Chapter Six

Aeleya got up from the bed in a daze. Her eyes were a little puffy as she looked around; her hair was in a mess. Picking up her phone, she saw that the time was only four am. "What? Now it's going to be so hard to fall asleep again." She felt irritated by the thoughts of waking up so early. Instead of trying to go back to bed, she got up instead. "I am a little hungry, maybe I should eat something. Might help me fall asleep." Aeleya, still in her pajamas, left her room and headed downstairs.

"Aarush, just come home and sleep for a bit. You get six hours, so just come home and rest. There is food here as well, so you can eat a little." Walking down the stairs, Aeleya heard Maaz's voice. She entered the kitchen and saw him leaning against the fridge. He had a look of annoyance on his face, somewhat filling with anger. "Aarush, stop being so stubborn, you can literally come home and sleep and then go back. I will wake you up and stuff." As he was talking, he saw Aeleya walk in, and his eyes quickly brightened.

"What's wrong Maaz?" Aeleya walked over and asked. She knew it was related to Aarush as she heard his name.

"Can you talk to Aarush? He is allowed a six-hour break before he has to start again since the residents are coming much later, but he says he's gonna spend the night there. Can you tell him to come home. He isn't listening to me, but he might listen to you." He handed her the phone and walked away.

Aeleya looked at the phone and hesitated a little before putting it against her cheek. "Hel--"

"Screw off Maaz. I'll come home in three days to rest, for now just screw off and go to sleep." His voice seemed to be filled with anger as well. It also sounded very exhausted and raspy, as if his mouth was super dry. "Alright, I'm hanging up, and don't call me again." With that the phone was cut off.

Slowly moving the phone away from her ear, Aeleya turned around, but saw that Maaz was already gone. She placed the phone on the dining table and sat down on one of the chairs. "He seemed so angry and tired. He might be overstressing." She became a little worried, but didn't know what she could do. Her hunger began to reduce and so she got up and walked back to her room. She paced the room, occasionally glancing at the flowers. The only thing she could do was sigh. She didn't know why she was feeling so worried for him, it wasn't like this was something new for him nor his family. "I'll try and get some uni work done." She pulled out her bag from her closet and walked towards the bed. Sitting down, she pulled out a few notebooks and began to scribble away.

Morning soon arrived, and she was still sitting on her bed. Her eyes were red from staring at her page for such a long time and not getting much sleep. She noticed the time was slowly approaching when she needed to get to work. Getting up, she changed and washed her face, making her way downstairs.

"Maya, make sure to pack a lot, alright? He probably only ate a little bit." Her mother in law's voice entered her ears. She seemed in a rush. Walking down with her bag, she saw her mother in law hard at work in the kitchen.

"Mom, relax, he probably already ate a little, plus he might get annoyed seeing us there. You know how he gets when we go over." Maya was sitting on the table, filling a bag with food, albeit slowly.

"Shut up Maya. Do you think he scares me? Plus, he isn't going to be home for a bit, so I can at least make him some food." Her mother in law snapped at Maya, who only showed a bitter look.

"I know I know. Last time I took my time, he actually slapped me in the face. Not going through that again." He smiled bitterly, yet looked a little nervous, as if frightened by something. He turned his head and saw Aeleya walking down the stairs. "Aeleya, hey. Woah, what happened to you? Your eyes are so red, and look at those bags. Did you not sleep?"

"Aeleya? Are you alright?" Her mother in law came out of the kitchen and asked with a bit of a worry. She also noticed the bags under Aeleya's eyes.

"Aunty, don't worry. I'm fine, I just couldn't sleep much, that's all." She spoke with a smile on her face.

"Really, that Aarush is super annoying. If he came home, then he could atleast eat, and maybe you could have slept peacefully, but no, he wants to act so childish." Her mother in showed anger on her face, but pulled Aeleya down from the stairs and led her to the kitchen. "For now, sit down and eat. Since you didn't sleep much, try to eat something light. I will pack you some food."

"Aunty, it's alright, you don't need to. I have lots of lectures today, so I won't have time to eat. I'll just eat after coming home." Aeleya wasn't lying, her days were busy at the university during Tuesdays and Thursdays. It was just one of those packed schedules.

"Are you sure dear? Take a small snack atleast, you can eat it during class or atleast while you wait for your next one. This time, I won't take a no." She quickly opened the large pantry and pulled out lots of small little snacks. Placing them into a small bag, she passed them over. "Make sure to eat them, you will feel more energetic during the day. Alright?"

"Alright, thank you." Aeleya smiled back. She could see the concern and love her mother in law was showing her. Her guilt began to rise up thinking about how what her mother in law thought was not correct, of course, she would never bring this up. She couldn't hurt them.

"Go on, Maaz will drop you off." She spoke with a bright smile on her face.

"But I still have two hours before my first class…" Aeleya was confused as to why she was being sent early.

"Maaz won't drop you off first, he will first take Aarush some food. You know what, this is better. You can give Aarush his food, atleast that way he won't complain. If Noori was here, we would have her go with Maaz, but sadly my dear isn't so you're the best option. Maybe even better then Noori." Aeleya's Mother in law showed a teasing smile, which only caused Aeleya to 'blush' a little.

"If you think that is alright, then I will do it." She didn't mind the task. Plus, she wanted to see how Aarush was doing, after all she was worried about him as well.

"Go on then." Nodding her head, Aeleya walked towards the front exit with Maaz. Both of them got into the car and drove off.

"Ah, I lucked out. If you go instead, atleast I won't get slapped like last time." He wore a bitter expression.

"Why did he slap you, did you do something?" Aeleya was curious about this.

