Author's POV

"You've made this room more beautiful than before," Arshad complimented, looking around. "Who bought all these things for you?" he asked, pointing toward the table vase, wall clock, curtains, and other items.

"I bought everything from the salary Amma jaan gives me every month. Whenever I went with Amma jaan to the bazaar or mall, I loved to buy things for my room," she said excitedly. "That vase was the first thing I ever bought. And it’s so expensive—2300 rupees (around 31 dollars). And you won’t believe it, this was the cheapest vase there!" She exclaimed the last sentence with wide eyes, as if revealing something shocking.

He scooted closer, unaware. "I wouldn’t have bought it, but I love flowers, and it gives a fresh atmosphere, so that’s why I got it. And you see that lamp…" She began telling him about everything she had purchased over time. Arshad stared at her in amusement. He had thought she was a silent girl, but boy, was he wrong. Isha was interesting and talkative. Correction—talkative with people she felt safe and comfortable with. Arshad knew she was beginning to feel comfortable around him, which was why she was letting her guard down.

Arshad felt bad that she had to think so much about prices, and everything she had bought was the cheapest option, while he could have bought his wives the most expensive things. Even though they were inexpensive, everything still looked beautiful and gave a homely feeling.

Unknowingly, his hand moved to her face. She was so engrossed in telling him about everything—which she had never done with anyone before—that she didn’t realize how close he had come.

Her breath hitched when he held the side of her face and made her look at him. Their noses were almost touching. Arshad stared into her eyes with so many emotions that the innocent little girl couldn’t read.

"Do you know how attractive you are? How cute and beautiful you are? How innocent and pure you are?" he whispered, close to her lips. His breath fanned her face, sending shivers down her spine. Butterflies began dancing in her stomach. She placed her hands on his chest, lowering her head as blush crept across her cheeks.

Arshad slowly held her dupatta and began removing it from her head. Isha didn’t know what to say; she felt nervous and yet enjoyed his closeness at the same time. Her heart began beating wildly as he threw the dupatta away before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her flushed body against his eager frame.

"Uh… aap… (You…)" she gasped, keeping her head lowered. He held her chin and lifted her head. Staring into her shy, shivering eyes, he moved closer. Before he could stop himself, he pressed his lips against hers. Isha froze. Her mind went blank. Her eyes shut tight, hands fisting his shirt.

Arshad didn’t move his lips, anticipating that she might push him away. But when she didn’t, and instead fisted his shirt, pulling him closer without realizing it, he lost control. Pulling her fragile, soft, flushed body against his hard, rough one, he began moving his lips. A groan escaped his throat as he finally tasted her soft petals. His hand trailed to the nape of her neck, pulling her closer. Licking her lips, he waited for her to give him entry—but she stayed still. That’s when he realized she didn’t know what to do.

"Open your mouth, Isha," he mumbled against her lips. She didn’t know what to do other than obey the command of her husband. He pressed his lips against hers again, eliciting an unknown sound from her mouth—one Isha hadn’t even realized existed.

Arshad pushed her gently onto the bed, hovering over her, kissing her to his heart’s content.

Isha didn’t resist. She lay beneath him, absorbing the new, foreign feeling he was giving her. She felt loved. The loneliness that always threatened her seemed to vanish; it felt as though she had never been alone. Her small, trembling hands went to his back. She reached out to touch him without hesitation. Being near him, touching him without fear, was a dream come true for her.

After kissing her, he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. Both were panting. The silent room was filled with their uneven breaths. He opened his eyes and found his innocent little wife’s eyes closed, her face flushed, lips parted, inviting him again. Damn it, he couldn’t resist—he pressed his lips on hers once more, this time hungrily. He pressed his body against hers, groaning. Until now, he hadn’t realized how much desire he harbored for this little girl beneath him, but now he knew he was completely lost.

His hands moved to her sides, tracing her curves, making her moan and arch her back unknowingly. Arshad pulled back, not wanting to suffocate her. He looked at her—her eyes still closed. He felt torn: was he doing the right thing? What if Isha didn’t want this?

"Isha, open your eyes," he asked. Her eyes would give him his answer. She couldn’t open them out of shyness, but she also didn’t want him to leave. So she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug, giving him the answer he needed. He relaxed, nuzzling into her neck.

