5 December 2019

Hey, everyone! How are you all? I hope you're well? Here's the next chapter, the one you've all been waiting for! I hope you all like it! ;)

"It's amazing how one day, someone walks into your life and you can't remember how you ever lived without them." - Pinterest

Alayna's POV

I'm silent the whole journey home, and I'm looking anywhere but at Zayan. I'm blushing the entire time, mostly glancing into my lap and playing nervously with my fingers or my rings.

We reach Zayan's home, or rather my new home, twenty minutes later. Zayan drives through the huge metal double gates in front of the mansion, and parks in front of the main door. All of Zayan's relatives are standing outside and in the doorway to greet us and welcome me into my new home. They all have the biggest grins on their lips, and cheer for us when we arrive. My face turns redder as Zayan rushes to the passenger door to help me out.

'May I?' He whispers, staring at me with a small smile on his lips. He holds his hand out for me to take, which I do with my own trembling one. When my hand touches his, I jump. The current is stronger than ever. I'm sure he can feel it too, right?

He helps me out the car, setting my lehenga at the same time.

When I see Laiba and Hanna grinning at us with mischievous glints in their eyes, I hold onto Zayan's hand tighter, feeling more and more nervous by the second.

'You okay, Alayna?' Zayan whispers into my ear worriedly.

I glance at him, nodding slightly.

We walk to our home, stopping in the doorway. We're both attacked by hugs from his family, which I accept happily.

'Welcome to our home, Alayna. I'm so happy you're a part of our family now. You always have been, but now you'll be living with us,' Aunty says, smiling widely. She hugs me, and then kisses my forehead gently.

I sigh with happiness, smiling at her. She's always been like a second mother to me. She's absolutely lovely, I love her very much.

"Yes, dear. I'm the happiest today! Alayna dear, Zayan, you've both made us happier than you can ever imagine. Welcome, Alayna. Today's the best day of my life," Uncle says joyfully, hugging both me and Zayan.

I suddenly feel slightly emotional, and I swallow a lump in my throat. I quickly blink back my tears. I'm extremely lucky. I have the best in-laws in the world, and I already know it.

I give Aunty and Uncle a small, shy smile before I'm attacked with a hug from Hanna.

She grins at me after breaking the hug, and rains kisses over my cheeks. I laugh silently, shaking my head at her craziness. She's too cute for her own good.

'I feel like I'm dreaming! Zayan Bhai, pinch me. Is this real? You've married Alayna? My best friend?! Oh, my god! I'm the happiest person in the world today. You guys are so adorable. You make the cutest couple, and you both look so amazing today!' Hanna gushes, her eyes filled with tears.

I blush harder, staring towards the ground.

"Thank you, Hanna," Zayan answers, amusedly.

His voice sends delicious shivers down my spine, I can't ignore them no matter how hard I try. Zayan has changed me. He makes me feel things I didn't know were possible to feel.

Holding his hand, I enter my new home, a small smile and a bright blush on my face. Zayan's family are all ecstatic, they've never been happier. And I'm very happy, too.

We enter the living room, surrounded by Zayan's whole family. All his relatives are there, teasing us and complimenting us. We take a seat on the beautifully decorated couch, sitting side by side. Our shoulders are touching, and it makes me shiver. Although I know who most of Zayan and Hanna's relatives are, I'm introduced to some members of their extended family who I'm seeing today for the first time.

We have a small family photo shoot, mainly with Zayan's close relatives. Me and Zayan take plenty of photos with Aunty, Uncle, Hanna, Usman Bhai, Laiba and baby Adnan. After the photo shoot, Adnan is placed into my lap. He's the cutest baby I've ever seen, and I just love him so much. I can't wait to spend my days playing with him and giving him thousands of hugs and kisses. He's staring up at me with his beautiful, large eyes and I can't resist when I give him a gentle kiss on his chubby cheeks. He's a copy of Laiba now. He looks exactly like her.

After a few more rituals, Hanna asks me if I'm tired and want to go upstairs to my room. My eyes widen in shock, and my heart starts to race like crazy.

"N-no, I'm not tired," I mumble to Hanna, who smirks at me.