"Well, Aarush is already stressed so I accidentally dropped a drink over all of his files in his office. Without even caring about others being around, he gave me a hard slap on my cheek. Oh man, I've never been so scared in my life." Maaz shivered a little thinking about it. "But it was my fault. The files were containing information about the patients and a bunch of reports Aarush had been working on for several nights. I basically destroyed it all, forcing him to start all over."

"Even still, maybe slapping you was a little overboard, right?" She couldn't imagine the embarrassment that Maaz was going through. Not only did he already feel guilty for dropping the drink, but he slapped in front of so many people. It was extremely embarrassing and could have made him hate Aarush for it.

"I didn't mind. Other than my parents, the only person I am alright with hitting me is Aarush. Even if he beat me down that day, I wouldn't have complained. Plus, after the incident, he took me out and got me whatever I wanted. He apologized so much, I thought he would cry." Maaz laughed a little thinking about the situation. "Anyways, only Noori is able to go into the hospital and meet Aarush without getting in trouble for getting into an argument with him. Even mom and dad begins to argue with him, and Aarush isn't one to back down either. Maybe other then Noori, you can be the next person who he doesn't yell at? At least that's what we hope. If he does yell at you, ah man, you better get out of there."

"Then why don't you go and give him the food? I'd prefer to stay at a safe distance if he really is that aggressive, plus I heard his anger on the phone last night, so I would hate to see it in person." She became a little worried. Based on Maaz's words, Aarush was always angry in the hospital. Fighting with his family if they ever came, with the exception of Noori. Of course, she knew why Noori was an exception. Although she had a sudden thought that maybe she was also an exception, she didn't want to take any chances.

"No can do. If I go in, it's guaranteed that I will be roasted by him. If you go to him, there is a high chance you will be safe, since you are his wife. Plus, he likes you a lot more than he likes all of us, maybe he likes you as much as he loves Noori. If so, my god you're lucky." They spoke throughout the ride and they finally got to the hospital. "You see those doors, if you go in, just ask for Dr. Yunus' office. They will take you there."

Feeling nervous, she shook her head. "Maaz, why don't you go, I'm not feeling so good."

"Aeleya, he's your husband, you have to do this. I can't go in, because I WILL get yelled at. Please." He lowered his head, trying to avoid anymore talking.

A little frustrated by him, she took a deep breath. "If I get in trouble, I won't spare you."

He didn't look up, just nodding his head. Aeleya grabbed Aarush's food and stepped out of the car. She walked through the front entrance of the ER section. She was met with a medium sized waiting area, with chairs to sit on and small rooms. There were nurses moving about behind a glass window. She walked towards it with a bitter smile. There was a small line in front of the glass window, so she waited patiently.

Fifteen minutes past and she was finally called up. "Hello, what seems to be the problem today?" The female nurse spoke in a monotone fashion, yet still carried a smile. It was a weird combination for sure.

"Hello, I was wondering if you could point me to where Dr. Yunus' office is?" She knew that asking this in the emergency area was a bad move since there were people here with real problems, but Maaz told her to come here, so she didn't do anything else.

The nurse raised an eyebrow and asked with a bit of suspicion. "Do you have some sort of appointment with him? Based on his schedule, he should be with the residents and any appointments should be for much later."

"Not an appointment. I'm here to drop him some food." She felt a little embarrassed saying this. She felt as if all the patients were looking at her, thinking she was a fool to drop food off in the ER section.

"Food? Are you related to him somehow? I do remember he has a few siblings, but I don't think you match any of them." The nurse was still a little suspicious.

"Not sibling, I'm his wife." She, for some odd reason, felt a but at ease saying those words. As if the whole hospital was now a playground for her to roam about as she pleased.

"Wife? So, you're Mrs. Yunus. Just come in from those doors. You can wait in his office while someone calls for him." The nurse pressed a button on her side and the doors on the side opened. Entering them, she was met with a beige room, with various devices. The walls were off white, while the ground had various colored arrows going to different places. "Just follow this grey arrow until the end, it should lead you to where the offices and conference room is. The second last room on your left is his office." Aeleya nodded her head and began to follow the grey arrow.

While walking, she saw various people, some were at ease while others in pain. She saw many nurses rushing past her, sometimes pulling a bed with a patient. Other times, she would see nurses being yelled at, or doctors yelling for various things, such as test results, patient information, and so much more.

Eventually she reached the end of the grey arrow. She walked to the second last door on the left side and saw the name, Dr. Aarush Yunus, M.D. She saw that there wasn't anyone inside, so she just opened the door and walked in. Looking around, she saw that it was somewhat small, maybe about the same size as his office. There was a single computer with various papers scattered on the wooden table which it was on. There was no window, rather a small white bard on the wall. There was some writing, words and terms she had never seen or heard of. A skeleton model and a muscle model were standing on one side of the room, with various posters of body parts, each labeled in detail. She saw that there was a family picture on his desk, and surprisingly, there was even a picture of her wearing her wedding dress. It was right beside a photo of Noori.

"When did he get this picture of me?" She looked at it and was surprised. She wasn't looking at the camera, yet it looked like a side pose done professionally. For some reason though, she didn't find it weird nor creepy, just surprising.

"James, I don't need you to keep asking me, if you think it is right, then proceed. This isn't a game anymore, you are a resident, you need to stand by your own decisions. This is emergency medicine, not kindergarten. Now go and take care of your patient." As she was looking through the photos, she heard Aarush's angry roar. His voice seemed even more exhausted and raspy then before. She quickly sat down on a chair which was on the side.

"But Dr. Yunus, the patient is denying on getting the test taking, they feel it is unnecessary." A younger voice, seemingly softer spoken was trying to reason with Aarush.

