Rafa twisted and turned. Her lower limbs shooted aching signal to her foggy brain, which made her begrudgingly open her eyes or at least let out a yawn. She stretched her hands to the back of her shoulders and tried to get up from her unsteady position.

The gurgling sound of the fish in the water reached her ears, making them perk in alarm and a wave of shock about where she was ran through her neurons. She opened her eyes as a quick reflex, blinking several times to locate her surroundings.

Realization hit her hard. She had been sprawled asleep in her in-laws house. Her new home. And with that thought, a deep longing ache resonated through her heart because she had passed the first night of her marriage without her husband by her side.

Sun rays peeked through the gaps of the curtains, and the open door of the balcony pooled the bright rays to form their own territory in the wood floors.

After freshening up from the attached bathroom, Rafa took her phone to read the time. The phone screen showed 9:42am and she let out a groan.

How can I be so lame?

It's the first day of her marriage and she had already missed fajr. Quickly going back to the bathroom, she made her wudhu and strolled back towards her phone to search the direction of qibla.

After finding it, she quickly prayed the missed prayer and after which she sincerely asked her Creator to guide her to the right path in this new journey.

Rafa wrapped her shawl around her head and opened her bedroom door, with no sign of her husband, she was bound to find him even when a big fat part in her heart held resonation towards him.

Not noticing anyone on the first floor, she carefully tread her steps through the stairs and on reaching the threshold of the stairs, her heart halted its search and there he was, her husband, Abdur Rehman sitting on the floor with his head leaning on the edge of the bed, his hand holding his mother's and eyes closed into a tried sleep.

Tayyaba held his hand and she was also resting, lying in the bed.

The sight caused warmth to seep through her blood, tugging her heart.

Wanting to be optimistic as ever, Rafa looked at the positives that laid in her way, Abdur Rehman has been a selfless soul and if he could go to this extent for his loved ones then she was proud to tell aloud that her name might be the next in his list.

With a smile trudging the territory of her pink lips, she turned around, leaving the sight of her sleeping husband that was quite a sight with the door left ajar, she saw the curtains in the living room drawn, guests still in deep slumber-tired after the festivities.

Not knowing what to do, Rafa went to the wide open kitchen, crossing the breakfast table, she reached the kitchen.

She raked her brain to fix all the small details of this particular room because this is what is going to be her safe haven.

Her fingers brushed the pans and spatulas hung on the wall, and nuzzled near the oil cans when she heard shuffling behind. Rafa whirled to her side to face Badr, Abdur Rehman's cousin.

The woman came with her signature smile and it seemed welcoming to Rafa.

"Did you sleep well?" Badr enquired.

"Yeah!"

"Do you want any help?" Badr asked, bringing out a glass out of the upper cabinet.

"No, no," Rafa shook her head and with a smile, she took the glass of water Badr offered her way,"Thank you."

"Chachi would have given you a tour of the house if she wasn't sick."

"In shaa Allah, with time and medication she will get back her strength."

"In sha Allah," Badr said and her eyes wandered behind Rafa, and it in turn made her turn around. She saw Abdur Rehman sauntering back and forth through the corridor, eyes set on her and with a hesitation in the step.

"Uh!.." Rafa turned towards Badr and she nodded in understanding.

When Abdur Reham glanced at Rafa, he whirled his steps and quickly strolled through the array of steps towards his room while she silently followed behind.

Upon reaching the room, Rafa peeled her scarf and placed it over the edge of their bed's headboard, moving towards the wide open balcony.

Abdur Rehman stood leaning against the railing, staring at the backyard. Tall lush trees surrounded the boundaries of the yard, but his eyes were glazed over, staring far beyond the vivid greens.

"Do you want to lie down?" She asked, approaching him. "I saw you earlier. You should have some rest."

He didn't say anything for several seconds, then turned around to stare at her. Rafa tried to make sense of his behavior, noting how the brown orbs of his eyes were moving from a warm chocolate to a darker shade. All the forms of emotions that left her breathless went away and all she wanted that moment was to dissolve his sadness. Her feelings became second handed. What was happening? Was it sadness, desire or a little bit of both?

On the other hand, Abdur Rehman couldn't scrape his gaze away from her, the early morning sun had started to rise, spreading his rays and to much of it's dismay, Rafa's complexion shined brighter than it, her blonde locks of hair glittered like gold and the fairness of her skin glistened as if it's pure milk.

And the thought that he had left her stranded on her first night without him gnawed his insides, making his brown pools of irises swirl with guilt.

"I'm sorry," the words tumbled out his lips. "I had intended to return to my-our room, but Mama asked me to stay a little longer...and I fell asleep."

Rafa took a step towards him, placing a slender hand over his wrist much like that time at the masjid. Her fingers wrapped around it before she turned it to look at his palms, as if studying them.

"You don't have to apologize," she grinned. "I did feel lonely, but you'll have many chances to make up for your mistakes." Her tone was teasing, but when she lifted her eyes to look at him, she found a deep sadness plastered over his face.

