My Mr. Artist

Chapter 14

Kiyah

Four years ago

[ This chapter contains - sexual content ]

I started looking around to check if everything was in place or if something was missing. Once again, I walked toward the bedroom, and my eyes drifted to the side table. That thing lying there seemed to glare back at me, daring me to touch it again—yet I felt as though I'd burn if I did. Only I knew how hard it had been to purchase it. I must have passed that aisle at least ten times, circling like a thief, pretending to be interested in anything but that. When I finally gathered the courage—after making sure no one was around—I wasted half an hour debating which one was "right," though my zero experience made the choice feel impossible. And then, when the cashier finally scanned my basket, I was a blushing mess, wanting to disappear right there, to run and never look back.

Today is Ansh's 26th birthday, and it will be the second time I get to celebrate it with him. Yes, two whole years have passed since he proposed to me, since we started dating—and these two years have been the sweetest, most honeyed time of my life. I was the kind of girl who used to believe love and relationships were impossible for someone like me. Finding a person who could love me as much as I would love them sounded beautiful, but hopelessly unrealistic. And yet... Ansh proved me wrong. He made me believe in it, and every day since then, I've felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

I also completed my five-year degree and can finally call myself an architect. For now, I'm still working under my teacher's small firm to gain experience. But honestly, I already feel like my life is full—almost too full. A loving boyfriend, supportive friends, caring family, a stable career. Sometimes I think if I wished for more, God Himself would call me greedy and punish me for it.

Ansh and I are still more like best friends than a traditional couple. He thinks I'm still quite young and should focus more on studies, while he's busy with his art pieces, exhibitions, and investments. Our intimacy is simple—hugs, kisses, and, when he's in a playful mood, the occasional grope when we're alone in his studio. Nothing more. I've never even spent a night at his apartment. Partly because of my own nervousness, and partly because my parents insist on calling me every night—sometimes even video calls. But now, since I've graduated and my workload has grown heavier, they've loosened their grip. They ask me to call when I'm free instead of every night.

So after wrecking my brain for almost two months, weighing every fear, every possibility, I finally came to a conclusion: today is the day I will lose my virginity. And I don't care if we're married or not. It was not an easy decision—if my parents ever found out, it would be a disaster. But I trust Ansh. I love him. And I want to experience what it means to truly be his woman, to know if it feels as wonderful as the novels and stories always describe. Maybe it's cliché—my first time, on his birthday—but I don't know any other way. I don't know how to seduce, or how to "make" him give in. All I can do is offer my choice, my consent, as straightforward as possible.

After making sure everything was neatly arranged, I picked up the bag I had placed in the corner and went to the bathroom. I had barely an hour before he came home. Placing the bag on the counter, I began working on my hair and makeup, skills I had learned from Reva. And then came the most important part—my dress. Just looking at it reminded me how it had cost me more than four months of internship salary. It broke my heart to see my bank account afterwards. This was my first time buying anything so bold, so daring. Reva had practically forced me into it. A satin maroon dress, deep neckline, with a slit running high on one side.

And tonight, it would be my armor... and my surrender.

Me: how does it look?

I hit send, attaching a photo after finally finishing my makeup, hair, and slipping into the dress. My hands were trembling, not sure if it was from excitement or nerves. Honestly, I just needed Ashi and Reva to hype me up—without their encouragement, I knew I'd chicken out at the very last moment. But then I thought about the whole day I'd spent enduring a full body wax, and it felt criminal to back out now.