anabiamariyam24
An arranged marriage bound them by words, not hearts.
Maria thought he'd never care, never look twice.
Umer's silence breaks - replaced by something deeper, fiercer, and possessive.
Because sometimes love doesn't speak - it shows.
Maria slipped away from the crowd after that small encounter, her heart still unsteady. She found a quiet spot near the entrance, where the fairy lights cast soft golden patterns across the marble floor. Her mehndi had dried now - dark, beautiful, her husband's name hidden inside the design only she knew where.
She was trying to calm her thoughts when two aunties approached, all dressed in glittering sarees and heavy smiles.
"Oh mashallah, you're such a beautiful girl!" one of them said warmly, looking her up and down. "Whose daughter are you, beta?"
Maria smiled politely. "I'm... from Umer's family."
"Oh really?" the other aunty's eyes lit up. "Then you must be his cousin? You're not married yet, right?"
Maria hesitated. Her voice caught for a second - she didn't know how to explain, especially since Umer was always distant around others.
Before she could answer, a voice came from behind. Calm. Deep. Certain.
"She's my wife."
The words silenced everything around her. Even the aunties blinked, surprised, turning to see Umer standing there - his sherwani collar slightly undone, eyes focused only on her.