Her eyes felt heavier than a mountain as she struggled to open them. She was neither awake nor asleep, somewhere in the middle. Her mind was numb, incapable to think. Something was forcing her to keep her eyes closed, but there was something encouraging her to open her eyelids. Her eyes were tired of this long sleep, they longed to witness the world.

And she opened her eyes.

She first noticed the golden chandelier on the ceiling, lavish and lustrous. Then she felt the soft sheets beneath her body and the warm layers covering her.

Is she a princess?

Like a real-life princess.

A soft touch on her palm caught her attention and she moved a little to look on her left.

A guy - a handsome guy - was sleeping on her left side while gently holding her palm. His gorgeousness was fascinating, as if for her he was the most good-looking man alive. Emotions like love, adoration filled her heart as she admired his sleepy face.

Her hand moved out of his hold and itself began tracing his soft cheeks. His beard was sending a ticklish sensation to her fingers, making her smile. Her touch disturbed his slumber. He hardly slept for two hours, sleep seemed stranger to him since she had closed her eyes. He could not sleep anywhere but her arms.

He slowly opened his eyes to look at the source of disturbance. And the sight in front of his eyes was something he longed to witness for the last fifteen months. His sleepiness vanished as he found her awake.

"Zuri..." He called her name. Trying to ask if she really woke up or he is again hallucinating.

He got up and moved closer to her. His one hand caressing her head and the other holding her palm.

"Zuri, you woke up?" He was declaring more than asking. He was on cloud nine to see her deep black eyes opened.

But something felt strange. Her eyes did not held the familiarity. Like she could not recognise him.

"Zuri, say something." He cupped her cheeks and asked.

"Who are you?"

Those three words were enough to shatter his clouds of happiness into drops of despair.

"Zuri, I am Advay. Your husband. You don't remember me?"

"I don't." Her reply was confused, she really did not recognise him.

She could see how his hazel green eyes turned red in a fraction of seconds listening to her reply. She could feel his heart breaking and she could feel his pain. She knew she had a connection with him, a bond she doesn't remember. But it's existence could not be denied.

Her fingers reached to wipe the tears that were about to fall from his eyes.

"My name is Zuri?" She asked, her palm resting on his cheeks.

He nodded, a slight smile forming on his lips as he felt her touch after so many months.

"What does it mean?"

"Beautiful." He said while kissing her palm, making her blush.

Finally she woke up after a fifteen months long sleep, with a lost memory but he knew she was still attracted to him. Her actions told this. And that was enough for him to give his life a new beginning.

He kissed her forehead and stood up from the bed, he needed to inform the doctor that Zuri woke up.

•••

Yaduvansh - or what others called him - Vansh. He entered in his room after a tiring day at the office. It's been fifteen months since he is in charge of the company. He always wanted to have this power. But now it felt more like a burden. His elder brother was devastated and it was breaking him. The same brother he thought of as his biggest enemy. He wish he could hug Advay for once and say that "Bhai, I am here for you." But he just didn't had the heart to face him. His red sleepless eyes would make him feel even more vulnerable as a younger brother.

He tiredly removed his coat and tie. The bed was empty, making him tense up.

"Ziya?" He called for his wife.

"Ziya, I'm home."

He pulled out his tablet and looked for the CCTV footage. He had to insert cameras in all the corners of the apartment to keep Ziya's movements in check. It wasn't like he distrusted her, he was concerned for her. She was in a condition where she could harm herself, maybe kill herself. He has seen cuts on her wrists, scars on her arms, an evidence of self-harm. So he needed to do so, to keep his wife alive.

Looking through the footage, he found that she entered the ensuite an hour ago in a devastated state.

Nowadays devastated was a term to define Ziya's condition.

Vansh entered the ensuite and was preparing himself to see her in worse conditions. Maybe some blood as well.

And he was right. She was sitting under the shower. Undressed, wet and crying.

He controlled his tears, he needed to be strong.

"Ziya?" He sweetly called her name, making her look at him.

"You will get ill if you will shower for so long." Saying so he turned off the shower. Ziya kept looking at him, but didn't react. She was in no condition to process what was happening or what she was doing.

He gently picked her up in his arms, his shirt and pants drenched with her wet body. Her arms encircled his neck. He brought her back to the bedroom and laid her on the bed.

The sight was tempting. But he knew it wasn't the right time.

He moved to the closet and pulled out a random black sleep robe from Ziya's section. Returning to her, he made her wear the robe. After covering her in a warm duvet, he took a long cold shower.

He was depressed. But he couldn't do anything about it. Because he had a brother and a wife to think about. For once in his life he wanted to be selfless, and somehow it made him feel better as a person.

When he came out of the shower Ziya was still awake. He sighed and laid down beside her.

His hands slowly and sneakily wrapped around her body, he put his head on her shoulder. And that's all it took for him to fall asleep. For Ziya, he knew she will sleep herself when her mind will no longer have energy to mourn over the past. This was the only kind of intimacy between them for more than a year. Ziya and Vansh were passing through a difficult phase of their lives. They are still sane simply because they have each other. And that was enough reason for them to be together. Even if they never confessed it, they do love each other to the moon and back.

And finally Ziya slept in her husband's warm embrace that soothed her cold soul.

•••

Diva heard her eight-month-old daughter Amyra crying. She ran to the bedroom and picked her up in her arms.

"Oh, my baby, don't cry. Mama is here."

She had never imagined that she will enjoy motherhood someday. She was a rich, spoilt girl who lived her life for parties and sex. That's all.

But she changed when Amyra came to the world.

"Diva..." And here comes the guy who is responsible for this change.

Abeer entered their bedroom and as always his heart filled with happiness after seeing his little family.

He walked to them and kissed his daughter, making her giggle. And then pecked Diva's lips.

Diva hesitated, but responded to his peck. However, this tiny hesitation somehow angered him. Because she never hesitated to kiss him, then why she is hesitating to kiss her husband?

But he let it go. She was his wife after all. His and only his.

He didn't stop at just a peck, much to Diva's discomfort. His hands reached under her top and unhooked her brassiere.

"Abeer, don't." She pulled away from him and sat on the bed with Amyra in her lap.

Abeer raised his eyebrows, as in a question.

"I have to feed her." She made a perfect excuse that was indeed true. Raising her top she began breastfeeding Amyra.

Abeer smiled, and laid on her right. His head resting on arm and his eyes directly eyeing her territory. His mere glance made her blush.

"Don't look like this. I am feeding your daughter." She protested.

"Diva, I have seen more than only your breasts. So don't fake shyness, because you are everything but shy." His eyes still looking at her bosom.

"But you are eye-raping me."

"I am admiring my wife. Is it a crime?"

Diva didn't speak. She had no comeback to his words. It's always like this. Abeer will easily shut her sassy mouth up with his romantic replies. Sometimes she feels like the luckiest girl to have him as her companion. But there are times when she feels like a prisoner in his presence. He loves her but he is insecure about their relationship. Diva knew she is responsible for his insecurities. Because she is the one who was having affair with her step-brother Advay for so many years.

And Abeer was very well aware that if she had to choose either one between him and Advay, she will choose Advay. If he was her husband than Advay was her soulmate.

Only if he knew that Advay was her soulmate but he was Diva's first love, not just her husband.

•••
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