"Do you want to be sent away?! Follow the procedure if that is the case. If you feel the patient needs to take the test, explain it to them. Tell them why they need it and the consequences of not getting it. If they still insist on not taking the test, what the hell can we do? We can't force them to take it, its illegal to do so. Follow the procedure, if they decline, then screw it, don't test them. It's out of our hands. Now go deal with your patient!" With a roar much louder than before, he sent the resident running. Aarush turned the handle and walked into the room. "Who came to see me?" He looked around and saw Aeleya sitting in the corner staring at him in shock, as if seeing a ghost. "Aeleya?" He walked over and sat on the ground beside her. "What are you doing here?"

Aeleya looked at him and saw that his eyes were completely red at the moment, there were deep bags under his eyes, much worse than hers. His face was a lot paler, and his body seemed to be trembling slightly. "What happened? You look like a mess." Leaning closer, Aeleya felt a little more worried. Her heart ached a little seeing him in his condition.

"It's no big deal, just a little busy around here. Anyways, why are you here? I thought that you would be at home, finally at peace. Haha." He smiled brightly, yet leaned against the wall.

"Hey." She felt a little frustrated by his laid backness. "Your mom packed some food for you, so I came to drop it off."

"My wife brought me food? Well, I better check what it is." He quickly snatched the bag from her hand and began to snoop through it.

"I didn't make it, your mom did." She said it again, to make sure he understood.

"I know, I was just joking, relax." He pulled out a small amount of energy bar and unwrapped it. Taking a bite out of it, he let out a deep breath. "This feels nice. You want a bite as well?" He asked her with a smile, while chewing on the food.

"I'm alright. Anyways, since your food is here, I think I should go now. I still have to attend class." She got up from her chair and quickly walked towards the exit.

"Alright." A deep sigh escaped from his mouth as he watched her leave. There was a bit of reluctance, but he couldn't do anything about it. "Get back carefully, alright? Bye my wife." He smiled at her as she opened the door and began to step out, but before completely leaving, she stopped. She looked back and saw him staring at her with his tired eyes which seemed to be getting worse.

"Aarush, are you feeling alright?" She hesitated, but still asked. "Are you able to handle it?"

"I'm fine. Just go and have fun, also I don't want you to come back here again, alright?" Suddenly, he spoke some words which she didn't expect.

"Why? What do you mean?" She came into the room once again and looked at Aarush. He got up from the ground and walked towards her. He was wearing his white cloak, his hands in his pocket. Walking over, he took her arm and pulled her into the room, closing the door and blinds in an instant. "A-Aarush, what are you doing?!" In a panic, she couldn't help but shriek, shoving his hand away.

"Relax, I'm not going to do anything, I still remember my promise to you." He steadied his body and laughed a little.

"Then what was that?!" She showed bits of anger.

"I just wanted to show you why you shouldn't come here." He smiled a little before walking towards his desk and pulling out a medicine bottle. Taking the pill out, he swallowed it. "The thing is, I'm super stressed at the moment, and my head is pounding like crazy. If you, my wife, such a beautiful woman, comes to meet me in this state, I may not be able to hold myself back. I would want to touch your face, your hair, your hands, and really everything, but I promised I wouldn't so don't come too often. Plus, I don't want you seeing this side of me too often, it's not pretty." He smiled as he explained bitterly.

Looking at him with shock and a bit of nervousness, she opened the door back up and slowly walked out. When she finally shut the door behind her, a deep breath escaped her mouth. Her face was slightly pink, embarrassed by the words spoken by Aarush, yet no disgust was birthed within her heart. She didn't know why this was the case, and she found it weird, but it was a feeling she couldn't control.

Sighing slightly, she walked away from the door and headed out of the hospital, following the grey arrow back. Soon she exited the hospital and found Maaz. Entering his car, both of them drove away.

"University now?" He asked with a smile.

"Yea." She nodded her head. Maaz took her to the university and she quietly entered her lecture. For some odd reason, her mood seemed very off, somewhat distracted.

The week went by in a similar fashion. She felt odd everyday, somewhat lost. Her focus in class was less than usual, while sleep was very difficult for the many nights.

She woke up on the day when the flight was happening. It was the weekend, so she had no classes. Plus, she was on break for a bit, so university wouldn't start for another two or so weeks. Unlike the previous mornings in the past week, her face seemed a lot more alive. Getting off of her bed, she quickly rushed to the washroom and began to get ready.

Over the week, she got a lot more used to being in Aarush's home. It honestly didn't feel any different from her own. She got closer to her mother and father in law. She got closer to Maaz and Maya. And especially got closer to Noori, which she didn't know why. For some reason, she felt that getting close to Noori was something important.

Wearing her clothes, she walked down the stairs and saw that the living room, which was extremely large, had many suitcases on the floor and the sofas. There were clothes thrown here and there, small bags of candies, toys, bits of jewelry, and so much more.

"Aeleya, go and get your suitcase, we're going to leave in two hours, so quickly get packing." Unlike normal households who would begin packing a few days prior, this one waited only start a few hours before leaving for the airport. Very desi, if anything.

"I already finished last night." She said with an embarrassed smile.

"Really? Did you get everything you and Aarush will need? Toothbrush, clothes, shampoo, etc.?" Her mother in law was on the ground packing her own very large bag. She looked at Aeleya with a questioning expression.

"Yup. His clothes are [packed as well. I'm only bring a single suit since I don't think he would wear any more then one. Other then that, I mostly just brought his t-shirts, sweats, and shorts." Over the week, she got to know more about Aarush's items and the things he liked to wear, atleast from the mouth of her mother in law. She was told the types of things she would need to pack, so she did it with ease. "Mine is done as well. Out of the twenty dresses you gave me, I'm only brining like eight. I had to use a second suitcase for that one." She laughed a little, not feeling awkward around her mother in law anymore.

