"How are you Asad? The bruises have healed compared to the last time I saw you. You will begin walking soon Inshallah", Abba speaks respectfully. The respect that is given to a son in law. Asad just has a blank look on his face. He nods slightly giving a tight lipped smile whenever my mother speaks to him. It pinched my heart, I think he is still holding grudges over my family. But weren't things getting better?
Zayn doesn't have much to speak to him so he is quiet. Abbaji also isn't here to cut through the tension building up. I have to do something.
"Abba, ammi I still haven't shown you the remaining rooms of first floor. Let's have a look around, yeah?" I chirp with a grin. Zayn is the first to follow suit and then both of them get up. Asad's nods at us while going. The moment all of them are out of his room, I sigh in relief.
"Hoorie, your husband is a jerk. How do you live with him?", Zayn says and my eyes widen at his bluntness.
"He is not a jerk. It's just he needs time to adjust to new people." I reply defensively although he wasn't far from the truth, I still felt like defending my husband.
After that low-key escape, Asad's therapist came and said he should be able to walk soon. The plaster will be removed tomorrow, after that a few sessions with the therapist and he would be back to normal.
Everybody is having dinner downstairs, so I bring Asad's plate to his room. I close the door and settle down beside him. He was doing something on his phone, maybe typing. Since his hands are busy, I took the spoon and filled it with jeera rice, taking it to his mouth.
He looks at the stretched hand, then at me and puts the spoon into his mouth keeping his eye on me. I somehow blush under his constant gaze. After taking a few bites, he reverses the spoon to my mouth. I look at him confused.
"Eat. I know you don't eat before me." I am surprised he noticed.
"I will eat later. Let's finish with you first."
His eyebrows raise, as if challenging me. "Eat now or else I won't eat anymore." He says nonchalantly as if it's no big deal. He has medicines to take, he can't have just a few bites.
So we both eat alternately until the food is finished. I give him his medicines all the while he is playing with my hair, curling the locks in the front. I am not sure I can handle his touchy side. My body is on hyper alert when he is close to me. I somehow manage to finish the task in thirty minutes that would otherwise just take ten.
I go down quickly finishing the rest of my duties. I also made sure both my parents and Zayn have comfortably settled in their rooms before making a beeline towards our room.
I lock our door and go into the closet to change. Once I have dimmed the lights, I climb on the bed from my side. Asad is reading a book, I also want to peep in to see what's the book about. So I crawl towards him and sit against his hard chest. My head is on his shoulder, his free hand comes to my stomach. I feel butterflies at his touch, the cliché way you know. He adjusts me slightly so that I am fitting snugly against his chest, his arms enveloping me from both side albiet the left one is holding the book.
Initially, I planned to look into the book, but his embrace is so soothing I feel like closing my eyes and cherishing it. That's what I do. Now I can focus more on his heartbeat, the rhythm of his breathing. He continues to flip the pages of the book, his hand that was on my stomach is making lazy circles around my navel.
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Bliss. That's what I am feeling right now. Something about his arms is so relaxing, so calming I feel like never getting out of them. A few minutes pass in that position. None of us talking but a comfortable silence surrounds us. I have realized Asad is a reserved person and doesn't like talking much. He only talks when necessary otherwise he will let you ponder over his silence, his actions, what he is implying. He will make you go crazy without even doing anything.
Or maybe it's just me, that he has such an affect over. I get up turning around to stare at his face, because who wouldn't. He is a masterpiece. There are slight bluish marks of fading bruises but he still steals my breath away. My finger traces the skin of his jaw, his nose and finally his sinful red lips. That moment, he stops reading and his eyes capture mine in a conversation I have no idea about.
If I leave him to make the first move, I know he will take centuries. So without giving second thoughts, without giving him time to back out, I fuse my lips with his. For a few seconds, everything stills, his muscles tense beneath my hand and my breathing hitches. Next I can hear the book dropping from his hands as they encircle my waist to pull me close to his body. I meekly try to move my lips on his, being inexperienced doesn't really help.
It was a sweet kiss as far as I can make out, marking the beginning of something that I am hoping will turn out to be beautiful. We pull away after a while panting heavily like dogs. Yuck, such a mood buster Hooriya.
After that I rest my head in the crook of his neck, inhaling his natural scent. His hands are running along my sides leaving goosebumps in their wake.
We sit like that for what feels like eternity, when he finally raises my head by my chin. I look up into his calm eyes as they roam my face finally settling on my eyes.
His fingers rub my jaw, sensuously and I am tempted to moan. His other hand pulls me closer holding my neck, this up close I can see his shining golden specks. How I missed them. Suddenly, they turn a shade darker.
"Hoor, stay away from that friend of yours. You are mine." his voice is hoarse, his gritting teeth and red eyes should scare me but all they do is make my day. I have his face, his expressions, his words imprinted to my memory. I feel a wave of happiness erupt in me from somewhere. It spreads like lava throughout my body, numbing all my senses. I want to grin like a fool, but I figured he wouldn't appreciate that.
So I just place my forehead against his and nod. Even though Zayn is no threat. And all I have ever felt for him is friendly concern.
"Come on. Let's sleep. We have an early morning tomorrow to get your plaster removed." I say as we slightly move away. I pick his book placing it on the night stand and move on my side. I place my head on my pillow and wait for sleep to engulf me. Few seconds later, I am pulled into his chest, his hand resting on my hip whereas I place my head on his other arm.
When I still can't sleep, I turn towards him. My hands cupping his cheeks.
"Mohabbat hogayi hai aapse Asad. Beinteha mohabbat."
