Mine to Love

4. Family time.

Maria's POV:

After getting ready, we both made our way to the dining table, where all of the family members were waiting for us. My insecurities surrounded me instantly like a loyal friend. I'm not sure how I would look to them without makeup.

Their eyes started glittering with happiness when their pairs or orbs set on me. Their stares were making me nervous. We greeted everyone and join them on the table.

Sheryaar was sitting beside me. His hand held my hand and gave it a squeeze when he observed how nervous I was.

"Don't worry. I'm here." He whispered in my ear and I nodded my head, taking in a deep breath.

Sheryaar's parents were smiling and giving us prayers for our prosperous and happy life together. All of the family was very sweet and loving. I'm already falling in love with this family.

Sheryaar has one elder sister Nisha, one younger sister isha, and brother Sheroz.

My family also joined us in the middle of breakfast. I hugged my dad and tears came out of my eyes uncontrollably. I was feeling my heart sinking. It isn't easy to leave your parents and say goodbye to a beautiful phase of life that you spend making many beautiful memories.

Dad kissed my head and hugged mom. She caressed my cheek, giving me a warm smile.

"My beautiful daughter." My mom said.

Riya sat beside me.

She was wiggling her eyebrows at me and asking something, I don't know what. Or maybe I've got a little idea about her unasked questions. This girl has no shame.

"So how is our princess." My Dad asked.

"I'm good. How are you, Mom, and Dad." I was too happy to see them.

"Now if our princess is happy then we are good too." My Mom said kissing my cheeks. My Dad was gleaming with happiness. I have never seen my dad this happy.

We ate breakfast and the whole family sat in the lounge, gossiping. Riya sat beside me but Sheryaar was seen nowhere. My eyes were wandering here and there for him.

"So Mario." Riya pinched my cheek. I knew what was coming.

"You are glowing, the bride," Riya said, arching her eyebrow.

The girl was smirking.

"Yeah, the new foundation is really good," I replied innocently.

"Really? Don't act like a guileless, Mario. This is not the miracle of a new foundation." She said in her strict tone.

She is so annoying.

"Whatever," I shrugged.

"You have changed." She taunted.

"Yup," I replied, pinching her cheeks.

"Don't talk to me." She made an angry face.

"As you wish." I winked and she nudged me, making me wince.

"You..."

"Maria"

I was interrupted by the voice of my husband calling my name.

"Go, your husband is calling you," Riya said, pushing me away from her. "You are not my friend anymore. You are someone's wife now."

I slapped her shoulder and she giggled like a child.

Sheryaar was waiting for me in the room. He was talking with someone on the phone. As I entered the room, Sheryaar held my hand.

"Ok, We are leaving tomorrow then." He told someone on the call.

"Hmm OK," He said disconnecting the call.

"Are you going somewhere.?"

"No, I'm not but We are going somewhere." He replied, caressing my cheek with his other hand.

"Where?" I asked.

"To some beautiful foreign place."

"Why?"

"For our honeymoon." He was grinning like a child who just got his first trophy.

"But my parents are waiting for us and we haven't tell anyone yet and wha-" He silenced me with that weird look.

"I told you earlier that you don't need to worry about anyone. And for your information, I have already told everyone including your parents that we are leaving tomorrow for our honeymoon."

"But ah don- don't you think it's too early. " I was stuttering nervously.

"Early for what?" He put a finger under my chin and pull my face upwards to meet his shiny black orbs with mine.

His eyes are so deep and secretive.

"I think I should have spent some time with your family So that I can understand them. After all, I've to live with them too." He was looking amused by my answer.

"It's good that you want to get familiar with my family but sweetheart, we are not going to live here permanently. I have settled my business in another country and after our honeymoon, We are going to live there permanently."

What?

I can't go away from my parents.

No way!

But you are already away from them. My subconscious reminds me.

But I'm in the same city where my parents live. I can't go abroad. I argued.

"But I can't go that away from my parents," I told him.

He seemed to be confused by my reply.

"And why not?" He asked.

"Because I have never been to. I even accepted this proposal of marriage because my parents promised me that you will let me see them every day." Tears were about to slip from my eyes.

"Listen, Janan. I don't ask you to forget your parents and go with me abroad. No, but I want you to realize that from now you are my responsibility and I'm totally dependent on you and you're totally dependent on me. We can come and visit your parents whenever feel like missing them, I promise." He said pinching his throat.

"Now Come on let's go, your parents want us to stay one night with them." I nodded and we join our families in the lounge.

"You both ready." My dad asked getting up from the sofa.

"Yes." We said in unison. "Let's go then."

