Mine to Love

3. A new Start

Sheryaar POV:

I came out of the bathroom and found her asleep. I arched my eyebrow at her and shook my head. Rubbing my cold hands together, I walked to the bed and pulled the blanket up to her chest.

Then, I walked to my side and laid beside her, staring at the ceiling.

The new chapter of life has begun. I don't know what or how I'm supposed to start it off but one thing is clear, I have to strive for the best. I'm not alone now. She is my responsibility too. My life is complicated and my main focus is to keep her away from all this.

She deserves a beautiful life.

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I woke up the next morning to the empty bed. I rubbed my eyes and looked around for my newlywed bride. I supported my body on my elbows and found her sitting on a chair. A white scarf was wrapped around her head and she was reciting the Holy Quraan.

I smiled. She was looking like an Angel. The sunlight was falling on her face, adding more to her natural glow.

I placed my arm under my head and kept looking at her until finished reading. She put the Holy Quran back on the shelf and was about to unwrap her scarf when her eyes landed on me. She halted in her track and gazed down.

"Come here," I called her and she arched her eyebrows, innocently.

Biting her lips, she took small steps in my direction. When she reached me, I grasped her wrist and made her sit beside me. I hugged her and heard a small gasp from her.

"Assalam o Alaikum." She whispered.

I smiled.

"Walaikum Assalam," I replied, caressing her hair.

I laid down with her and her struggle was prominent. She was biting her nails. I looked down at her which was glowing in an enchanting way. Her long eyelashes were kissing her cheeks and her lips were forming a beautiful smile.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked, playing with her silky soft honey brown locks. My voice was huskier from peaceful sleeping.

Her presence beside me made me sleep peacefully. Her presence brought a satisfying feeling to me that I finally succeeded to keep my promise that I had given to the most precious person of my life.

Her soul must be happy today. She must be watching us with a smile on her face.

"Hmm," She nodded, tracing random patterns on my chest with her index finger. I smiled at her and caught her wrist, making her snap her head up in my direction.

"Sherry," She creased her eyebrows.

"Yes, my love." I looked at her with a fake innocent look.

"Are yo- Are you angry with me?" She questioned, making me perplex.

What made her think like that?

"No. What made you think like that?" I voiced my thoughts.

"I have disappointed you. I know this relationship is all about taking care of each other. But I failed. I have always been a very shy and introvert type girl and now I think it is disappointing you." She said her voice cracking at the end and then I realize she was crying.

How could she think of me in that way? Why would be mad at her over such a thing?

I found her shyness so beautiful.

"You are right. You have disappointed me." I said and she looked up at me with red eyes.

"You have disappointed me by thinking in this way. This beautiful relationship of marriage is something beyond physical intimacy. This is something worth assessing before diving in its depths." I told her and she lowered her gaze.

"You are beautiful. Your Hayya adds more to it. You are precious and I'm proud of you." I said, kissing her forehead.

She wiped her tears and gazed up at me. I gave her a big smile and she lowered her eyes, continuing to make circles on my shirt.

"You look so cute while crying. Your nose looking cutely red and eyes like a kitten." I told her, punching her nose.

She bit her lip and leaned in, placing her head on my chest.

I felt my heart jumping, celebrating this new feeling. The feeling which her closeness is bringing. The feeling which her trust in me is bringing. The feeling which her happiness is bringing.

The feeling which the love in her eyes is bringing.

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. She looks exactly like her. Same innocent eyes, same brown color hair, same facial features. All about Maria reminds me of her.

About Bella.

I felt the water gathering up in my eyes but held them in. I'm stronger than I used to be but her absence, her, her memories, her smile makes me weak. I feel my Bella here. I feel her but I can't touch her. I feel her but can't hold her in my arms.

She is here yet out of my reach.

I sighed and caressed Maria's hair. She was still making patterns and I became curious about what she is making. I looked down at her finger and she was moving her slender finger over my bicep, writing my name.

"Do you really like my name that much that you can't stop yourself from writing it down again and again?" I questioned her, amusingly and her finger stopped.

She didn't reply but snuggled more in my chest and I can bet that she was smiling because I could feel her lips against my clothed skin.

"Maria," I called her.

"Hmm." She replied.

"You are a little kitten. Do you know that?" I said, kissing her temple.

She shook her head and punched me gently for no reason.

"Feisty!" I chuckled, kissing her wrist.

I was busy admiring her angelic features when the knock on the door interrupted me.

"Who?" I asked annoyingly.

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Maria POV:

"It's me Nisha, little brother." Came a voice outside the door. The girl was surely smiling.

"What is it sister?" sheryaar was totally unhappy by the intruder.

"Won't you ask me to come in?" She asked teasingly.

Sheryaar covered his face with his palms completely annoyed by his sister.

"Wait." He said getting up from the bed opening the door for her sister. It was his elder sister and she is married and has two children. I met her when she came to our home last time for fixing the wedding date.

"Good Morning Sweetheart, You are looking so beautiful and glowing even without makeup. Masha Allah." She complimented, making me blush.

"Did you sleep well?"She asked with the impishness prominent in her eyes.

I was feeling so embarrassed and my cheeks covered with the bright shade of red. When I lift eyes to look at my husband, he was smirking there folding his arms over his chest.

"Oh God, Look at her blushing face! Isn't she the cutest bride in the world?" Nisha was laughing and I wished that I could vanish from there.