Aeleya really bonded over the weak. She spoke to her mother in law many times, about various things. She learned some things about Aarush's childhood, she learned more about the family she would be visiting, and many more.

"Do you know what time Aarush will be coming home?" Her mother in law asked while packing.

"No, he didn't call me yet." Aeleya answered while also getting on the ground and helping her mother in law pack. "But he might be home soon, because he did say he would be here before the flight."

"Yea, that's true. Alright, can you finish up here? I'm gonna go and make him some food. He will probably be very hungry when he gets back." With a bit of excitement on her face, she ran to the kitchen. "I have seen him for a week, hopefully he is alright."

"Can I help? I wanted to try my hand at cooking." Getting up from the ground, she walked towards the kitchen.

"Oh? I didn't know you can cook." Her mother in law was impressed. She assumed that because of going to university, Aeleya wouldn't have time to learn.

"I can make food. I'm not great, but I can make something." She smiled. Not knowing why, but she really wanted to make some food as well.

"Alright, then let's make something together. I want to make his favorite dish, so let's begin." They began right away, not noticing the time fly.

Aeleya felt somewhat tired as beads of sweat were formed on her forehead. The dish wasn't too complicated, but it did make her somewhat tired. She wasn't bad at cooking, she used to do it at home since her mom forced her too. Now, it just felt fun, to say the least.

"Dear, why don't you go freshen up, I'll set up the table. He might be here soon." Aeleya nodded her head and went back to her room, this time to take a shower. Her body had meaty and vegetable mix smell. It wasn't necessarily unpleasant, but it wasn't something she would want to walk around with.

"Alright, I'll be down in a bit then." Smiling at her, she walked up the stairs, heading back into her room. Finding a new pair of clothes, she could wear, something simple and comfortable, she quickly rushed into the washroom.

Taking a long shower, she came out after half an hour. A towel was wrapped around her body, and another one on her hair. She walked out of the washroom carefully, making sure no one was there. After confirming no one was around, she walked out barefoot, parts of her still dripping with water. She walked towards the bed and quickly threw her clothes on the bed.

"Mom, let me change really quickly first." Just when she was about to take her towel off, she heard the door behind her open and then suddenly close.

"Ah!" Shrieking, Aeleya turned around and saw Aarush looking at her in shock. "Turn around!" She yelled again, seeing him still staring.

"Calm down, I'm not going to look. Haha." He laughed a little and she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. "My wife, giving me such a surprise is really too much." He continued to talk.

"Shut up, why didn't you knock first?" She growled at him.

"I didn't think I would need to knock before entering our room. Can I turn around now?" He asked while standing with a slouched back.

"Of course not. Let me go into the bathroom first, then you can turn around." She quickly picked up her clothes and ran into the washroom. Getting inside, here chest began to rise and fall. Her face was flushed red, both from anger and embarrassment. "Alright, I'm in the washroom."

Aarush turned around and saw that she was gone. He smirked as he walked towards the closet and pulled out a bit of clothes himself. "Aeleya, I need to take a shower as well, so you should be a little quicker."

"I'm changing, I'm changing." She dried her body and began to quickly change. Her hair was still wet, so wearing the shirt was slightly annoying.

Although she was embarrassed and angry, a smile still carried on her face.

"Aeleya, how are you? It's been so long. I've been dying to see you." She heard his voice from the other side. He spoke calmly. He seemed exhausted, but the excitement couldn't be hidden. She didn't reply to him however, just changing. "Anyways, my week was extremely busy. I almost slapped one of the residents, cause oh man, they really don't know what they're doing. How was your week? Hopefully great? Did you eat lots? I noticed that you seemed a little thin, yet not so much. Haha." He laughed as he spoke carelessly.

"Hey, don't mention anything!" She couldn't help but feel embarrassed. She knew exactly what he was referring too.

"Don't worry, it just makes me feel excited." He spoke shamelessly. Soon, Aeleya walked out of the washroom, her hair still damp. Aarush got up and looked at her in a daze.

"What?" Seeing him look at her like that, she couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Aeleya, although I promised I wouldn't touch you, can I atleast hug you once? It will be a small one, can I?" He walked closer and asked in an almost begging way.

"Hug?" She asked with a but of surprise.

"Yeah, just a single hug. I know you don't like me yet and stuff, but it's been so long since I've seen you. I felt so depressed. I had your picture, but I wanted to hear your voice, see you in person, make small jokes, and so on." He was already in front of her.

"Wait." She took a step back, but he took one forward.

"Aeleya, if you don't want to, just say it, I will stop. But if all you say is wait, I will assume you don't mind." His smile brightened as she quieted down. Taking this as an opportunity, he lowered his body and wrapped his arms around her waist. He dug his face into her hair and took a deep breath. "I really did miss you. When you came to visit that day, my day became so much better. Now I can even hug you. My life is really bliss." He began to hug her even more tightly.

"Aarush." She couldn't help but call out, but Aarush didn't let go.

"Just a bit longer. I don't know when you will let me hug you again." He tightened his hug even more. Not enough to hurt her, but enough to let him feel at peace. Soon, he let go and smiled at her with a relaxed smile. "Thanks." With that, he walked towards the bathroom and began to take a shower.

Aeleya stood still in her spot. She could smell the lingering scent he left behind. Her body felt warmer, and unexpectedly, a blush appeared on her face. She sat down on the bed and kept thinking about the hug. She never expected that she would hug him so tightly when she met him a week later.

She was lost in her thoughts for ten minutes. Suddenly, Aarush walked out of the washroom. He wore a pair of blue shorts, while his shirt was still off. She was somewhat dazed by him. His body was toned, yet not as crazy as those from movies. Yet, she didn't mind it. His hair was wet, and fell on his face, curtaining his eyes.

