Alaya's Pov
I came outside to find myself alone in the room, I looked around to see him but as he wasn't there so I started unpacking my stuff just enough, so I wouldn’t have to depend on his things.
The first thing my hand landed on the stack of the books on Veterinary medicine so picked them out. I knew I’d need them first thing in the morning, my mind needed distractions, anchors, anything.
And they provide me that distraction.
Unpacking some of my essentials my hand brushed against a bottle and I pulled it out.
Sleeping pills.
I looked at them, my mind constantly nagging me to just take one and put it inside your mouth.
I needed them, I wanted to eat them and sleep till the morning, as every cell of my body is dying to rest.
But I couldn’t.
It was already past midnight, and if I took even a single pill, I wouldn’t wake before noon, and no matter how reluctant I was about this marriage, no matter how much I resisted becoming someone’s wife, I was now the daughter-in-law of the Sinhas.
And I was very much aware of my responsibilities.
So I shoved back the box back in the suitcase and pulled the zipper.
A gaze made me look around only to find Kabir standing at the doorway.
My whole body froze.
Had he seen the box ?
My heart lurched into my throat, pounding so loud I thought he might hear it.
I looked back at him in fear, not fear of him, but of what if he has seen, my weakness
But he said Nothing.
He just stood there, staring at me, his gaze intense, almost consuming, and his eyes were not looking but searching for something in me. But he stood there, giving me enough time to let my eyes rack around his body .
He was wearing a white tee and beige colour pajamas. The image of ease and quiet confidence.He looked radiant and fresh just like the morning breeze. His hair was damp, his stubbled jaw was sharp, and his broad shoulders were absolute perfection.
There was no doubt that he was Mr. Perfect. Everything about him was Perfect.
And definitely not deserved someone like me.I was barely holding the storm inside.
So I averted my gaze and became a little conscious about my attire as his eyes never left my form, and picked up the dupatta from the table.
"We needed to talk" I said breaking his eye contact. His expression shifted, as if he’d just been pulled from some deep thoughts. For a moment confusion flickered on his face and then he nodded.
I carried my essentials to the dressing table and set them there so it wouldn't look messy. He walked in behind me, towel-drying his hair with lazy strokes.
For a second our eyes met in the mirror and I saw him smiling but I averted first and turned around.
He flopped down on the bed, elbow propped. "Zoo and wild animal Medicine" he read the book loudly lying in bed along with a few other veterinary medicine books.
"On our wedding day ?" His eyes flickered up mischievously.
And I looked at him puzzled.
"Are you serious Mrs Alaya Sinha ? Do you actually love reading that much, or are you brushing up on some wild animal moves for your first night? " he said, his eyes sparkling with shameless naughtiness.
My eyes opened wide in amusement and my mouth parted in disbelief. Was he real?
This wasn't the man I met a month ago.
For a moment I wanted to retort back, but I didn't. But instead, I did what I always do. I ignored him.
Like I've been ignoring everyone for two years, and like I've even started to ignore myself.
He kept on looking me like I'll explode infront of him, but I didn't. I snatched my book from his hand and placed on bedside table. And plopped down beside him.
"What can we do now ?" I said anxiously.
He sat up slowly, like I had just asked him to perform a disappearing act.
Stop. Looking. At. Me. I wanted to scream. His gaze was too curious, too calm. I fantasized about removing his eyeballs.
"We can't do anything now, Alaya" he said, and I swear my soul left my body for a moment.
Is he okay or not. I don't wanted to marry him, I made sure that he also do not want to marry me. And now we are stuck in this marriage and he is saying we can't do anything now.
"We didn't want to marry, we got married and now do you want us to pretend a lovey-dovey couple ?" I asked, getting irritated.
"I cannot do this Kabir, I just can not. It's very hard for me to act like your wife" I completed.
My eyes are getting welled up. But I didn't let them flow.
I've become used to of showing my rude, rigid, self-centred nature to people. I developed a shield of fake arrogance around me to push people away from life.
