Living Royalty

29. Samaah, get a grip!

Samaah's P.O.V

"Samaah! Samaah! I'm going to practice archery. You coming?" Arif called.

I immediately dropped the henna cone that I was using to try a new henna design at the back of my hand. "Yes, I am!" I said, immediately getting up and running to where he was waiting for me. "Let's go!"

"Wow! You're so excited! You must really love archery, don't you?" He asked.

No, I just really like spending time with you. Archery is one of those rare times during which I get to be with you, I thought, but nevertheless, I nodded my head and replied with a "yes".

Clearly, what I thought would never happen was slowly beginning to happen. Irrespective of Arif's nature, I was beginning to like him. I don't know why, but those moments I've spent with him over the past two months or so have really made me grow close to him. Arif was no longer an arrogant person, nor was he a bragger, and even his mum had thanked me, telling me that the whole "his wife will change him" theory actually worked, and not only just for him, but also for Asif, who was now waking up early every single morning, courtesy of Samiha. Both twins even had reduced the amount of time they spent outside, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't go out. They still continued going out and all, but just not as much as before.

Arif had, without realising, wrapped me around his finger. I did everything that he wanted me to do. I cooked whatever he liked. Although I hadn't ever cooked a Turkish dish before I got married, because Arif told me he wanted to eat it, I learnt some recipes from the Internet and actually cooked for him. I would always accompany him when he went for archery, but that was also because I yearned to be around him, and it was rare that during the day, I would get to be with him. Archery was that excuse that allowed me to be with him. When he asked me to attend his rugby tournaments - he was a participant of a local rugby club - I always did, even though rugby bored me to death! I just always wanted to do everything I could to make him happy. To see his gorgeous smile.

I never thought I would ever fall for this guy. I always was under the impression that maybe I would be a wife who has no feelings for her husband, but now I realise, I was in denial regarding my feelings for him. Those feelings which first came to be when I saw tears in his eyes for the first time. Tears for the loss of his family. Before that, I was feeling strange sensations around him, but that was probably an infatuation that came to be after a few times that we spoke properly. My real feelings developed that morning when I witnessed the soft side of this guy.

I wasn't sure if I was already in love with him, but I knew for sure that I was soon going to be in love with this guy. But what about Arif? I didn't know how he felt about me, but I was pretty sure that he didn't feel the same way. He sure didn't behave like it. He wasn't as desperate to spend time with me as I was to spend time with him. I never once caught him staring at me the way he had, on several occasions, caught me staring at him. But then, I prayed. I prayed to Allah to make my husband reciprocate my feelings. I had already accepted his flaws, something I thought I would never do. Now all that was left was for the two of us to love each other unconditionally.

Arif's voice brought me out of my thoughts. "Earth to Samaah!" He said, clicking his fingers in front of my face.

"Oh, sorry, I zoned out!" I said, flustered.

"You seem to be doing that a lot these days. Is everything okay?" He said, eyeing me warily.

"Yeah, why wouldn't everything be okay?" I asked, and he just shrugged.

"Anyway, let's go. Today, I want you to hit the bull's eye without my help," he said.

"Uh, I wouldn't be able to shoot today," I said.