___________________

We spent some time with my parents and then Riya had a fight with me. And in the end, she declared me a bad friend. Ah. This was not the first time and not the last one either. For sure.

We ate lunch together and now we are here in my bedroom and sheryaar is inspecting each n everything placed in my bedroom amusingly.

"You have a lot of books. Do you really read them or they are just for the showcase?" He was observing my every book with keen interest.

"I have already read each and every book placed there." He was shocked to hear my reply.

"That means you've read these types of romantic books too." He was holding a book in his hand.

"Umm yeah, that book was given to me by Riya. She said that this is her favorite book, that's why I read otherwise that's not my type."

.

"Then What is your type?"

He was pacing towards me.

"Umm.."

He chuckled at my loss of words.

"OK then, wanna know my type?" He asked.

"You can read books too?!" I was surprised, don't know Why.

"Yeah, I went to school and the teacher taught me how to read like every other student, so I can read miraculously." He said with amusement in his eyes and a smirk on his handsome face.

"Yeah, I mean Do you also love to read books?"

"Yes." Came his quick reply.

"So... what's your type?"

He must be interested in detective novels.

Or maybe

Some kind of Adventurous books.

"A very dark Romance." His reply shocked me.

My wide-open eyes made him laugh.

"Just joking wifey." His laugh was so rich creating the pleasurable sensation in my ears.

"Come, We should sleep now if we don't want to get late for the flight."

"Hmm yeah."

We both were laying on our sides, I was looking at the ceiling like it was the most interesting thing I've ever seen. His gaze was burning holes in my cheeks and they turn red due to his stare intensity.

Maybe he wanted to say something?

Should I ask him?

No

Yes

No

"Maria." His husky voice silenced my mind from further arguments.

"Hmm." I only hummed in response. My stare still roaming on the ceiling.

"You are so beautiful. Do you know that?" He said, making my breath hitch in my throat.

I looked at him with my jaw dropped. I have heard this from many other aunties before but this time, it felt so different. So heart touching and beautiful.

I looked back at the ceiling and smiled when a wicked idea crossed my mind.

"Yeah. I know. I have heard this from many."

It gave him a shock. He turned his body in my direction and rested his head on his hand, frowning.

"What? Who has said this to you before?" He asked and I shrugged, closing my eyes.

"I'm tired. Can you discuss this in the morning? This is a long list." I yawned.

"No." He replied, instantly. "I want a reply now!"

I looked at him and sat up.

"Are you sure?" I asked him in a very serious mood.

"Yes, I am damn sure." He said, fisting his hands and sitting in front of me. We both were now facing each other.

I was smirking in my head.

"You are not the only one who thinks I'm beautiful. I have heard this from many other people before." I paused and his frown deepened.

"Many aunties have told me this before," I said and the smile appeared on my lips.

He got the idea that I was pulling his leg. He grabbed a cushion and hit me, making me laugh.

"I'm keeping all this in my mind." He threatened, lying back.

I couldn't stop laughing. My stomach started hurting. I laid beside him and looked at him.

"Why are you so quiet?" I asked, suppressing my laughter again.

"You will know it very soon." He smirked but I laughed again.

After a few moments, we were surrounded by silence. I felt my eyelids heavy. He wasn't looking tired as his eyes were wide open. He was looking at me with full concentration.

I felt my eyes closing and the last thing I remembered was that he slipped his arm under my head and made me sleep on his arm, hiding my face in his chest.

This was the most beautiful feeling. I felt relaxed and let my soul flow with inviting dreams.

Next-Day:

Maria's POV:

The morning was passing very quickly. After eating breakfast, We said goodbye to my parents. I was crying. My mom was crying with me too. The thought of going away from my parents was stabbing like a knife in my heart.

Sheryaar holds my hand and made me sit in the car and I glanced for the last time at my family and my home.

He started the car and we drove away. Away from my parents, from the place where I spend my childhood, from everything. I was still crying in the car.

"You're crying like a baby. I hate seeing my loved ones crying. Stop crying, please. I promise you that We will come to see your parents when you really miss them." He tried to calm me.

But my tears were as usual stubborn. They were continuously flowing from my eyes provoking him.

"Stop crying, Maria." His tone was serious and he surely was annoyed by my crying.

"See you've got an annoying crying voice. I always told you but you kept denying." My subconscious just like always mocked me.

His harsh tone made me sadder than I already was and more tears slipped from my eyes.

"So you want to go back to your parents' home. Hmm, tell me?" He asked me, stopping the car. His eyes were boring holes in my eyes, his nostrils were flaring with anger.

He was looking like a complete beast, who will eat me alive if I tried to provoke him further.

I hate him.

He doesn't love me.

