The dining table was unusually lively tonight. After an entire week, Haseeb was finally back home. Mrs. Sana Isham kept serving him more food despite his protests while Mr. Isham asked about the meetings, and the legal   activities  of his case.

But none of that was truly reaching Haseeb. Because every few seconds, his eyes drifted toward Maliha.
And every single time, he found her already looking away shyly.The soft pink dress she was wearing, her loose hair falling over one shoulder, the light smile she tried so hard to hide, everything about her was making his heart restless. Maliha could feel his gaze constantly.
Every time she picked up a glass. Every time she tucked her hair behind her ear. Every time their fingers accidentally brushed while reaching for something.Her cheeks refused to lose their pink color. Mrs. Sana Isham noticed it all and silently hid her smile.

“So,” Mr. Isham finally spoke while putting down his spoon, “tell me properly what happened with the client.”

Haseeb sighed lightly, forcing himself to focus.

“The meeting goes well. Both parties agreed to the contract.”

“And the attacks? Did police inform you about something about the attack on you? ”

“No. No update." Haseeb replied shortly.
Mr. Isham nodded thoughtfully.

“Come with me after dinner. I want to discuss some new cases too.” Haseeb’s eyes instantly went to Maliha.

And unfortunately, her eyes lifted at the same moment.
That one look carried the same disappointment. The same longing. Both had waited an entire week for this night. Mrs. Sana Isham almost laughed seeing their expressions.

“Poor children,” she muttered softly under her breath.

Almost around eleven, Haseeb finally got free after discussing everything about the trip and new cases with his father. Though tired, somewhere deep inside his heart remained restless to be with her. As he entered the room, he found Maliha sitting on the chair in the balcony. Closing the door behind him, he walked toward the wardrobe while she looked inside.

“You came?” she asked softly.

“Why are you sitting outside? It’s cold,” he replied while searching for his night clothes.

“I was waiting for you,” she said, walking inside and helping him take out his night dress.

"You know Dad and his curiosity about knowing everything. Sorry for making you wait." He said, looking back at her.

"That's okay." She said and looked at him for a brief second.

“This room feels alive now…” she paused, handing him the clothes.

“Because we both are together… completing each other,” he completed her sentence.

Her lips smiled softly. Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead gently. That’s when his eyes caught the shirt lying on the chair.

“Did someone wear my shirt?” His tone suddenly turned teasing as he pulled her closer by the waist.

“No,” she replied instantly, though her eyes betrayed her as they drifted toward the chair.

Haseeb laughed softly.
“My wife missed me so much.”

He kissed her right cheek lovingly.
“I didn’t wear your shirt,” she lied again, eyes wandering everywhere except him.

“I know my wife missed me,” he whispered, this time kissing her other cheek, making her completely flustered.

“Haseeb…” she giggled shyly.

“Maliha…”
His voice turned low. Intense.

Slowly, his lips began, leaving soft lingering kisses across her face. The playful teasing slowly dissolved into something deeper. Something both of them had been holding back for days. Clothes fell down from his hand but they didn't care about it.

“Haseeb…” her shy whisper made him stop and look at her.

His eyes held such longing that her heartbeat instantly quickened. He pulled her even closer until their noses touched, breaths uneven, hearts restless.

“Should I stop?” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers, eyes closed.

“Tell me you love me,” she whispered back.
His eyes opened immediately.

“I love you,” he said, looking deeply into her eyes.

“Again.”

“I love you more than anything.”

His hand cupped her face gently, thumb caressing her cheek.

“You know what I kept thinking this whole week?” Maliha whispered, her eyes glistening though a faint smile remained on her lips.

“What? That how much I love you?” he teased softly.

She shook her head slowly.
“That how much I love you… Whether I’ll hurt a heart again that loves me this deeply… Whether I’ll prove myself a coward again… Whether I’ll be able to trust our love completely…” her voice trembled.

The fear inside her was visible.
“Then what answer did you find?” he asked softly, still caressing her cheek.