'You must be tired, wearing that heavy dress! Mum, Laiba Bhabhi, I won't ever be able to wear such a heavy lehenga on my wedding day. Which won't be anytime soon,' she says, frowning.

I grin at her, shaking my head at her craziness.

"You're next, Hanna," Aunty says, grinning. She winks at me.

I nod enthusiastically. 'Exactly, Han. You're next.'

She glares at both me and Aunty, and we burst out laughing.

Right at that moment, I realise that Zayan's sitting right beside me. I quieten down right away, blushing furiously. I'd forgotten that he was right there, next to me!

I'm so crazy.

"Sure you're not tired?" Laiba Bhabhi teases me. My cheeks are as hot as blazing fire.

I nod quickly, making everyone chuckle. I also hear Zayan laughing from beside me. I don't dare to look over at him. Not right now. Not just before...

********

Zayan's extended family leave some time later. It's almost 12:30am now, and I feel a slight headache coming along.

'Alayna, sweetheart, drink this juice. You didn't eat or drink much earlier,' Aunty says gently, handing me a glass of orange juice. Usually, it'd be my favourite, but right now I don't feel like drinking or eating anything.

I thank Aunty and take a small sip of the juice. I can't drink anymore, though. She sees this and takes the glass from me.

"Okay! Laiba Bhabhi, come. Let's take Alayna upstairs and spend some time with her. I hope you don't mind, Zayan Bhai? Wait, I don't care if you mind. Alayna's my best friend, and my sister-in-law. She loves me more than you," Hanna blurts.

My cheeks are as red as blood right now, and I'm blushing furiously. My heart thunders in my chest. How crazy is she?! Did she seriously just say that?

'I don't mind, Hanna,' Zayan says a few seconds later, clearing his throat. I'm so embarrassed right now! I'm extremely nervous as it is, and Hanna's purposely making it much worse.

Laiba and Hanna help me up gently, and they take me to Zayan's bedroom.

Zayan's bedroom.

Oh, my god.

I can't believe this is happening. How is this happening right now? Hanna and Laiba taking me to Zayan's room on our... wedding night.

What if he.. what if he tries to do something? Will he want to do something?

I'm not ready for that at all! Will he understand?

I feel a worse headache coming along as I rub my forehead with my fingers.

'Does this feel like a dream, Alayna? Going to Zayan's room, on your wedding night?' Laiba asks me, teasingly.

I blush, nodding as they help me up the stairs.

"Definitely. I feel like I'm dreaming," I whisper, more to myself than to them.

'I understand. I remember the same feeling on my wedding night, long ago,' she replies, smiling.

My heartbeat quickens as we reach Zayan's bedroom a couple of minutes later. I've walked down this same corridor so many times before, so many times, but never did I imagine that I'd one day be walking down this corridor on my wedding night. In my new home.

When Hanna opens his bedroom door, I feel my heart stop beating in my chest just for a millisecond. Then, it jumps back to life, thumping away, threatening to jump out of my chest. Zayan's bedroom has been completely transformed, and it looks so beautiful. It looks perfect. The room is dimly lit, and it's been decorated to perfection using hundreds of small lights, candles and fresh rose petals. There's no other light in the room, except that which is illuminating from all the stunning tiny candles.

The candles are lining the edges of the room and the furniture too. As I walk in, I see that the walkway has been lined with the small candles too. Beneath my feet, the floor of the walkway is covered with red rose petals which also are decorating the whole room.

The fresh, gorgeous scent of fresh roses hits my nose as I walk in with Hanna and Laiba. One of my favourite scents in the whole world. It causes a rush of adrenaline to travel through my entire body.

I silently look around the room, taking in the beauty of everything. The dressing table, accent tables and bedside tables are decorated with red roses and rose petals. In the centre of both bedside tables sits a small candle which is heart-shaped and so cute.

The white sofas are the only piece of furniture in the room that aren't decorated with the rose petals.

Even the bed.. wow. The huge, queen-sized bed has a beautiful heart on the white covers, made entirely of red rose petals. I blush harder at the sight.

The whole room has been decorated to perfectly and intricately, it must have taken hours. Whoever decorated the room is sure a perfectionist, and amazing at their job.

'What do you think?' Hanna whispers excitedly.

