Arranged marriage : Married to an unknown man

Ariana

I kept on thinking about the kiss all day. The Forehead Kiss.

I could still feel the touch of his lips on my forehead. There was a strange sensation in my body since morning which I couldn’t even explain, I felt dizzy, jittery and butterflies hadn’t stopped flying in my stomach. I couldn’t take that feeling away from me. And I didn’t even know why I had been blushing since the morning.

I tried to divert my mind by doing some official task. I sent all the emails Xavier asked me to send; replied to some emails and arranged his schedule. I even did the work given by Daniel and Sean while sitting in the comfort of my bed. I cleaned my room and also cleaned other parts of the penthouse except for his room. I had never been to his room. Though there was not a single particle of dust in the penthouse, I cleaned it to divert my mind. I even watched business news to pass my time and to be aware of business affairs happening around.

It was ten at night and I was sitting in my bed, wearing a full-length pajama set. I was sitting there, hugging the big pillow tightly with my chin pressure on the pillow.

I tried to forget all of that, but I was unable to divert my mind as my mind was still there in the morning’s event. His concerned-filled eyes, his caring act, that …. kiss… It was still lingering in my head.

I didn’t know why he did that, why he showed concern, he didn’t like me but still, I saw the worry in his eyes. I couldn’t accept the fact that why he gave me lukewarm water and the icepack that too without asking for it. He did the thing that no one after my father did to me… He showed concern towards me.

I let out an exasperated sigh and laid down on the bed. I was going insane by thinking too much. My mind needed rest, I wanted to sleep. I glanced at the clock; it was half-past ten already but he was still not back from the party.

Believe it or not, I never sleep until I know he is back from his work. May it be midnight but I always sleep when I hear his footsteps as he passes from in front of my room to go to his room.

I feel uneasy until he is back.

Whether he accepted it or not, whether he wanted it or not but his last name was now attached to my name… Whether he considered me as his wife or not but for me he is my… Husband. It may have happened undesirably, forcefully but .. I was married to him and I respect the purity of this relation. And I feel worried until he is back to penthouse .. that too .. safe…

My heartbeat elevated when I heard the footsteps. He’s back. I sighed in relief, he’s finally here.

I knew, wanting him around when he doesn’t like me was wrong but what could I do? I felt safe, secured, shielded when he’s around. I was aware that he didn’t feel anything for me, but to me, it was like he’d protect me from any danger.

Though he may have said many bad words to me, he never treated me like I was treated by all those people with whom I had lived, those who tormented me, who gave me pain, made me live in agony for years, who always treated me as worthless.

That’s why his presence somehow assures me that he won’t let anything happen to me… At least… physically.

Shutting all my thoughts, I snuggled into the duvet, engulfing the warmness provided by it. I closed my eyes and surrendered to sleep.

My eyes automatically opened in the middle of the night when my throat felt dry. I sat up on the bed with sleepy eyes and extended my hand towards the nightstand to pick up the bottle of water. I groaned when I came to know that the bottle was empty.

“Now I have to leave the comforting warmness of my bed,” I mumbled sleepily. I glanced at the clock to see it was half-past two at midnight.

I took the bottle in my hand and went out of my room to get water from the kitchen. But as I was about to descend the stairs I heard some sound. I didn’t hear it clearly but I was sure that I heard it. I looked around but there was nothing. I shrugged my shoulders “maybe my ears are playing tricks with me.”

I again took a step to descend the stairs but halted abruptly when I heard the sound again.

I heard the sound of someone groaning in pain. I was not afraid of ghosts because I don’t believe in them. So it means someone was actually in pain. I looked around to see where the sound was coming from. That sound was coming from… Xavier’s room? Why that sound was coming from there?

Should I check by going there? No, I should not. He would get angry when he’ll come to know that I went to his room, but I heard the sound again which made me worried. What if something happened to him?

“I should check on him,” Mumbling that to myself, I walked towards his room.

As I took the cautious steps towards his room, the intensity of sound increased. I stopped before his room; his room was not locked, instead, it was slightly open and the lights of his room were on. Cautiously, I pushed the door a little and stepped inside his room and what I found made me shocked.

Xavier was twisting and turning in bed, groaning and whimpering. I immediately rushed to him, his eyes were closed but his face was showing pain. I immediately touched his forehead and found out that he had a fever.

I rushed into his bathroom to check the cabinet for any medicine. I picked up the first aid box from the cabinet and took fever medicine out of it. I was walking back to the room but stopped when my eyes fell on wet clothes lying on the bathroom floor. I picked up the clothes and put them in the laundry basket. He must have gone into rain in this cold weather. And that must be the reason for his fever.