“That I won’t be a coward this time.” Tears slipped from her eyes. “I won’t let love leave me again… even if I have to die for it.”

Before she could say anything more, Haseeb pulled her firmly against him, anger flashing in his eyes.
“You are not allowed to such rubbish things,” he whispered possessively.

“And you are not allowed to leave me alone.”
Tears shined in his eyes too.

“I won’t,” she smiled softly and hugged him tightly.

“I love you,” he whispered, holding her completely in his arms.

“I’m blessed to be yours… to be loved by you,” she whispered against his chest.

His lips curved into a faint smile as he buried his face in her neck. Moments of silence passed. But in those moments, their hearts began beating together. Their hold tightened. Their breaths slowly changed.

“Should I stop?” he whispered again, his lips brushing the skin of her neck, fingers tangled gently in her hair.

“Should I stop?” he asked again.

His face was still buried in the curve of her neck, his warm breaths brushing against her skin. Maliha gasped softly as his lips barely touched her neck, sending shivers through her whole body. His arms held her tightly against him while her trembling breaths brushed his chest. His hands moved slowly over her waist, lingering there possessively, while his lips continued leaving soft, lingering kisses near her neck, making her melt further into his embrace.

“Answer me, Maliha…” he whispered near her ear before brushing his lips gently against it.

Slowly, her fingers moved to his shirt. Instead of answering with words, she clutched the fabric tightly while her eyes remained closed. Then she softly shook her head.

A silent no.
A silent permission.
A silent confession of longing.

Standing slightly on her toes, she leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss against his neck before immediately turning  away shyly. A smile appeared on Haseeb’s lips.
He hugged her from behind once again, kissing her cheek repeatedly once, twice, again and again making her giggle softly while her hands wrapped around his arms resting on her waist.

Slowly, his lips travelled down to her neck, kissing her more deeply this time, and her breaths grew heavier with every passing second.

“I’m not going to stop now,” he whispered.

The next second, he gently turned her toward him and cupped her face in his hands, but her eyes stayed tightly closed in shyness.

“Maliha…”

The way he whispered her name made her heart tremble before finally his lips touched hers. Instantly, her arms wrapped around his neck as both lost themselves in the kiss, forgetting everything else around them. His footsteps slowly moved backward while her fingers slipped into his hair, softly playing with it as she kissed him back with equal longing.

Soon, they fell onto the bed, still lost in each other.
When he finally pulled back for breath, both of them were breathing heavily, their eyes filled with emotions words could never explain. His thumb slowly caressed her flushed cheek while he kept looking at her as if memorizing every detail. Tonight, their silence was speaking louder than words ever could. Holding his shirt tightly, she pulled him closer once again.

“Love me…” she whispered against his lips.

A soft smile touched Haseeb’s face before he kissed her again lovingly. Then, without breaking the closeness between them, he reached for the lamp beside the bed and turned the lights off, leaving only the soft sound of their heartbeats filling the room as they finally surrendered to the love they had been holding back for so long.
-----
They were finally on their way to see the house.
After an entire week of returning to Turkey, Aarib was finally taking Roshaane to the new home he had bought for them.

“I’m so excited,” she said while looking outside the car window, and Aarib could only smile seeing the happiness glowing on her face.

The car slowly entered a beautiful neighborhood surrounded by tall trees and elegant villas. Roshaane’s eyes widened instantly.

“No…”

Aarib looked at her silently, enjoying every second of her reaction.

The car finally stopped in front of a huge ivory-white villa with wide glass windows, elegant balconies, and a beautiful front garden blooming with flowers.
For a moment, Roshaane forgot how to breathe.

“Aarib…” she whispered softly.

Her eyes slowly travelled over the house. The white walls.The stone pathway. The flower-covered balconies.
The huge wooden doors. It looked exactly like something out of her dreams. Slowly, she stepped out of the car.

“This… this is ours?” she asked in disbelief.