I can't take my eyes off the beauty of the room. I smile shyly, turning to my best friend and sister-in-law. "It's perfect," I say, clearing my throat slightly.

Her grin widens as she elbows and winks at Laiba. Laiba smiles at me, setting my hair slightly.

'I guess Zayan did a good job then! If the wife's happy, he must have done good!' Laiba replies, grinning too.

My mouth hangs open in shock. Zayan did this?! I don't believe it.

"Yes, babe. Zayan Bhai decorated the whole room, without anyone's help. He wanted it to be perfect for you, and it is!" She says happily.

He wanted it to be perfect for me? He did this for me? I smile, my heart racing.

Hanna and Laiba help me to sit on the middle of the bed, with my lehenga around me in a circle, including the huge train. My heart feels like it's doing somersaults in my chest right now. I feel so.. overwhelmed, nervous, freaked out, excited. Mostly excited, though.

I wonder where Zayan is, and what he's doing.

'You look absolutely beautiful, Alayna. Like a princess,' Hanna says, smiling at me.

I give her a small smile back, feeling very nervous. Because I know that Zayan will be coming soon.

"Thanks, Han. You look gorgeous too, and you Laiba," I reply quietly.

Laiba grins at me. 'Thank you sweetie, but no one can match your elegance and beauty today! You really are the most beautiful and loveliest bride in the whole world.' She's too sweet.

I thank her quietly, looking down into my lap and playing with my fingers. I can't stop fidgeting. Zayan will be here any minute now.

'Are you nervous?' Laiba asks me softly.

I nod, holding my small purse for support. My hands are trembling.

She smiles, caressing my cheek gently. "I understand, Alayna. I felt so nervous, so scared too on my wedding night. But it's all gonna be absolutely fine. Zayan's coming, he's your husband now. I know how impatient he is to see you! You don't need to be afraid, he cares a lot for you. Anyone can see that in his eyes. Enjoy tonight, okay?"

I nod, my eyes watering up. I quickly look down into my lap, blinking back my tears. I've never felt so nervous in my entire life. My heart's going crazy in my chest.

Hanna and Laiba show me around the room, telling me where all my clothes and other things are. I stay seated on the bed, listening to everything they're saying.

'All your night clothes are at the far end of the closet, Alayna. The left side of the closet has all of Zayan's clothes, and the right has yours,' Hanna tells me, a gleam in her eyes.

I nod. "Okay."

"Alayna, please eat something. We know you hardly ate earlier, you must be hungry," Laiba says gently to me.

I shake my head, my cheeks heating up. They're too sweet. 'Laiba, I'm really not hungry. Thank you so much, though.'

She sighs, smiling. "You know Zayan will make you eat, he's worried," she says.

My blush brightens and I bite my lip. 'He's crazy,' I mumble. Laiba and Hanna both chuckle, shaking their heads.

"That he is. He's crazy, for you," Hanna says, winking.

They're unbelievable!

Just at that moment, there's a light knock on the door. My breath hitches in my throat, and my heart starts to beat louder than ever, my heartbeat drumming in my ears. It's Zayan. He's here.

Hanna jumps up, grinning at me and Laiba. She rushes to the door to open it. I quickly grab Laiba's hand, my eyes welling up with tears.

'Laiba, please don't leave me. Please,' I whisper, trying my best not to cry.

She smiles softly at me, caressing my cheek. She tucks a free strand of hair behind my ear. "I know how you're feeling, lovely. But you shouldn't be afraid. It's Zayan. Your husband. He's been waiting so long for you, I don't want him to break down the door! You'll see, there's nothing to be scared of. Tonight will really be the best night of your life, the first night of your married life. Enjoy it, Alayna. Enjoy spending time with each other and.. me and Hanna will be wanting to know everything tomorrow! Aliya too, I'm sure!" She kisses my cheek, before standing up.

'Laiba,' I whisper, my cheeks burning bright red.

She winks at me. "I know you're excited to see Zayan."

I bite my lip to control my smile, but it doesn't work. 'You're crazy!' I chuckle, shaking my head. Lies. I'm very excited. Extremely excited. I'm so nervous, but I'm definitely excited. I can't explain how I'm feeling right now. It's a very new feeling, something I cannot describe. But.. it's definitely good.

