• n o o r •
It was Friday morning and I couldn't sleep well the whole night in excitement. After two weeks of being locked inside the apartment, Faaris was finally going to show me around. I kept making plans in my mind during my sleep and I'm pretty sure I even dreamt something related to it.
Faaris was sleeping like a log beside me, unaware of my tossing and turning. I turned to my right to wake him up but he looked so peaceful while sleeping that I gave up the idea.
His curly locks were falling on his forehead and his mouth was slightly parted. He had taken more than half the space of the bed.
"Faaris." I whispered. "It's 9."
"Lemme seep." He mumbled.
"What?"
"Let me sleep." He groaned and shifted closer to me. My cheeks warmed up as a I realized our faces were just inches away. From this close, I could see the small freckles of his cheeks and his extra long eyelashes that could easily be mistaken as falsies.
"Fine. Sleep." I said and hopped out of the bed, not wanting to stare at him like a creep.
I took a long bath, scrubbing each and every part of me until I was smelling like flowers, and then dressed up in a plain Shalwar Kameez for now. I still needed to make breakfast and do some household chores which would be difficult in the outfit I had in my mind for today.
By the time I walked out of the bathroom, Faaris was sitting on the bed with his head buried between his hands. He lifted his head when he realized my presence and then said, "You're up early."
"Yeah, we have to go for the city tour. Remember?" I said.
"Oh, that." He whispered under his breath and then made a pout. "I forgot to tell you. I have some work today."
"Oh." I said, feeling my little bubble of happiness burst in disappointment. "Okay."
I turned to the mirror and ran the comb through my hair. My mood had worsened all of sudden and now, I wasn't even in the mood of breakfast anymore.
I was applying sunscreen when I felt Faaris walk behind me. He towered over me from behind and our eyes met through the mirror.
"Stop pouting. I was kidding." He said and a groan escaped my lips.
Turning in my spot, I put my hands on the hip and glared at him. "Not fair, Mr. Faaris Shah. Not fair at all." I said and he shrugged in return.
Avoiding my glare, he walked past me into the bathroom and before closing the door, he said, "Everything is fair in love, war and marriages."
"Idiot." I muttered under my breath and went downstairs to prepare the breakfast.
I made toast and omelet, with coffee for Faaris and tea for me. I was setting up the table when Faaris walked inside the kitchen and reached me. His hair was still wet and sticking up to his forehead in an adorable manner.
"We will leave by 1. The weather looks pretty good today. Dress into something warm." He said.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Seattle waterfront. It's a famous tourist destination in Seattle." He replied as he served the omelet and toast in his plate.
"Great." I said.
About three hours later, I was in the bedroom, dressing up for the day. Faaris was waiting downstairs, already dressed and ready. To be fair, he wasn't the one who had to change into five outfits to find the one perfect for this weather.
I had chosen black jeans, a white T-shirt and a white faux fur jacket. Satisfied with my appearance, I slipped into my white sneakers and made my way downstairs.
"Finally." Faaris said in relief, giving me a brief glance from head to toe.
I followed him out of our apartment to the elevator. We stood inside awkwardly, not having anything to talk about. Two weeks with this man and I still don't know what to say to him most of the times. Thankfully, the elevator ride was quick and we were finally on our way to wherever we were going.
I looked out of the car window and the weather instantly elevated my mood. The sky was covered with small clouds and there was cool breeze blowing. Weather like this was rare in Lahore.
That reminds me, I miss my city, despite all the heat and crowd and noise, I miss it really bad. I miss the overcrowded bus stations, I miss the scent of spices immersed in the air, I miss the welcoming people who never let you feel alone.
"Is it going to rain?" I asked, staring at Faaris. The wind was blowing through his dark curls, making them look really soft and messy. He was wearing a white T-Shirt and a pair of black jeans, similar to mine.
"I'm not sure. But then again, you can never be sure about Seattle weather." He said.
I gave him another quick glance. Sometimes I wonder how this man ended up as my husband. It still feels unreal because never in my life did I think of Faaris in that way. But God works in mysterious ways. Almost a year ago, I used to call him Bhai (Thank God, he stopped me) and now, we were to spend the rest of our lives together.
Before I could clear my mind of the thoughts of the past, they went to a certain person. Something tickled the back of my eyeball and I felt my vision blurring a little. Things could've been so different if only...
No. Don't, Noor. Don't ruin this day.
"Stay close to me throughout the day. I don't want you getting lost in an unfamiliar place." Faaris said softly.
"Okay." I said.
He cares about you, Noor. He might never love you like he did but he cares about you. What more do you want from an arranged marriage?
He stopped the car in a parking lot and then opened the door of my side. "Come on, we will walk from here."
I nodded and followed him out of the car. This area was comparatively more crowded than the rest of the city, which was obvious as it was a tourist destination. People were walking around in groups, going into various shops and restaurants in our way.
Faaris extended his hand for me and after a little hesitation, I laced my fingers with his large ones. His hand was large and warm, against my cold, small ones.
"To our right is Elliot bay." He motioned to the body of water to our right.
"I want a picture here." I said and handed him my camera. I walked over to the fence overlooking the water and stood right in front of it. Faaris clicked a picture and then we moved forwards.
We walked through the crowd into the denser part of this area. Faaris was still holding my hand, guiding me forwards. To our right was the clear blue water and to our left were located many shops, restaurants and gaming areas filled with tourists.
"One here." I said and stood right next to a statue. Faaris agreed without any arguing and kneeled down to take a good picture from that angle.
For the next hour, we took a picture at every spot possible. We went to each and every souvenir shop and I bought some gifts for my family, specially Maheen. To my discomfort, Faaris insisted on paying for everything, which I let him because I didn't want to argue.