"Aeleya, did you decide what I will be wearing during the flight?" He walked over and asked with a smile.

"Me? Shouldn't you just wear whatever?" She snapped out of her daze and questioned back. Why would she decide his clothes?

"Yes you. You're my wife, so if you want me to wear a certain shirt, I'll wear it. C'mon, don't be shy." He smiled as he walked over and sat on the other side of the bed. Slowly laying down, he closed his eyes. "Tell me if you find something."

She watched him with annoyance. 'Why can't he find his own clothes?' Getting up, she looked through the closet, trying to find something she thought would look good. After snooping for a while, she finally found something. It was a purple shirt, with grey pants. "Aarush, what about this?" Turning around, she found that Aarush had actually fallen asleep. His breathing was silent, while he looked extremely serene.

Walking over, she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to wake him up as she knew that he just got back, and he probably rested little during the week. Yet, she knew that the flight was in a few hours, so they needed to leave.

Biting her lip, she shook his shoulder. "Hey, Aarush. You need to get up." Aarush opened his eyes slowly. He looked around a little and saw her hand on his shoulder. He smiled gently and grabbed her hand lightly.

"This henna looks really good on your pretty hands. I just want to kiss them." With him still in a drowsy state, he pulled her hand and kissed it. "Your palm is also so pretty." He turned her hand and kissed her palm. "Maybe again." He kissed it again. Then again, and then again. He began to kiss her hand over and over again.

Aeleya was too shocked to react. A tingling feeling rushed through her whole body from that hand. She was frozen, yet also entranced by his drowsy state. His constant kisses tickled and didn't feel… horrible.

"Your hands are so soft and nice. They taste nice too. Aeleya, I wish I could kiss you everywhere. But for now, your hands are enough for me." He continued to speak. He didn't seem to be in complete awareness, which made Aeleya even more shocked.

With a jolt, he pulled her hand and she fell onto the bed right beside him. "Aarush." This time she couldn't help but call out.

As if snapped out of a spell, Aarush's eyes clear and he quickly sat up. "What happened?" Looking around, he saw that he was still holding her hand and that she was laying beside him. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "This?"

"You were sleeping, and then just started…" She couldn't get the words out before Aarush planted a kiss on her cheek.

"You're so pretty." He smiled as he kissed her hand and then got up. Grabbing the clothes in her hands, he wore them while she laid in shock. He walked towards the room exit, but before leaving he turned around and smiled. "If I didn't have such good self control, only God knows what I would do to you. You're really way too pretty."

He left the room, leaving Aeleya laying on the bed. She was looking where he left, somewhat in a daze. She raised her hand and touched her cheek. "He really kissed me?" Still not able to comprehend what happened, she continued to lay in her bed.

Her face flushed as she began to rub her cheek. Getting up from the bed with a red face, she started to dry her hair, hoping to forget about the incident. Yet, her mind kept thinking about it. She couldn't help but look at her right hand over and over again. At times, she would feel the parts on her hand which were kissed by him. They were warmer than the other parts, and a little more wet.

"Aeleya, come down, it's time to go!" She suddenly heard Aarush calling for her name. Her body froze when she heard his voice. Her mind rapidly thought of the hug, kiss, and everything else. She went blank. "Aeleya, if you don't come down, I'm coming up." When she heard this, she quickly got up and rushed towards the door.

"I'm coming." Letting him come up would only make her anxious. She couldn't be alone with him again. It would be too nerve wracking.

Running down the stairs, her foot missed one of the steps and she was about to fall, but suddenly someone caught her mid fall. "Woah, slow down a little." Looking up, she saw Aarush smiling down at her. Although the bags were still present under his eyes, he seemed more refreshed.

"Let go already, Aarush." Seeing that he was still holding her, she struggled out of his grasp with her face becoming red.

"Alright, calm down. Go ahead." He let her go after making sure she was stable. Seeing her walk away, he smiled, but suddenly that smile froze. Walking forward, he pulled her hand.

"Ah, Aarush." She was surprised by his sudden actions. She was about to yell at him, but when she met his eyes, there was no teasing. Instead, he was glaring at her. "Aarush?" She felt a little worried by his gaze.

"Where is the ankle bracelet?" His gaze was somewhat icy, looking upset.

"Aarush, why are you…" Her previous red face vanished and instead paled.

"Remember what I said that night? If you take the ankle bracelet off, that means you're looking to divorce me. Is that what you mean?" His voice was cold.

"No Aarush, that's not the case, I may have just forgotten it." She panicked a little. Even she didn't know why she was panicking.

"Then go and put it on." His voice was filled with bits of anger, making her cower. She weakly nodded her head and headed back up the stairs. He watched her leave, still feeling upset.

Reaching her room, her eyes were somewhat moist. "Why is he getting so mad? I didn't forget on purpose." She walked to the closet and began to search. It took her a few minutes and finally found it on the bottom shelf. Picking it up, she walked over to the bed and lifted her and tried to put it on. Her vision was blurry as she bit her lip. She felt frustrated, which made it even harder to put on. "Why did he get mad like that?! It isn't my fault." As she couldn't put the bracelet on, she threw it onto the bed in anger.

"Aeleya." With that action, she turned her head and saw Aarush standing by the door. He was looking at her with an expression of apology.

"What? You wanted me to find the bracelet, here, its right here. You know Aarush, I told you on the first night that I don't like you and that we only got married because I was forced to. I said I can't unmarry you because of certain circumstances, but since you keep bringing it up, then fine. Let's get this divorce, I'll just go live off on my own. Sure, people will talk behind my back, but I'll get used to it. I will be disowned by my parents, but who cares." Aarush sighed as he walked towards her. He stood in front of her and slowly got onto his knees. He looked into her eyes and saw that they were close to tearing up, which made him sigh. He reached for her hand, but she struggled. "Don't touch me." She growled with a choked voice.

