The Vows

The Vows: Part 3

Almost like a paradoxical insomnia, I was aroused by a cough. Rehan's piercing eyes locked on me, scrutinizing my behaviour closely as he peeked from the book he was reading on his couch in our room. As usual his expression was cold, guarded.  He shoved it aside with a thud, took three long strides till the bedside table and reached on the glass of water. He probably thought I would gallop across the living room, loopy again. With a glass of water in his hand, he was expecting me to grasp on it quickly, but he became exasperated when I asked him to put it on the side table next to me. Within seconds my hands were coerced to take the water because he ceded right into my palms and ordered, "Drink it. Now!" before dimming the lights and getting out of the room to inquire about his mother. It was Rehan's accountability to make sure his mother was expending proper medication. In a way I was relived, my mother-in-law was in better hands, until I would deliver. We had our maid staff who looked after her as well, but Rehan usually supervised everyone, something that he had been doing even more rigorously since Zain's departure.

Rehan had changed so much since then. During some rare moments I could catch glimpse of his former self but most of the time he would act brooding, commanding everyone. I hated it when he would act as if I had to obligate to his commands. It wasn't like I was afraid of him. I knew he cared a lot about the baby because that was the only living memory of his beloved brother, his brother's heir, whom he could immensely love. Rehan wasn't going to brook any irresponsibility from my side or anyone else in that matter. The only exceptional goal he literally had at that point of time was the baby of his brother, grooming inside my womb. Having said that, there was no excuse for me not to repudiate his requests and commands. At least, the only mutual understanding we both shared was the fact we wanted the wellbeing of the baby as it meant a lot to us.

Lingering with my eyes at the ceiling of my roof, I was counting tiny circles inside the roof tiles above me. I reminisced how my next morning at the hotel with Zain was so glamorous. I was Mrs. Zain Khan and there was sense of completion from my body and the soul. We were on our bed, under one single blanket. I was resting my head on Zain's chest and when I glanced at him, I realized he was extruding a winsome smile at me. He kissed on my forehead and then on my lips greeting me to a beautiful morning as Mrs. Zain Khan. We both began to dress ourselves until we heard the knock on the door. It was the service lady who brought so much of breakfast in our room with tons of flowers and some complimentary soft drinks. It all resembled like a dream to me and I was fully content with the way my life was forming. Although, Zain and I were still at the hotel till late afternoon, we knew we wouldn't be dwindling our time as we had to prepare a lot still for our wedding. After a while, we went out for shopping for the wedding ring and Zain let me pick from the most expensive lot. However, I gently declined because I was not someone who would chase behind materialistic things. It was only the bounty of love I had succored from Zain that I wanted to sustain inside of me until my last breath. Outside of the jeweller's shop, Zain and I both decided that we would exchange promises instead of the rings, which was more lasting and meaningful than living with a lifeless jewel. Zain vowed to be enamor with me until the end of him, and I did the same, as well as to promise him that our secret marriage before our official one would remain concealed. During the next two weeks, Zain and I arranged a wedding planner who executed most of the work both Zain and I have planned and it enriched the entire sequence of the wedding theme. Zain's family were equally boosterish. Everyone was occupied with the things they have to complete as there were only scant number of things remaining, but my father-in-law was constantly on his feet and monitoring until everything was nearly impeccable.

I remembered the day my mother-in-law, Mrs. Sheena Khan handed me the most beautiful wedding outfit dipped in red color, embroidered with real pearls with complimentary red and white bangles. The wedding was in two days and I was walking out of their house towards my car, when my foot accidentally slipped on a wet floor. I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut and barricaded myself for the fall when a pair of muscular arms encircled my waist. At first, I thought it was Zain who clenched tightly on my waist, but when I realized the grip was not familiar, I knew it couldn't be him. Slowly I uncorked my eyes, a frown on my face and noticed Rehan quietly contemplating my face. An unreadable expression flicked on his face the moment my eyes met his smouldering ones. He rolled his eyes and gave me a sarcastic smile, "You are most welcome Adika" and I pouted in response. At that time our relationship could best be labelled as frenemies. For some odd reasons only God knew, we didn't simply get along but Zain being the common factor between us, we did our best to behave cordially, or so we tried. "it is so hard to believe that you are Zain's brother. He is so sweet and yet you are so infuriating." I huffed out in frustration. "Why thank you dear Adika. I don't know what Zain sees in you. He could do so much better," he smirked, clearly gratified that he managed to rile me up. It was undeniable that Rehan had a talent to get on my nerves. Removing one of my hands which still entangled around his neck, I whacked his firm chest. "Take it back," I commanded him with every ounce of hostility I could muster. "You are forgetting I am still holding you, if I let go, you have a clear idea who, or should I say what will be kissing the ground!" came his amused response. "Fine! You win. Rehan my dear, thank you so much for being my knight in shining armor. Now will you mind?" I gave him a sickly-sweet smile, my voice laced with heavy sarcasm. He snorted but nonetheless pulled me up till I was able to stand on my feet.  I was about to give him another piece of my mind but I saw Zain approaching, so instead I contented to timidly thank Rehan. The shock expression on his face was priceless, and I had to bit my lips to prevent myself from melting in a fit of laughter .  When Zain witnessed it, he started cackling behind us. "Good, now that you two have to live together, I can now peacefully say, I am adoring the bond already". There was some uncertainty about his thought which I couldn't anticipate, so I dismissed as a joke.