We returned to Karachi much earlier then expected. To say that having a honeymoon of only three days was disappointing is bad enough but having your wife disappear on you as soon as you come back to your normal routine is just plain unacceptable. When we got back, Amber excused herself and has been at the hospital since. It's been two days already.

At first I thought that maybe they called her in an emergency or something but then I realized that it wasn't that: she was purposely avoiding me so that we wouldn't have the chance to talk about anything especially her parents. The house was absolutely silent and cold without her. I understood that she needed some space right now that's why I didn't bother her much but if it were up to me, I would've strapped her down on a chair and would make her come into grip with reality.

I was so worried for her: I had no idea how she was feeling right now. Of course I figured as much that perhaps she was angry and upset but maybe she had no idea how to channel those emotions. If only she would open up to me: I'm her husband after all and I want to be there for her but she just isn't willing to see that. The walls that I was working so hard to break suddenly became more stronger and now I had no clue as to how I should break them down.

Behind those walls, I sensed was a broken and defeated Amber. I wanted so badly to shield her from that hurt and protect her from anything that promised to cause her harm. I wanted so badly to reach out to her.

She doesn't seem to have any faith in others. is that why doesn't trust anyone? Perhaps. But I wanted to restore that. I want her to believe that she can trust me.

I have decided to live the rest of my life with her but I won't have her attitude be always indifferent and cold towards me. May Allah give me the strength to work hard and bring her towards the light, Ameen.

**********

Waking up to an empty cold bed was not what I had wanted. I sighed and took my phone—getting into the gallery, I clicked on a photo of us together in Mall road in Murree. I had asked a passerby to take it. I had grabbed her by her shoulder and even though she protested because we were in public, she still managed to give a serious and uptight expression for the photo. I chuckled to myself. She'll always amaze me. Her stoutness was now becoming amusing to me; it was almost cute.

But a grim reality was constantly gnawing at the back of my head; this marriage has been a constant test from the start and I don't want to complain but sometimes I just felt as if I should've been more wiser before marrying Amber: I should've gotten to know her better but in my excitement and thrill, I had abandoned logic and went ahead with her rushed decisions. Of course, these feelings were only from the doubtful part of my heart—while the optimistic part of my heart encouraged me to keep going and look for a positive outcome.

After all, I think if I charm her enough, she'll start to open up to me a bit. Maybe if I pamper her a bit, she'd come around. She did show me a side of herself that wasn't

Of course, I have to fulfill that wager—I need her to fall in love with me so that she may trust me. Even if it is just a little. I swiped the screen until a picture of me with Gran surfaced. I looked at it ruefully, trying hard not to feel sad. I wish that Gran was with me right now. How much I longed to talk to her and ask her for her advice.

I was done with Fajr prayer. I went ahead and laid back in bed to sleep but after a few monets, sleep had completely evaded me so I headed for the kitchen for breakfast. Maybe I should pay Amber a visit and bring her fresh breakfast. I do hope that she's eaten properly. I know her and whenever she gets so engrossed in work, she forgets to eat or sleep. When I got back to my room, I took my phone. There was a message from Haleema. I sighed and opened the text only to have my breath get caught in my throat when I read the text:

'Asalam alaikum Zakriya bhai, this is Haleema. Can you come to the hospital plz. It's about Amber!'

That was enough to send me flying. With a racing heart, I quickly changed in my track suit and grabbed my keys. Without caring for anything, I sped, probably breaking all the traffic rules on the way. As soon as I approached the hospital premises, I jumped out of the car without so much a backward glance towards my car and ran at top speed. My mind conjured up all sorts of thoughts and the mere thought of it effecting Bree plunged my heart with pain as if a thousand knives were piercing it. Oh Allah, please let my Amber be okay. I prayed so much as I made my way to her office. When I got there, I found Haleema.

"Oh God, I'm so glad you're here bhai." she took a sign of relief. "What's wrong? Where is she?!" I panted: panicking. My heart probably was about to burst.

"Shh bhai, it's alright she's sleeping now." she declared and directed me towards a sleeping Amber. I released the breath that I was holding without realizing and looking at her back facing towards me brought life back to me limp body and aching heart.

Oh God! When I read that text I thought that something unfathomable happened to my beloved yet here she was, sleeping quietly on a coach, dressed in her navy blue scrubs, arms folded together, knees tucked in and brows furrowed in weariness. In these past two days that I didn't see her, she had grown so weak. The bags under her eyes had grown darker and her skin paler. The fresh tan look was no wear to be seen. I carefully sat on my knees beside her and hugged her closely: her scent masked by the smell of mixed formalin and chlorine.
Her shoulders were so rigid that I gently massaged them to loosen them up. I planted a chaste kiss on her cheek and hugged her lightly.

"She has been working non stop ever since she came back. She been the resident officer for the past forty eighty hours. I tried to get her to rest but she wouldn't listen. She almost collapsed so I forcibly brought her here and as soon as she lied down, she was out." Haleema whispered behind me. I sighed and carefully stood up.

"Your text scared me to death," I muttered under my breath. We left the room and headed towards the cafeteria.

