You said Forever and Always

Chapter 2

Zayne

I wasn't so much shocked as I was startled to see Naina standing before me in lingerie. I forced the memory of the last time I had seen her dressed like that out of my mind.

Could it be that she had dressed up like this for me? Her attire wasn't overly revealing; there was a lot of lace, and she wore a satin robe that covered most of her.

I sat up in bed as she approached me. It felt surreal, like a scene from one of my wildest dreams. She had starred in quite a few of those over the years.

She sat next to me, her expression unreadable. Her long black hair cascaded like curtains, framing her face. I had always been drawn to her, and I found myself attuned to her expressions more than I should have been.

She seemed shell-shocked, and I couldn't blame her. I hadn't imagined for a second that she would agree to marry me. At least not this quickly. It was a bit of an adjustment for me too.

"Which side do you want?" I asked her.

"What?" she responded, her expression blank.

"Which side of the bed do you want to sleep on?" I repeated.

She took a deep breath. "I don't know."

I remembered she slept on the left side when she stayed over with Advik. Yeah, I knew Advik. And I hated him. I had the misfortune of being his roommate for three months when I first moved to Manipal. He was the definition of a douchebag.

"I'll take the right," I stated, wanting her to be comfortable.

She moved over to the left side of the bed and curled up. I lay down next to her and pulled the covers over both of us.

I looked around her room. I had blown out the candles earlier, but it still looked beautiful. My eyes wandered to the box near the bed, and I smiled. Maybe one day. Not today.

Naina was my wife. I smiled to myself.

"What are the towels for?" I asked her. Was there some tradition for the first night that I was unaware of?

"It's for when the groom takes the bride's virginity, so that the sheets don't get bloody," she answered without emotion. I chanced a look at her, but she faced away from me. She was only a couple of feet away but could have been miles away. I closed my eyes to sleep, but I couldn't. Thousands of things ran through my mind. Did I do the right thing marrying her? Should I have asked for more time?

My parents had met Naina a few times during my post-graduation course and had been interested in her for me. I had been stupid enough then to tell them that she was engaged to someone else. I had a rough time convincing them to reach out to Naina's parents in the wake of her break up with Advik.

I felt her tremble next to me before I saw her. She was silent, but I knew she was crying. I hesitated before putting my arm around her. When I did, she stilled. I felt her body stiffen before her trembles changed to shaking. Her crying was no longer silent.

Screw it, I thought. She was my wife. I pulled her towards me and held her close, my heart pounding against her back as she gasped between sobs.

"It's okay, Naina, we are going to be okay," I whispered in her ears, withdrawing from her and rubbing her back. I felt her breathing slowly ease.

I knew I shouldn't ask this, but my heart wouldn't listen to my brain.

"Do you... do you still love him?"

She turned around to face me, her lids tinged with red, as was her nose. Her eyelashes clung together. I had seen her like this before, held her in my arms before.