There were a few more months left of their internship. Fiza and Alan were both studying as hard as they could, taking mock tests for their entrance exams in addition to their internship duties.

One day, they were both free. Fiza was in her pediatric rotation, and Alan was in psychiatry.

"Fiza, stay with me tonight," he said.

"Yes," agreed Fiza, smiling up at him.

Alan walked with her from the hospital to her hostel.

"I want to watch a movie first," declared Fiza. "In the theater."

Alan smiled. "It's a date. Get ready. I'll wait for you in the library."

Fiza was excited. It had been a while since she had gotten dressed up and gone out. She put on a knee length blush cotton dress and accessorized with an elegant gold pendant, matching earrings and her watch.

Her dressing sense over the years had evolved and she had developed her own unique and elegant style. She even got approval from Priya, her friend and fellow hostelite, who was known for her fashion sense and style. She packed her clothes for the next day, texted Shahana, her roommate that she won't be back tonight and walked over to the library to meet Alan.

"Hello, princess!" he greeted, shamelessly admiring her, absorbing every intricate detail. His heart skipped a beat, remembering that she belonged to him alone.

"You clean up exceptionally well," he complimented, tucking his book into his backpack as he stood.

"You're not too shabby yourself," she replied with a playful smile.

Alan had showered and changed into fresh clothes at the boy's hostel. Srinivas, their mutual friend, had moved into the hostel to avoid the daily commute given the long hours of work that internship entailed. Alan had left a few extra clothes, his cologne, and shaving supplies in Srinivas's room.

They headed over to PVR cinemas - a luxury they seldom allowed themselves. Alan wanted to make sure that this wasn't just another day and that Fiza would experience an actual 'date' with him. He opened doors for her, insisted on paying for her food and the movie tickets. He paid for the luxury seats; the ones that reclined and gave them privacy.

He held her hand as they walked into the movie hall.

Fiza reclined her seat all the way back and pulled her blanket over herself.

About fifteen minutes into the movie, Fiza felt Alan's hand on her thigh, stroking her. She gasped and pushed his hand away. She knew it was dark, and that there was a blanket over her. But she was acutely aware of the people around and felt uncomfortable.

Alan withdrew his hand momentarily, but after a few minutes, he daringly slid it under her shirt. She attempted to push him away but he persisted, ultimately cupping her breast.

"Stop it," she whispered harshly, tears stinging her eyes but he only winked at her. She got up and left the theater.

Alan suddenly realized that he had perhaps crossed a line. He trailed after her.

She continued walking, descending escalators and reaching the front of the mall.

"Come on, Fiza," Alan urged, attempting to justify. "No one could see us." His pleas fell on deaf ears as she ignored him. "Fiza, let's not fight. It's been ages since we've spent time together."

Alan loved her deeply, and what he thought was playful teasing had clearly upset her. Alan remembered that Fiza attached profound meaning to physical touch and didn't take it lightly. He closed his eyes trying to compose himself.

"Fiza, princess, I'm truly sorry. I wasn't thinking," Alan apologized sincerely.

Fiza turned to face him directly, asserting, "You need to respect me when I ask you to stop."

Alan was stunned. He did respect her. He hadn't intended to touch her without her consent like she was insinuating. A tinge of anger now took over. "Don't act like I assaulted you," he said curtly. "You are my fucking girlfriend, my fiance, for God's sake. I'm allowed to..."

But Fiza interjected, tears in her eyes. "You are allowed to what? You don't own me. Fiancé or not, touching me without my consent is wrong. And you keep doing this," she said, frustration all over her face.

"I keep doing this?" he yelled back. "I keep doing this? You just keep holding back on me, like I'm nothing to you."

"You can't force me to have sex with you," Fiza shouted, causing people to turn around and look at them.

"But you can force me not to?"  Alan retorted.

Fiza gazed at him, feeling as if his words had pierced right through her. She was well aware of his past lifestyle from before they were together, realizing that she was the reason he couldn't indulge in it now.

"Go do it then," she finally whispered, her voice breaking. Tears threatened to spill over, but she held them back, determined to remain strong. "Go do it with whoever you want. I'm not going to... I'm not..." She couldn't get her words out.

Alan's face softened, realizing the gravity of his words and actions. He couldn't bear to see her hurting, to know that he had caused her pain. He rushed to her side.

"No, Fiza, that's not what I want," he pleaded, his voice tender as he enveloped her in a comforting embrace. "I don't want anyone else. You're the only one I want to be with. Ever."

Fiza clung to him, her heart torn between fear of losing him and the need to protect her boundaries.

"I love you, princess. I'm sorry," he murmured against her temple, his words soothing her wounded heart. He pressed gentle kisses on her forehead.

"I'm sorry too, love," she whispered.

"Do you want to finish the movie?" he asked, still not releasing his hold on her.

She nodded. "You know I can't leave something halfway," she smiled at him through her tears.

"Yes, let's go watch that incredibly boring movie so you can get some closure," he teased, kissing her hair as she laughed against his chest.