I'm fighting with some inner turmoils and I don't have any right to pull anyone into this chaos.
"I know, Alaya,” he said softly, his voice cutting through the tension like cool water on burning skin. “You don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to be anything you’re not..... You just… have to live with me.”
He took my hand gently, and even though every nerve screamed at me to pull away, I didn’t.
"You know that we just got married and you know that your dad knows everything about us" his voice steady, and then only realisation hit me.
How could I be so self- centred? How could I forget about my dad ? He knew everything about my plan, how I was trying to wriggle out from this marriage thing.
Then how could I end up giving another shock to him, ending my marriage just in a day.
"He is heart patient Alaya, he won't be able to take this again" I heard him saying.
For a moment my heart skipped a beat. He only knew my dad for a month, but he still remembered his condition before making any stupid decision and me being his real daughter didn't even cared about it.
"We should take this slow and we will find some other way" he completed rubbing my hands with his thumb.
I was awestruck by him, never in my life I've seen a men who actually made me rethink of my actions.
"Is that okay ?" He asked again, eyes boring into mine, searching for the answer, maybe.
I need to pluck out his eye ball.
"Hmm" I cleared my throat and nodded pulling my hands back, from his grip.
I sensed that he was sitting way too close, so my body instinctively scooted away.
Silence. I silently contemplated all the outcomes and possibilities of this marriage for ten minutes, as he was busy in looking at me like he just saw a baby puppy who just learned to walk.
"But you...you cannot touch me" I blurted suddenly making him choke on the air.
"What ?" He choked on air.
"Mm..mmm" I stammered. "You can not me touch without my permission ?" I said everything in one single breath.
I never had a boyfriend, nor any this sort of interaction with any man so I really didn't know how to talk.
"Okay, then when can I get your permission ?" He replied again as his lips again in mischievous smirk.
Just five minutes ago I thought he was the most sensible man on Earth. And now look at him smirking like a teenage boyfriend who got his first chance to flirt.
Is he testing my patience ?
Although every grey cells of my brain wanted me to ignore his stupid question but I didn't. Just a moment I was finding him the most sensible guy of the earth and now look at him.
"Are you even realising the gravity of situation ?" I snapped back angrily.
"Okay, I'm sorry " he surrendered his hands in air. Still that smirk not wiping of his face and those brown orbs ogling at me with full of laughs.
"How does a mind as wicked as yours end up becoming a surgeon ?" I replied back pulling the comforter on my side.
"Apart from mind surgeon's have other organs as well" he murmured lowly but I heard everything.
"What ?" I glared back pulling the comforter down.
"Nothing, I was saying goodnight Mrs Sinha" he replied back shamelessly.
I looked at him for a second and then pulled the comforter on my head and lay down.
Within few seconds I turned again.
"And by the way don't even dare to cross the line" I said angrily making a imaginary line on the bed with my finger, he again looked at me like seeing a monkey dancing on the song and nodded.
Oh stop looking at me.
I wanted to yell those words but I didn't. I pulled the comforter over my head. I felt the mattress dipping beside me so I shifted more on my side, like he was a contagious disease.
He turned off the light and lied down beside me, with a little inaudible chuckle.
And despite being inside the comforter I sensed that he was staring at my body frame.
"By the way Mrs Sinha" he said, casually.
Mrs Sinha ??.
I didn’t reply. I knew that tone. He wasn’t about to say anything helpful.
But he still said.
"Have you ever read about any animal who can do it without touching ?" And I knew it. I felt his voice laced with playful ness.
"You know ....like something we can also learn" he added more just to make me more irritated.
Unbelievable.
I turned away from him and shoved the pillow over my ears.
He chuckled again.
I was irritated by his comments, I was anxious by sleeping beside a guy and somewhat angry because of this marriage, but there was one thing that made me puzzled . I wasn't afraid.
With him, lying beside me, there was no fear.
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