Aarib nodded casually, though his eyes remained fixed on her reaction more than the house itself. Hikmat was already standing there waiting for them. As soon as he saw them, he smiled and walked forward.

“Finally you’re here,” he said. “So? How is it?”

“It’s beautiful, Hikmat bhai. So beautiful,” Roshaane replied, unable to take her eyes off the villa. “Thank you for finding such a beautiful house for us.”

Aarib came to stand beside her, his gaze fixed only on her glowing face.

“You like it?” he asked softly.

Hikmat quietly stepped aside, giving them space.
Roshaane turned toward Aarib while his eyes were already resting on her. The wind moved her hair gently across her face. Slowly, he tucked the strand behind her ear and caressed her cheek, waiting for her answer.

“I love it,” she whispered before smiling shyly. “And I love you for this beautiful house.”

Her sudden confession made him chuckle softly.

“You really know how to fluster me,” he muttered, slightly embarrassed knowing Hikmat could still hear them while she giggled.

“So…” she said while holding his arm as they started walking toward the entrance, “exactly how much did Aarib bey spend on this?” Aarib immediately looked offended.

He glanced at her from head to toe, the red shirt, the long skirt brushing her ankles, the black jacket resting over her shoulders but nothing was more beautiful than the happiness shining on her face.

“Are you interrogating me?” he asked dramatically before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

She laughed lightly.

“You spent too much, didn’t you?”

Without answering, he pushed open the huge doors.
The moment they stepped inside, Roshaane stopped in awe. The hall was massive, beautifully furnished with elegant sofas, warm lighting, modern décor, and huge glass walls that made the entire place glow softly.

“I own restaurants, remember?” Aarib reminded her proudly.

She narrowed her eyes playfully.
“Poor owner?”

“Very poor,” he replied innocently.

“Liar.”
Laughing softly, she walked ahead toward the kitchen on the left side of the hall, slightly elevated by two marble steps.

And the kitchen, It was breathtaking. She opened cabinets excitedly, looked around at the elegant counters, and then suddenly her eyes landed on the large aquarium built beautifully into one side of the wall.
Her face lit up instantly.

“This is so beautiful…”

She stood in front of the aquarium, completely fascinated by the colorful fish swimming inside.

“You liked it?”

His sudden voice behind her startled her completely as his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Yes it's so beautiful, matching the kitchen theme too." She said putting her hands on his around her waist and then he lightly kissed her cheek.

"I'm glad you like it." As he kissed, he said and was ready for another kiss but she stopped him.

“Aarib!” she gasped softly. “What are you doing? Hikmat bhai can come any minute.”

Trying to push him back only made him smirk more.
The next second, he gently turned her around and pinned her lightly against the kitchen wall beside the door, standing dangerously close. Her breath instantly caught.

“Is this better now?” he whispered while moving closer inch by inch.

Her heartbeat rose wildly.
“N-no… someone can come…”

“No one is coming,” he murmured.

He stopped just near her lips, close enough for her breaths to tremble against his face, but instead of kissing her, he simply rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes for a second.

“I’m trying very hard to stay away from you,” he admitted quietly. “But you pull me closer every single time.”

Then, taking a deep breath, he stepped back and turned away, trying to calm his racing heart. Behind him, Roshaane stood completely flustered, understanding exactly what he meant. A shy smile slowly appeared on her lips.

“Let’s go,” he said finally, turning back toward her before holding her hand once again.

Together, they walked out to explore the rest of the house, carrying smiles, teasing glances, and dreams of the beautiful life waiting for them there.

As they walked out of the kitchen still holding each other’s hands. Roshaane’s eyes kept roaming around the house with pure wonder while Aarib’s eyes stayed mostly on her.
On her smile.
On the sparkle in her eyes.
On the happiness spread across her face as if he had handed her an entire world.

“This place is huge…” she whispered while walking through the long hallway.

Tall glass windows allowed golden evening sunlight to pour inside. The ivory walls, soft warm lights, elegant paintings, and wooden flooring gave the house a peaceful warmth.