She gives me one last smile before she goes to Hanna. They glance at each other, sharing a grin, before they open the door.

My gaze automatically falls back to my lap. I nervously play with the rings on my fingers, blushing intensely. A small smile plays on my lips, and my heartbeat is erratic.

'Oh hello, Zayan Bhai! It's nice to see you!' I hear Hanna say to her brother, teasingly. It makes me smile harder.

"Hello, Hanna. Can I come in?" He asks, clearing his throat.

'Not so easily! We were thinking, we should stay with Alayna tonight,' Laiba says slowly. I can hear the laughter in her voice.

Oh, my god. She's worse than Hanna.

"Erm, Laiba Bhabhi.." Zayan starts. He's lost for words. Poor him.

Hanna and Laiba laugh, before coughing.

'Okay, fine. You can come in, but not before you give us both something. We both want a gift!' Laiba teases.

"You both want a gift, do you? What do you want?" Zayan asks, amused.

'I want a gold ring! Actually, I want a diamond ring! Or bracelet. It's up to you,' Hanna says to her brother.

I bite my lip, smiling.

"I don't have a ring or a bracelet right now, Hanna," Zayan tells his sister and sister-in-law.

'Money, then! We only want £5000 each,' Laiba says, smirking.

"If you let me in, I'll give you the money. Is that okay?" Zayan replies, laughing. His laughter sounds like music to my ears. I love his laughter. It's not very often that I've heard it.

'No, you can't go in without giving us money,' Hanna teases.

I hear a shuffling sound, before Zayan speaks. "This is all I have in my wallet right now. The rest is in my locker inside. £2000."

Hanna sighs loudly. 'Okay, Bhai. That'll do, for now. You have to give us the rest tomorrow, though. Promise?'

"Promise, Hanna. Now can I come in?" Zayan asks, amusedly. Is it me, or does he sound.. impatient?

'Zayan, you can keep the money for now. Give us tomorrow. We'll let you meet Alayna now, because you're looking like a right lover boy,' Laiba says, chuckling.

"Thank you, Laiba Bhabhi. Hanna." They move to the side as Zayan steps into the room. My heart starts to thump loudly in my chest. My palms start to feel sweaty, I wipe them on my knees. He's here.

'Wait!' Hanna rushes into the room, running to me. She gives me a huge, quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. I smile, shaking my head at her craziness.

She rushes back out the room. Hanna and Laiba stand in the doorway, massive grins on their faces.

"Zayan Bhai?!" Hanna says loudly and dramatically.

'Yes, Hanna?' Her brother answers. I don't dare look at him. I can feel his presence in the room. It's the only thing I'm aware of right now.

"Enjoy!" She sings, closing the door as they leave. She's insane!

Oh, god. I'm alone with him now. I'm really alone with Zayan. For the first time after our Nikah.

I hear him chuckle and lock the door. I look away, my gaze back to my hands in my lap. I'd never, ever thought I'd be such a shy, blushing bride. I again start to play with my rings nervously. As he starts to walk over to me, I feel my heart rate increase. With every step he takes closer to me, I feel my heartbeat getting louder and faster. It booms in my ears, there's no way he can't hear it right now.

When he reaches the bed, he stands for a second before taking a seat near me at the edge of the bed. However, he makes sure to leave plenty of space between us.

'Hey,' I hear his gentle, husky voice greet me. I can sense a smile in his voice.

"Hi," I reply a few seconds later, my voice lower than a whisper. I almost don't hear my own voice.

But he hears me. 'How are you, wifey?' He asks, his voice playful.

My cheeks turn hotter. 'Wifey'. There's that word again. The one that sends somersaults to the pit of my stomach.

I bite my bottom lip nervously, smiling slightly at the endearment.

"Fine." I give him a one-word reply again, my heart going crazy in my chest. I try to control my breathing, but I can't.

Stupid Zayan. How does he always make me feel this way?!

I hear him chuckle softly. 'You look absolutely beautiful, Alayna. You look perfect. Like an angel.' I can feel his eyes on me. My entire body turns beet red.

"Thank you," I murmur quietly, not lifting my gaze from my lap. I know that if I do, if I look at him, I'll lose myself.

'The most beautiful bride in the world,' he says a few seconds later.

