REMARKABLE

12

'Ardashir?' Armineh said, biting the soft tissue of her cheek.

'Hmm.' He looked up from where his fingers had been flying over the keyboard to his contemplating wife by his side.

'You are leaving tomorrow.' Ardashir nodded his head, his eyebrows cocked, he didn't where she was going with the obvious. 'Can we please go see my mom? I haven't been there since after the wedding.' Ardashir looked at her confused expression and hopeful eyes.

'Okay.' He nodded again. Of course he'd take her, he had no reason to say no. It wasn't an unreasonable thing beside it'll be good, she'd talk out the weird circumstances in which they got married with her mother.

'Okay?'

'Yes. You want us to go now?' Ardashir asked, his observing eyes flitting from her frown to the wall clock.

'Okay. Just- let me get ready.' She uttered, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear as she rose to her feet, playing with her fingers in deep thoughts.

'Don't worry, she will talk to you. You were angry with your mom, remember? Not the other way around, you know.' Ardashir said, lamely, trying to provide some measure of comfort to the worrying woman.

Armineh was only about to enter the restroom when she halted in her steps, turning to her husband who was now typing away on the phone.

'Ardashir' She called out to him.

'Yeah?'

'Do you want to me to pick out clothes for you?' Armineh asked, hesitantly. It was one of many things, she had always seen her mother do, every single day for her father.

'No, thank you.' Ardashir gave a small smile that might have came off as a grimace before he glanced back at the glowing screen of his phone. He was irritated, again. The woman had made it her mission to make him her business and he was anything but fine with it. Why couldn't she just leave him be? From the moment, he'd open his eyes in the morning to the second he'd shut his eyes, she was ever present, grating on his nerves with her constant worry. Have you had breakfast? Did you have dinner, yet? Do you want something? Do you need anything? Ardashir pinched his nose in annoyance as he shut the laptop with unnecessary force and walked out of the room. He was happy until she hadn't opened her mouth as she was busy reading her book. Why can't she just keep her mouth shut?

❇❇❇

'Thank God, you're ready. I didn't think you'd take that long.' Ardashir said as he tied the laces of his shoes when he heard the door open and close.

Armineh giggled a little when he said that and found his eyes fixed on her person while she was trying to wear a stud in her ear.'I wasn't in there for that long as you say. It was only thirty minutes.' Armineh said, amused as she saw him scrunch his nose.

'Yeah. Long enough. If you're done, shall we leave?' He spoke, fixing the cuffs of his shirt as she picked the duppatta from the plush two seater and draped it around herself.

'Yes, I am all done.' She smiled as she walked ahead of them. Ardashir couldn't deny she looked beautiful as always, her blow dried hair cascading in waterfall down her back as she padded across the room with her soft steps. She looked even better dressed in white dress that complimented her flushed skin and rosy cheeks.

'Just a question, Armineh but shouldn't you wear something less plain?' Ardashir asked, his eyebrows knitted in confusion as his eyes perused her choice of clothes.

'Why? This doesn't look good?' Armineh uttered, looking down at her clothes imitating Ardashir.

'As I said, isn't it too plain for a newly married woman?' He spoke as he gestured to her white dress. He scoffed, internally, as if he'd share his thoughts with her,' Aren't you like supposed to wear something more... I don't know. Something that's not white and plain.' He shrugged rubbing the nape of his neck as it tinged pink, resembling the tips of his ears.