Her heart dropped to her stomach. Had she said something wrong?

"I can't believe last night happened." He shook his head, attempting to dust off the emotions. "I-I...for a moment there, I thought we lost her."

"It must have been quite worrisome," Rafa offered, quickly switching to an empath. As a doctor she was familiar with dealing with patients going through shock and grief.

"Baba passed away like that too," he explained further, his tone wounded and his face masked with a childishness, as if he was a young boy again. He started to show her layers which were hidden and now, revealing just for her. "We got one phone. One call that said he's having breathing difficulties, and the next thing we know he was pronounced dead due to a heart attack."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." She caressed his arm, her fingers travelling towards his thick beard, her own breaths hitching to see him in such a weak spot, she tried with her hands to make him look at her and when he didn't, she pulled his face towards her and he buried his face on the crook of her neck.

Her form slender, caring and as if ice, he melted on her grasp.

All the loneliness he had bundled throughout these years initiated to fade away, warmth seeped through his veins so he pulled her closer.

A territory that was too far to reach has now become his. Only his.

Rafa, the one on whom his heart had held desire, yearning was now his wife. His.

Unknowingly his body trembled, his lips sniffing bottled up emotions and he found her caress through his hair. At that moment no pain looked tangible to him. If he had her, he felt like having the world on his own.

Later when he pulled away, Rafa saw the change in his demeanor and her face froze to surprise.

Abdur Rehman slowly pushed a strand of hair away from obscuring her face and she waited with bated breath for him to take away his touch, for it ignited her like fire and in the warmest of ways, for the first time, fire seemed pleasurable than of pain.

"All your actions makes me want to..." Abdur Rehman stuttered, surprised at his newfound boldness but anyhow continued, for there were no boundaries set in their relationship, "Makes me want to kiss you."

Rafa blinked, a royal blush of pink coloring the canvas of her cheeks. She had definitely not been one for the blushing types. What changed?

"Abdur Rehman, I may be bold and beautiful, but I always prefer intimacy in private," she giggled, making him look at his surroundings.

They were standing on the balcony, Abdur Rehman realised, "Let's go private then," he grinned, moving forward to grab her wrist.

"No," Rafa laughed, slipping out of his reach and taking a leap inside their room.

She was quick but he had been quicker. Chasing her as she ran, within a blink of an eye, he reached forward, grabbing her arm and caging her against the wall adjacent to their bed. Their breaths hitched and lips were stretched wide making the pearls of teeth adorning the cavity of the mouth visible.

"You ready now?" He moved forward while her chest heaved up and down as adrenaline rushed forth her blood.

"No," she pushed him and in the bleakness of the movement when his guard was down, his stature flared and she again slipped through his grasp.

Abdur Rehman bounced back to life and with a thrill, he clutched her slipping wrist in time and pulled her towards the fish tank. He caged Rafa in a way she couldn't slip from his hold.

His face moved closer to hers. His breaths fanning her face making it glow with warmth.

There was nothing stopping, and as their noses touched, Rafa shuddered in his hold, "Ab.. Abdur Rehman?"

"Hmm," he hummed with a slow pause on his actions.

"There...there is a third party behind us in this room."

His eyebrows knit up in confusion and he pulled away his face just an inch away to peek at the view of her face. "Who?"

Rafa slightly moved her form, revealing the giant fish in the tank, bubbles of it's breath reaching up the top shores.

"Gabs?" Abdur Rehman grinned.

"His name is Gabs?" Rafa asked with a raised eyebrow, her insides melting at his cuteness.

Abdur Rehman nodded, adoringly looking at his fish. "Her name is Gabs. Gabriella."

"Abdur Rehman, he or she, is throwing holes behind my back for stealing you from her." Her lips fell into a pout. "And with her looking at us, how can we.." She paused, looking up at his face.

He didn't know what it was, her sweet nature or childish rants that attracted him but the truth was, he had become a goner.

He snaked his arms around his wife, turning and pulling her closer, her back touching his torso, "Gabs loves you, Rafa."

"How?"

"Because I do."

Some things cannot be explained and that's how when Rafa went rigid on his hold, neither Abdur Rehman nor the authors could explain to the readers how happy she felt.

She leaned into his touch and let all of the chains that tied her loose. When she was about to turn around to face him, her legs entangled with his and as if history repeated she fell with a thud, not on the bathtub but on the bed.

This time though, Andur Rehman held his ground, the gravity holding him stronger because a moment before he had fallen harder for her.

With a mischievous grin he looked at the shocked face of Rafa.

His steps were quick as he unfolded the comforter off of the bed and pulled it behind his head, "Now, no one would be able to see us," he grinned, crawling over her and making the material tent the both of them in.

And a new beginning began of happiness, granting an end to all the grief.

THE END

. . . just kidding, the story is just beginning . . . and coming to a hold. This is the middle point of the book and the perfect time to announce that the book is being put on hold for a little while. Saroosh and I are a little busy to fully dedicate ourselves to this ARFA romance, but we hope to return soon with amazing updates inshaAllah =)