I woke up in the middle of the night and almost got a heart attack to find him sleeping beside me. For a few moments, I didn't dare blink. The lamp was left on, so I could see him very well. He looked so innocent and beautiful, if you could use that word to describe a guy. With one hand sprawled between us and other placed on the pillow in front of his face. He looked like a sleeping beauty.

I knew that I shouldn't move, in case he wakes up. Yet, that stupid hand of mine had suddenly got a mind of it's own, that went ahead and almost caressed his hair. But maybe it was his lucky day and mine unlucky that saved him from getting defiled by me in sleep. The stupid alarm went off and almost gave me a heart attack. Quickly, I returned my hand to their original position and pretended to sleep. Thankfully, he didn't wake up until a few seconds later.

A few minutes later, I felt him standing over me and I thought I was done for.

'He has found out that I was about to violate him in sleep—! He is going to kill me—For sure!' My heart was thumping loudly in my ears, with these thoughts, when I felt him adjusting the covers around me. Moments later, I heard him leave the room.

'Zaira. You idiot.'

—————————————

Sleep didn't come easily after that but somewhere in the middle of hearing for him outside the room, I got a shut eye. Every step of the way, I couldn't help but get a little touched by his consideration. From toiletries to everything in the bedroom, he had stocked up on whatever I could need and more.

'Don't think about him Zaira. That's a facade. You know the real Rayyan. Don't get fooled by this.'

After giving myself a pep talk while staring into the bathroom mirror. I freshened up, feeling a lot better than yesterday already and went into the kitchen to fix myself something to eat. Last night I had the rice porridge that Rayyan made for me. Despite having no sense of taste whatsoever at that moment, I think it tasted better than edible.

The sight of a dish containing omelette and toast covered in a plastic wrap made me halt in my steps. I couldn't move an inch from my place for a few moments. My gaze landed on the note placed beside it.

'Have some breakfast if you feel up to it. If not, there is leftover porridge in the fridge and cereals in the cabinet. I have left some cash and a card if you feel like ordering something else.'

My mouth opened and closed a few times, before I could grab a hold of my scattered wits. With a frown, I grabbed the plate and pulled out a chair to sit down. But for a long while, I couldn't take my eyes off of the plate in front of me.

Shaking my head, I got up to pour myself some water from the tap when my gaze drifted back to the neglected note. With a shake of head, I left it be.

A while later, I returned to wash the dishes. Again, my gaze found the lone note and stayed there. For a few moments, I stood there watching it while chewing on my lips.

'Don't Zaira.'

Ignoring the screams of my better judgement, I took the note and stuffed it safe in my diary.

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Exhaling an exhausted sigh, I zipped the final bag close. The whole day, with nothing else to do but lay on the bed, I was starting to feel like my fever is getting worse. So, without asking for his permission, I decided to clean the house. Knowing all too well, that I should seek his permission before touching his stuff. But something told me that he wouldn't take to me getting out of bed, too kindly . Maybe, it had something to do with the way he kept calling ever hour or so to check up on me and making sure that my fever wasn't getting worse or that I had eaten something and don't want to order anything else. Honestly, I should applaud his stubbornness. Even though at one point I almost called him off, he didn't waver at all and continued as if it was nothing.

But it definitely surprised me a bit, to find everything kept neat and at their proper places. Guess, that's why it didn't take me long to find out where he kept the cleaning supplies. I sensed a hint of OCD from the way he kept his things. So, I didn't dare go near his room.

'Personally, I think I am going to like my 1 year stay here more than I anticipated.' 

Was wishful thinking on my part.

I stood in my place, staring at the cake box in my hand and then the now closed door to his room.

With a sigh, I placed the box on the counter top and went on to set the dinning table, with the food he got.

'Don't think too much into it, Zaira. Don't.'

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"Your Dad called, again." He spoke suddenly. My hand carrying the cold sandwich to my mouth stopped midway and I gawked him open mouthed, whose gaze was still fixated on his plate.

"Oh..yeah...." I admitted awkwardly at which he looked up. His gaze remained passive as he watched me while chewing his food. With a gulp, I averted my gaze and unconsciously started biting on my lower lip. I did get his calls and messages too. But couldn't conjure up enough courage to return them.

"Whenever you feel better, we can go to the grocers to get your stuff. I got the basic stuff yesterday, when you were asleep." He continued after a few moments without meeting my eyes and seemingly absorbed in his food. I considered his offer carefully for a moment before coming up with a reply.

"I—I am alright now. But it's fine. I can go on my own—" I think. I added the last part to myself, avoiding his gaze.

"Really? Did you check your temperature? What was it?" He inquired, completely ignoring the last part. Despite myself, I frowned a bit.

"38 degrees—" I returned in a daze.

