A short story defining the stages of love.
Inara Khan was petulant: stubborn, short-tempered, blunt, and a middle child. She had her life planned until she stumbled on a betrayal by one she had never considered a possibility from.
Life threw a cur...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Rahil tried the handle, unlocking the cabinet below the washroom sink to fetch a new bottle of her shampoo and replace it with the empty one. This girl was lazy this way, forgetting to dump empty cans and bottles around but keeping the smallest of things in their place. She was organized yet a walking, cluttering, and loud mess.
5 months into their marriage Rahil seemed to have been left surprised by her actions at every step.
She had taken into her role in his business, diving headfirst into work at nights and weekends while in the days she would go back to her old self. Her transition from this troublemaker spitfire to a commanding boss lady left him rather susceptible than amused. He may think his workaholic nature had rubbed on her but it wasn't the truth, this girl could keep herself busy at great lengths.
He took a quick look at his shaved face and rinsed the foam away. His electric shaver would hardly do justice to this small beard he liked carrying around. Wiping his face clean, he dressed in a black shirt that he had found a day before in his closet.
He had an important summit he would be attending today and his wife had made sure to leave a gift for him. He remembers her teasing around the color and jesting of the said shirt on him, surprised it took so long for her to work on her words.
Pairing it with a grey blazer and trousers, he was out of the door and peeked inside the room to find her. She was up and awake so early.
Sitting facing the west, she had her head wrapped in a shawl. Mat lay down, eyes closed, and lips constantly moving as she prayed this time of the morning. He frowned but chose to speak none.
She believed in the Almighty. Her faith was stronger than his atheism.
If she held the notion of praying to him for her wishes would fulfill them, he believed in her belief.
Carrying his bag and blazer out silently, he placed the things on the couch and looked for the other woman in his life around. Checking the kitchen, living room, and his mother's room which was locked from inside indicated she sat praying for him too.
He knew the two ladies bonded over their belief in God while he stood firm on his.
Trudging back towards the kitchen, he decided to treat his ladies with some breakfast while they ranted to their god with the long list of prayers they had.
Hearing his gate open, he glanced behind to find his wife hurrying towards him with a flushed face and red eyes that sent alarms ringing in his head. "What happened?"
She gently shook her head and cupped his face.
"Inara? Kya hua hain?" He whispered the question; afraid he might send her in another overdrive of tears that she was hardly controlling. "Tell me something. Anything, Ini."
Another shake of her head and she closed her eyes, blowing around his head as she chanted verses in her head freezing him in the process. He wished to comfort her, hold her closer as she smiled wiping her face clean and blinking back any incoming moisture.
