𝑬𝒉𝒔𝒂𝒂𝒔 𝑬 𝑼𝒍𝒇𝒂𝒕 (𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 1)

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 🌺𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 26🌺 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 9, 2024

Shayaan looked at the sleeping form of his wife. The night was long for both of them. Dua wasn't sleeping like she usually does. He could see the restless in her, even in her unconscious form, her fear had gripped her.

He moved a little closer to her and adjusted her restless form in his arms just like he did months back on their wedding night. His one hand went towards her back as she clutched his shirt unconsciously trying to feel his presence.

His wife had unknowingly sought her peace in him and he could remember one particular incident that had brought them closer. Their life had it's own turbulence and they had found each other admist unwanted circumstances.

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It was almost going to be a month and Shayaan had accepted that he was actually married to someone he couldn't think off. His marriage wasn't based on some compromise that he had thought when he had agreed to marriage. His marriage to Dua is turning to be a pleasant surprise each passing day and he couldn't help but to admire his bride.

Yes, bride the phrase he has heard from almost everyone in the family and from guests alike.

She was His Bride. Something he never felt when he was engaged to Armeena. But with Dua there was a change in his perspective.

He didn't know what was that but he liked her. He had no solid reasoning but as his mother had said many times whenever he couldn't stand the thought of marrying an unknown girl and spending his life with her.

"Nikkah mein bahut takat hoti hai Shayaan dekhna usse kab mohabbat ho jayegi pata hi nahi chalega."

And he had believed it now. There was no love or even infatuation but there was something with Dua that he liked and admired. His Ammi was right all along.

There was something in Nikkah that he wasn't feeling burdened, something he had thought he would feel.

But with Dua it was opposite. This unknown girl was having a power to make him do what he could never thought, make him feel the feelings that he never thought existed.

He liked when she was called by his name or by the relationship they shared now. His eyes would follow her as he would see her with his mother learning something or other each day. He could see her concentration with which she was trying. There was doubt or even the hint of apprehension in her eyes or body language.

He had thought that she will regret the decision of agreeing to this marriage once the reality will be bestowed on her. But till now he couldn't see anything that was remotely affecting her decision. She has adapted to the change like she had been prepared for it.

Least he know, it was her own demons she was keeping at bay for the sake of the family and him.

She was right in saying that she wanted to give this marriage a chance and he could see her efforts.

Last night he had seen that her heena was getting lightened. The heena that he remembered getting applied in a hurry. He could see her bangle clad hands with the new dresses he knew that his Ammi and Chachi had shopped for her.

He loved how her he would hear the jhun-jhun of her Payal as she would roam around their room arranging things then getting confused and then she would look at him and then he would point out it to her.

Not that he had asked her to do anything. But she had insisted. Shayaan could see now she her presence itself has made not only his room but his life vibrant.

And he believed that it was just because of the acceptance they had with their "Nikkah".

It was few days later he had observed that the shyness, the hesitation was getting less in his wife. The change wasn't sudden but it had come. His shy wife who would sometimes go on a spree to feed him had now starting spending time with him without anyone forcing her. They would sit together after the dinner and one thing that Shayaan had insisted was to get her comfortable in her night clothes.