Aarush didn't listen and forcefully held her hand. He yanked slightly, pulling her towards him, she stopped just in time, but their noses were already touching. "Aeleya, I will never divorce you." Using his spare hand to gently pinch her cheeks, he smiled. "If you think that I can ever divorce you, then you don't understand my love for you. I've said it before, you're my second life. Can anyone let go of their Second life?"

With an angry look, she pushed his hand away. "I don't care what you have to say. It doesn't matter to me. This was an arranged marriage that was bound to fail."

"It won't fail Aeleya. It won't. I will make sure of it. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten so mad. I just thought that you taking the anklet off meant that you've seriously considered divorcing me. I got scared." He spoke silently. As they were extremely close, she could feel his hot breath as he spoke.

"Just from that? I told you, I can't." She spoke in anger.

"I know, I know. It was my fault." He raised her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry. To me, you're the most important person. From your head to your feet, I've already claimed as my own. I could die, but would never let you go."

"I'm not yours to claim." She replied with anger.

"You are mine, whether you accept it or not. We will grow old together. We will have kids. We will watch them grow. We will do everything together. I could steal a kiss from you right now, and you to me, and it will be alright. You wouldn't even mind, because I know that you have accepted that fact. You may not love me yet, but you already consider me as someone important." Without waiting for a reply, he kissed her nose and then her cheek. His last kiss was planted right beside her lip, yet not on her lip. He then looked into her eyes, waiting for a reaction, and then a smile appeared on his face. "See? You don't fight it because you accept me as your husband .You don't feel disgust because you know that only I can do this to you." After that, he sat on the ground and lifted her foot, putting it on his thigh. He grabbed the ankle bracelet which was tossed on the bed. "I can do all of this and even more, and you are alright with it. I won't go further then kisses and hugs, because I want you to be comfortable first." He wrapped the ankle bracelet and smiled while holder her soft, pretty feet. Lowering his head, he kissed the top of her foot. "I could kiss you everywhere and you still won't get mad?" He stood up and looked down. Using his fingers to lift her chin gently, he stared into her eyes with dazed entranced eyes. "If I kissed you on the lips, would you resist? Or would you accept it like my other ones?" He lowered his head and closed in on her pink lips. Aeleya kept staring into his eyes, just watching him do it all. Her eyes were unfocused. Just when his lips were about to touch hers, he stopped and released a hot breath. Her eyes instantly cleared up and widened. Her face flushed to her neck, and she looked at him in shock.

"Y-you…" She stammered in her speech, yet Aarush kept smiling.

"I won't steal that one just yet. For now, your hands, your cheeks, and everything is alright. For that one, I want to wait until you steal mine." He laughed and walked towards the exit. "My kissable Aeleya, everyone left for the airport a while ago. If we want to catch up, we should leave now." He grabbed the two suitcases on the side and walked out.

Aeleya was frozen for a second before she also got up. She was wearing her simple dress and quickly chased behind him, her face still scarlet.

Both of them got into the car and drove off.

Still silent, Aeleya took small glances towards Aarush, yet never looked for too long. Her mind kept rewinding the scenes that played out their room. "...you already consider me someone important." This line repeated in her mind and she couldn't help but question herself. 'Do I really consider him someone important? It's only been a week since we got forcefully married and I didn't even see him most of the time.'

She snuck another glance at him and saw that he was smiling brightly as he drove. She flushed an even deeper red seeing him like that. 'He did all those things to me; he even kissed my foot! How am I not mad? Is it true that I consider him important? Were those nights I struggled to sleep really because of him?'

"Hey Aeleya." She suddenly heard his voice.

"Y-yeah?" She stuttered, which frustrated her. 'Why am I acting like this?'

"Give me your hand for a second." He extended his hand out and asked for hers.

"S-sure." Without much thought, she lifted her hand and placed it in his. Aarush smiled and gently squeezed it. He brought it towards his mouth and kissed it before wrapping his fingers in hers. "W-what are you doing, Aarush?"

"What? I'm holding my wife's hand. Is there a problem with that? I don't have a problem with it, and you don't seem to have one either. So?" He smiled as he spoke. He didn't let go of her hand and just held it tightly. His fingers would at times play with hers.

Aeleya looked at him but didn't struggle. 'Maybe this is no big deal. It's not like it feels bad.' She closed her palms as well, but her heart never stopped racing. Her face was still flushed.

Soon, the two arrived at the airport. His family was waiting by the entrance. Aeleya was about to let go, but she felt the grip tighten. "You can let go now." She spoke softly.

"Do I have to? You wanna just sit here like this? Let them go by themselves, we can enjoy our time here." He looked reluctant, still holding her hand tightly.

"We can't do that. Aarush, let's go. They're gonna get suspicious." Her eyes darted and her face flushed.

"Suspicious? About what? Me holding my wife's hand? Is that a crime? I could kiss you right now and no one can say a word. Let me prove it to you." Pulling her hand, he planted another kiss on her cheek. "See? No one can say a word. Wanna see it again?"

"N-no, I'm fine." She quickly escaped his grip and opened the door, running towards the family. Seeing her scurry away like a rabbit, he laughed lightly. He got out and opened the back doors. Taking the suitcases out, he walked towards one of the workers there. Passing them spare keys, he smiled.

"Just park it in block B for me. I reserved spot there. Here is the receipt." Handing the man, a slip, he walked away.

"Aarush, why did you guys take so long?" Maya walked over and winked.