"Whenever she works nonstop, it means that she's trying to avoid something. It's a distraction mechanism that she uses." she said as we grabbed some coffee from the counter. I sighed and drank the hot liquid.

"What happened in Murree bhai?" she asked after a moment of silence. I gazed out of a distant window or at least tried to.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out Haleema." I sighed and passed my hand through my hair in frustration.

"What happened that made her snap. I've only ever seen her like this whenever something threatens her integrity. Whenever she doesn't want to think, she engrossed herself in so much work that most of the times she collapses." she admitted. My heart felt a pang of hurt at that piece of information.

"I'm worried Bhai."

"So am I Haleema," I breathed and then stared at her for a moment. "She met her parents in Murree and after that, she's been acting besides herself." I revealed. Her eyes widened and evident shock marred her expression.

"Oh, now I understand."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

She inhaled deeply and stared at her coffee. "I'm pretty sure that she didn't tell you anything about her family. But before I say anything, I want to know: what type of relationship do you two share?" she inquired. I contemplated in her question. Should I tell her about my situation? If I don't then perhaps I'll stay in this awkwardness without solving anything. After all, she seems like a trustworthy person. She's been friends with Amber for so long and no doubt she knows her quite well. So I went ahead and told her everything: from the marriage demands to her desire for an early pregnancy and all that had happened till then. And she listened with full attention. When u was done, she looked at me with sympathy in her eyes.

"I should've known that she would do something like this. I don't know why she's so insecure. Yeah sure she's confident as hell with others but when it comes to herself, she doesn't trust anyone. She's always been that way." she said and rubbed her forehead.

"All I can tell you bhai is that Amber wasn't like this: she's changed. I have known her for the past ten years since high school and she wasn't how she is now. She used to be so jolly, social and active. Her family loved her and everything was great between them until when she came in med school, things became tough. She developed an inferiority complex because a Jerk criticized her and she got that into her head and wouldn't let go still. That brought a sudden and unaltered change in her personality. She was still confident but her approach towards people became cold." she revealed. At this revelation, I found myself getting angry. I was suddenly feeling the urge to track down that bastard and beat the hell out of him for ever causing Amber any pain.

So this is why she's like this. "All that aside Haleema, how was her relationship with her parents?"

"All that I can tell you is that it was great. She was closest to her father: she's used to be so spoiled and getting things her way that it made her egotistical. I don't know the details though. I got married to Raheel when I was in my final year and shifted from Rawalpindi to Karachi. After graduation I started my training here in Karachi. In the middle of that year, Amber came to me to Karachi and requested me to help her find a fellowship after which she left for the United States. She's never told me any details and even when I try to ask her or talk to her, she always avoids or dodges the question. So I've given up because I know that when she does want to do or say something then she won't." she finished.

I nodded. "But still, there's got to be someone who knows what happened." I mumbled and finished my coffee.

I saw her shaking her head. "There is, her sister. Maybe you can contact she lives here in Karachi" she informed. I nodded and thanked her.

"Don't worry much Bhai, let her rest for now. She's just exhausted." She told and left me outside her Office. I sighed and stared at her name plate. Amber Islam, M.D. I smiled; so she had changed her surname to mine. It gave me immense pleasure and a sense of relief knowing that her name with mine meant that she belonged to me. I slowly entered the room, being careful not to make any sound. She was still fast asleep and was now lying on her back, her left arm resting on her forehead while her other arm was dangling off the couch. I carefully placed her arm at her side and sat on a chair beside her legs.

Because the hospital was too much of a crowded place so I couldn't bring Amber home but I sure wasn't going to leave her there. I called my secretary to place a leave of absence for me. I know that it wasn't appropriate to be taking yet another leave from work especially when I had just recently returned from one but I had no choice; I was so worried sick for Amber that my job be damned for all I care. All I know is that Amber needs me.

I stayed with her in her office until she woke up. I need to be little strict with her in regards to her health. While I was waiting, I glanced around her office. That's when a couple of pictures caught my attention.

Those pictures were of her graduation while one was of her collecting a certificate from a man in casual attire. That's I realized that it wasn't any ceremony, it was an award ceremony. Of what I couldn't tell maybe I should ask. And the other pictures were the same: of her receiving awards at different ceremonies. Some looked like to be held in Pakistan while a few looked like they were held in New York perhaps.

I smiled to myself: I was feeling proud of her. She's accomplished a lot till now. I'm certainly going to ask her.

I went back to my chair and stared at her. She looked tremendously peaceful and free while she slept. A look of innocence was apparent o her features. I think that this was the first time I was watching her sleep: her routine demanded that she wake up early so I never got to see her sleep so soundly. I have to admit she looks so cute this way. I descended down from the chair and sat beside her on the carpet. Caressing her cheek, I stared at every detail of face.

This was the first time that I noticed her long lashes. Her cute button nose and high cheekbones accentuated her features. Her full puckered lips look dried and when I traced my thumb on them, it confirmed it. I leaned in and brushed my lips on hers—silently and carefully, I licked my tongue on her dry lips, moistening them. Her thick hair was resting besides her head in a loose braid. I lightly stroked her cheek with the pad of my thumb. Why did I ever think that she was plain?

