Dil ne kaisi harkat ki hai,
Pehli baar mohabbat ki hai,
Aakhiri baar mohabbat ki hai

دل نے کیسی حرکت کی ہے
پہلی بار محبت کی ہے
آخری بار محبت کی ہے

"Why are we here?" I asked, stepping outside of the car and curiously eyeing the school like building ahead of us.

One part of the building looked old, rough and rustic, while the other a dilapidated under construction mess. My eyes wandered over the earthy bricked walls of the building, weathering under the unforgiving rays of the sun, but despite its age, the building stood tall and glorious. In the distance, a few construction labourers scurried around the other half of the building, which at present was but an under construction skeleton of bricks and steel.

Aliyaar stood besides me, his eyes soaking the scene in front of him, his shoulders slightly stiff. I moved forward, blinked and waited for his thoughts to give way to his words. After my earlier breakdown this afternoon, I could sense the tension in the air that lingered around us, but none of us made any comment of it. I waited for him to respond, but when I realised there was none forthcoming, I lightly touched his hand and he slowly turned around to face me.

"I've never bought anyone here before." He said softly, and my face flashed with surprise. "My mother made this orphanage, but I look after this now. This place is very important to me, but apart from my father I've never told anyone about it."

My heart squeezed at his words, before it began to kick wildly within me. He was trusting me with his secrets. I smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"You're the most important part of my life now," he said as his eyes met mine and his expression softened. "This place makes me happy, it was only fair I shared it with you." He smiled. "Plus a little birdie told me, you have always wanted to have your own charitable organisation, maybe you can start here."

I stilled. "What do you mean?"

"I want you to run this organisation. With the elections coming up—"

"This is a very big responsibility, you can't possibly— I don't think it's a good idea." I croaked out in disbelief, my emotions lumping in my throat.

"There is no one else I can trust this with, but you." He said in a low whisper, as he stepped closer and his fingers curled underneath my chin. My turbulent eyes met his composed ones and I felt my breath hitch at the beauty of those limpid honey globe orbs. "I trust you." His words kissed my soul, drowning me in an abyss of warmth.

"I—I." I stammered awkwardly, my emotions swirling within me in steady, radiating ripples. I placed my hand on his chest, feeling the faint thumping of his heart, and smiled, "Thank you. But it's a huge responsibility."

He caught the hand I'd placed over his hand and said, "At least give it a thought. With the elections coming up, I haven't been able to give it as much time as I would like. This place is very close to my heart and I've been worried—"

"I would love to help you out." I interjected. "But I'm just scared of messing it up."

His brows shot up and he looked at me with an amused expression, "Baby, I know you'd do a great job." His eyes gleamed appreciatively under the sun and his lips curved into an encouraging smile. His words were meant to reassure me, but their sweet assault was the undoing of my fragile composure and I felt my cheeks warm up at the kiss of his endearments.

"Pink suits you." The corners of his eyes crinkled with humour and he chuckled, his fingers softly caressing my crimson cheeks. It couldn't have gotten any more embarrassing. I pushed him away and he laughed when I started walking ahead of him towards the gate.

Half an hour later, the director of the orphanage finished giving me a tour of the facility. We stopped by the window and she pointed towards the new under construction building, "We'll be shifting the accomodation to that building and this building will solely be dedicated to providing children with educational and recreational facilities. The construction had gotten delayed because we hadn't received the funds until last month, but this should be done before December arrives."

I nodded my head, thoroughly impressed with the facilities and the administration of the place. Aliyaar was meeting with the rest of the staff and hadn't accompanied us on the tour. "I'm very impressed with all the work you guys are doing. I'd like to make a donation towards this building. Who takes care of the donations?" I asked watching a bunch of children learning how to use a stitching machine.

"Oh, we don't accept donations. Aliyaar sir funds this place, may be you can ask him." I looked at her a little surprised, but she just smiled and continued to tell me about the several skills they taught the children.

We walked back through the empty corridors of the building towards the office, when I caught sight of Aliyaar playing with the children in the playground. I had never seen him so relaxed and renewed, jumping with them on the trampoline. It seemed like all the stress and tension of the past days had been leeched out of him. I stood there for a while, silently watching him with a look of awe.

A slow smile spread across my face when he squatted and picked up a little girl in his arms and murmured something into her ear that made her laugh. He continued playing with the children who had gathered around him like bees, laughing and running around in the play ground.

"The children love him." I heard the director say, as she walked back to me from her office.

I gave her a faint smile, "I can see that." Just then his eyes caught mine and he smiled, waving at me to come join him.

