Devil's Bride

Made him laugh

The days were blending together now, each one similar to the last, yet different in small, subtle ways. The heat of the village summer pressed down on the earth, and Maya found herself spending more time in the garden, tending to the plants and flowers that her father had planted years ago. It was the one place she felt truly at peace, a sanctuary of simple beauty and life.

Ayaan, however, was still distant. He spent his time in the large house that his grandfather had left behind, often brooding in silence, keeping to himself. Maya could tell he wasn’t happy to be there, but she also knew that there was little she could do to change that.

But still, she tried.

It was another warm afternoon when Maya found herself standing outside, staring at the sky as she plucked at the petals of a small daisy she had found near the garden gate. Her thoughts were once again on Ayaan, and despite his coldness, there was something about him—something beneath the surface—that intrigued her. She could see the layers of pain and ambition that hid behind his steely gaze, and in her heart, she felt a strange desire to understand him.

As she wandered around, still lost in her thoughts, she noticed Ayaan walking toward her, his long strides cutting through the air. For a moment, he seemed to be in a world of his own, his gaze fixed ahead, completely unaware of her presence.

Maya, being as unguarded as ever, called out to him in her usual cheerful manner, “Ayaan! You’re not planning on hiding away all day, are you?”

Ayaan stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing slightly, almost as if he hadn’t expected anyone to speak to him. “I’m not hiding,” he said with a touch of annoyance, his voice clipped. “I’m simply... thinking.”

Maya tilted her head to the side, her expression curious. “Thinking about what? You always look so serious, even when there’s nothing to worry about.”

Ayaan scoffed, a half-smile flickering across his lips as he glanced at her, clearly amused by her innocent questioning. “I don’t have the luxury of not worrying. You wouldn’t understand.”

Maya pouted, her brow furrowing as she thought about his words. “I don’t think I need to understand everything. You seem like someone who’s always busy with something, though. But me?” She chuckled, twirling a lock of her long, dark hair around her finger. “I don’t really think much about anything at all. It’s much easier that way.”

Ayaan raised an eyebrow at her, clearly surprised. “You don’t think about anything? That’s... unusual.”

Maya grinned, her eyes sparkling with playful innocence. “Well, why worry about things that haven’t happened yet? I like to think about the present. Like, how nice this garden looks. Or how the sun feels on my face. Or how cute my hair looks today!” She gave a little twirl, the daisy still in her hand. “I mean, how else would I enjoy life if I didn’t think about these little things?”

Ayaan stared at her, a bemused expression forming on his face. For a second, he looked as if he might say something dismissive, but then, as Maya continued to ramble on about the joys of a simple life, something unexpected happened. He chuckled.

It was low at first, barely a sound, but it grew until a full, rich laugh escaped his lips. Maya blinked, surprised by the sound. She had never heard him laugh before. It wasn’t the cold, sarcastic laugh she had expected from someone like him. No, this laugh... it was genuine. It was warm, almost... human.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Wait, you’re laughing?” she asked, a playful grin forming on her face. “Did I really make you laugh?”

Ayaan caught his breath, wiping a hand over his mouth as if trying to regain his composure. “I can’t believe it. I didn’t think you were capable of being serious for more than five minutes.”

Maya’s laughter joined his, the sound of it filling the garden with a rare, carefree atmosphere. It was a moment of lightness, a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the tension that seemed to surround him. Maya’s eyes sparkled with joy, pleased by his reaction.

Still smiling, Ayaan looked at her, his eyes now soft with an unfamiliar warmth. “You’re strange, you know that?”

Maya shrugged, her expression innocent. “I get that a lot. People always tell me I’m too childish, too... happy. But it’s who I am.”

Ayaan studied her for a long moment, his gaze lingering on her as if something had just occurred to him. “How old are you?” he asked suddenly, his tone shifting to something more curious than dismissive.

Maya blinked in surprise, the question catching her off guard. “Me?” She laughed lightly, looking up at him. “I’m seventeen.”

Ayaan raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Seventeen. That’s young.”

Maya nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yes, I’m still figuring out life. I haven’t even finished school yet. I want to become a doctor.”

Ayaan’s lips tightened, as if processing this information. “A doctor, huh? Ambitious.”

“I’m just trying to follow my dreams,” Maya said earnestly, her eyes shining with the kind of youthful hope Ayaan rarely saw. “I know it’s going to be hard, but I want to help people. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

Ayaan was silent for a moment, studying her with a strange intensity. “You’re naive, Maya,” he finally said, though his tone was softer than usual. “Life isn’t as easy as you think.”

Maya smiled brightly, unbothered by his words. “Maybe. But I’d rather be hopeful than live a life like yours. No offense,” she added quickly.

Ayaan’s lips quirked into a small, rare smile. “None taken,” he said with a hint of amusement.

For the first time since he arrived in the village, Ayaan felt something unfamiliar stir within him—a flicker of warmth, perhaps even something like fondness, for this young girl who refused to be anything but herself. Maya’s innocence, her unguarded nature, made her a world away from everything Ayaan had known. She had no bitterness in her, no walls built up like his.

Maya, however, didn’t see this shift in Ayaan. She was simply content with the fact that he had laughed. It was a small victory in a battle she hadn’t even realized she was fighting. She turned back to the garden, her heart lighter than it had been in days, basking in the small, fleeting moment of joy.

And for the first time, Ayaan didn’t feel the weight of his past pressing down on him as much. It was a strange, fleeting feeling, but it was there. Maybe, just maybe, there was something about Maya’s untainted optimism that he could begin to understand.