I smile softly, still staring at my hands. They seem very interesting right now.

His compliments are driving me crazy. He's so cheesy. But I'm not complaining a single bit.

"You too," I blurt, before smacking my forehead with my right hand. I've really lost it. Whenever Zayan's near me, I don't seem to make any sense. He has a huge effect on me. I'm aware of nothing right now, except him.

He laughs gently. 'Really? Why, thank you? I'm a beautiful bride too?'

I glare, my face snapping up to meet his eyes. When my gaze falls upon him, I'm lost. Totally and utterly lost.

I suck in a soft breath when I stare at Zayan properly for the first time today. I stare at him for the first time after our Nikah, and I'm lost.

He's perfect. He's so sexy, it hurts.

He's still dressed in his light gold sherwani, and he looks like perfection. Like a Greek god. He's the epitome of sexiness, of perfection. His dark brown hair is styled messily, and I can tell that he's been running his fingers through it all evening. He has some neat stubble, just the way I like it. It makes him look more masculine, stronger, more perfect. His dazzling, blue-brown orbs are boring into mine, and they're mixed with several emotions. Happiness being the main one. There's space in between us, but he's still sitting close to me. I'm shocked at how long his eyelashes are. They're super long. They'd make any girl jealous.

His full, light pink lips look extremely soft, and they're pulled up into a gentle smile. Not his signature smirk. I can't take my eyes off him. He's so handsome.

And he's mine.

My husband.

The glare falls off my face as fast as it appeared. I'm awestruck. Shocked. How I'm married to him beats me. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now.

He's my husband. The thought makes me blush harder than ever, and my gaze falls back to my hands. This all feels like a dream. One that I'm about to wake up from, any second now.

His eyes are still on me, he's staring.

'I almost forgot, I have a gift for you. I hope you like it,' he says softly. He takes a small blue jewellery box out of the drawer of the bedside table, and hands it to me.

"Y-you didn't need to buy me anything," I whisper, my voice shaking with nervousness.

'I wanted to. Open it,' he says, his voice full of happiness.

With fumbling fingers, I open the box and my breath catches in my throat when I see my beautiful gift. He's bought me the most stunning diamond locket which is heart-shaped, and has the initials A and Z written on it. With the locket is a matching diamond bracelet. He definitely has good taste.

'What do you think?' He asks hopefully.

"It's beautiful," I whisper, tracing my fingertip over our initials. This is the cutest gift. I'm already in love with it.

'Do you want to wear it?' He asks softly.

I nod, handing him the box. I glance up at him to see the most breath taking smile. Seeing him so happy makes me even happier.

He gently removes the locket from its box and sits closer to me, his eyes questioning.

I blush hard, returning his smile and nodding slightly.

He takes his free hand to move all my hair over my right shoulder. When his hand comes in contact with the skin of my neck, I suck in a breath. His touch sends the strongest current through my entire body. Every fibre of my being is aware of him right now. Every part of me.

He leans forward, staring into my eyes. Then he unfastens the locket, and very gently places it around my neck, fastening it. When he's done, he moves back and gives me a perfect smile.

"Thank you, Zayan. It's beautiful," I tell him truthfully, staring at my hands.

'Not as beautiful as you,' he replies, still staring in awe at me.

My heart rate quickens at his words, and I gather the courage to look up at him. When I do, I see him looking right back at me, with thousands of emotions in his eyes.

'Thank you for coming into my life, Alayna. I can say without a doubt that you've changed me, completely. For the better. I promise to always keep you happy, safe and to protect you with my life,' Zayan whispers, promising.

I swallow a lump in my throat and blink back the tears which have risen to my eyes. He's so sweet. He's too sweet. His words have my heart pounding in my chest, threatening to escape.

I have no doubt that he'll do anything to make me happy, that he'll always keep me safe and protected. Hell, he risked his life for me. He saved my life, without thinking for a single second about what could happen to him. If it wasn't for him, perhaps I wouldn't be here right now.

'Alayna? Are you okay?' He whispers worriedly, his face falling. 'Did I say anything wrong?' He adds.

I wipe away a tear that's fallen down my cheek, and shake my head. "I'm fine, Zayan. You didn't say anything wrong." This is the most I've said to him all day today.

