Zeeshan froze at his place seeing her. For the first time in a nightgown, in their room, on their bed. She painted an effortlessly sensual picture. And she was his. All his. And he was down so bad. 

His mother was right. He liked her a lot. He wasn't sure if what he felt for her couldn be termed only as like. The feeling ran much deeper than he knew. Sometimes it felt like her smiles were the reason he was still breathing after that accident.

When he had seen her for the first time, she was just a baby. But seeing her so scared and broken, he had made it a life mission to make up for everything he'd snatched from her by giving her little moments of happiness. By making her smile without her knowing it was him.

His hands itched to hold her in his arms. He clenched his fists to control the urge. His feet ached to run towards her. He planted them firmly on the ground.

Sidra got up from the bed and walked towards him instead. 

“Kaisi lag rhi hai ye gown? Ammi ne nayi dilwayi hai. Keh rhi thi ki ab nayi dulhan ke saare kapde naye hone chahiye. Dekhiye toh.”

She did a twirl showing it to him. A small smile formed on his lips and he hummed.

“It's cute.”

He whispered and she stopped with a pout. She was atleast a foot shorter than him. What she did next, made his heart stop for a moment.

She rounded her arms around his torso and kept her chin on his chest while gazing up at him with that pout still on her lips.

“Cute? Lekin maine ye wali cute ki wajah se nhi li thi. Cute wali toh dusri hai. Shayad maine isme shrug daal lia isliye aap cute keh rhe hai. Rukiye!”

She babbled and started opening the strings of her shrug. His eyes widened. Was she planning on giving him a heart attack on the first day itself?

He held her hands and looked at her wife eyed.

“I…mai…mera matlab…tum…you look…you don't have to…”

He didn't know what to say. She bit her lip and chuckled. She then relaxed against him and closed her eyes holding him tight. Slowly, his arms came around her and he held her in his arms.

“You're so warm.”

She commented after some time making him smile. 

“You feel like home.”

She whispered and his smile fell faster than anything. Home! The one he'd snatched from her. She felt home with him because she didn't know the truth.

Sidra felt him go stiff. She was confused. What did she say wrong? Or did he not like her proximity?

Before she could, he pulled away softly.

“I'll go change.”

For a second, she felt like he would kiss her forehead but he didn't. He just went to the washroom to change his clothes and she sighed.

Things were not progressing at a very good pace between the two. Whenever Sidra took any effort to get closer to him, Zeeshan shut himself off. 

She had been trying her best. But she needed at least some positive response to keep up her efforts.

She had started working and got even lesser time than before. But she never gave up.

Sidra was home earlier than Zeeshan most days. Even now, she was home and waiting for him to arrive. She had selected a movie for them to watch together.

Zeeshan reached home by 10 and as soon as they entered their room after dinner, she turned and grinned at them startling him a little.

“I want to watch a movie.”

He nodded and said.

“Go ahead! I have no problem. Mujhe awaaz mai neend aa jaati hai.”

Her grin fell and she gave him a deadpanned look.

“Akele nhi! Aapke saath!”

“Oh!”

That's it! That was how he reacted. She scowled at him and held his hand. Dragging him towards the bed, she pushed him slightly making him lose his balance and fall back.

His eyes widened and he gulped but she rounded the bed and climbed from the other side.

“Thik se baithiye na peeche hokar.”

She commanded and he followed without any argument. As soon as he had his back against the headpost, she held one of his hands open and snuggled into him.

Zeeshan froze. He went completely still and looked ahead at the tv where she was browsing the movie. The introduction rolled and he was still the same. Frozen and one arm hanging in the air.

“Offo!”

She mumbled and held his arm wrapping it around herself. She rubbed her cheek against his chest and grinned up at him.

He slowly relaxed and they enjoyed the movie.

It could not be said that things were great between the two as a couple. There were moments when Zeeshan would behave like a husband with her. Laugh and enjoy freely but the moment he realised what he was doing, he would go back in his shell.

Sidra was slowly losing patience. She craved her husband. Not just physically but also emotionally. But she was not going to give up any time soon.

Zeeshan was in office when he received a message on his WhatsApp. It was Sidra. She had sent him a link to an Instagram reel. He frowned and opened the reel but a smile formed on his face seeing the content of the video.

It was some woman flaunting how her husband got her gajre bracelets while getting back from work. He shook his head with a smile and kept his phone aside.

Sidra had taken a break from work and was scrolling through her Instagram when she saw the reel and immediately sent its link to his WhatsApp knowing he wasn’t going to check his Instagram anytime soon.

A pout formed on her lips when she saw him read her message but not reply to it. 

When Zeeshan reached home that evening, Sidra had expected him to surprise her with the gajre but he showed no reaction. She felt a little disappointment but didn’t ponder much.