The Beast

26

"Yes. Bhai"
Zaman smiled through his tears as he tightened his embrace on Ebek. Now they truly became brothers. Not just by spirit, but by heart.

~

The back garden of Rooh Qasar was electric with joy. The whole ambiance was nothing short of enchanting.
The floral decorations were a blend of jasmines, calla lilies, and white roses breathing life into the surrounding with their fragrant bloom. The mercury fairy light was casting an ethereal glow on the scene.
The melodic festive music was blasting, enveloping the guests and the girls who were dancing to the tune with precision.
Gulaab sighed as she held onto the window railing until her knuckles turned white. Her turquoise eyes were fixated on the bustling activities in the garden below, heart heavy with a profound sadness and longing. It had been a week or so, since she left Ebek's house and it seemed like a void had settled deep in her chest.
With her apparent return, happiness returned to Rooh Qasar as well. Her family decided to proceed with hamid and sana's marriage, starting with their nikkah. Now that Gulaab was finally back. This should have brought a sense of joy yet Gulaab couldn't shake off the feeling of emptiness. She yearned for the love that she had left behind. To the world, she might be having the worst case of Stockholm syndrome but to her, what she had forged with Ebek meant the world.
Because Ebek Awarkzai was her husband.
The happiness that permeated Rooh Qasar had failed to reach the depths of her soul so she had politely excused herself from the gathering in disguise of a headache.
Gulaab closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

Ebek's dark gaze was scanning the empty corridor. His heart raced with a mix of excitement and anxiety of getting discovered. His love for Gulaab had  compelled him to don the attire of a measly waiter, Ebek Awarkzai was taking great lengths just to be near his little wife.
In that moment, he wasn't defined by his Statuts or power. He was a simple man driven by love.
The absence of the family within the house and the on going event of Gulaab's cousin's nikkah in the back garden provided him with an opportunity to move freely in the house. Ebek raced towards the room that he knew like the back of his hand. Gulaab's room.
Ebek took a breath before he pushed open the door. He took a step aside and locked the door with an effort to make no sound.
His heart skipped a beat as he laid eyes on his Gulaab, standing near the tall window. She was all dolled up, adorning a peach lehenga intricately embellished with golden embroidery that sparkled in the hint of moonlight seeping through the windows. The matching short chunri accentuated her tiny waist. The absence of duppatta allowed her bosom to fall in a graceful dance. Soft ringlets of honey brown hair framed her cherub face, falling down her dainty shoulders in loose curls. 
Her alluring beauty drew him in, but Ebek also noticed the melancholy that tinted her celestial features. She was lost deep in her thoughts, tethered to a realm beyond the festivities of her house.
Ebek wondered what thoughts had occupied her mind, what concerns, what sadness tugged at her heartstrings. In that scant of moment, Ebek prayed, Ebek wished to be the one to bring her enchanting smile back to her face, to provide her the comfort she seek.
As he stepped closer, he felt a plethora of emotions.
Love, sadness, desire, yearning filled his heart.
Ebek gently caressed her dainty arm, her skin was warm and supple under his fingertips, eliciting a shiver of delight. The closeness wrapped them in an intimate bubble where time ceased to exist.
Gulaab, startled by the sudden touch, turned around hastily. Her turquoise eyes widening in surprise.
As their eyes met, the confusion transformed into a mixture of joy and astonishment.

"E-Ebek?"
Her mellifluous voice was trembling with disbelief and happiness, which resonated deeply within him, igniting the long lost hope that their love was still there. Despite everything.
Ebek's dark eyes were the utmost kind at the moment, filled with adoration as they traced her beautiful face.