Another Forever

4 1 | d i l e m m a

• n o o r •

It was our last day in Pakistan and everyone was getting ready to depart us to the Airport. I was packing up some new clothes that I had bought from Pakistan and Faaris was getting ready in front of the mirror.

Since that night, Faaris had been a little distant from me and I couldn't entirely blame him. But the issue is, I feel like my family have been noticing this although nobody had dared to asked me about it yet. I wished it stayed like that but that was hardly possible when you live in a desi family.

Mama had specifically noticed the silence between Faaris and me the whole  way to the airport and I had a feeling a one-on-one session between us was coming. Just as I had expected, she pulled me to a corner once we reached the airport and asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." I replied, not sounding too convincing.

"Noor, I don't have the right to barge into a couple's private life but don't let your partner remain angry with you for more than a day. It creates bitterness in hearts." She said.

"But he is being immature." I groaned.

"Maybe. But when you get a good man, you hold on to him. Don't let small issues ruin your relationship." She advised and I nodded in understanding. Pakistani mothers and their advices!

After hugs and tears, goodbyes and a long wait, we were finally settled on our seats for a long flight. Now that we were in a confined space, Faaris had no other choice than to talk to me.

"Do you want to switch seats?" He asked. Not a lot of progress but we'll get there.

"Sure." I said. He knew that I liked window seats and on our earlier flight, I had fought with him for that seat.

We switched seats and Faaris got busy reading a magazine. It was business class so we had enough place to ourselves. I used the extra time to get some sleep. I closed my eyes for a moment and the next thing I know, I was waking up with my head resting on Faaris's chest. He had his arm wrapped around my shoulder to give me support and my own arm was around his waist.

For some reason, I didn't let him know I was up and enjoyed his warmth. His hold made me feel protected and I realized why I needed to make amends as soon as possible. Even when angry, he was kind and gentle while I was nothing but a huge disappointent. He must be hating his fate for binding him to a girl like me; an uptight, unromantic burden.

I shifted in my position and realising I was awake, he loosened his hold on me.

"How much time left?" I asked, rubbing my eyes.

"Nine hours." He said and I groaned. Why did this flight have to be so long and tiring? Why couldn't Faaris in Dubai or something.

I spent the rest of the time watching a season on the small LED screen in front of my seat. Somewhere in the middle of watching the season, it was Faaris's turn to lay his head on my shoulder. His hair tickled me but I kept my head still and let him have a comfortable sleep.

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The flight was just as exhausting as I initially expected and to top it off, Faaris had to go to the office after dropping me at the building. Thankfully, he had slept for enough hours to freshen him up.

I went to our apartment and felt a strange relief on entering. This place was just as dear to me as my home back in Pakistan and I had missed it in my absence.

I took a small nap and woke up after an hour to prepare for Faaris's arrival. I wanted to make things right between us and the only way to do that was to let him know I had accepted him as my husband. I wanted to show him I was ready to take the next step with him but the thought was enough to make me shudder in nervousness.

You have to do it, Noor, for the sake of your marriage.

I took a long warm bath and searched my cupboard for a suitable outfit. At the end, I settled on a black chiffon saree. It was sleeveless and was gifted to me by a relative of Faaris at our wedding. I had no intention of wearing it as the blouse didn't cover my belly but now, it seemed perfect for the occasion. I dried my hair, put on a matching set of undergarments, draped the saree and did some light makeup. Once I was ready, I took a deep breath and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

On the outside, I looked decent, even beautiful one could say, but on the inside, I was a nervous mess. It wasn't that I didn't trust Faaris or I didn't like him. But the thought of making love with him made me nervous. I enjoyed the little moments of intimacy like cuddles and kisses but I wasn't ready for anything more than this. I wanted to spend a little more time with him to get comfortable with the idea of that kind of proximity but now, I had no other choice than letting him exercise his rights on my body.

By the time Faaris returned from office, I had decorated the room with some candles and dimmed the lights. I heard some shuffling from downstairs and when I felt his footsteps getting closer, my heart started thumping. I was nervous of him seeing me in this outfit, with my belly and arms on display and the saree hugging all my curves.

I stood awkwardly as he opened the door and his eyes found me. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened like saucers. I didn't have the guts to look at him so I just lowered my gaze and played with my fingers.

After the initial surprise had washed down, he took few steps towards me. Due to our height difference, he was towering over me. I licked my lips and the movement caught his attention. He then brought his hand to my chin and lifted my face so I could see straight into his eyes. They were filled with a deep yearning and I immediately blushed at the intensity.

He softly placed his lips over mine, kissing me gently. With one hand, he kept my head in place and with the other hand, he grazed the bare skin of my waist and then grabbed my waist. I also had to put my hands on his shoulders to keep me up with his height. I waited for him to take the next step but he kept licking, nibbling and placing small kisses on my lips.

"Noor." He whispered my name and rested his forehead against mine. "Don't worry. I won't make you do something you don't want but thank you for making this effort. You don't know but it means a lot."

"You don't have to stop. I won't run away this time." I said hesitantly. His breath was mingling with mine, making it harder to think straight.

"I know. But I won't take the next step into our relationship until you want it as well." He said.

Suddenly, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulder now that I don't have to go through it too soon.

"But weren't you angry that I didn't let you..."

"Of course not. I was just angry that you ran away instead of talking to me. Do you think I won't listen to you and force you into something that you don't want?" He asked and I shook my head in no. "That's what annoyed me."

"Oh." I whispered.

"Yes... Ohhh." He said, still keeping me close to him by my waist. "Now, do you want to watch a movie?" He then asked.

I smiled, blushing. "Fine. Let me change first.'

"Don't. You have no idea how you look in this." He said and parted from me, giving me a head-to-toe glance. My body warmed up at the way he looked at me.

"Okay, but stop staring." I punched him lightly on his arm.

"As you wish." He raised his hands in surrender.

We spend the next few hours cuddling and watching a movie. He was the big spoon and I was the little spoon. Every now and then, he would start peppering kisses along the nape of my neck or my shoulder blade but before things could go out of his hands, he would stop himself and just bury his face in my hair.

Once the movie ended, I turned around and hid my face in his chest, hugging him tightly. It felt so good to have his large and warm body against mine.

"Thanks for understanding." I whispered as sleep started to overpower me.

"Anytime." He said and then added, "Love."

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I think their story is due one last trouble but I am unable to figure out what it should be. Any ideas? DM me. 🌝🌝🌝