Chapter 14

Rameen

I woke up from the ring of the phone, it took me some time to understand where I was, my mind was in a haze for some seconds, then it started clearing up as I drank in my surroundings.

I glanced on my side, Waleed was sound asleep, I looked at him curiously, this was the first time I was looking at him while he was asleep. He was sleeping on his stomach facing me, his muscular arm stretched upwards, around his head.

Don't even get me started about his face, it was truly carved by the god. His chiseled jaw, his strong chin with a dimple on it, his greek nose and his dark and broad brows, his long lashes, that covered his intense grey eyes.

Even while sleeping, he was able to take away my breath, how can a man be so beautiful, I wondered.

His brown hairs were scattered on his forehead, I suppressed the urge to push them back from his forehead. If I would do anything like that I would be breaking the bargain we had last night. He had kept his part of the bargain and had stuck to his side of the bed.

We had a long argument last night before sleep when I had told him to either sleep on the couch or the floor because I was in no way letting him sleep on the bed beside me. Call me a bitch for all you want but I couldn't trust him after his machoism in front of my cousins and friends.

I know we are married but that doesn't mean I will sleep with him, I don't even know him well, I don't even know what's his favorite color, so blame all you want but I am not having sex with him right away. He might be hot, of course, he is hot, he makes my heart stop every time he looks at me with his sexy smoldering gaze.

Sex was a big deal for me, I was not going to give my virginity to anyone unless I trusted that person and was sure he will not hurt me ever. If Waleed wanted to claim me, he would have to earn it, because I am not giving it to him just because he was my husband.

Would I have done the same with Imaad? Frankly, I don't know, I was glad I didn't give in to his advances before our wedding, that son of a bitch was trying to lure me because he knew that there was a chance our wedding could not go through because of their plan.

They had come up with a perfect plan, I wanted to give them applause. They had hit where it hurt the most, I was the weakness of my family and they could do anything for me, Imaad and his family knew this and they have waited till the wedding day thinking my family would give in, on the last moment to save me from heartbreak and embarrassment and to not ruin the reputation of the family.

But they won't have expected someone can ruin their plan at the last moment, if not for Waleed's grandfather me and my family would have faced humiliation in the society. I would have never married that greedy shit, no matter what but my family would have to face the consequences that my wedding was called of at the last moment and that my groom had ditched me on the altar.

It was clear from Waleed's behavior that he likes me, and I couldn't understand how and when he had started liking me, I mean there was not a single thing that had gone well between us since the day we met. We both had never left any stone unturned to hurt the other or get back to the other, and still, all through this, he had developed feelings for me.

The cell started ringing again and from the ringtone, I recognized it was mine and looked around and found my clutch on the side table, thankfully on my side. I extended my arm and picked the clutch and opened it as I sat up, I remove the cell from inside it and looked at the screen, I smiled reading  Ali's name on the screen. I have forgotten to call him in all the chaos yesterday and I was sure he would be really mad at me.

"Hey", I whispered slowly as I got up and walked towards the couch afraid that I would disturb Waleed's sleep.

" Mia you dumbass, you didn't even call me", He cursed as soon as he heard my voice.

"I think you were supposed to call me for congratulating me on my wedding", I said holding my cell in place with my shoulder and playing with the bracelet in my hand.

Waleed had not allowed it to remove me last night as I was taking out all the jewelry, he even had slipped a diamond ring in my finger, saying that it was a wedding gift. He couldn't propose to me, before our wedding so to consider it as an engagement ring.

It was not a diamond the size of a rock. I had asked him when he had got the time to buy it?

He had replied, that he went shopping for his clothes to wear at the function last night and had bought the ring while on the way to the hotel. He said he couldn't imagine not giving me a wedding gift.

"I am not talking about your wedding, why didn't you call me and told about what Imaad and his family did the moment you found out. I thought I was your best friend", He complained.

" You are Lee, I was just so stressed out yesterday and you know the fuss that everyone makes around the bride I just didn't get the time", I replied.

"Well, how is your hottie?" He teased me."You are a billionaire now Mia, super-rich huh, with all those fancy dresses and jewelry", He continued his teasing.

" Shut up Lee", I said laughing.

"Finally, he was successful in convincing your parents, aye", Ali reminded me of the incident in the multiplex when Waleed had caught us both of guard.

" Lee."

"Mia."

"Okay, will I be allowed in your palace?" He was not going to give up easily.

"If you kept teasing me like this, I will make sure the guards beat the shit out of you", I said making my voice angrier.

" Are you happy Mia?" He asked me, getting serious.

