I Don't Need Love

Part 9: Sleeping Bride

A chuckle escaped his lips when he found her sleeping while sitting resting her head on the headboard.

Exhausted from the long day of her wedding, she sank onto the bed in her bridal dress. The intricate details of her jewelry sparkled in the gentle light, mesmerizing yet weighing heavily on her tired body.

"Meera!" Rayaan called out, walking towards her. But she seemed to be lost in a deep slumber, unwilling to be disturbed. He lightly tapped her shoulder, calling her again, and she jolted up, gasping for breath. "Yes! Yes! I am awake," she said, her eyes darting around the room anxiously. She caught sight of Rayaan and immediately stood up from his bed, a mix of nervousness and unease evident in her demeanor.

"Relax! Just change your clothes and then sleep," Rayaan reassured her, walking to the closet to retrieve his own clothes. The sound of the sliding closet doors echoed softly in the room.

She didn't need to be told twice. She got up from the bed and dashed inside the washroom taking her clothes. As she removed the heavy jewelry and painstakingly untangled her hair from the numerous clips that secured her bun, her head throbbed with exhaustion.

It took her quite a time to get out of all the heavy jewelry and her bun. She almost fainted looking at the number of clips securing her hairstyle. Letting out a dramatic sigh, she collected her things after changing into a simple yellow kurti and plazo and walked out of the washroom. Usually, she would have preferred her lavender night suit with "I am the best" designed at the center of the shirt with silver embellishments, But now she was married. And casting her first impression to be childish was the last thing she wanted.

Her gaze involuntarily shifted towards Rayaan, who was donning an olive-green t-shirt and black track pants. Not wanting to be noticed by him, she silently tiptoed towards the dressing table to carefully place her pieces of jewelry.

However, she forgot about her anklets, and as they softly chimed in the silence of the room, her husband's eyes immediately turned toward her. The dress in her hands slipped from her grip, falling to the floor. Her gaze remained fixed on the ground as she hurriedly collected her lehenga with a nervous flutter in her chest.

He took a deep breath observing her unease, knowing well he was the reason she was not feeling comfortable around him. She needed some time to ease her worries when around him, "I have made the space for you. You can keep your clothes there. Are you a side-specific person?" he asked, his voice gentle and understanding.

Keeping her lowered she replied, "Thank you! and any side is fine". She walked past him to keep her accessories at their desired place.

Sitting down on the dressing table stool, She couldn't help but steal glances at Rayaan, who was moving towards the couch with a pillow in his hands.

She wasn't sure if the sleeping arrangement was for him or her but her doubts cleared as he sat on the couch preparing to put himself to sleep.

"You can sleep on the bed" She did not even realize when the words slipped off her tongue.

He looked at her perplexed. Considering how intimated she looked around him, it was surprising to hear those words from her. "I know you are not comfortable right now with me. So it's fine. I will sleep here"

"I...I...I Insist you sleep on the bed" She disliked being trouble to anyone. And she knew she was being one when her husband was taking the unnecessary pain of sleeping on the couch.

His eyes widened, He really didn't expect this from her, "So ... Umm are you sleeping on the couch?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"You want me to?"

"Of course not"

And that's how it was decided that they were sharing the bed.

Rayaan was back in bed with his pillow. He kept his body as close as possible to the edge of the bed. A little push and he would fall down.

Meera too cautiously joined him on the bed, sleeping as far as possible. The distance they left in between was enough to fit one more couple.

Both of them lay there, their hearts pounding, wide awake yet silent. They could hear each other's uneven breathing.

Meera loved to sleep. Sleep above everything! is her motto. But today even after an hour she couldn't sleep.

She thought sleep would come to her soon but she kept on tossing and turning on the bed.

As she lay there, her mind began to wander. She realized she had forgotten to bring her stuffed animal, Coco, with her, and the thought of sleeping alone in this unfamiliar place filled her with dread. Neither her Mom was there to cuddle her to sleep nor her Coco and her vision blurred thinking she is alone, all by herself. Her heart raced as she imagined all sorts of sinister shadows and noises. Even Rayaan was sleeping without any moment. It was scaring her more.

As the minutes passed, she was imagining the tick-tock of the clock getting louder and louder. She seems to have seen a couple of non-existent shadows too.

Her heart was running a marathon and her eyes were as wide as a tennis ball. Soon, the chattering of her teeth joined the sound of the clock's needle.

1...2...3...

After minutes of silence, she opened one eye and then another to see if there was any shadow in the room.

She shifted closer to Rayaan who was sleeping facing the other side, "L...L...Listen" she whispered near his ears. He didn't wake up.

She leaned in toward his face and waved her hand in front of him. There was completely no sign of him waking up.

"Please don't wake up till morning" she pleaded softly as she held his T-shirt from his bicep in her fist. She held the cloth with all her might and squeezed her eyes shut. "I will get away in the morning. Please don't wake up till then" she kept chanting until the sleep consumed her.

Little did she know she wasn't the only person awake in the room before she slumped into a deep slumber under the silver moonlight filtering through the window.