CHAPTER 28
ISHITA POV….
I am not sleepy at all. It just 7:15 pm and we will have dinner at 9 pm. Joshua is taking a bath. I am feeling relaxed that Joshua is with me now but I don’t understand one thing that how he met Sheetal aunt? Why he said that he is trying to get to know about my past? Why did he just suddenly initiate to marry me, instantly?
I am not complaining but it just that I am not finding any of the answers. I didn’t tell Joshua that I want to re-marry him in Indian tradition, I don’t want to trouble him more so it will be better if I don’t say anything regarding re-marry again. Should I sleep or go downstairs to talk with everyone? But what will I say to them? It will be better if I just sleep for some time and go downstairs with Joshua. I am still feeling shy when he just kissed me all over my face. That was cute tho; and I kind of like it. I never interact with boys in my life and here I am thinking about a guy with whom I just got married and who my husband is now. HUSBAND! This word is enough to make dragonflies do summersaults in my stomach. I am feeling tickles in my stomach area. I think I should take off his clothes from closet.
I stood up from the bed and went inside the walk-in-closet. I saw this for the very first time and I am in wow right now. I never saw this walk-in-closet before. How rich is he? His jeans section, shirts section, blazer section, watches, shoes, night dresses, perfumes every single thing is neatly arranged.
I searched for night dresses for him and finally found comfortable clothes for night. I took out his lower and t-shirt. I heard a sound of door opening. I think Joshua is done with bathing. I closed the door of the closet and came out when I saw HIM….
I can see his back as he is facing the mirror. He is half naked. I never saw any guy like this. He looks….. he looks…. what should I say to him?
‘Hot’ my mind said
‘Sexiest man’ here goes my heart
‘Seductive’
‘Inviting’
Here comes my heart and mind and started to suggest me synonyms. I shut them off for now as I am more focused on his body. His lower body is wrapped with towel. He looks like a Greek god as he is having his 6 packs abs or maybe 8. His broad chest, his strong muscles; anyone can say that he did hard work in gym as his body looks so good and strong. Can’t I touch his abs?
“Like what you see babe?” He said huskily in my ear. I didn’t get to know when he went behind me and stood there. I am just looking at my husband like a creep.
Red color spread across my cheeks and anyone can say that….
“You are blushing…. Not bad.” He said hugging me from behind and I got stunned as it is all new to me.
‘Did he just call you babe?’ My mind asked and then I remember that he just said that.
“Di-did you just c-call me ba-babe?” I asked him whilst stuttering. Why the hell am I stuttering?
“Yeah, why don’t you like it?” He said huskily in my ear. Our body is too close. I mean VERY CLOSE
“I-I thought to take off your ni-night dress for you.” I said to him while showing his night dress. He takes his night dress and put it on the couch which is near the bed. He makes me turn around to face him. My eyes are close right now. I can feel his hand on my cheek and other hand is on my waist. My chest is touching is chest. My one hand is on his shoulder and other one on his chest, near his heart. I can feel his heart beat which is beating only for me. I can feel his breath on my lips. I open my eyes and saw his eyes. His eyes are looking mine and then on my lips.
Am I ready for this? I think no. I need some time. But now I am someone’s wife so I need to fulfill his needs as well but am I ready for this? What if I say no and he would feel bad and then leave me?
‘Chances are high for this’ Here comes my brain.
‘Why are you making her scared? Ishita; don’t take stress okay. Nothing is going to happen. He trust you and you trust him’ Here my mind trying to soothe me
‘But now what will be the use of trust when he needs something from her? Now what will you do Ishita?’
‘Don’t listen to him Ishita, just listen to your heart okay’
My mind and my heart are fighting when I feel like I am up on the air and flying but wait how can I fly like this? Then I realized that Joshua took me in his arms and carrying me in a bridal style.
‘I won’t disturb you at your first night?’ Mind says again and I widened my eyes FIRST NIGHT?
‘Don’t listen to your brain Ish, trust him okay’ my heart says.
I feel something soft on my back. He put me on the bed and I am lying right now while he is just sitting on the bed beside me; wearing nothing on upper half and towel is still wrapping on his lower body. He kissed me on my forehead and looking at me with loving eyes. LOVING? Am I thinking right? Right?
Is there any chance that he will lo-love me? I think yes. I mean maybe…. Ughh I do-don’t know.
“Ish, you need rest okay. I will just change my clothes. We have 1 and half hour left for dinner. So just take some rest okay. And don’t worry, I will never do things without your permission okay. Trust me” He said tugging the quilt on me and I passed him a smile. I slowly closed my eyes and don’t know when I slept. I just feel him stood up and then heard the open and close door sound.
TIME SKIPS……
“Ish, Ish…Get up. It’s dinner time.” He said waking me up and I slowly open my eyes to see his beautiful face. I gave him a smile and he pecks my forehead with a feathery kiss. I really love it when he always does to me. It feels me connected with his soul and every kiss of him says that ‘I am here for you don’t worry’ and this makes me smile.
“Let’s go, it’s dinner time” Joshua said and I nodded my head in yes. I stood up and went inside the washroom to freshen up. I came outside and look at him as he is still in the room waiting for me.
He held my hand and intertwined with his. I saw our hand which looks good together. We both came downstairs intertwining our hands. Aunt Isabella, Layad and Ate Rosa are sitting on the dining table and smiling looking at us.
We both stood in front of them. Aunt Isabella come closer to me and hugged me tight. I reciprocate the hug with her. She now is looking at me with teary eyes. Ate Rosa stood up and hugged me as well.