"OK enough of teasing." She finally said and I thanked my Lord for having some mercy on me.

"Get ready Sweetheart, everyone is waiting for you. Come and have breakfast with us." She said smiling.

"Ok little brother, Get ready quickly and don't make your innocent bride get late for breakfast. Understood" She said in her fake warning tone and then left.

My Husband was still smirking. The silence embraced us as Nisha left. I pushed the strands of my hair behind my ear. Inhaling a deep breath, I walked to the dressing table when Sheryaar stood in front of me, blocking my way.

"So?" He asked.

I arched my eyebrow not getting his question.

"So?" I questioned back.

"Where are you going?" He asked, making me crease my forehead.

"To take shower," I replied, simply.

"But I have to talk to you about a lot of things. Let's sit and talk. We can join them at lunch." He suggested.

"What?" This came out of my mouth like a cry. "Everyone is waiting for us."

"So what?" He shrugged.

"This would be so disrespectful if we didn't show up there," I said and he sighed, sitting on the bed.

He looked at me narrowing his eyes and then huffed, lying on the bed, hiding his face in the pillow.

My jaw dropped and I looked at him with wide eyes. Whoa! Another shade of him. I never thought he can get angry and look cute at the same time.

"Sheryaar?" I called his name.

He didn't move. A smile made its way to my lips and I sat beside him.

"Sherry," I called him again.

"Don't disturb." He mumbled.

"Ok." I shrugged, getting up from the bed when he caught my wrist.

I smiled. He turned his face in my direction and looked at me with a frown.

"Let go of me, Sheryaar. I have to get ready." I told him, struggling to get my hand released from his grip.

"Fine." He said, letting go of my hand.

He buried his face in the pillow again and I shook my head, smilingly. Looking at him for the last time, I headed towards the washroom.

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After taking a shower, I came out of the bathroom. My husband was sitting on the bed doing some work on his laptop.

When he saw me coming out from the bathroom, He frowned and I knew it was fake. I smiled at him to which he arched his eyebrow.

"We are getting late," I told him but he ignored and looked down at his laptop.

"Sherry," I called him.

"Hmm." He replied, not looking up in my direction.

"Please, go and get ready. Everybody is waiting for us at the dining table." I reminded him again.

"I'm busy." He said, simply.

"Sh—..."

"I said, I am Busy. Will you stop disturbing me like this?" He said in a harsh tone. His eyes radiated anger and it shook me. I leaned back on the dressing table as I felt like fainting.

I'm not used to this. Nobody has ever talked to me in this tone. My parents have always been so gentle with me. I felt my heart thudding against my ribcage. I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. I turned my face away and wiped my tears.

I tried to control my emotions but it was too much to handle. More tears escaped the margins of my eyes. Some of them fell on my hand which is decorated with the beautiful patterns of Henna.

I heard him getting up from the bed and then walking in the direction of the washroom. He got in and shut the door with the bang, making me flinch. As soon as I heard him shut the door, I broke down in tears.

I sat on the bed and hugged a pillow, shedding tears freely. I cried I sobbed, I hiccuped. My head started hurting. There were no more tears in my eyes now. My eyes were red and so was my nose.

The door to the washroom opened. He exited. I didn't look in his direction. I looked down at my hands. I was still hiccuping. He stopped there. He didn't make any move and I sensed that he was looking at me.

And this brought more fresh tears in my eyes. I bit on my lip to refrain myself from crying again but guess what. I wasn't strong enough.

I even surprised myself when loud sobs started escaping my mouth. He walked in my direction and stood in front of me. He offered me both of his hands but I shook my head.

He held my hands and made me stand up. He grabbed my face and made me look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said, wiping my tears.

I shook my head, trying to push him away but failed.

"I'm so sorry."

I cried more.

"Please, I'm sorry." He said it again. I sensed the restlessness in his voice.

I shook my head again.

He leaned in and kissed on my forehead. He didn't pull away. His lips remained there. I fisted his shirt and cried my heart out. The water drops from his wet hair fell upon me. I would have stopped crying by now but as he was there to comfort me, I felt like crying more.

"Please, Don't cry." He mumbled against my forehead.

And don't know why but it made me cry even more. I think my entire system was longing to make him worry more. So he would comfort me with a little more effort.

"Please, Janan, Don't cry." He whispered and this word "Janan" gave me butterflies in my stomach.

Eventually, I stopped crying but not before making me sorry for another twenty to thirty times. In the end, my eyes were redder but my mood was awesome. I'm sure he would think thousand times before snapping at me again.

"Water?" He asked me and I nodded. He made me sit on the bed and ran to bring water for me.

He came back, made me drink water, and kissed my forehead again.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked to you like this." He said, removing hairs from my face.

I nodded. He held my hands and kissed them too.

"We should get ready. Everyone is—..."

I tried to say it again but he interrupted.

"Stop worrying about others. Please." He said in a soft voice though I knew he was getting irritated by all this.

"Ok," I replied, meekly and he smiled.

I smiled with him too.

We looked at each other for the next two minutes before I started again.

"But we should get ready."

He sighed, closing his eyes shut.

"Seriously?" He looked at me and shook his head.

"Please." I made an innocent face.

"Ok, fine. Whatever pleases you." He said and kissed my forehead again.

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