Zayne

I wasn't so much shocked as I was startled to see Naina standing before me in lingerie. I forced the memory of the last time I had seen her dressed like that out of my mind.

Could it be that she had dressed up like this for me? Her attire wasn't overly revealing; there was a lot of lace, and she wore a satin robe that covered most of her.

I sat up in bed as she approached me. It felt surreal, like a scene from one of my wildest dreams. She had starred in quite a few of those over the years.

She sat next to me, her expression unreadable. Her long black hair cascaded like curtains, framing her face. I had always been drawn to her, and I found myself attuned to her expressions more than I should have been.

She seemed shell-shocked, and I couldn't blame her. I hadn't imagined for a second that she would agree to marry me. At least not this quickly. It was a bit of an adjustment for me too.

"Which side do you want?" I asked her.

"What?" she responded, her expression blank.

"Which side of the bed do you want to sleep on?" I repeated.

She took a deep breath. "I don't know."

I remembered she slept on the left side when she stayed over with Advik. Yeah, I knew Advik. And I hated him. I had the misfortune of being his roommate for three months when I first moved to Manipal. He was the definition of a douchebag.

"I'll take the right," I stated, wanting her to be comfortable.

She moved over to the left side of the bed and curled up. I lay down next to her and pulled the covers over both of us.

I looked around her room. I had blown out the candles earlier, but it still looked beautiful. My eyes wandered to the box near the bed, and I smiled. Maybe one day. Not today.

Naina was my wife. I smiled to myself.

"What are the towels for?" I asked her. Was there some tradition for the first night that I was unaware of?

"It's for when the groom takes the bride's virginity, so that the sheets don't get bloody," she answered without emotion. I chanced a look at her, but she faced away from me. She was only a couple of feet away but could have been miles away. I closed my eyes to sleep, but I couldn't. Thousands of things ran through my mind. Did I do the right thing marrying her? Should I have asked for more time?

My parents had met Naina a few times during my post-graduation course and had been interested in her for me. I had been stupid enough then to tell them that she was engaged to someone else. I had a rough time convincing them to reach out to Naina's parents in the wake of her break up with Advik.

I felt her tremble next to me before I saw her. She was silent, but I knew she was crying. I hesitated before putting my arm around her. When I did, she stilled. I felt her body stiffen before her trembles changed to shaking. Her crying was no longer silent.

Screw it, I thought. She was my wife. I pulled her towards me and held her close, my heart pounding against her back as she gasped between sobs.

"It's okay, Naina, we are going to be okay," I whispered in her ears, withdrawing from her and rubbing her back. I felt her breathing slowly ease.

I knew I shouldn't ask this, but my heart wouldn't listen to my brain.

"Do you... do you still love him?"

She turned around to face me, her lids tinged with red, as was her nose. Her eyelashes clung together. I had seen her like this before, held her in my arms before.

"I do. I still love Advik," she declared, looking me straight in the eye, her voice clear and crisp. A pang shot through me, and a heaviness settled in my chest. No husband would want to hear this on the night of their wedding.

I wanted to shake her, shout at her. Didn't she see how toxic and manipulative Advik had been? She had decided to end things, had she not? I understood that she would still feel sad, but still love him? After what he had done to her? It was ridiculous.

"It'll take time," I consoled her, though sadness, worry, and anger fought for dominance within me. "We'll be okay. Try to get some rest."

There was no response. Her eyes were open but cast down.

"Do you want me to hold you?" I asked her.

She nodded, and I pulled her towards me in an embrace. She was quiet, and she wasn't shaking. I felt my shirt get wet with her tears as I rubbed her back.

I thought back to that fateful phone call.

"Sir, I'll need a little time before I can get the data to you," Naina's voice sounded nasal over the phone.

"Are you okay, Naina?" I asked, concern evident in my tone.

"No, my wedding has been called off," she replied, her voice quivering.

I immediately switched to a video call and was horrified by the sight. Naina had a sutured gash on her left forehead and a bruise under her eye. This was not what I had expected to see.

"What happened to you?" I asked, my heart sinking. Was she in an accident? What other injuries had she sustained?

"Advik lost his temper and... and hurt me. He saw that we had been texting and he lost... lost control," Naina explained, visibly trying to hold back tears.

It wasn't surprising. Advik had always treated her poorly, cheating on her and displaying controlling behavior. And now this.

I had given up on her about a year ago after confessing my feelings for her and facing rejection, but right then, everything I had felt for her resurfaced.

I was not going to let her forgive him for this too, the way she had for everything else. She deserved better. My path forward was clear. I would marry her. She and I were meant to be, not her and that asshole.

As I looked at Naina sleeping peacefully, a surge of determination washed over me. I promised myself that I would cherish her, that I would never treat her badly, that I would be patient with her, though for the love of God, I couldn't understand what she saw in him.

At some point, I fell asleep. When I woke up, the room was cold, and the bed was empty. Glancing at the time, it was 7 am. I stretched and headed to the bathroom, only to find it locked. I knocked to inquire how long Naina would take.