"Honestly, Lee I don't know", I replied.

" Come on girl, he is the most eligible bachelor and he is kind of super-hot too", Ali was back at teasing again, "You don't like him?" He asked.

"I don't know Lee, it all happened too fast I mean, I was married before I could understand what was going on. It's kind of complicated, I for sure do not dislike him as much as I thought as I do, but I have never thought about him in this way, I think I need time and he said he was ok waiting, till I made up my mind.

He has been nice to me, truly a gentleman but I don't know Ali if I am ready to take our relationship to the next level, not at least now, maybe sometime in the future when I trust him better. You know, I don't believe in love and trust is the most important thing for me in a relationship.

If he earns my trust, and I am sure he won't hurt me, then maybe I will, you know", I poured my heart out to Ali.

I could discuss anything with him and had trust that it would not go anywhere, I was so glad he had called me, I was desperately in need of a friend.

" Hey, sweety everything will be fine, just relax I know you will be ok, remember you are my iron butterfly", He said.

I smiled, Ali used to call me iron butterfly since we were kids because I was tough and beat the shit out of guys with him whenever there was a fight.

We talked for some more time, mostly useless stuff, Ali trying to cheer me up. He hung up when someone called him, I turned and looked at Waleed he had woken up and now was looking at me with hooded eyes.

"Good Morning", I wished him.

" My morning will be good if you come here and kiss me", His voice was deep and husky due to sleep.

"If you want to get your ass kicked you can try", I replied grinning.

" What a killjoy Mia", He said as he sat up, rolling the sheets aside.

"Who were you speaking to?", He asked.

" Ali, remember the guy at multiplex who nearly beat the shit out of you", I teased.

"You wish", He replied with a smirk.

" If not for me, they would have had to carry you on a stretcher", I retorted.

He looked at me for some time silently and got up from the bed, and walked towards me not breaking eye contact, my heart leaped into my throat as I watched him walk towards me like a lion closing upon its prey.

He bent and stopped when his face was a few inches away from me, my breath stopped. This is what I got by provoking the devil.

He kept looking in my eyes and then his gaze slid down to my lips, I saw him lick his lips with his tongue and then he leaned forward, I closed my eyes anticipating what was to come but instead I heard him whisper in my ear.

"I said you wish."

Then he was gone like that, I opened my eyes and looked at him who was standing at the door of the en suite bathroom he winked at me and then strolled inside and shut the door.

" Arrogant asshole", I cursed as I fisted my hands, I wanted to punch his beautiful face until it was bruised.

I walked into the closet to select clothes which to wear today, I looked around in confusion, all the dresses were fancy and traditional, I need to bring my clothes from my house which I used to wear before my wedding I thought.

I selected a green color dress with golden thread embroidery on it and pulled out matching shoes and jewelry. I was going through the lingerie in the lowermost drawer when I heard the bathroom door open and Waleed walked into the closest to my horror naked, only a towel wrapped around his waist.

I suddenly felt that the closet was too small, his presence was making it look like it was a cramped place and the fact that he was only a towel made it even worse.

I was shamelessly looking at his broad shoulders and chest which was glistening with water droplets dripping from his hair.  Don't even get me started about his hair, they were wet and sticking to his forehead, making me fist my hands from the urge of pushing them off from his forehead. I slid down my gaze and it didn't help, as now it was fixed on his naked torso, it was a sight to behold, it looked so hard and firm, I studied every toned muscle of his arms and torso.

I licked my upper lip with my tongue, as I gaped at his abs, they made butterflies flutter in my stomach, as his chest tapered to his waist and then to his hips, covered with the towel, Damn, I wanted to pull that towel away.

"Like what you see", He asked with a smirk when he found me staring at him.

" You can't just walk around here naked", I hissed in embarrassment, from being caught staring at him.

"You mean you are not enjoying the show", He said as he turned and started looking through his clothes giving me a view of his broad back and a very sexy butt.

I tried not to stare at his back and look anywhere else but my eyes were acting like they had developed a mind of their own, drinking every detail of his gorgeous body.

My hand started twitching, by the sudden urge to touch him, I fisted my hands in anger and walked out of the closet with my clothes. I hated my traitorous body which I was unable to control when around him, I realized he was too dangerous and my body could betray me as soon as he makes an advance.

I went into the bathroom and took a cold shower, to calm my betraying body, I carefully got dressed in the bathroom and came out drying my hair with a towel.

Waleed was not in the room, and I saw Rania waiting for me on the couch, I guessed she had stayed for the night.