After a while, Arshad tried to get up, but Isha held him tightly, afraid to let go. He felt the same. He knew if he walked away, guilt and other troubles would return—and for now, he didn’t want anything to disrupt the solace he felt with her.

"Isha, I won’t go anywhere," he whispered, before flipping them so Isha was lying on him. She blushed hard, hiding her face in his neck as he played with her hair, running his hands across her back while staring at the ceiling. With effort, he calmed his racing thoughts and closed his eyes. They slept for the first time, finding solace in each other’s arms.

---

Arshad’s POV

I felt a tingling sensation on my face. Moving it away, I tried to sleep, but then something tightened around my torso, and I felt weight on me. Opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling for a moment before everything rushed back into my mind, banishing sleep. I looked down and saw Isha half lying on the bed, half on me. Her head rested on my chest, arms around me, right leg on my abdomen. She slept like a baby, snuggling closer to me from time to time.

I brushed her hair behind her ear, caressing her soft cheeks. A beautiful smile appeared on her lips. She opened her eyes slightly, smiled at me, then closed them again, snuggling into me. My heart began racing, just like last night.

"Kal raat apne bahot tang kiya (You teased me too much last night)," Isha mumbled into my neck. She was still half asleep, I thought.

"Kya kiya mai ne? (What did I do?)" I asked in a whisper, a small smile forming on my lips.

"Umm…apne tang kiya… Aap bahot ache nahi hai… Badmash hai (Um… you teased me… You’re not very good… You’re naughty)," she continued, mumbling. A chuckle escaped me, but I stifled it with my hand.

"Aapko acchi nahi lagi meri badmashi? (You didn’t like my naughtiness?)" I asked, inhaling her hair.

"Acchi lagi (I liked it)," she mumbled.

I tightened my arms around her, causing her to gasp. She stiffened before slowly lifting her head. When her eyes met mine, they widened, and another gasp escaped her mouth. Abruptly, she placed her hand on my chest and got off me. Sitting on the bed, she stared at me with wide eyes. She wasn’t even breathing. I slowly sat on the bed, staring at her flushed cheeks with a smile.

"Aap… aap sach me ho? (You’re actually here?)" she asked, poking her finger at my nose. A smirk appeared on my lips, making her eyes grow even wider.

"Jee bilkul. Koi shak? (Yes, I am. Any doubt?)" I affirmed, scooting closer with a smirk. With her open, disheveled hair, wide eyes, and agape mouth, without her dupatta, Isha looked cuter—unlike the Isha everyone knew, including me, until last night. Only I could see this side of her.

She glanced at her dupatta on the floor and shrieked instinctively, "Ya khudaya!! (Oh God!!)" covering her chest from my not-so-decent eyes. A chuckle escaped me. She tried to get up, but I held her arms, pulling her back down to calm her.

"Too cute, Isha. After last night, sleeping together so close… I don’t think you need to do this in front of me anymore." Her face turned even redder. She ducked her head slowly, removing her hand.

I stared at her before pulling her into a hug. She was far too innocent and naive for me to resist. With a little assurance from me, she surrendered herself completely. Her small arms wrapped around me, face pressed against my chest. We sat like that until I noticed the clock.

"Oh God!" I pulled back from the hug.

"Kya… kya hua? (What… what happened?)" Isha asked, frightened, standing up.

"It’s 8 o’clock, Isha. I need to go to the office, and you need to go to college. Plus, Amma jaan must be awake," I said hastily, walking toward the door. "Go get ready; I’ll drop you to university. Don’t be late," I commanded, checking to see if anyone was around. Luckily, no one was.

********

I came out of the bathroom after showering, wearing only my pants and drying my hair with a towel. Taking my shirt, I went to the iron, and just then Isha walked in, holding a tray in her hand. She looked down and noticed me shirtless.

"Breakfast," she said.

"Oh, no, I don’t have time, Isha."

"It’s just jam toast and coffee. Please have it. Khali pet ghar se nahi jaana chahiye (it’s not good to leave the house on an empty stomach)," she pleaded. I sighed.

"Okay, put it there; I’ll eat," I said, moving toward the iron stand.

"I will do this. You eat your breakfast," she placed it on the table and came toward me, trying hard to avoid looking at my shirtless upper body.