"Shut up." Putting the suitcases onto a metal trolley that Maaz brought, he lifted his hand and squeezed Maya's head. "Kids shouldn't ask about things they have no business knowing."

"Ouch, alright, let go already." Pushing his hand away, she walked towards Aeleya.

"Maya, where are Aunty and uncle?" She asked with a confused expression. Her face still showed signs of flush red.

"They left already. They have to first drop Noori at her other grandparents place. They said they will meet us in Karachi." Aeleya nodded her head.

"Alright, let's go then." Aarush walked forward and stood beside Aeleya. His eyes suddenly widened as he pointed in a certain direction. "Aeleya, what's that? Holy…"

Getting caught off guard, she looked in the direction he pointed towards. "What?" When she asked that question, she suddenly felt someone grab her hand.

"Nothing, just the sky. Hehe." Aarush had a successful look on his face. He lifted her hand and gave it a small peck. "These beautiful hands are mind for life. I could kiss them all day, but sadly you might hit me if I do that."

"Hey, let go. " She spoke in a low voice, so that only he could hear her.

"Sorry, I can't do that." He didn't budge and just continued smiling.

"Didn't you promise not to touch me?" She brought up his past promise without hesitation.

"That was before you accepted me as your husband. Now, I won't do anything extreme to you, but I will hold your hand whenever I want. I will hug you when I want, kiss you when I want." He smiled, yet Aeleya didn't take his words as offensive. Rather, she didn't say anything more and just let him do as he pleased. "Maya, Maazi, hurry up. You guys have all your passports and stuff, right?"

"Yeah, right here." Maya and Maazi took their passports out and handed it to Aarush.

"Aarush, what about my passport? I don't have it…" Her face showed a bit of panic.

Raising his eyebrows, he pulled walked to one of the suitcases and unzipped it. He pulled out a dark blue passport. "Are you sure? Isn't this yours?"

"Where did you get that?" She asked with confusion

"On the day of our marriage, your dad gave me all of your ID's. From passport, to sin, and even your birth certificate. I got all the real ones." He smiled as he zipped the bag and placed the passport in his pocket. "Alright let's go." All of them began to walk through the airport. It was spacious with various people.

"Aarush, are we going on business class or first?" Maaz, who was taking care of the suitcases sked while walking.

"Normally business, but this time we are going first class. It costs more, but I saved enough so it isn't an issue." When he said this, Maya and Maaz just nodded their heads. They didn't show shock or excitement. On the other hand, Aeleya was shocked. She had never travelled business class, let alone first class. They were too expensive. Just one person cost over five thousand.

"How much does he make to afford all of this…" She spoke silently, but Aarush was able to hear her words.

"Aeleya, as my wife, you have every right to know my salary. Maybe this way, you won't hesitate to spend what you want." He took out a pen and began to scribble on his own hand. "This is what I make from the university." When she saw the salary, she wasn't too shocked, as it was within her expectations. Aarush the scribbled a little more on his hand and showed her. This time, she showed immense shock. "This is what I make at the hospital. Since I'm not a normal doctor there, I make more than average, but this isn't the limit." He scribbled one more time on his hand.

"What's this?" She looked at the large number. She didn't even take it as a salary as it exceeded her thoughts.

"This is the promised salary once I become chief of doctors. So, my wife, just do as you please. Money isn't an issue for me." He smiled at her brightly.

"You make so much…" She was speechless.

"Well, I worked hard to give my family a good life, and I happened to luck out." He laughed a little. "Anyways, my friends will be meeting us in Karachi. They're probably already there by now." He spoke with a smile.

They finally approached plane area. Aarush showed his boarding passes and an ID, soon they were all let on. They were given much more cordial treatment when compared to the rest. They were led to their area in the first-class section. There were about ten small cabins in the first-class section. One cabin was for him and Aeleya, while the other one was for Maya and Maaz. Aarush didn't get a third because he thought it would be a waste. Plus, Maya and Maaz had slept in the same room many times growing up, so it wasn't a big deal if they shared a cabin.

Entering their own cabin, Aeleya showed shock. There was a small bed, barely enough for two people, a tv, although not super high tech, and also a large window. She walked towards the window and saw people on the ground wearing work clothes with lights in their hands.

"This is so big." She was somewhat excited, thinking she would fly in such a room.

"Do you like it?" Aarush sat on a chair which was in the corner, smiling at her.

"Yeah, this is nice." She nodded her head with a smile. Suddenly, her smile froze. "There's only one bed, though."

Seeing her look at him with a worried expression, he sighed. "It's alright. I'll have Maya sleep here while I go sleep with Maazi. You can rest assured." Getting up, he was about to leave the room with a dull expression, but he felt something grab him from behind. Turning his head, he saw a flushed face Aeleya looking at him.

"We can sleep on the bed, but you can't touch me or do anything." She had a lowered head. She felt ashamed to say the least.

With his eyes firing up, he grabbed her hand and dragged her to sit on the bed. "I promise, I won't do anything. Also, stop looking so ashamed. If anyone saw you like that, they would think we were having an affair or something. You're my legal wife, so don't feel ashamed." He was super excited. In the beginning, he thought that he may have to sleep with Maaz while his wife slept with Maya. It made him feel sad, but now he felt rejuvenated.

"Aarush." Suddenly, he head Maya's voice and he sighed.

"Yeah?" Getting up, he opened the cabin door and saw Maya looking at him with anger. "What is it?"

"Tell Maazi to stop ordering so much food. He's literally ordering everything, but is only eating a little bit. It's so embarrassing." When Aarush heard this, he smiled bitterly.

"The plane hasn't even moved, and he ordered food? Is he so hungry?" Maya shook her head.

"No, he says he wants to try and finish the food while we are taking off. Just to see what it feels like." She showed an irritated face. "What if he drops it all, or starts to choke? Can you tell him to stop?"

