THE CONTRACT MARRIAGE

33-RESOLVED

OMNISCIENT

Knock.

His lean, towering figure stood in front of the door, shoulders taut in sheer nervousness. On one hand, was the dark grey suit he wore to the event while he undid the first two buttons of his shirt. The chilly night air did nothing to calm the inferno within him.

Never in a million years did he expect his dream to come true, for his love to be accepted. And even though she promised him an opportunity, he dared not give it much thought.

Saif straightened his shoulders when he heard the clicking sound of the door. About a heartbeat later, a slender arm pulled open the heavy oak door, revealing a neutral-faced Sumaira clad in maroon lafaya that covered her jet-black hair down to her toes, some tendrils of the former fell on her shoulders.

"You came," Her words were mechanical, almost as if she was reading from a script.

"Yes," His voice came out as a sharp exhale as he took in her appearance, a glorious atavism to the core meaning of beauty.

Sumaira turned around and made her way back into the house with the door left ajar. Saif, too mesmerized to ask her the bunch of questions that once lingered in his mind, followed soon after and closed the door behind him, ensuring not to lock it since he wasn't told to.

"I've offered you an opportunity, but it comes with some conditions," Sumaira sat cross-legged on the three-sitter couch while opposite her was Saif on the two-sitter.

All the while, he never took his eyes off her, afraid that his vision would turn out to be nothing but a dream.

"I'm all ears," He managed an answer after she cleared her throat.

"You'll accept whatever comes out of my mouth. You'll never lay your hands on me without my permission, even if I reject you a thousand times. And never bring up your brother in front of me," She stated all in one breath.

"I'll never touch you without your consent, Aira. And as for the first one, I need you to elaborate on that," He folded his arms, awaiting her response.

At his gentle assurance, a flicker of relief passed through Sumaira's face. And whether he saw it or not, he didn't let on which she was happy about.

"Your brother has been away from me for three days, he should be home in..." She trailed off and lifted her right hand to her face then checked the time on the designer leather wristwatch.

"Ten minutes or so. I know because he was also at the event, watching us. Thanks to the social media, I also believe he deems you his rival now," Her lips contorted to a serpentine smile as she scrutinized the man who sighed deeply, his chin supported by his hand while he pondered.

"I take it as you want me to act like that, then," Saif responded, squaring his shoulders to look into her eyes.

When those grey orbs met his amber ones, it took every bit of strength left in him not to avert his gaze. The aloofness in them was an intricacy he could never untangle, but he also couldn't pull himself out of them no matter how hard he tried.

"Your quick wit is truly commendable, Saif," When she addressed him by his first name, he could all but trap her in his arms and make her utter his name again.

Thus, a stupefied Saif resorted to crossing the gap between them until all he could hear was the sounds of her slightly uneven breaths and his loudly pounding heart.