19
"Can you come home early today?" Rehaan entered the walk-in closet where Shahwar was closing hooks of her dress from the back.
"Huh?" His voice caused her to turn around abruptly.
"I—" His eyes went where her dressed was unhooked from the back through the reflection in the mirror.
"Rehaan?" She called out to him who was standing right in front of her face but his mind was somewhere else.
"Uh, um, I wanted to talk about your dress."
"What?" Shahwar was puzzled.
"What?" He looked at her face now and then realized what he had said.
"You wanted to talk about my dress?" Shahwar was casually responding looking down below at her silk floral dress at the mention of it, unaware of her straps slowly moving towards the edge of her shoulders.
"Turn around." He exhaled getting composure over his heart.
"Why?"
"Because you're driving me crazy." He stepped behind her and started closing the hooks himself and Shahwar stood stunned at what just happened.
"Uh thanks." She said in a formal tone when he was done.
"I have to attend an event, tonight. Can you make it early from work?" It was a request, something that Rehaan Kazmi was not capable of doing but his wife had made been making him do it quite easily since two weeks.
"I have to come early, because, you have to go somewhere?" Shahwar looked at him dumbfounded. "Do I have to guard the house in your absence at night?"
"We have to go. Us. Together. Both of us." He kept looking at the hair strands on her ear falling out of her hair bun that she'd later unpin to comb her silky brown luscious hair that he would keep on brushing his hands through whenever she'd fall asleep every night.
"Oh." Shahwar looked like she was in a deep thought.
"Is it not possible?" He was hoping she wouldn't say no, especially now that she had been behaving like he wasn't even visible to her recently.
"I don't have time to shop for something appropriate for that kind of event." She raised her head and blinked her big eyes at him.
He smiled out of relief, "That's never a problem."
"You'll ask Ibaad to get me something." She nodded to herself looking down. "Got it."
"What does my wife want to wear, hmm?" He lifted her head up to him, "I'll get her everything she wants myself."
"That won't be necessary. You don't have to waste your time on irrelevant things.
" She softly moved his hand away from her face.
"I'll get going, I'm getting late." She walked out taking the comb from her dresser and threw it inside the purse as she left the room and then the house scurrying around.
He had been doing his best invading her personal space more than ever since the last fourteen days after his abrupt rudeness over the call with her.
Shahwar didn't want to make herself feel like they were getting comfortable again and then later be made a fool out of herself if he decided to remind her of her reality one fine day as per his mood.
She knew how to maintain safe spaces. It was hard when she had to avoid his eyes that he had been using as a weapon to make her weak.
She went to her boss and requested for an early leave for the day, feeling a bit hesitant but he immediately said yes to her surprise.
Shahwar came back before late afternoon and Isabel told her that a collection of dresses and accessories had been sent for her to take a look at.
Shahwar went to a room next to her bedroom where four stands were placed displaying numerous dresses, shoes and bags.
"Maalik ne ghulam se kaafi achay se ghulami karwani hai aaj raat." She pursed her lips looking through the clothes and then she saw a white silk strapped dress that went down right above her ankle with a slit on one side till the thigh.
(Master is going to make the slave work a lot tonight.)
She went and showered first then changed into the dress after drying her hair. She did some twisting and turning with a few of her hair strands after styling them and let them down on her bare back. She did some light makeup that she could manage with her lack of expertise.
Shahwar went back to the room where the clothes were brought in to try shoes that would look best with the outfit. She saw a pair of silver studded strapped pencil heels and put them on. Feeling like they did look alright she walked out of there going back to her room.
She saw Rehaan's blazer lying on the couch and figured he might've gone for a shower after coming from work.
"Agaye maalik." She moved to the closet to choose a necklace to go with her look.
She had tons, including her own and the ones that were from her husband's family gifted to her.
Picking out a single stranded round diamond necklace she wore it with some rings for her fingers that matched the cut of the diamond on the necklace.
(Master is here.)
"Hey." Shahwar shifted to look at Rehaan standing all cleaned up in a dark navy blue suit. He wasn't wearing a tie today though.
"When do we leave?" She got directly to the point, not focusing on how dreamily desirable he looked right now.
"Come with me." He took her hand and went out of the room walking towards the other side of the floor where the fourth room was. He opened the door and led her inside to reveal an outrageous display of jewelry boxes everywhere in the room.
"Why are there so many? Is this a shop or what?" She asked looking at him with her eyes wide.
"You're the shop owner's wife Mrs Kazmi." He touched her nose lightly with his finger.
"What? Aap sach mien maalik hain? Konsi shop hai apki?" Her adorable blink was back and Rehaan smiled instantly.
(You're really an owner? What shop do you own?)
"Aap batayen konsi shop chahiye apko. Mien apki kardunga, maalik ki biwi." He moved his hand on the back of her neck and unlocked the necklace taking it off. "Choose now." He gestured to the jewelry in the room.
(You tell me which shop do you want. I'll make that yours, owner's wife.)
Shahwar seemed dazed by the view. She turned back to look at him again who was standing with his hands in his pockets looking only at her. "I already have many."
"You'll wear a new one for tonight." The man was so extra. Maybe he wanted to show the world that Rehaan Kazmi's wife was a jewelry shop owner's wife in a proper way.
She shook her head and looked at the boxes again and picked up a heart lined necklace studded with octagonal diamonds. Rehaan came and took it out of the box then dazzled it around her neck locking the ends of it.
"This one's very pretty." She told him.
"You're silly." Rehaan shook his head at his wife who looked like she could make all the diamonds look dull compared to her beauty.
"Don't call me silly." She pouted.
"I will." He teased further.
"Okay, you're right anyway. I am silly." Shahwar walked out of the room and then went down the stairs.
Rehaan came down and then walked out to the car taking her hand in his.
The ride to the venue was short and silent.
He did want to talk to her but he sensed that she wanted space.
They both walked into the hotel lounge where the collaborators of international jewelry brands had been invited.
The dimmed chandeliers were lit all over the place and Rehaan walked inside holding Shahwar with his hand on her back.
"Hello to you zewar ki dukaan." A man spoke and Shahwar looked in the direction of the voice where he stood with a woman next to him.
"Hello Beena." The response from Rehaan stilled Shahwar in her footsteps and her chest was heavy all of a sudden.
Kazmi, why?