After the movie, they headed over to his house.

Alan's mother had cooked a traditional Malayali meal.

Fiza was excited. "It's been so long since I've eaten home food!" she exclaimed.

Alan looked at the two women he loved the most.

Alan's mom kissed him and asked, "Is Fiza going to stay over tonight?"

He nodded.

Fiza performed her namaz and climbed into bed with Alan.

"Say your prayers to me, Fiza," he suggested, his fingers tracing her lips.

"Not funny, Alan," she responded. Faith held a personal significance for her, and she wasn't willing to sa her prayers out loud to him.

"Do you pray for us, Fiza?" he asked, his eyes locking into hers. He had noticed that after her namaz, she usually sat down with her eyes closed and her lips moving. He had always been curious as to what she was praying for. She shook her head, and Alan was taken aback. "You don't?"

"I pray for strength, forgiveness, and guidance. Nothing more," she said quietly. She looked at him, her gaze steady. "Do you pray for us?"

Alan hesitated briefly. "I don't really believe in praying," he admitted, playing with her hair.

Fiza was surprised, having assumed he was religious based on his regular church visits. "But you do believe in God, right?" she inquired.

"I'm not sure," he replied honestly. "I think I do now." He took her face in his hands. "I believe in angels," he mumbled into her mouth as he kissed her. "I believe in us." He kissed her earlobe. "I strongly believe in us." He climbed on top of her and kissed her passionately while his hand gently wandered over her curves. "I believe in our love," he whispered, biting her earlobe gently. "I believe in soulmates." His words and touch ignited a fire within Fiza like never before.

"Alan, you're going to make me lose control," she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest.

He kissed her neck, and she shivered with desire. "That's the plan, princess," he said, his voice husky with longing as he moved further down her body.

"Alan, stop," she asserted, recognizing the need to slow down.

Committed to respecting her boundaries this time, he pulled away, exercising all the restraint he could muster. "Fiza..." he whispered, enveloping her in his arms once more, this time solely in an embrace, allowing both of them to calm down and catch their breath. They lay together, their bodies entwined, their hearts beating as one.

Their tender moment was interrupted by a foul smell.

Alan crinkled his nose and said, "What is that?" He saw Fiza blushing and couldn't help but chuckle. "Was that you?" he asked playfully.

"No!" she exclaimed, but the embarrassment on her face gave her away.

He teasingly tickled her. "You little liar!" he said, making her laugh. "You farty little liar!"

Fiza pushed his hands away, feeling embarrassed. "Go away, Alan," she said, trying to hide her face in the blanket.

However, he kept laughing, finding the situation amusing. "It's okay, Fiza. Why do you care?" he said, trying to ease her embarrassment. "It's just me."

She curled up on her side, her back facing him, but he persisted in teasing her.

He attempted to tickle her again, but she pushed him away, feeling self-conscious about the accidental gas release.

"If you're not going to talk to me, at least turn this way," he said in a more serious tone, though a hint of amusement still lingered in his voice. "I don't want you releasing fart bombs on me all night. He was now guffawing. He sat up clutching his stomach in laughter.

Despite herself, Fiza couldn't help but smile at his antics. She turned towards him, and he drew her close, kissing the top of her head.

"My Fiza," he said affectionately. "My farty angel." He chuckled.

"Oh, stop it!" Fiza exclaimed, rolling her eyes and giving him a gentle punch on his chest. She cherished how Alan always had a knack for making her feel special, even in the silliest of moments.

His mother knocked on the slightly ajar door and said, "Keep it down, we are trying to sleep." She gave Alan an irritated stare.

"Ma, I want my lock back," Alan said, prompting Fiza to smack her forehead with her palm.

His mother rolled her eyes in response and left the door wide open.

"Okay, if you want to watch us make out, fine!" he called out, teasingly, as Fiza physically closed his mouth with her hand.

"Oh my God, Alan!" Fiza exclaimed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Could you be any more shameless?" She shot a playful glare at him as he chuckled mischievously.

His mother's voice echoed from the living room, "Just keep it PG, you two!"

Alan burst into laughter, and Fiza couldn't help but giggle too. "I'm sorry, babe," he said, trying to suppress his laughter. "I couldn't resist teasing her."

Fiza shook her head, still blushing. "Well, I hope you're satisfied now!" She gave him a playful nudge.

"I promise, I'll behave in front of them," he said, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "But I can't promise not to steal a few kisses when no one's looking."

Fiza rolled her eyes playfully, "You're impossible," she said, snuggling closer to him. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

And with that, they settled back into each other's arms, laughter still lingering in the air, feeling like they had a lifetime of love and laughter ahead of them.

Drifting off to sleep, both felt grateful for the deep bond they shared, blissfully unaware of the ticking clock marking away their time together.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

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Authors note:

Relationships change and evolve over time.
What are your thoughts on interfaith relationships? Can they survive?

Don't forget to vote and comment.

💜Faiza