"No, I can do this. Mujhe adat hai apna kaam karne ki (I’m used to doing my work myself)," she literally snatched my shirt.

"I said I will do this. Aap nashta kar lein (you should have your breakfast)," she commanded firmly. I stared at her in amusement before saying,

"But Isha, I really don’t want to bother you; you already do so many things for me..."

"Mujhe accha lagta hai aapke kaam karna (I feel happy doing your work)," she interrupted, not letting me finish my sentence. I stared at her.

"Accha lagta hai? (You feel happy?)" I asked. She nodded. "Okay, if you like it, then you can do it."

"I will iron your clothes every day, okay?" she asked, her face lighting up.

"Fine, you can do this," I said and went to have my breakfast.

After she was done, she left to get her things. I put on my shirt, combed my hair, took my things, and walked out of the room.

Isha came to the living room after changing her clothes. "Let’s go," she said.

"Have you eaten your breakfast?" I asked without moving.

"Uh… I will eat in the canteen," she tried to dismiss, but I wouldn’t let her.

"Khali pet ghar se nahi jaana chahiye (it’s not good to leave the house on an empty stomach)," I repeated her words, held her hand, and took her to the kitchen. There was some remaining toast. I spread jam on it and handed it to her along with a glass of fresh juice. She ate silently, seeing the firm look on my face. I was getting late, but it was okay sometimes.

After that, we headed off on our journey.

---

Isha's POV

"I don’t need it," I refused to take it.

"Isha, you must need this," he insisted, handing me a bag containing a brand-new laptop and mobile.

"I always ask Asam bhai if I need a laptop, so it’s not needed."

"You never listen to me, will you?" he said loudly, angry. "When I say you should take this, you should, without question… But no! You don’t want anything from me. You are ready to ask help from Asam, but not me." He said, his disappointment clear, before starting the car.

"Aap….."

"No, don’t talk to me. It’s fine if you don’t want it," he said, taking the bag from me and tossing it onto the back seat. He drove angrily, saying nothing.

Arshad came to fetch me from the university. As I got inside the car, he grinned and handed me the bag. I opened it to find a brand-new laptop and mobile. I refused, having already made it clear that if he didn’t accept me as his wife, I wouldn’t take anything from him. But considering last night, he had already accepted me as his wife—it was just that he wasn’t ready to say it out loud.

"Sunein," I called, but he huffed like a small child. "Sunein," I tried again, no reply. "Sunein naa," I poked him to get his attention, even though I knew he was already focused on me.

"Kya hai? (What is it?)" he snapped without looking at me. I bit my lips.

"Naraz to na hoein (Don’t be angry)," I said with a pout. He didn’t glance at me and shook his head, focusing back on driving.

"Accha, theek hai. Aap jo kahenge, manungi. Par please mujhe baat karna band na karein (Okay, I will listen to whatever you say, but please don’t stop talking to me)," I pleaded, sad. I knew his anger was temporary, but it still hurt to think he wasn’t talking to me or was upset with me.

He stopped the car at a corner. "Wada Karo. Wada karo ke mai jo bhi dun, tum qubool karogi (Promise me, promise me that you will accept everything I give you)," he asked, holding his hand out to me. I smiled and placed my hand on his.

"Aapka diya to dard bhi muskura kar qubool karlun. Ye bejaan cheez kya cheez hai (With a smile, I can accept even the pain you give me; these things don’t matter)," I declared, staring into his eyes. He smiled and moved closer to me.

"Tumhe nahi pata tum kitni pyari ho (You don’t know how cute you are)," he whispered, brushing his nose against mine. My heart jumped at his closeness and words.

I put my hand on his chest, looking away. "Ghare chalein (Let’s go home). It’s getting late," I mumbled, blushing profusely.

"Hmm," he moved back, but I could see the smirk on his face from the corner of my eyes. "Mujhe laga tumhe pasand nahi hai (I thought you didn’t like it)," he said after a while, with a serious face. I frowned, looking at him.

"Kya? (What?)"

"Meri badmashiyan (my naughtiness)," he said, still with a serious expression. I was confused for a couple of seconds before realizing what he meant.

"Allahh!" I exclaimed, blushing even more, covering my face with my hands, while he burst out laughing.

★★★