“It still feels empty,” Aarib said softly.

She turned to him. “Empty?”

He nodded slowly. “A house only becomes beautiful when people start living in it.”

His words made her smile unconsciously. They walked upstairs together. The wide staircase curved beautifully toward the upper floor where several rooms stood facing a long balcony. Aarib pushed open the first room.
“This will be the guest room,” he said.

Then the second.
“This one for Zarnish whenever she visits.”

“And this?” she asked while peeking into another room.
Aarib suddenly went silent.

Roshaane looked at him curiously.
His eyes softened while looking at the empty room.

“I was thinking…” he paused. “Maybe someday this could belong to our daughter.”

Her breath caught instantly.

“Aarib…” she whispered, cheeks turning pink again.

He chuckled softly seeing her expression.
“You blush too much these days.”

“You talk too much these days,” she shot back shyly.

He laughed quietly and pulled her with him toward the room at the end of the hallway. As soon as the door opened, Roshaane stopped completely. The room was breathtaking. Huge glass walls overlooked the trees outside. White curtains moved softly with the wind entering from the slightly open balcony doors. The room carried soft shades of ivory, beige, and warm gold. And in the center, a beautiful large bed decorated simply yet elegantly. Her eyes slowly moved around the room before landing back on him.

“This is our room?” she asked almost in disbelief.

Aarib nodded while leaning casually against the door.
“You like it?”

Instead of answering, she walked slowly toward the balcony attached to the room. The evening breeze instantly touched her face as she stepped outside. Below, the garden looked peaceful, flowers swaying gently with the wind.She closed her eyes for a second, breathing everything in. Then suddenly, strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

She smiled instantly without even turning.
“Aarib…”
“Hm?”

“It feels like a dream.”

His chin rested lightly on her shoulder while both looked ahead quietly.

“It’s not a dream,” he whispered near her ear. “It’s our beginning.”

Her heart fluttered at the softness in his voice.
Slowly she turned within his arms until she faced him.
For a few seconds neither spoke.

The wind played with her hair while his eyes remained fixed on her face with an intensity that always left her breathless.

“You know…” he said quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, “I bought this house thinking about every little thing you might love.”

Her eyes softened immediately.
“The flowers on the balcony…” he pointed softly. “Because you stop walking whenever you see flowers.”

“And the aquarium downstairs…” he continued. “Because you had a small aquarium in your room in Pakistan.”

A small laugh escaped her lips through the emotions building inside her.

“And this balcony…” he whispered. “Because you love sunsets.”
Tears suddenly filled her eyes.

“Aarib…”
“What?”

“You love me too much.”

His lips curved into the softest smile.
“I never said that.”

"But your actions do." She said coming closer to him.

"And I'm thankful for your love and kindness." She said putting her hands on his chest smiling softly.

"“Still, not more than your love, ” he murmured softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Before she could reply, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead lovingly, holding her closer while the evening winds of Istanbul carried the beginning of a new life around them.

A/N:: Assalam-o-Alaikum, my lovely readers! ❤️

So, here comes the last update of these three chapters. First of all, thank you so much for all the love, support, comments, and patience you all have given to me and this story. Every single response truly makes my day.

Now tell me… how are you all liking the couples getting closer and more romantic? 👀💕 Are you enjoying Aarib and Roshaane’s growing bond? Because things are slowly getting softer, sweeter, and a little more emotional between them.

And most importantly… ARE YOU ALL EXCITED FOR AARIB AND ROSHAANE’S WEDDING?

I seriously want your opinions. How romantic do you want the wedding track to be? Should I make it grand, emotional, dreamy, and full of romance… or keep it simple and elegant? Let me know in the comments because I’m excited for this phase too!

And of course… all the couples from the Be Mine series will be part of this grand wedding celebration, so you definitely don’t want to miss the upcoming updates. 👀❤️

Stay tuned and keep supporting your author. I’ll be back soon with another update, In Sha Allah.

With love,Your Author,Kiran Hafeez 🌸