Why did I even marry him?

"Tell me, Maria. Do you want to go back to your parents?" He asked.

I shook my head in No.

"Then stop crying. Will you?" His voice deep, low but intimidating. I nodded my head in affirmation. He rubbed his face with his large hands and started driving again.

More and more tears were threatening to come out but I hold them back because I can't trust my bipolar husband. What if he leaves me here alone on the road.

"Why he would do that? You're his wife after all." My subconscious.

But he is not the same I married. He is not sheryaar but he is someone else now. He is possessed.

But you still like him. Admit it.

"Will you shut up for a moment.

?" I scolded my subconscious.

"What did you just say?" His voice brought me back to my senses.

Did I say that loud? Oh Allah, protect me from him. I can't bear his rough behavior anymore.

"Nothing. I was just talking to myself." I just wanted to disappear, away from his dreadful gaze.

"Really?" He asked smirking.

"Hmm."

"And Why were you talking with yourself when your loving husband is sitting beside you?" His voice was full of love and concern.

Bipolar.

"Yo-You wer- were angry with me." The words came out of my mouth with much difficulty and I again felt like crying because of his behavior.

"I'm not angry with you, Sunshine. How I could be angry with my love." His voice was coated with sugar or honey or something sweeter than honey.

He just snapped at me a few moments before and now again all sweet. I'm not going to talk to him. Let him talk with himself.

"But seems like you're angry with me." He pinched my cheeks playfully. But I didn't give any reply.

"So that means you are actually angry with me. Don't you, Angry Bird?" He asked amusingly.

I'm not going to give him an answer. Poor husband. Now it's my turn to play. You will regret your actions.

I was looking outside the car through the window. Cold but comforting air hit my face and I took a deep sigh. I was pondering over the events that just occurred in my life.

When I said I accept it was like a password that opened a new world, where my priorities are different. My parents are no more responsible for me but my husband. I'm going to start my new life and I don't know what that life holds for me. Marriage is a sacred bond that connects two peoples with each other for a lifetime.

Marriage is the name of feeling that makes you happy when you realize that there is someone who loves you, protects you,u and will always be there for you whenever you need him.

"We are here, Angry Bird." His voice brought me back to the earth.

"Hmm." Was all I said and get off the car. He holds my hand and smiled but I ignored him and turn my face in another direction. He chuckled.

"Assalam o Alaikum." I greeted my Mother and Father in law.

"Walaikum Salam, Daughter. How are you?" They asked, hugging me.

"I'm fine." I was smiling.

They remind me of my own parents and they are too polite and loving to me. Though I've spent just a few hours in the morning with them I must say that they are as good as my dad told me about them.

"How were your parents, sweetheart?" Asked my mother in law.

"They were fine as well," I replied.

I sat with sheryaar's parents in the lounge and sheryaar told us that he has some work to do So he is in the study. Sheryaar is very lucky to have such sweet parents and loving siblings.

After having some chit chat with my husband's siblings I went to our room because we had to leave in the next 3 hours and I haven't packed my luggage.

My husband was in the room. As he saw me, he smiled but I turned my head away.

"Still Angry?" He asked, smiling.

That naughty smile.

Let's not talk to him. My subconscious was now by my side for the first time. Fortunately.

"My little Angry Bird." He grasped my wrist and twirled me around.

I narrowed my eyes and he rested my hands on his chest.

"Don't call me that!" I clenched my teeth.

"Angry bird." He said.

I rolled my eyes and tried to push him.

He placed his forehead on mine traced my cheeks with his thumb.

"You are my angry bird." He said.

I was unable to form any reply because I was afraid of his reaction.

But still, I want to say something. I want to share my feelings. But still afraid of him. I freed myself from him because tears were threatening to come out of my eyes but he caged me in his arm and I broke unable to hold my tears anymore.

"Not again Wifey. Trust me I'll take care of you and will let you see your parents whenever you ask me to. Happy now." He said wiping my tears and I hug him instantly wrapping my arms around his neck.

He holds me close to him. His heartbeat comforting me. I cried my heart out.

"Done?" He asked amusingly lifting my face up. His smile brings the smile on my lips too.

"Why do you cry over everything? This is not good." He said, kissing my forehead.

"This isn't in my control," I replied. "I have a very sensitive heart I guess."

"That sounds dangerous." He said, looking down at me with concern.

"The people around are very cruel. You should learn to stay strong." He advised, making my heart beat faster.

"But you said you will protect me." I reminded him.

"I will." He replied but there was something running in his mind. He wanted to say something more but he chose to stay silent.

"Go, get ready. We are getting late." He said, kissing my forehead and I nodded.