“I am so happy that you both are now together” Ate Rosa said and Aunt Isabella nodded their heads in agreement while having a genuine smile.
“Yes, I wanted to make you two a pair and see my wish gets fulfilled.” Aunt Isabella said wiping her tears.
“Aunt Isabella, we are sorry that we got married like this” I said while holding her hands.
“Don’t worry dear what if we didn’t come to your wedding. We are deciding for a reception party for both of you.” Ate Rosa said and I am confused now. Reception party?
“And don’t call me Aunt now. I am now your mom. So call me mom.” Aunt…sorry, mom said this to me.
“Okay…Mom.” I said and hugged her tight as I am repeating the same words. I never ever called someone mom because I don’t have a mother. I have but where is she; I don’t know.
“Are you going to cry like this or shall we start our eating? I am hungry” Layad said grabbing all our attention towards her.
We all smile towards her and nodded our head. Mom, Ate Rosa sat together while I and Joshua sit together and Layad is the head now so she is sitting on the head chair.
As we were probing on everything that’s happened with Joshua’s proposal, our attention was then pulled by Layad when she made noises with her plate and spoons. She wasn’t looking at any of us; she was rather looking at her fried chicken on her plate slicing it aggressively with a big grumpy look on her face.
“Layad anak (anak means child in Filipino) are you okay?”
Ate Rosa asks as we held our dinner altogether waiting for Layad. She looked pissed for quite unknown reasons.
“You okay princess—ouch! What was that for?”
Again asks Joshua but we were all started when Layad suddenly stood from her sit and went and smacked her uncle with her little fists. Tho it surely didn’t hurt, Joshua still reacted and was rather flustered but the sudden actions of the little lady.
“Who told you to marry Ate Ish! Call off the marriage you silly Tito Joshy! You cannot marry Ate Ish! No!”
And then she began going berserk and cried all of a sudden. Everyone was but stunned as much as I am. I didn’t know what to say when Joshua suddenly looked at me with the same confused look I had on my face. I shrugged my shoulder as I really didn’t know what to say.
“Layad, what do you mean? Stop crying first and tell me why you don’t want your Tito Joshy to marry your Ate Ish?”
Ate Rosa says and went to Layad’s side patting her back.
“Right Layad, do you not want your Tito Joshy for your Ate Ish? Or have you seen your Tito Joshy hurt your Ate Ish in anyway?”
“Ma! Of course not! Layad princess, would you tell Tito Joshy what happened—ouch ouch!”
“Why did you marry Ate Ish! I was planning to marry her but look what you did! You ruined my plan!”
Again, everyone was rendered speechless.
“Layad! What are you saying?”
Layad ignored her mom and just cried out loud as I awkwardly smiled back at Ate Rosa, mom and Joshua’s look on me. What? I didn’t do anything and I never knew anything about Layad’s plan of…. Marrying me?
“I read on fairytale books that when you marry someone, you will both live happily ever after and you will spend the rest of your live together. You will play together, eat, go out on picnic and just do everything together till you get old. And mama, I was planning to play forever with Ate Ish and so when I read the fairytale book, I thought that marrying Ate Ish will make us both live happily ever after and look at Tito Joshy ruining everything! Mama, please don’t let him marry Ate Ish coz I will marry her!”
I nearly spitted everything I was drinking after I heard Layad’s explanation. And after a long moment of silence, everyone especially I laughed. Omg this kid, how innocent. I was crying and tearing up at the same time probing on how naïve and innocent was Layad.
“Layad.”
Just then, I stood and went to Layad’s side as she looks up on me with a big pout and all of a sudden hugged my waist as it was what she can reach for now; I hugged her back.
“I understand that you want to live happily ever after with me but you cannot say that you will marry me. Marriage alone is a complicated thing for adults talking less of a young lady like you and Layad, for love’s sake, you cannot marry at such young age.”
I giggled in between my explanation as I crouched to her level and tucked some strands of her hair to her ear. She silently listens and sniffles on her runny nose while looking at me straight in the eye.
“Hmm let me put it simply; you know Layad, we can always play together and we can even live happily ever after even without marriage and even if I’m now married to your Tito Joshy, I will always see to it that I find time to play with you, go out on a picnic with you and everything you wanna do together. I may not be able to fulfill anything at once but I can promise that I’ll always be here okay?”
After as second or two with just silently staring, Layad nodded and hug me at last.
“Come here princess, I’m sorry too—hey!”
“Bleh! I only forgive Ate Ish not you silly Tito Joshy—hmp!”
And with that, Layad strode off after telling us she’s full and she wants to clear her mind. We just nodded silently still speechless of Layad’s overly matured behavior all of a sudden as we just laughed out the little lady’s cute naivety and innocence.
“So I was thinking why not hold a party tomorrow evening?” Mom said and I look at Joshua who is already looking at me. I know he is waiting for my approval. A moment later after dealing with Layad’s tantrums, we continued to eat peacefully and all of a sudden, mom initiated to start a conversation.
I passed Joshua a smile because someday this reception party is going to happen then why not tomorrow?
“Don’t worry take your time. We will plan this some other…” I cut Ate Rosa line in between
“No, mom and Ate Rosa, I am fine with this arrangement tomorrow.” I said smilingly and they both also passing me the smile. I look at Joshua who is smiling towards me.
“Yayyyy, partyyyyyy!” We looked on the kitchen’s entrance when all of a sudden we heard Layad’s overly excited shouts; she was actually just there eavesdropping on our conversation as we just laugh at her antiques.