She tried to turn back but was stopped by a strong hold of him on her shoulder.

"Aap chinta mat kijiye. Ham aapko kabhi bhi galat niyat se nhi chhuyenge." Aashrit said and their eyes met in the mirror. (Don't worry. I'll never touch you with ill intentions.)

 Goosebumps appeared on Meera's back after hearing her name rolling from his tongue. She suddenly felt hard to breathe and her stomach twisted. She wet her dry lips with her tongue.

 Aashrit noticed her goosebumps and dry lips. He noticed how her throat gulped a lump of saliva and her chest heaved up and down with raging breath.

 "Your necklace is tied tightly. It would be hard for you to open it. So if you allow me?" He asked maintaining eye contact with her in the mirror.

 Meera didn't believe her voice at the moment and could just nod in agreement. She averted her eyes instantly not able to handle the intensity of his gaze. Aashrit took it as a yes and unhooked her necklaces.

As his hand touched the back of her neck, she tightly held her lehenga. Her heart suddenly went silent. It wasn't a silence of calm but a silence before the storm. ( Lehenga – Long skirt )

She came out of her thoughts when she heard the closing sound of the door. She looked in the mirror and found Aashrit gone.

As she found him nowhere, she took some deep breaths from her mouth and held the slab of washbasin feeling her knees gone jelly. She tightly held the slab and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face went red completely and her chest was heaving up and down visible from the net dupatta she wrapped around herself.

 "What was that feeling?" She uttered "Oh God!! I never felt that. It was like I was craving for his touch. I want him but not at the same time. Meera!! Meera !!Meera !! Control yourself. He told you already that I should not expect anything from this marriage. Don't ignite any feelings or you'll end up getting hurt and you won't have anyone to blame except your ownself." She said looking at her reflection in the mirror.

◊

 As Aashrit left the bathroom he took a deep breath.

 "Compose yourself Aashrit. Your self-control can't be that fragile." He said to himself and sat on the bed.

But no thoughts seem to remove the thought of that one particular honey-voiced girl. He then took the novel from his nightstand and started reading it to distract himself.

His concentration broke as soon as he heard the sound of Payal reaching his ear. He lifted his eyes from the novel and looked at his wife who was now wearing a night suit and standing at the door of the wardrobe looking at the other side of the bed while her hands were fidgeting. He understood her inner dilemma.

 "Let's talk about some important thing." He said which gained her attention.

 She looked at his hand signaling her to sit on the other side of the bed. Without any protest, she went and sat there on the other side.

 Aashrit kept his novel on the nightstand and turned to look at her who was looking at her fidgeting hands.

 He looked at her and turned to her side " Well !! Let's talk about some important things."He said making Meera look up at him with curious eyes.

 "The bed is big enough for two people. But still, if you are not comfortable I can settle on the couch." He said and looked at her for an answer.

 Meera looked at him on hearing his words "No!! It's your bed. Why would you settle on the couch?"

 "Well !!!! I can't let my wife sleep uncomfortably. So either we both are sleeping on the same bed or you are sleeping here alone." He said with thinned brows.

 Meera thought about his words and looked at the bed which was big enough for two people. She was a little unsure about sleeping on the same bed as him but she also couldn't let him sleep on the couch in his room.

 "You can sleep here." She said in a low voice and Aashrit heaved a sigh of relief. Although he said he would sleep on the couch, he knew it would be hard considering his height and the couch length.

 "Also," Aashrit said making Meera look up at him for any new piece of information.

 "I have hired a trainer for Jugnu. He will help Jugnu to bond with other dogs." He said and Meera's eyes twinkled with happiness.

 "Thank you," She said genuinely happy with his words realizing that she would not be the only one who thinks for Jugnu's wellbeing..

 "It's my duty as a husband." He said and Meera nodded thinking about his words that he would fulfill all the responsibility of a husband and he is doing that from the 1st day itself.

 And silence prevailed between them when Aashrit spoke again " Do you want something else?"

 Meera thought for some seconds and shook her head in no.

 She saw Aashrit standing up from bed and going to her wardrobe while she lay down on the bed and was out like a light in just a few seconds.

◊

 Meera's eyes opened with the continuous blaring of Alarm. She opened her eyes with so much effort She was feeling so tired and only wanted to rest and do nothing. She looked up at the ceiling only to find it different from the one in her house and suddenly the reality dawned upon her. She stood up in an instant and looked at the time. She relieved a sigh of breath realizing she wasn't late on the first day.

Meera looked at the other side of the bed only to find it empty. She wondered where he could have gone so early in the morning. She was about to leave when her eyes went to a box and a paper lying on the bed. And 'To Meera' was written in big words which intrigued her attention.

 She took the paper in her hand and also the box. Before opening the box, she decided to check what was written in it.

Good morning Meera,

There's your Muhdikhai gift in the box. I recently got to know that I was supposed to gift you something on our wedding night. I wanted to give it to you yesterday only but you were already asleep. And I didn't find it right to wake you up when you are already so tired of all the rituals.

Let me know if you don't like the gift. I will buy you something else or you can let me know if you want something.

Aashrit Singh Yaduvanshi

(Muhdikhai- Husband, his family, and relatives are supposed to gift the bride clothes and jewelry when they see her face for the first time after marriage.)

A smile formed on Meera's face as she folded the paper again and put it nicely beside her.

She took the little box resting on the sheets. She opened the box and a gasp left her mouth. It has a beautiful gold pendant with a bird locket adorned on it. She always had a different kind of love or simple minimal jewelry and it was perfect as per her taste and she couldn't ask anything more. Meera carefully took the necklace and put it around her neck. She stood up from bed and went to the mirror to see how beautiful it was looking on her.

She stood in front of the mirror and looked at the pendant adoring her neck with her mangalsutra. And a blush coated her cheeks on getting even a little attention from him.

"Maybe we could work upon our marriage if we both try. He is fulfilling his husband's duty and I can do the same for him. Even if there is no love, there can be respect, appreciation, and responsibility for each other." She said to herself looking at the mirror.

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