Because in my eyes, she's beautiful. Now I understand.

I felt jealous when came to know that Amber had once held feelings for another man and that made me possessive about her. And whenever I look at her, she's just perfect for me. I feel a swarm of emotions arise in my heart—my heart beats fast and my palms become sweaty. Could it be? Could these feelings be love?

I think I've fallen in love with this woman.

She's caring, she's kind. She makes sure that everything is kept in a state of order. However, I don't believe that it's enough for me to fall in love with her. I couldn't grasp it—was it because she's my spouse that I feel obligated to love her?

Even though I have had no reason to fall in love with her but whenever I think about her or see her, I feel happy and content. I know that she's a stubborn woman and has done everything she could to keep me away from or even dislike her. But she didn't realize that her actions only attracted me towards her.

Maybe, Allah planted love for her in my heart. I mean, I've done a lot of soul searching in these past few days; I've realized that when I had decided to marry Bree, I felt content with my decision and I didn't doubt it for a second even when she presented her demands. If I could've wanted, I could've rejected her proposal and would've gone my own way. But something intrigued me about her—it was my love for challenges that made me marry her because she presented perhaps the biggest challenge of my life with this marriage.

I stared at her face and contemplated. Looks like I might've lost the wager but I'm not about to give up. I'll have her reciprocate my feelings and inshaa Allah, I'm sure that Allah will melt her heart and open it enough for it to see my love for her.

She stirred and inhaled deeply, her body moving slightly beneath my touch until her eyes began to flutter and opened to reveal drowsy brown orbs—they first stared at me with confusion then resolved. "Oh," she breathed and rubbed her face.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I whispered. She yawned and sat up. "I'm fine," she yawned again. I chuckled—she must've been really tired. And she looks adorable when she's completely off guard.

"What are you doing here?" she asked and began to gather her disheveled hair in a ponytail. I shrugged and gripped her chin lightly as I glanced deeply into her brown eyes "I missed you," I muttered.

She stared at me and moved away, tying her hair up. "Sorry that I couldn't come home. I got held up here that I didn't even get to sleep or eat. But I'll come home tonight." She stated but I shook my head. "No you're coming with me. Come on, I'll take you out for breakfast." I offered. She gazed at my face for a few moments and before she could protest, a loud growl came from her stomach. I threw my head back and laughed hard. Her face turned red and she jumped to her feet. She ran towards the bathroom but I quickly caught her and crashed her agsint my chest. "Get ready babe," I told her, hugging her closely and let her go. She quickly retreated to the bathroom. I smiled; well thankfully that was easy.

**********

The traffic was a little bit heavy this morning but the light music on the stereo was nice. "So, I wanted to know something." I started.

"Hmm?" she was staring outside the window. "I saw the photos in your office. Can you please tell me about your accomplishments." I asked, gazing at her from the corner of my eyes. She turned around and swallowed. "Nothing special really—I only wrote a few articles back in New York during my residency that got published and I won an award for it." She explained. I smiled and reached out to take her hand in mine. "When I saw those photos, my heart swelled with pride; you're so talented Mashaa Allah," I commented, the green signal on so I pressed on the accelerator.

"I don't know, I never thought of it that way." She uttered.

"Well, I think so. You know Bree, I was thinking, we know so little about each other. I know that you don't want to be too open, but you yourself said that we should be good friends. So I'm going to take you up on that." I stated.

"So, I'll start first. But let's get to the restaurant first." I told her. She only nodded. We reached a nice bistro.

After getting a table for two, I had her sit opposite to me. She had changed into a more formal attire of kameez pajama. After placing our orders, I took her hands in mine.

"You know, I wanted to share a few things with you. I know that you won't ask because you think that you have to respect my privacy but I think that it's irrelevant." I started. She stared at me with a look of consequence. "There isn't any need," she murmured. I squeezed her hands. "There is a need. I plan on spending the rest of my life with you Bree. I know you don't trust me but I'm sure that with time you will. That's why, today, I'm going to completely open myself to you." I declared. She drew a sharp breath in and retrieved her hands.

"No, it's okay. You don't have to tell me anything."

"Why?" I asked, disappointed at her lack of interest. "Don't you want to get to know me?" I inquired. She looked at me dolefully and pursed her lips together. "Of course I do. But that will lead towards expectations." She grumbled.

"Because Amber, I trust you. I married you without knowing you. But Allah had decided for us to be together. That's why, nothing is stopping me from yielding my heart out." I pronounced fearlessly.

"But why? Isn't being with one another enough? Or are you still on that wager?" she disputed. I sighed and leaned into my seat.

"Because, I think I'm falling in love with you, Bree." I stated honestly and looked at her very sincerely. Her eyes widened and she stared at me as if I had grown a second head.

I smirked. Is it really that hard to believe, Bree? Please know that I'm completely honest. "With God as my witness, I'm telling the truth. There's no catch or any ulterior motive behind my confession, Amber." I asserted.

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