The Unexpected Match

Chapter 24

The sun is going down, casting a beautiful golden glow all over my house's lawn. And honestly, the holud decorations are on point! The colors are just popping everywhere, creating this super vibrant and lively atmosphere. My lawn may not be as big as Samir's, but it's still spacious enough to fit everyone.

I sat with Samir right beside me, surrounded by all our loved ones. The air is filled with laughter, chats, and the mouthwatering smell of delicious Bengali foods.

I quickly scan the crowd, searching for familiar faces. And there she is, my mom, making her way towards me, holding a bowl of holud in her hands. Holud is basically Turmeric Paste.

With a warm smile, my mom takes a pinch of Turmeric paste and gently applies it to Samir's and my cheeks.

And then Sara comes. She dips her fingers into the Turmeric paste and applies the bright yellow paste on our cheeks.

Soon others join in.

I look at the yellow paste and then glance at Samir. In a swift Motion I grab a handful of Turmeric paste and smear it on Samir's cheeks, creating bright yellow streaks that stand out against his skin.

His eyes widens. "Aleena Noor!"

I let out a giggle, which only encourages him to retaliate in the best way possible. He takes a good deal of Turmeric paste and smudges it on my cheeks, creating a matching set of yellow streaks. This time, it's his turn to laugh at me.

In the next moment, laughter and cheers erupt around us. "Okay, enough. Let's wrap up the fun. Aleena, take Samir inside and help him clean off the Turmeric paste," my mom says, accompanied by a slight chuckle.

We walk into my house and I grab a bowl of water and a clean towel. Stepping into my room, I plop the bowl of water on my dressing table. "Samir, you can sit there. Let me wipe my face real quick," I tell him, motioning towards the couch tucked in the corner of my room.

I dip the small towel into the water, making sure to squeeze it just right, letting the extra droplets drip back into the bowl. With a gentle touch, I press the cool fabric against my cheeks, feeling the remnants of the Turmeric Paste getting wiped away, revealing my natural face.

As I finish wiping my cheeks, I swiftly dry my hands with a soft tissue while I can sense his unwavering gaze upon me. I look back at him, finding him leaning back on the couch, arms folded, a smile playing on his lips.

"What are you looking at?" I ask.

"My beautiful wife," he smoothly replies, making my cheeks turn red.

"Don't distract me, Samir. I need to focus," I say, but he just lets those adorable dimples linger on his cheeks.

"You've stolen all my attention, and now you're telling me not to distract you? That's not fair,"

His words elicit a giggle from deep within me, and I catch a glimpse of him giggling along with me. I close the distance between us, and plop myself next to him.

"Samir, seriously, you gotta stop now!" I say, pressing my hand on his mouth while I try my best to stifle my laughter.

But then I feel the warmth of his lips beneath my palm, and a sudden shiver runs through me. I quickly pull my hand away, and our laughter fades. I can sense him silently observing me. Clearing my throat, I pick up the bowl, change the water, and return to his side. "Here, take this and remove the paste from your face."

But his arms remain folded and he stares at me, "I don't know how to do that. Can you help me, my cute bear?"

I can still spot the dimples on his cheeks.

I give him a brief stare, then place the bowl on the small table in front of the couch and smack his arm. "There you go again, using that nickname,"

He chuckles. "But my cute bear, it suits you so well. I'll never stop calling you that."

"Whatever."

I slide in beside him, grabbing the towel from the bowl. With a gentle squeeze, I start wiping off the Turmeric Paste from his cheeks.

I shuffle a bit nearer, aiming for a thorough cleaning. But as our eyes meet, something shifts. His intense gaze carries no trace of a smile. "You've come so close, Aleena," he murmurs, his eyes drifting down to my lips.

And that's when it hits me - we are sitting so close. So close that anything can happen at any moment.

I can feel his hot breath against my lips, my body, every inch of me.

He gets even closer, our noses touching just right, and I feel a tingling sensation throughout me. My hand instinctively moves away, and the towel slips from my grasp, landing on the ground.

I feel my whole body going numb under his intense stare, and I can't even find the energy to grab the towel and put it back in the bowl.

"What are you doing?" I can hear my voice trembling.

But he doesn't say a word.

I watch him inching closer and closer and closer, until finally our lips meet.

Wait, he is kissing me!?

Samir Zafar is kissing me!?

I never knew a kiss could be this special until now. I place my hands on his chest and gently push him away, breaking our kiss. "Someone might see us," I whisper, but his eyes remain fixated on my lips, as if my words just bounce off him.

"'Samir!" I call out again.

"I'm kissing my wife, not anyone else," he whispers, and presses his lips against mine once again.

He gently tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, then leans in and deepens the kiss. I can feel a warm sensation filling my chest.

I close my eyes.

His lips...

Against mine.

I'm going insane!

I gently push him away, my breaths escaping rapidly.

I quickly clean off the remaining Turmeric Paste from his face and get off the couch, while he does the same.

"L-et's g-o," I say, my voice trembling slightly. I can feel his intense gaze on me, making millions of butterflies dance in my stomach. I glance back at him for a moment, then quickly look away again.

But he pulls me back into his arms and kisses me once again.

"I'm so obsessed....With you" he whispers against my lips.

"Let's go, Samir."

He kisses me.

"Sami-"

Another kiss interrupts my words.

"Samir, stop now!" I say, this time giggling.

Just as I notice a lipstick mark on his lips, I swiftly brush it away with my thumb.

"Look what you've done. You stole all my lipstick"

His smile mirrors mine. I glance back in the mirror, fix my lipstick and grab his hand. "Come on, let's go,"