he has those in abundance, you get to eat three square meals a day. Not as lavish as the meals you would have back in the city, but it's considered very 'luxurious' considering that the both of you are most probably stranded on this island.

In that period of recovery, Mayanka showed you most of the features around his home. The clean water that was used for drinking or cooking was from a simple water filter he made. A cut plastic bottle filled with a layer of cloth, sand, charcoal, pebbles and rocks.

He has a small, fenced area with a chicken coop made out of wood and some metal derbis. Mayanka owns three chickens that regularly lays eggs.

You squinted, hey... isn't that part of the airplane you were riding on? You could see a segment of it's logo. Maybe it washed up on shore along with you.

There is a toilet that he built nearby, it's a simple, small, wooden shack with a removable bucket in the ground.

You were given a wide and smooth leaf as toilet paper. At least better than leaving yourself crusty. You don't really understand why he gave you a small bucket of clean, but undrinakble water along with the leaf. Did he want you to wash yourself?

You believe that the wastes are used as fertilizer for his rows of crops behind the wooden shack. Where else would he throw it? You don't believe that he dumps it in the ocean as the waters are clean and pristine.

How long has he been here? You estimate that he's here at least half a decade, seeing the all the things he established. So advanced and bizarre.

Maybe he survived a plane crash too. No, maybe a ship crash? How would he get the mattress if he was from a plane? Where did he get the machete then? The metal tray? The buckets? The tools? The metal hinges fixed on the door? The unidentifiable flag used as a curtain?

Weird. It's not a flag of any country, it has a depiction of an angry Snake's head.

You can't just ask him about his life story. He can't understand you, you can't understand him.

He's a quiet man. Aside from him calling your name to get your attention, he doesn't mumble to himself. You would expect someone that has been lonely for years to at least have a habit of talking to themselves.

For three days, he would sit on the floor next to the bed, sharpening wooden sticks and tying them up into complicated contraptions. You assume that he's making traps to catch fish or other animals.

Sometimes he would verbally warn you to stay put in his language before leaving to cook or set the traps up. You don't want to anger him, being stranded on an isolated island is enough. You don't need a murderous sex maniac to see you as a threat.

He didn't sleep on the bed with you, which you were grateful for. Instead, he slept on the ground with the flag as a blanket.

Mayanka didn't allow you to move on your own until the fourth day.

He gestured you to stand and so you obediently followed his words.

You felt much better and stronger after resting, but you can never scrub the image off your mind.

Mayanka lead you outside of his home, you didn't notice that there was a patio and an awning made out of coconut leaves over the door... you could have just take shelter there instead of submitting to him.

Or did he just build that recently? You did doze off to sleep many times in a day.

Mayanka sat down crossed legged, watching the sunrise. The warm, saturated colours of the sinking star in the sky reflected against his yellow eyes.

You can't tell what he's thinking. He doesn't show much of his emotions either. Maybe he frowned so much that the muscles on his face atrophied, you have never seen him smile either.

Is this his daily routine? You looked at the view. To you, this is nothing interesting except it's a pain in the neck to render in a game with tip top graphics.

Your lungs deflated in despair when you realized that your beloved laptop is gone. The rest of your clothes, your passport, the progress you made for the game, your money... all gone. How are you going to tell your teammates to go on without you? How are they going to explain to the shareholders that the game is going to be delayed?

You hesitantly sat down next to him, Mayanka watched you from the corner of his eyes before bringing his focus back to the view in front of him.

The both of you sat in silence. Letting beautiful hues from the sunrise paint the both of your faces.

——

"Damn it..." you muttered as you wiped the sweat away from your brow. Except... there is no sweat, your skin is dry. Mayanka spared a glance at you.

You're not cut out for this, in all your life, you lived in a cold and dark room. As for your situation right now? You're baking under the merciless sun, your skin burns and your head hurts.

Mayanka stopped picking the shellfish from the sand and walked over to you.

You felt bad when you see that his basket is almost filled, yours only had five seashells. You don't know if there is anything to eat in yours.

He threw your arm over his shoulder and supported you, Mayanka gently lead you back into the shade, under the coconut leaf awning.

He carefully sat you down on the ground before leaving you alone to get the cup of filtered water inside the cabin.

You struggled to keep your eyes open, now you know that you're suffering from a heatstroke. You remembered the symptoms of it because you read a 'clickbaity' article about the subject.

"(Y/n)." Mayanka's deep, growly voice called. You weakly turned to face him.

"Oh..." you picked the cup up from his hands and took some sips.

The male huffed through his nose before moving towards the shore with a shallow metal tray and a tattered towel.

The tray looks like the kidney trays used during surgeries. Where is he getting these?

You watched him scoop up a good amount of seawater, what is he doing?

Mayanka then left it on the sand where it receives ample sunlight and heat, away from the ebbing tides.

Then it clicked.

He's harvesting salt! No wonder his meals are considerably flavorful.

But why the towel then? You took another sip from your mug.

Mayanka came back with the towel drenched in seawater, he swung it around his head to cool it down for a while.

Your less than ideal companion knelt down and began dabbing your skin with the cool towel.

You eyed his mien. He does not express anything, no annoyance nor disappointment as he treated your heatstroke.

It made you wonder if he had any family before this, did they die and left him to become like this? Did he have a romantic partner? Judging on what he did three days ago, it seems like you're the first woman he met in years. You guess his hand or the chickens are just not enough to satisfy his sexual cravings.

You hope that his chickens didn't have to go through the experience too.

He took the cup away from you as it's empty. Mayanka was about to tell you to stay, but seeing that you're barely conscious, he decided to trust you.

...maybe it's better that you're inside.

Mayanka carried you back into your shared home and laid you down on the bed.

He dusted his hands and brushed your hair away from your face. His eyebrows knitted together in concern, he knows that you're going to live, but your low tolerance to the wild is worrying him.

Mayanka made sure to place a short kiss on your forehead before leaving to forage in the jungle behind his home.

Mayanka made a mental 'shopping (or foraging) list' as he picks his machete up.

The door behind him slammed shut, you were too tired to register that Mayanka isn't in the same room as you anymore.