Lovebirds

forty-seven

As with all fairytales, after a ceremony, the details were hidden of the romantic wedding night. She was never the romantic type, yet her heart bustled with excitement at the thought of the unknown, an experience unfamiliar to her. Perhaps it was the companionship she longed or the ability to chase after desires. 

As a Muslim, certain privileges were only reserved for husband and wife, and curiosity got the the better of her. She wanted to explore, wanted to feel, wanted to touch. She longed for that connection with only Rayan, only her husband. 

Naira was almost finished with removing the last of her makeup and jewelry, eyes shining with a glow that was so new as they glimmered like starlight, fairy dust and moonlight lining the shape of her eyes as her cheeks flushed with a sunkissed shine, dainty sparkles catching in the dimmed lights of their hotel room. 

Rayan was in the bathroom, which gave her enough time to change into a sultry, yet innocent night dress. It was a lavender hue with a deep V-neck that elevated her chest in a way that it was hard to look away from. The night dress fell to her knees in thin layers of lace, wrapped around her body like vines, intertwining with white silk and ribbons. 

Her hair was lightly tousled for a messy, yet secure finish and lips were tinted with a satin pink, smoothing any imperfection or ridge. Naira couldn't recognize herself in the mirror.

Then again, she never focused on her features the way she was that night. 

The door creaked open, making Naira jump as she turned to face her husband. Her heart fluttered as a smile grew. 

Just as quickly as the smile came, it was gone when Naira saw Rayan on the bed, yawning. 

"Ready to sleep?" he asked her, eyes drooping as he pulled the covers over him. 

Naira bit her lip, unsure. "Sleep?"

"Yeah." He yawned again. "It feels nice to fall back on a bed after a long day, don't you think?"

A pang of hurt shot through her as if an arrow had pierced her heart. She couldn't stop her disappointment even if she tried, but she knew for his sake she had to. He was tired. She didn't need her glasses to see that. 

What was Naira expecting?

"Naira?" her husband called out to her with a voice drugged with fatigue. 

Her eyes began to burn, tears threatening to shed as her breathing began to waver. Harshly wiping at her eyes, she inhaled deep breaths, forcing her body to relax. 

It's not a big deal, she told herself. A wedding night can be a chill night too. Don't think into it. 

As she sat on the bed, she lifted the covers, letting the softness drape over her. When she fell back against the pillows, Rayan's arm pulled her close. His head rested on her chest, snuggling closer to her. 

It was almost as if the doubts and concerns she had about not being attractive enough to incite desire or misreading the room began to settle into a dulling ache. From her position, Rayan looked more child-like and peaceful. Her fingers tangled in the rough curls of his head, smoothing them along brown strays. 

He was so beautiful that it felt like a punishment, so enchanting for her gaze that she wished to halt time. 

His arms tightened around her, holding onto Naira as if he needed her to breathe. "I'm sorry," he whispered. 

"For what?" 

"For being tired instead of giving you a wedding night," he admitted with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Naira."

It was strange how two words could lift the heaviness of her disappointment, how two words gave her room to breathe, how two words could heal more than she could imagine. 

For once, Naira didn't feel the reins of inhibition stop her, and she found herself following the ignited path of instinct. It was feeling she couldn't describe, couldn't put into words, except hat it felt right, that it felt destined. 

It felt perfect as if it was meant to be, as if it was written for her. 

With a burst of confidence, her lips kissed his head, lingering against his soft skin. A smile outlined their path and she left another kiss, breathing in his scent. 

Rayan had gone completely still, enchanted by her the same way he enchanted her. 

Naira kissed a rosy path to his ear, lips brushing against the lobe in a tantalizing, yet electric touch. "It's okay," she whispered. "You have nothing to be sorry for." 

"But-"

"Shh," she hushed him. "Just close your eyes. I'll be here when you wake up."

He gazed up at her, an ocean of vulnerability shining back at her, a brewing storm inhibited behind sea-green eyes. "Do you promise?" 

A part of her remembered his past, how his mother had passed, how he ran away on a night just like this. In him, she saw that scared little boy who escaped a fate that was worse than death, saw a man who left the path of Allah once and found his way back. 

"I promise," she said. "Now, be quiet. I'm tired too."

He let out a small chuckle, the sound vibrating against her skin in a feeling she cold only describe as a flushing warmth.

Rayan found his way back home. He found her. 

----

Y'all I went to Bangladesh and literally came back with first degree burns because it was so hot. Be grateful for your AC systems. I sure as heck am.

I kid you not they canceled school for the little kids because of the weather. And I took my non-Bengali husband there LOL. Man's was a real trooper.

Anyway, I am back with a functional writing setup in my new home. This girl is done traveling for a bit now. Who else missed this book? 

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