To my surprise, the door opened, and on the other side stood Naina with her toothbrush in her mouth and her robe wrapped around her.

Memories flooded back to when Naina used to visit Advik while I was his roommate. Advik's unpredictable schedule as a surgical resident had granted me some alone time with Naina. I would often find her in the bathroom, toothbrush in mouth, wearing her pajamas.

Now, standing in front of me, Naina looked just as she did back then. The familiarity of the scene brought a smile to my face.

Naina smiled back and it warmed my heart. For a moment, I felt like everything would be alright. That smile had been for me. That smile was mine.

As we continued with our morning routine together, the need to use the toilet became urgent. "Um, Naina," I called out tentatively.

"Yeah?" she responded after spitting into the sink and rinsing her mouth.

"Do you mind stepping out while I use the toilet?" I asked, feeling a flush of embarrassment myself.

Naina's cheeks turned a delicate shade of crimson as she washed her toothbrush and quietly walked into the bedroom, giving me the privacy I needed.

I soon joined her in the bedroom where she had changed into a pink salwar kameez. She looked beautiful. As a force of habit, I started to look away, but then I realized - she was my wife. She was willingly my wife. I could stare at her if I wanted to.

"Naina?" I called out.

"Ummm?" she responded.

"You look beautiful..." I stated, unable to hide my admiration.

Our eyes met, and I held her gaze for a few seconds before she looked away and mumbled, "thank you."

"Do you want to do subahi niskaram with me?" I asked her.

My prayers were rather sporadic, but I had often caught Naina doing her namaz in the shared room.

She shook her head. "I'm not feeling it."

I was surprised, but I let it slide. I could understand why she might be angry at God. But I was grateful. Grateful that everything that had happened brought us together.

I performed my namaz, and we went downstairs together for breakfast. We were greeted by her entire family- her parents, sister, and a couple of cousins. And a familiar face, our mutual friend and her roommate, Maya.

"So machaan, how was your first night?" asked Nishita as we sat down to eat. I nearly choked on my tea. I was grinning like an idiot. But I didn't care. Naina was my wife. I was Naina's husband. Zayne and Naina. There was such a nice ring to it.

"It was good," I said sincerely. I wouldn't say it was the happiest night of my life, but I was pretty damn happy.

I looked at my wife and saw her wide eyes staring back at me. Giggles filled the table. Oh!

"No, I meant I slept well. The bed was... comfortable." More giggles. I rolled my eyes. I sneaked a peek at my wife. There was a small smile on her face, and that was all the encouragement I needed. "We really enjoyed your gift, by the way-the one that starts with a 'c' and ends with an 'm'." It was Nishita's turn to choke, and I winked at Maya, who winked back at me.

"Ahem." Oh shoot! Naina's father was looking at me with a strangled expression. I tried to contain my laughter.

"Cardamom," I mumbled, still smiling. "The appam and egg roast tastes really good! Did you make it, aunty?" I asked, addressing Naina's mother.

"I supervised the cook," she answered, beaming.

"I'm a huge fan of appam. It's been a while, though. It's not readily available in Manipal."

The rest of breakfast was uneventful.

We spent the rest of the day visiting Naina's relatives in their homes. Her aunt had made lunch - prawn biriyani, fish fry, crab curry - and I ate enough to put me in a food coma. I noticed that Naina had barely touched her food.

"Don't you like seafood?" I asked her when I caught a break between answering questions from her relatives.

"I'll put on weight," she answered, looking at her plate. I was taken aback.

I remembered how in her first year, she and I would try out different "thattu kadas" as well as dine at regular restaurants when we did long shifts together - usually 24 to 72 hours long. She had always had a good appetite. I didn't recall her being conscious of what she ate. Was this a joke? It had been a good year and a half since we shared a meal alone.

I smiled at her reassuringly, hoping to convey my sincerity. "You'll always be beautiful to me, no matter what."

She gazed back at me, her expression unreadable. Over the years, she had lost weight, and I couldn't help but notice the change. In my eyes, she had been perfect when I first met her, and she still was. But her seriousness about maintaining her body concerned me.

"You have to maintain your body. It's the only part of your looks that you actually have control over," she explained seriously.

I narrowed my eyes.

"Yeah, I bet Advik fed you that line," I remarked bitterly. There was hardly anyone I hated more than that excuse of a man.

I saw her breathing pattern change into rapid shallow breaths. Her eyes shone. But she said nothing, just stared at her plate.

"You're beautiful, Naina," I whispered earnestly. Didn't she know that?

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Author's corner
Thattu kada : make shift fast food restaurants along the street with limited menu, fast service and cheap food.

Subahi Niskaram: morning prayer

Salwar kameez: attire with a long top and pants

Please tell me if Zayne's pov is realistic. I struggled a lot with this. Do you like this writing style? I'm trying to keep it simple and casual. should I revert to my 3rd person narration?

If you like it, do vote so I know this is of interest. And please comment so I know your thoughts.

Thank you for reading. Remember that you are amazing, and there is a reason for everything. You are going to be okay.
❤️Faiza