"They are all very excited to meet their Aliyaar Bhai's wife." The lady said with an amused grin as we started walking towards the playground.

The children flocked around me and Aliyaar introduced me to each child. I was surprised how he knew every child's name and details. We stayed there was a while, playing with the children, before the teachers told us it was time for them to head back to their classes.

We waved them good-bye, when two girls came to us with a bunch of hand picked flowers. Aliyaar hunched down on his knees and the girls whispered something in his ears and he began to laugh. My eyes squinted with curiosity when the three looked at my suspiciously. But before I could ask, he rose to his feet and took the flowers from them and turning towards me with a wide smile. I raised my eyebrows questioningly when he suddenly leaned forward and slipped the stems of the flower behind my ear.

"They were too shy to give these to you." He said and then turned towards the girl, who were giggling at us, "Pyari lag rahi hai na?" He asked them and the girls nodded shyly before running back to their classes.

[She looks pretty, doesn't she?]

My heart skipped a beat, when he turned back to face me. His shirt was slightly crinkled with all the activity, and the well defined muscles of his arms peaked through from underneath his folded sleeves. The sunlight bought out the lighter brown streaks of his hair which fell on his face in a slightly disheveled mop. He gave me a smile, "I didn't say it earlier, but ajj bohat pyari lag rahi ho."

My cheeks blazed and I realised he watching me intently with an amused grin on his face. I shook my head and looked away only to hear him chuckle behind me.

➰➰➰

"Did you like it?" He asked, as we walked into his house.

Safina aunty had been insistent, I visited their home, so she could arrange for any renovations that might be needed before the wedding. Despite my reluctance, Aliyaar too had insisted on having me here.

"I loved it. I'm so proud of what you're doing for those children." He gave me a faint smile, his eyes focussed on the stairs, his hand steady against the small of my back. "I wanted to make a donation because they told me they didn't have funds for the new building they are constructing, but they told me you don't accept them."

"I don't," he gave me a stiff smile, "Usually, funds aren't a problem, but these past months have been hectic and stressful. With the elections coming up, I haven't been able to give enough time. And that just delayed the whole project." His brows furrowed in disappointment.

"I will help you out with this." I assured him gently, as we reached the top of the stair case, my hands holding onto his as I stopped in front of him.

He looked up at my touch, his eyes carefully studying mine. "Are you sure about this? You don't have too, if you don't want to." His voice despite the concern and unsureness, was laced with hope.

"I'm positive," A bright reassuring smile broke out on my face and his eyes sparkled with a fleeting emotion.

"Thank you," he said in a raspy tone, before he took my hand and guided me towards his room.

"You really seem to like children." I blurted out mindlessly, my thoughts still floating with the image of him playing with those children.

"I love them." He said, looking at me with a faint smile. "Do you like them?"

I swallowed hard when his eyes glinted with an ephemeral emotion, my face suddenly burning with the realisation of where this conversation was heading. "I don't know. I've never been close to any children to know how I feel about them."

"Hmm." A half smile curved on his face as he opened the door of his room.

"Perhaps, when I have my own—" But my words died an early death when his hands pressed against me, whirling me around and pressing me against the wall. His hands leisurely slid up from my hips to the curve of my waist, leaving behind a trail of fire in their wake. His callous fingers caressed the silky softness of my shirt, and I froze, neither encouraging nor discouraging his touch.

His eyes bore into mine, but today they were soft and warm, burning with the flames of affection and adoration, and I felt my body relax against his hard muscled one.

He tucked a loose curl behind my ear and I felt a shiver rock though me at the simple touch. In this intimate space, the strong sillage of the enticing blend of his crisp musky scent began to intoxicate me, leaving behind a maddening craving for more. "You'll have beautiful children." I heard the husky whisper of his voice above my heightened scenes and felt myself dazed at his words.

He smoothed his hand over the length of my hair, his eyes tenderly watching me with a lazy longing. "They'll have straight black hair and golden brown eyes."

"But I've black ey—" I paused, when I realised the colour he was referring to was the exact same colour of the eyes that were right now staring into my soul. His finger trailed down my cheek, languidly mapping out the outline of my face, his eyes entranced with a sudden perkiness.

I blinked at him, the blood in my veins warming up at the intimacy of this conversation. Despite the nascent stages of our relationship, the inevitability of his words was but a matter of time and I felt an unsettling feeling settle within me at the candid admission of his desires. His actions and words had, from the very beginning, made it clear that despite the overbearing arrangement of our relationship, he wanted this to be real.

A rosy hue peeped on my cheeks and a shy smile blossomed on my face, my eyes probably shining with bashful happiness, looking everywhere but him. His chest vibrated with a low chuckle and I narrowed my eyes at him with an angry glint. He was enjoying my predicament.