" Good morning", She greeted me cheerfully.

"Though I am more interested in what happened during the night", She teased me.

I just glared at her, she was not the one who would let any chance go to embarrass me. I walked to the dresser and started untangling my hair.

Rania took the brush from me and started helping me with my hair, looking at me through the mirror with a suspicious smile.

" So are you going to tell me?" She asked.

"Nope", I replied.

" You know you are a bitch, Mia", She said pulling my hair with force.

"Ouch", I cried from the pain.

" At least tell me the si", Her sentence was incomplete as I screamed and put my hands on my ears.

Rania looked at me with a frown on her face and continued untangling my hair. I removed my hands from my ears when I thought it was safe.

"This is what I get for being nice", She said mumbling angrily.

" Nothing happened", I felt bad and the truth slipped from my mouth in pity.

I looked at her in the mirror as her jaw dropped to the floor and her eyes were wide as saucers.

"You are telling me nothing happened, when he was eye-fucking you the whole time yesterday," She asked in disbelief.

I just nodded in reply, I didn't know what to say to her that it could make her believe me, that I was not lying.

" Ohh, Mia. What should I do with you", She said in irritation.

"I need time to get to know him better", I was sick of explaining to everyone the same thing again and again.

" Did you guys kiss?", I replied in no with just nodding.

"Cuddle?", I shook my head again in a no.

" Held hands while sleeping?"  I again nodded at her question.

She hit me with the brush on my arm, with so much force that I cried in pain.

"Why are you abusing me", I said rubbing my arm.

" You are asexual, it is confirmed now", She said ignoring my protest.

She pulled out the hairdryer and blow-dried my hair and then help me with the makeup. I wore the emerald necklace and matching earrings and paired them with golden and green bangles in one hand and the bracelet in the other.

"Come they are waiting for us for breakfast", She dragged me to the dining room on the ground floor.

The dining room was large with a long table that could fit at least fifty people easily, it had a glass wall through which the lawn was visible, fresh flowers bloomed on the shrubs in the shrubbery and the most significant part was the small lake in which swans were floating.

I looked at the scenery dumbstruck, I was sure my jaw had hit the floor. Rania elbowed me in my ribs to remind my people were waiting on the dining for us.

I closed my mouth and greeted as I looked around the table, Waleed's grandfather was seated on the head of the table Waleed was sitting to his right while Saad's father was seated on his left then Saad's mother then Saad, and so on.

The chair beside Waleed was empty and Asjad was seated beside the empty chair, Rania walked ahead and sat beside Asjad, I had no choice but to pull the chair and sit beside Waleed. Asjad's family was not present at the table, which meant that they might have left at night. I had sensed the tension between Asjad's mother and Rania last night while we were sitting in the living room.

I just took a toast and poured myself a cup of tea, this had been my breakfast for as long as I can remember. I was annoyed when Waleed scooped some scrambled eggs from the bowl and placed it on my plate.

" You need to look after your health", He whispered.

I glared at him and stomped his feet below the table with my heel and grinned with satisfaction as I saw his face contort with pain.

"You are going to pay for this", He whispered as he grabbed my hand in his and held it tightly.

I looked around the table to see if anyone had noticed his actions, but all were busy eating. Saad's father was busy in conversation with Waleed's grandfather and his mother was talking to Rania, while Asjad and Saad were busy in a banter.

I looked at Waleed with pleading eyes and that cocky bastard ignored me and kept eating his breakfast as if nothing had happened.

It was difficult for me to eat the toast with one hand and then keep it aside and take a sip of tea, I was hoping he would leave my hand but that asshole didn't look in a forgiving mood.

" Mia clear your plate", He said aloud.

And I felt like turning the teapot on his head upside down. Now everyone was looking at me, Saad's mom and Dada started lecturing me that I was too thin and I should eat well to stay healthy, I clear my plate cursing Waleed in my mind.

This was only the first day of our marriage and the bastard had gotten the better of me thrice since morning.

I sat in the living room sulking and thinking about how I was going to pay him back, till my Mom, aunt and Umair arrived to meet me and brought lunch with them as was the tradition.

I temporarily forgot about Waleed as I sat there talking to them with Rania. Saad and his family had left after breakfast so had, Asjad. Waleed had gone to our room to make some calls and Dada had retired to the library.

A/N

Have you guys checked out my other books?

If not, then you are missing a lot. Do give my Al Jahaan Series a try, it's royal fiction and I am sure you all will love it a lot.

I have started a new book, 'Tainted Souls' that had never been published on any platform before.