His Heartless Soul (Under Major Editing and re-writing)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ayla's pov

It had been two weeks since I got married.

And let me tell you, they were two of the most distressing, horrible weeks of my life. In just that short time, I had sat my exams, started a new hospital rotation, dealt with the cancellation of my best friend's wedding, and felt more alone than I ever had in this big, empty house.

Let's start with Marya's wedding. Everyone showed up—except Uzair. He didn't even bother to attend. His excuse? He was too busy with work, so I had to go alone, even though it was his best friend's brother getting married. But the real shocker came when the groom didn't show up either. Hassan was humiliated, confused, and furious that his brother had disappeared. Marya was heartbroken. No one had seen the groom since that day; it was as if he vanished into thin air. They searched, but there was no trace of him. Eventually, Marya's parents decided to whisk her away to Dubai for a month-long wellness retreat, leaving me without my best friend.

Other than working, eating, and sleeping, I had nothing to do. My brothers were too busy, my father was perpetually absent, and Uzair was practically a ghost in our home. He was up early and I doubt he even came home to sleep. The loneliness weighed on me, and though I had gotten to know the household staff, I could only impose on them so much. Khala Mariam, the head housekeeper, seemed to sense that Uzair and I weren't a typical couple—she rarely saw us together—but she never pried. She greeted me every day with a smile, always offering to help, but I always politely declined.

The only thing that kept me going was the thought of my part-time dance classes. Teaching kids to dance had always been my outlet, a way to de-stress and help others. But with the chaos of exams, the wedding, and work, I had paused the lessons. Now, with school holidays approaching, I was eager to resume teaching once a week. I missed the joy those kids brought me.

I had spent the past two weeks exploring the house in my spare time. I discovered a gym on the ground floor, and both an outdoor and indoor pool, the latter becoming my sanctuary. Tonight, the house was eerily quiet, and since Uzair still wasn't home, I figured, why not take an evening swim? It wasn't my usual routine, but I felt the urge to break away from my monotony.

I slipped into my swimsuit, threw on a robe, and headed down to the pool with my towel and slippers in hand. The house was stunning, smaller than my father's house but somehow more elegant. Once I dropped my robe onto a recliner by the wall, I slid into the warm, soothing water. The heat enveloped me, making my worries drift away as I glided through the pool. For a brief moment, everything felt peaceful.

I let my arms and legs guide me through the water, my body visibly relaxing and sinking into the ripples. I swam a good few laps before simply deciding to lay on my back, floating away and staring at the star lit sky from the glass ceiling above. I let out a breath of exhaustion and shut my eyes for a second.

But that peace shattered when I noticed a figure standing by the doorway. My heart jumped, and I almost screamed, but then I realized—it was Uzair.

He leaned against the doorframe, looking exhausted yet somehow still put-together in his white button-up shirt and black slacks, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms. His tousled hair only added to the look of someone who hadn't slept in days. How he managed to look so good while being on the brink of collapse was beyond me.

"It's creepy to stare," I called out, breaking the silence. He shifted, walking closer.

"Not when you're my wife," he shot back, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Erm, no—it was definitely still creepy. We were hardly husband and wife in any real sense.

"Are you waiting for permission to join me in the pool?" I teased, climbing out. He opened his mouth to respond but froze when he realized I was in nothing but my swimsuit. His eyes darted away, and I quickly grabbed my robe, wrapping it tightly around me. Sure, we were married, but that didn't mean I felt comfortable with him seeing me like this. With the heat of my embarrassment I tried to recover from what had just happened.