'Then why are your eyes filled with tears? I promised Uncle and Yusuf that I'd never let you cry,' he says gently, placing his hand over mine.

I swallow, nodding. I look at his hand which is on top of mine, and I enjoy the tingles which I feel at the pit of my stomach. His mere touch drives me crazy.

"I'm not crying," I whisper, glancing at him and giving him a small, shy smile.

He wipes away another tear from my face, which I didn't know had spilled. When he touches my face to do so, I close my eyes for a millisecond. Why am I enjoying his touch so much? What's happening to me?

I open my eyes, staring at Zayan. He gives me another handsome smile, which I instantly and automatically return.

'Good. You can never cry. Do you want to get changed? You must be uncomfortable in that heavy lehenga,' he says to me softly.

I nod shyly. He stands up and helps me up.

'Do you want me to grab you something to wear? Your night clothes are near the back of the closet,' he tells me.

I shake my head, blushing. "It's okay, I'll find something myself. You should change too, your sherwani must also be uncomfortable."

He nods, grinning. 'As much as I love it, it isn't the most comfortable outfit to wear.'

********

What on earth?! Who bought these clothes for me? Who bought these... nightgowns? If you can even call them that?!

I pick up a bright pink item of clothing from the nightwear section of my closet, and I put it right back as quickly as I picked it up. What's this?! I know for a fact that Hanna or Laiba bought this! It's the tiniest silk and lace nightgown, and it's so short that it wouldn't even reach mid-thigh. It's mostly made out of lace, and is therefore transparent. I'm sure it doesn't even cover the necessary parts. Oh, my god. How could they expect me to wear this?!

I finger through the rest of my nightgowns, before sighing and picking out one which seems.. decent. I wouldn't have chosen to wear this, but it's the only appropriate option available.

It's a black silk nightgown which thankfully is floor-length, but is sleeveless. The neckline is slightly low-cut, exposing more than I'd like, but it's the only option I have. Unless I wear my lehenga to sleep.

No. I'm gonna have to wear the nightgown. It has a thin, matching black lace slip to go on top. It doesn't cover much, but.. it'll have to do.

When I walk out the closet into the bedroom, I breathe a sigh of relief seeing that Zayan isn't there. He must have popped downstairs to grab something. Or he's probably getting changed somewhere.

I lock myself in the en-suite bathroom, and start to get changed. It takes me forever to remove the dozens of safety pins and bobby pins from my heavy dupatta, and when it's off, I look into the mirror and smile, breathing another sigh of relief. I can feel my headache disappearing. It must have been caused by the weight of the dupatta on my head.

I remove my earrings, necklace and hand pieces. I glance into the mirror and smile softly. I don't want to remove all my jewellery and makeup, but it's so late. I've never felt more beautiful than I did today as a bride. I love my makeup, my hair, my outfit. Everything was perfect today.

I start to take out the hundreds of bobby pins from my hair. It's nearly half an hour later that I've sorted out my hair and taken all the pins out. The backcombing took a while to take out too. And it hurt. Thankfully, my long, thick hair has now been brushed and falls in soft waves over my shoulders.

I stand up from the small seat in front of the bathroom mirror and take my hands to my back to unzip my blouse. It takes difficulty for me to reach the zip, and when I do, I find that the zip is stuck. I tug on it, groaning. It doesn't budge.

I remember Sara and Aliya's words from this morning, and I blush hard. No. I won't ask Zayan to unzip my blouse. I can't.

I try once more, but to no avail. The zip is stuck, and it won't move. I glance into the mirror, my expression flushed. At this rate, I'll be staying in the bathroom all night.

Right at that moment, there's a soft knock on the bathroom door. Talk about timing! 'Alayna? Are you okay?' Zayan asks worriedly.

My cheeks brighten even more as I nod. I'm so stupid. He can't even see me right now, why am I nodding?

"Y-yes, I'm okay," I call back, sounding stupid.

He pauses for a second. 'Do you need any help?' He asks politely.

"No, no. I'm fine.. actually, wait. Zayan, can you.. please help me with something? I'd have asked Laiba or Hanna but they're not here," I say, stressing.

'Of course I'll help you. What is it?' He asks from behind the door.