"We could do with pink." I suddenly said and he furrowed his eyes in confusion, all mischief disappearing from his face.

"What? Pink eyes?"

"I'm talking about the walls. We came to discuss renovations for the room." I said, trying to steer away from the topic. A mischievous smile rolled on my lips as his turned into a bored scowl.

"Yes. Renovations." He said moving away. "Wait. I'm not painting my walls pink."

I laughed hearing that, but looked around to have a proper look at the room. His room was heady mix of modern and masculine, with deep rich tones of grey, black and white with hints of gold. Metallic and wooden accents brushed the otherwise soft textures of the room, adding an elegant and modern touch. The room was spacious and well lit, with a massive glass door opening to a balcony. The living space on the other side of the room, was decorated with comfortable plush couches and a small bookshelf filled with neatly kept books.

"The wardrobe and bath are on this side," he said pointing to the door on the left. "We can have the room fully redecorated as per your liking, but we're not doing pink."

I laughed hearing that, "This is good. You don't have to change this. I'll have the room next to this for myself. I can decorate that."

"What do you mean? Why do you want that room?"

"For myself." I said nonchalantly when my eyes caught sight of the framed picture of us on his bedside table. The same one he had sent me last week. There was another picture of me from Dada Jaan's birthday party, right besides it. A strange feeling crept up my spine and I felt oddly happy.

"You're not possibly thinking of living in a separate room." His voice was hard and His face soared with an irritated disbelief and I realised what he meant.

"You didn't possibly think I'd share." I said with a somber expression, enjoying the irritation rousing his face.

"Why the hell not? We're getting married." He voiced tensed and I began to laugh, seeing the expression on his face. "Why are you laughing?" He asked with a dark scowl.

"Your wardrobe and shelves are already full, where would I keep all my clothes and things. I also need a bigger space for—"

"You need that room for your things?" He asked quietly and I nodded, "But you'll live here right?" The tension on his face eased and he looked at me with a childlike innocence. He closed his eyes for a second and sighed, before his eyes met mine again and stalked towards me in short predatory steps, his eyes narrowing dangerously at me.

Startled with the sudden change in his mood, I unknowingly stepped back as he took another stealthy step forward, backing me up against the wall. Despite his darkened features, his eyes glistened with a hint of mischief, "You like teasing me, don't you?"

I nodded wordlessly, my lower lip curling painfully between my teeth, the action not missed by his preying eyes. "You're a wily fox, that will plague me for life." He nudged my nose with his finger, fighting the soft smile threatening to spill on his face.

I smiled bashfully, my face heating up at proximity between us. "Calling your fiancé a wily fox is hardly romantic. You can do better than this."

Taking another menacing step forward, with his arms clasped behind his back, he gave me a covert smile. I wanted to look away, but one glance was all it took for my eye to be arrested and locked. An undefinable expression of power permeated his whole face, his intense controlling eyes shone with the vitality of a man's indomitable spirit, watching me like a hawk.

"Trust me, I can do much better." He breathed languidly, slowly leaning into me, his hand resting against the wall besides my head. His breath tickled my skin I felt a shiver rock through me.

"Aliyaar, we can't." I croaked incoherently, my eyes snapping shut. I had started this, but I wasn't prepared to end it.

"I know, baby, I know." I head here whisper with a resigned sigh. I opened my eyes to meet his tender ones which were peering into mine with an intense fervour. I could see the passion and desire sleeping in them, but despite the emotions pooling in them, he shed a furtive smile upon me. "I'd never do anything you're not comfortable with."

"I'm sorr—"

"You don't have to be sorry. I was just teasing you for a reaction, I didn't mean to scare you." He gave me an apologetic smile, his hand cradling my face, making me look up at him. "But, jokes aside, you have every right to say 'no' and you don't ever have to be sorry about it." He suddenly spoke with a kindly softening of his tone, as if well aware of the thoughts looping through my mind.

"You're evil." I whined, jabbing my finger into his chest. My face pinched with a lazy admiration for this man and he laughed, his arms gathering around my waist.

"If I'm evil, then you're wicked."

A distant growl of thunder and a rattling peal of gust knocking against the glass door of the balcony roused us out of our little world, and we turned around to see the darkening clouds scud by. With the gathering storm the sun was nearly hidden and the sky had turned a deadly shade of black, the squalls of winds banging the windows and doors with perilous fitfulness. I walked over, opening the balcony door and an involuntary shiver vibrated through me at the bitter bite of the wind.

