The room was nothing u had ever seen. White sheer curtains, chandeliers nd the bed massive—draped in red nd gold velvet. Roses were scattered across silk bedsheet.

You sat at the edge of the bed, ur fingers gripping the edge of ur dupatta which veiled ur face. Heart thudded loudly. Then u heard it—

Footsteps. Heavy. Slow. The door open.

In walked Azaan Mirza—dressed in a black kurta with gold buttons undone at the collar, sleeves rolled to his forearms.

Azaan “So u are… my wife.”

He stopped just in front of u. Azaan “I’m the man —they call me Death. But tonight… I’m stopping myself from touching even a thread of u.”

He reached out slowly and lifted ur veil.

Ur face shone in the soft candlelight—big, innocent eyes, pink lips, a small bindi at ur forehead.

His breath caught. Azaan “Khuda gawah hai… aisi masoomiyat zindagi mein pehli baar dekhi hai.”

U look down “I– I know you didn’t want this marriage… am ur duty …”

He gritted his teeth, suddenly kneeling in front of you, making you gasp. Azaan “Duty? The day someone even thinks of touching you… I’ll either take my own life—or his."

Ur eyes welled up. U didn’t know why—but ur heart skipped. No one had ever said something like that to u.

He stood, looking down at u. Azaan “Tonight… you decide if I deserve to even touch u.” He walked toward the door nd paused.

Azaan“I’ll be outside that door… If you’re sleepy, sleep. But if ur heart wants… call me.”

And then, he left. Leaving behind his arranged wife… nd didn’t know why u felt like crying when he walked away. U got down from bed. Still in my beautiful heavy white lehenga. Adroned in jewels. veil now resting on my head as he lift it earlier. U blink back ur tears nd walk out,where he left. The hallway was wide nd dim. The walls and ceilings were covered in intricate Mughal fresco. There was a stillness in the air.

He was there. Back turned to u. Hands behind his back. Shoulders straight.

He was tall— muscles outlined under the fabric of his kurta. He heard u stop, heard ur hand in the air between u both. He knew what u wanted to do. Part of him almost ached to have u touch him, especially since he never let anyone else touch him.

But he stood unmoving, waiting, for u to touch to speak ur heart out.