"Erm, this is really silly, I know. Can you.. please help me unzip my blouse? I've been trying for the past ten minutes and I just can't," I say, my face bright red.

I walk to the bathroom door and hesitantly unlock it. He's standing right in front of me, staring intensely at me.

'Sure, I'll help you,' he answers, his voice strained.

He steps into the bathroom, closing the distance between us so he's right in front of me.

I look down towards the ground, feeling more embarrassed than ever. I've never blushed so much in my life.

I slowly turn around to face the opposite way, moving my hair over one shoulder. Zayan slowly takes his hand to the zip, touching the skin of my neck at the same time. I suck in a breath, inching away from him. My breathing is laboured.

"Alayna, don't worry. I promise I won't try anything," he says gently, placing his other hand on my shoulder.

I didn't realise how tense I was, and my muscles unclench slightly. He tugs slightly on the zip, and he easily starts to slide it down.

'Zayan,' I whisper, closing my eyes tightly shut. My hands are balled into fists. I don't know what it is that I want exactly at this moment. I've never felt more aware of him before this moment. I can feel his warm breath on my neck as he unzips my blouse.

"Alayna, it's okay. I promise, I won't do anything. You know you can trust me," he says, his voice strained and husky.

A few seconds later, he's pulled the zip all the way down. The blouse is threatening to fall over my shoulders.

'I.. should go. I'll be right outside, if you need anything,' he says quickly, rushing out the bathroom. He closes the door on his way out, and I quickly go and lock it.

I stare into the bathroom mirror, breathing hard. What was that just now? Why did I feel this way? I have no idea what's happening to me, all I know right now is.. Zayan. I can't explain what he does to me, how he makes me feel.. it's crazy. I've never felt this way before. Ever. In my entire twenty-five years of existence.

I take time to remove all of my remaining jewellery and makeup before I take a hot shower to calm my raging nerves. Then, I brush my teeth, cleanse my face and dry my hair as best as I can. I change into the black nightgown, pulling on the thin slip quickly after I do.

Aliya told me several times this morning to make an effort on my wedding night. To get ready for.. my husband. She told me that I'll want to look beautiful for him. I'm not dressed in what she wanted me to wear, but I apply some natural makeup. It brings out all my features. Although I didn't really need the Nars blush I have on right now. My own blush is much stronger and brighter. And with Zayan, I really didn't need it at all. He makes me blush constantly. I feel like a constant tomato. Bright red.

After I've dried my hair, I brush through it gently, removing all the tangles. I decide to leave it loose tonight, because it looks nice.

Glancing into the mirror again, I blush even harder. The nightgown is definitely low-cut. It fits me perfectly, and the rest of it is actually fine. Even the fact that it's sleeveless isn't bothering me too much right now, because I'm wearing a slip on top. However, the neckline.. it's making me crazy. It's definitely more revealing than I would have liked. What will Zayan think?

Is this too much?

I move my hair from my back, to over my shoulders. That's a little better. It's covering me slightly, but still not enough.

I feel my cheeks. They're flushed and as hot as blazing fire.

I take a deep breath, taking a step towards the door. I can't stay in here all night, just because I'm a shy mess. And I don't want to stay here all night. I want to see Zayan. The thought of him brings a small smile onto my face.

He looked so handsome today, even more than he usually does. He definitely made the hottest groom. Mine. For some reason, he's mine.

With trembling legs, I walk to the bathroom door and unlock it. I open it slowly, taking a deep breath.

********

Hey, everyone! So, I actually updated a couple days earlier than I had planned to. I couldn't keep you guys waiting for so long, could I? ;)

Don't be mad at me, for the cliffhanger!! What do you think will happen next?

And how was the chapter, guys?! I had originally planned to write the entire wedding night in one chapter, but when I had written all this it was nearly 6000 words! If I wrote the entire night it would go over 10,000 words and that would be way too long.

The next chapter will be... I don't know when! I'm really busy these days, but I'll try to update as soon as I can for you all. I love you all loads and loads!

Don't forget to vote and comment if you liked the chapter!

Also, please point out any mistakes in the chapter. It's not edited and I'm sure there are plenty of mistakes.

Question: In your culture/country, do you have any wedding traditions? What are they?

Bye lovelies! x