"You still have a fever. We can go tomorrow—" he remarked decidedly and got up to take his plate to the kitchen but before that, he stopped by my chair.

"You done?" I watched his face dumbfounded and then realised he was asking for my plate.

"I can—" I started to protest but he cut me off while stealing my empty plate from in front of my very eyes.

"It's alright. You rest." He stated plainly as if it was the most natural thing.

'What even—' I watched his back with a feeling of growing irritation and a foreign warm fuzziness rearing it's head in my chest.

'Don't you dare Zaira!' I'll gauge your eyes out!'

After failed attempts to wipe off the disturbing itch, I got up and rushed to my room. Leaning against the closed door, I tried to calm down the thumping in my chest which was making it difficult to catch a breath.

'You're better than stupid raging hormones Zaira. You've got it. I believe in you.'

The inspirational talk was good and all. But, it didn't work for shit.

————————

"Yeah, I haven't got around to check it yet. Yeah—" My gaze remained fixated to the passing aisles, while he dragged the trolley beside me. Even today, I tried to get him out of my hair. And the results were immensely disappointing, to say the least.

I walked out of my room, dressed in humanly clothes for once. A red sweater paired with black jeans and my favourite black wool coat with hood. Although for the past 2 days, I had been roaming around in my PJ's, since I thought I didn't have to care to please his sense of propriety. Yet, today I had especially got into my Pink Pooh Pjs and even took effort to dress up.

One of these days, I might have to kill myself to stop my stupidity from doing it first.

He was on the phone, with his back to me when I got out of my room. I took in his casual look of grey jumper with black jeans and then glanced at my black coat.

'Great! Now I am a snowman.' Before I could further criticise myself, he turned around. His green eyes taking in my over the top getup with a seriousness on his face.

"Yeah—Right. I'll have to call you back. Yeah—"I peered at him through my heated cheeks, as he ended the call and slowly walked up to me.

"This won't do." He began seriously, eyeing my coat and I was ready to punch him in the face, if he so much as dared to make fun of me.

"We'll need to get you warmer jackets. This will make you catch a cold." He remarked plainly and I watched him dumbstruck at a loss of words. But before I could retort, he went into his room and reemerged with a black fur parka jacket.

"Here. Wear this." He extended it to me and I watched between his outstretched hand and face, stupefied.

"You're joking." The words left my mouth with a scoff as I waited for him to call out his bluff but he only frowned with a tilt of head.

"You barely got better, it won't do to catch a fever again. Your body isn't acclimatised yet." He explained slowly and I still gawked him with my lips twitching, waiting for him to laugh. But when few awkward moments of silence passed and his expressions didn't show any change, I gingerly grabbed it from his hand. Taking off mine and changing into his coat, I still waited for the moment he would erupt into laughter. But nothing of the sort happened even after we left the house and got into the car.

My eyes caught a young couple at the frozen section and the immediate thought was, 'do we look like them too?' I thought with a frown when he interrupted my thoughts by dropping variety of Häagen-Dazs cartons into the trolley. I looked up to his face, who was still on the phone.

"Chocolate for you, right?" He inquired calmly, more like stated as a fact. I gaped at him dumbfounded and then the trolley which was full of every variety of chocolate product.

'...........'

My conscience was starting to become at a loss of words, as well.

——————————

"Before I forget, again." I said while placing his debit card and cash on the coffee table in front of him. Barely sparing it a proper glance, he continued typing away on his MacBook.

"It's yours. Keep it. You can use it however you wish. Let me know if you need more." He returned blankly, eyes still glued in front of him. I felt like someone had delivered a hard punch into my gut.

"Thanks but I don't need it. I have my own money. You don't have to do all this for me. We aren't in that sort of a relationship. This marriage isn't a real one, after all." I announced what had been on the tip of my tongue for a while now. This finally seemed to have got his attention, as he put away the laptop and turned in his seat to look at me properly.

"You're misunderstanding something." He remarked slowly. The lines on his face hardened as he peered at me through his beautiful and dangerous eyes.

"This is no fake marriage. Although, it might not have been done in the best of circumstances, but I married you bearing Allah as my witness. The fact that we will go separate ways after 1 year was your wish and a promise that I mean to keep. However there is no way, we could be living in this manner, if it wasn't a real marriage." His voice was dangerously low and the coldness of his eyes made a shiver run down my spine. I was frozen in my spot and had forgotten to breathe, until he got up and slowly stalked towards me.

"I can imagine that it might be an unsatisfactory or loathsome situation for you, however—" He was only inches away from me and if I was in possession of my wits, I would have backed away—but I wasn't.

"You are my wife, which makes you my responsibility. Best accept it." He declared through clenched teeth. I was able to suck in a sharp breath at his words and as if the spell had broken, I finally took a step back.

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