"Alright, give me a second." He walked out and went into Maya's room. Aeleya and Maya heard a bit of yelling and also some fearful shrieks. It all went silent when a slap resounded." Aarush walked out with a smile on his face. Behind him, Maazi acted dead on the bed. Go ahead, it's fine now, right?" He looked at his sister who smiled at him sweetly.

"Thanks." She skipped back into her room. Aarush entered his own and closed the door.

"Anyways, that's all handled now. Let's get back to where we were." He smiled wickedly as he sat on the bed.

"We weren't doing anything." With a frown, she looked at Aarush.

"Come, sit next to me." He beckoned her over, ignoring her frown. Aeleya hesitated but still went and sat next to him. "Are you hungry?"

"No, I ate. What about you? Did you eat at all?" When she said this, she saw that Aarush had a wide smile on his face. "What is it?"

"You know what I have eaten. That dish you made to lovingly for me." He smirked and grabbed her hands. "Who knew that these pretty hands could be used for more than just kissing. I never knew you could cook."

Embarrassed by his actions and words, she shook her head. "I'm alright, not as good as your mom." She felt her face go red hot. 'Why can't he just have a calm conversation. Why does he keep making me feel so embarrassed?'

"My mom is good, sure. But eating something you made is much better. Here, I actually packed some and brought it." The smallest suitcase they had was considered a carry on, so they were able to bring it in with them.

"You brought it here? I thought the food wasn't allowed?" She was a little surprised by his actions.

"You think they could stop me? My wife made me food for the first time, no way I'm letting it sit at home, going to waste." He pulled out a small plastic bag from the suitcase. Within was a bag of pita bread and the dish. He opened it up and placed it on the bed. Digging in, he smiled brightly. "So good. Here, have some." Making a small piece for her, he pushed it towards her mouth.

"I'm fine, you can eat it." She said while moving her head back.

"Well, more for me then." He shook his head and continued to eat. Aeleya watched him eat like a starved animal. She laughed a little, but did so silently. A few minutes went by and just when he was about to finish, a light went off in their room. "Shit." He cursed a little, but quickly packed the food and put it into the suitcase. He zipped the suitcase and placed it into a little cubby they were given.

"What is it? Is it time for take off?" She asked with bewilderment. She didn't notice anything until he swore.

"Yea. Here, sit beside me, alright?" She nodded her head and sat beside him on the bed. He grabbed her hand, which made her roll her eyes slightly. Aarush noticed this and smirked at her. "Don't roll your eyes like that, it just makes me excited." His shameless words made her feel embarrassed. She looked away and concentrated on the outside. Aarush shook his head and just played with her hands. Kissing it at random times, stroking them at others. Aeleya felt embarrassed because of his actions. She felt the tickle of his kiss at times and then the calm sensation of his light strokes. Overall, she felt nice because of him, but she was too embarrassed to say.

Soon, the plane began to move. As if on a rocket, they felt themselves being pushed back as the plane quickly flew into the sky. Aarush had a calm expression, but when he looked towards his right, he saw that Aeleya had her eyes shut hard. He smiled seeing her like this.

"Aeleya, calm down. Look outside, look how pretty it looks while we move up." Aeleya opened her eyes and nodded her head. Struggling slight, she turned her head to the right, looking out the window. She saw how quickly the ground began to become smaller. Since her window was larger than normal ones, she could see a lot more.

Seeing her focus on the outside, Aarush smiled. He closed his eyes and decided to rest. He was extremely tired and the flight would be for more than ten hours, so he could get a full rest.

As the plan began to approach the highest altitude, it slowed down. "Aarush, look at the clouds." She spoke up, but when she heard no reply, she saw that Aarush was already sleeping. His eyes were closed as he laid comfortably. He still held her hand and used it as a pillow of sorts. She didn't know what to do since her hand was hard to move, so she decided to lay down as well. Although she felt slightly tired, it wasn't to the point of being drowsy.

She stared at his calm, sleeping face. A look of curiosity was on her face. 'What goes on in his head when he's at work? He hates it, but is still so good to the point he will be the next chief of doctors in his hospital. The chairman supposedly also loved him a lot, and looks at him highly, but does he know that Aarush hates his career?' She lifted her empty hand and moved it towards his face, but before touching it, she hesitated. 'Is this right? I can't say I hate him, but I can't say I love him either; I do like him though. He is kind to me, spoils me in a way my parents never would. He treats me like his life, tries his best to make me happy. Really, I don't know when, but I will eventually start to love him, yet why does it seem like his life is still so hidden?'

Her hand which was still floating above Aarush's face was suddenly grabbed by the latter. The letters eyes were still closed, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his embrace. There noses were touching, and his chest was touching hers. The position was very close.

Aeleya almost yelled, but when she saw that he was still sleeping and that his actions weren't on purpose, she held her tongue. Instead she continued to look at him. Her face didn't flush this time, even though they were extremely close. A smiled played on her face as she watched him sleep up close. His warm breath kept hitting her face, yet she didn't mind it. His arm suddenly raised, and he wrapped it around her waist. She was pulled even deeper into his embrace. Her soft lips were touching his cheeks, and her face finally flushed. 'What do I do? He said he wouldn't but it's not like he's doing it on purpose either.' She sighed and moved her face slightly back. His face was clean shaven, so when her lips touched him directly, it felt as if an electric shock coursed through her body. 'Since I can't move, might as well sleep too. It will help me calm down.'

Her hands were in between both of them, while his arms were around her. Weirdly enough, she felt comfortable, more than being inside of a blanket, so she closed her eyes. With his breath touching her face, and his arms snuggling her up, she was able to fall asleep quickly.