"It's the first rain of winter." Aliyaar said behind me. I smiled slightly, as I felt him press against me, his arms tightening around my shoulders, resting his chin on top of my head.

"I love the rain." I said, enjoying the sweet pattern of the raindrops that kissed my skin, as the rain began to pour in torrents. Light seeped in through the patchy clouds but the sun bid goodbye, the gusty air electrified with the anticipation of the quenching storm. "I always have." We stood there for a while, enjoying the sweet serenade of each drop as it quenched the thirsty soil. "Although the last time it rained, I wanted it to drown me." I sank against him as I remembered the night my fate was sealed with his.

"It was the night before our engagement." He murmured with a sigh. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. You didn't deserve it. No one does." His voice wavered slightly, but I wasn't sure if it was from the emotions clogging his throat or smote of wind against our faces.

The unexpected apology in his voice touched me and I felt sometime stir deep within my soul, "It wasn't your fault. This was unexpected for you too, but you've been nothing but incredibly kind and considerate. You didn't have to be."

"You were forced into this relationship because of me and your family. The least I can do is make sure you're happy in this relationship. No girl deserves to be locked in a compromising, loveless marriage."

I sighed hearing his words, when a sudden thought crossed my mind and I looked up, my eyes dazzling with naughtiness and his narrowed with renewed fear, "What is cooking in that mind of yours now?" He asked slowly, his face itched with suspicion.

"Are you in love with me, Aliyaar?" I teased, stealing a flirtatious glance at him from underneath my fluttering sooty lashes.

He blinked, an adequate expression of masculine shock, before he veiled his surprise with a cough, recovering rather quickly from my sudden and unexpected question. I wanted to laugh at the turmoil maligning his face, enjoying the unsuspecting power of having rendered him speechless.

"I— What do you think?" He asked quickly tossing the question back at me.

I shrugged my shoulder with an air of indifference, "We just met a few weeks ago, you can't possibly be in love with me, nor do I expect you to be. I was just messing with you." I turned back to the balcony enjoying the soothing petrichor.

"I don't think time is of any consequence." I heard him say in my ear, his voice suddenly heavy and deep, "Sometimes one glance of someone dancing in the rain is enough to capture your heart," I gulped feeling the weight of his words settle within me and my heart stopped before it began to beat violently again. "Sometimes it takes an eternity."

Another roaring thunder cracked through the air, drowning every thought and voice wafting through the static air palpitating between us.

"Dance with me." I whispered, taking a hesitant step outside. The cold drops kissed my skin welcoming me with the hug of a holy serenity. I tilted my head up, raising my hands into the air, feeling the magical sensation of joy and calm trace sweet paths down my skin.

"Come back inside. You'll fall sick." I heard his concerned voice and I saw him looking at me with disapproval.

I shook my head, my eyes twinkling with laughter. "I shall dance and you shall dance with me."

"No, you wouldn't. Get back inside." He said while failing miserably to pull me back inside.

"Get away from me, you grumpy old man." I giggled at him, twisting away from his hold and running to the other end of the balcony.

He placed his palm over his face and groaned, shaking his head at my childlike antics. "Shanzae. Stop acting like a child."

"Maybe you should start acting like one too. I promise it's fun." I winked, shouting above the sound of the roaring rain.

I stood in the rain, twirling around and splashing my foot in the tiny puddles of water, when I felt a presence behind me. "You came." I said with a faint surprise.

"I'm afraid I'm losing my ability to say no." He said merely above a whisper, his eyes smiling down at me. I forced a smile out, feeling my chest constrict with a sweet ache. He held my arms, wrapping them around his neck, as he pulled me closer and began to sway slowly. Our movement flowed gracefully and the pouring clouds and the falling droplets became our audience. He held my waist and slowly lifting me off the ground. I threw my arms out, tilting my head heavenwards, enjoying the gust of wind and rain wash over me as he gaily twirled us around. For a flashing moment, I felt like I was flying.

The cold winter rain washed upon our skin, our eyes connecting our souls with a deep sense sanctified commitment.

"You're such a baby." He said drolly with an amused grin as he lowered me down and I giggled, ruffling his wet hair. "But you're my baby."

^Aliyaar's house/room

He is trusting her with his secrets, but will she trust him when the time comes? Thoughts on today's chapter.

Also, no matter what your relationship status might be, consent is important. Women need to understand this and men need to respect it. ♥️

I'm extremely confused over the length and pace of this book. Please help suggest if you guys want me to finish this book quickly or are you happy with the current pace?

AmbassadorsPK published my interview in their Author's spotlight. If you have time, give it a read. ♥️

Follow me on Instagram: @sssaltynothings.