I poured the water into a glass from the jar that was placed on the nightstand. I tried to wake him up but he didn’t open his eyes, instead, he just groaned. There was no option left then to put the medicine in his mouth by myself. I placed my one knee on the bed and bent a little then I pressed my thumb on his one cheek and another finger on another cheek with my one hand and gave a slight squeeze to open his mouth.

I put the medicine in his mouth and grabbed the glass of water. Slid my hand under his head, I tried to crane his head up. Ugh! He is so heavy. When I succeeded in doing so, I pressed the glass of water to his lips and made him drink water. He drank it slowly, swallowing the medicine.

I first put the glass back on the nightstand then I pulled back my hand slowly from under his head, making his head fall back on the pillow. I stood up and went into the kitchen. I first drank water because of which I woke up. Thank goodness I woke up otherwise he would have kept on burning in fever till the morning.

I poured cold water into a bowl and took a small clean towel and went back to his room. I sat beside him on the bed near his head then soaked the towel in cold water and drained extra water by squeezing the towel. I gently wiped his face with the wet towel. I pulled the t-shirt away from his neck to wipe that area. He was still groaning but didn’t open his eyes. Then I put the towel on his forehead to bring down his body temperature.

His groaning and whimpering reduced in few minutes. I think medicine started doing its work. I again soaked the towel in cold water and again placed it on his forehead. In another few minutes, he was sleeping silently which made me sigh in relief.

I stood up from the bed and pulled the duvet up to his chin. A smile formed on my lips when he snuggled into the duvet. He looks like a baby while sleeping.

I stood straight and looked around and then it hit me. I was standing in his room and that too for the first time. His room was bigger than mine and so manly.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Walls were painted in grey and Navy Blue with off-white curtains giving his room a royal look. Not many accessories were there, just a nightstand lamp and a few white and grey vases. The wall behind his bed was covered with texture from floor to ceiling. A big couch and two single-seat couches with the center table are placed in perfect position on one side of the room. The floor-to-ceiling window was showing the magnificent view of skyscrapers.

I picked up the remote from the nightstand and pressed the button to close the curtains and turned off the room lights. I dragged an armchair near his bed and sat on it. I pulled my legs up, and hugged my knees, and rested my chin on my knees.

I didn’t want to leave him alone, he was still not well and he might need anything anytime. In the morning, he showed concern towards me and now he needed me, no one else than me was here to take care of him.

I gazed at his face which was illuminated by the night lamp. He was sleeping peacefully, his lips were parted a little. He looked so calm, no sense of pain could be seen there on his face and that gave relief to me. The medicine worked really fast.

I really got worried when I saw him groaning and whimpering. He looked so vulnerable and helpless. I had never seen him in pain before and I don’t even want to see him like that ever again. Power and authority suit him, not vulnerability.

I want him to stay healthy forever because… what I felt when I saw him groaning, I don’t wanna feel that again. I was so scared, worried and I felt uneasy. I felt frightened: of what? I had no idea. But whatever it was, I don’t want to feel that again for him.

I didn’t know when my eyes closed and sleep engulfed me but my eyes jerked open when I again heard him groan. I instantly stood up from the chair and sat beside him on the bed. I removed the towel from his forehead and touched his forehead with the back of my hand and found him burning in the fever again.

I got alarmed. Medicine didn’t work for long. He needed to see a doctor right now but it was three-thirty in the morning.

How would I bring a doctor at this time and I didn’t have the contact of the doctor saved in my phone. Whom should I contact for a doctor?

And then I remembered the people who could help in this situation. Sean and Daniel.

I looked around for my phone. Oh no, my phone is in my room. I stood up from the bed and without thinking twice, I picked up Xavier’s phone and pressed the button to unlock it. Thank goodness he doesn’t have the password on his phone.

I immediately called the first number in his emergency contact. Sean. I paced back and forth, panicking, waiting for Sean to pick up the call. After a few rings, he picked up.

“Why are you disturbing my sleep at this hour, Xavier?” Came his sleepy reply as soon as he picked up the call.

“Sean, it’s me, Ariana.” I hurriedly replied.

“Ariana, why are you calling from Xavier’s phone? What happened? Is everything alright?” He asked worriedly.

“Sean, Xavier is burning in fever. He needs to see a doctor right now.” I replied hurriedly, the worry was evident in my voice.

“I am on my way, I’ll bring a doctor with me. Don’t worry.”

“Please come fast.” Saying that, I hung the call.

I again sat beside him and ran my fingers in his hair to calm him down. But he was still groaning loudly and started twisting and turning. I knew it was just fever but looking at him in that state elevated my worry.

Please Sean come fast.