Coraline hurriedly hopped out of the tub. She took a towel and shook it like a madwoman around her arms and legs. For her hair, she took to shaking her head to dry it.
Then she put on her undergarments before getting into her nightgown.
'Shit!' She could see the face Armaan would make once he saw the contents of the letter.
Once she finished dressing she hastily unlocked the door—ready to slam it open. The door made a thud sound and when she peeked over-
"Armaan- Oh my, I'm so sorry I didn't know you were there," Coraline took the plate full of food and used her other hand to caress his face.
Armaan tightened his hold on his nose and after sneezing he answered to her, "That's quite alright, I've been told there's no sound to my steps."
She guided him to sit on her bed as she placed his plate on his lap. She took her seat on the floor, positioned next to his legs with her plate.
Her eyes roamed around the room until she could spot the black envelope that appeared untouched.
'I worried for nothing,' Coraline felt like giving herself a facepalm but instead redirected her attention back to Armaan.
"It smells amazing," she put her hand over his knee, tapping at her nose, "Does it still hurt?"
Armaan unstiffened his back and gave her a soft smile, "Not at all," she watched as Armaan put his plate down on her bedside table.
"Where do you keep your towels, Coraline?"
'He's going to take a shower now?'
She pointed in the direction of the bathroom, "On your left in the pantry when you go in."
He nodded and made his way into the bathroom. She began eating her food and the taste sent her tastebuds into a blissful heaven.
Coraline closed her eyes with each bite savoring the nourishment before swallowing.
"Coraline!"
With the spoon still in her mouth she looked over to Armaan who began laughing hysterically.
He held his stomach as he fell to the floor. His chuckles came in waves as he kept looking over to Coraline and then back down.
"Hungry aren't you?" Armaan held up the towel, "I wanted to dry your hair before we ate."
Coraline could feel herself reeling into embarrassment. She placed her plate next to his and stayed seated on the floor.
Armaan walked over and sprawled his legs where he sat so each leg corresponded to one of Coraline's arms.
He took the towel and at first, maniacally let the towel go through her air. Coraline's eyes widened at this. In the background, the sound of his giggles soothed her and she laughed along with him.
After a few more minutes of Armaan messing with her hair, he took his job more seriously and went through her damp hair with the towel.
Once he felt satisfied he folded the towel next to him and in his other hand was an oil he grabbed from inside her bathroom. He massaged it into Coraline's scalp and gave her a head massage.
Letting his fingers thread through her hair and take away any pain she had catered on her mind.
She let her eyes close once more as he did this.
"Coraline," Armaan drawed his hands back to himself, "Will you stay loyal to me?"
An ambient silence followed throughout her home.
Her eyelids laid low, 'Was he worried I'll be disloyal to him while he's overseas?'
She shifted herself over to have her whole self to face Armaan, "Why do you travel, Armaan?"
'Why couldn't he stay?'
He put his hands on hers massaging each bone in her finger as he spoke to her, "At first, I traveled with no purpose—I did it to get away. To find something I could stick by-"
"That means you'll stay now, right? You found me," she placed Armaan's right hand on her heart.
"My love," he looked pained at her affectionate gesture, "I have, and I wish I could stay but I need to be at the side of my sick sister. She doesn't have many days left as I've been told."
Coraline plopped her head next to Armaan's leg, it'd be selfish of her to ask him to stay. Armaan's family needed him more than she did. They knew him longer than she did too, so it was a better call.
So, she let the questions that pestered her come out all at once, "Is it safe for you? How long will it take you to arrive there? Will you write to me?"
Armaan stroke at the side of her face, "Hardly a terrible journey it's barely a month's travel. And I'll write to you with every chance I get, my dear."
It felt nice to hear his words. Coraline was easy to please but that didn't make it any easier for her to be less worrisome.
He reached over and handed her the plate—the food still felt warm and good to consume. Coraline looked over and it appeared that Armaan had also done the dishes for her.
She quietly smiled to herself as she began eating again.
The sound of the utensils hitting against the plate was the only sound she could hear.
When she finished eating and he looked done as well. Coraline took his plate and stacked it on top of hers. She stood up and leaned in for a kiss with him, "I'll stay loyal to you, Armaan."
At this Armaan placed his hand on the back of her neck pulling her in for a more passionate kiss. She kept the plates steady in her hands as he did this, promptly having her eyes closed.
If she opened her eyes, she'd fear to crave more since Armaan possessed tempting eyes.
When Coraline pulled back—they both took a moment to catch their breath keeping their eyes on the other.
Coraline smiled again, her stomach felt funny when she was inches away from him, "Go bathe Armaan."
He chuckled and nodded.
When she could hear him shut the door to the bathroom she fell to the floor after placing the plates into the sink.
'Wouldn't Armaan be considered her first kiss?'
Younger her wouldn't believe the present her leaning into a man for a kiss. It was a foreign concept to her and yet she did just that.
Coraline pressed at her lips, the harder she did—she winced at the pain from the place blood had trickled from a day before.
'Is this the right thing for me to be doing?'
The only person Coraline could ask that question to is herself and her friend. But Vivianne was preoccupied with her own life as well.
Armaan raised to bathe as he left the towel neatly besides Coraline's head, leaving her to the restless thoughts that began to take life.
There would be a day where she won't have time to ask Vivianne any of her dumb questions. Or cling to her side like a baby that always yearned to be loved.
That thought always managed to make her mood plummet to the ground when Coraline thought about it.
'There's going to be a day Vivianne won't want to see me.'
She wiped at the tear that managed to escape her barricades. At the end of the day Coraline would need to put herself first like everyone else did.
And that started with Sapphire Greens.
The love that was growing for Armaan was also a reminder that she was using him. Likewise, there would be a reason he'd be using her for as well.
'Why else would he need my photo?'
It'd be proof of the wife he'd have back in Sangriles, a wife named Coraline Hugues.
Coraline raised back to her feet and turned the faucet on. She had enough of entertaining her thoughts.
Once all the plates were thoroughly cleaned, she blew out the lights in the rooms that weren't needed except for one.
Coraline fell back on her bed.
'Armaan wasn't weirded out by Mr. Teddy, was he?' Coraline knew she'd be weirded out by a sight of a teddy bear like her own.
Surely, he saw it, but Armaan made no comment regarding it.
She held her stuffed animal up to the ceiling, "What do you think of the young gent?"
The blind bear's head dropped as she picked it up. It was a bad habit of hers asking things that can't answer her important questions.
It was like Coraline wanted the bounce off of the unspeakable and come back to her. For a quiet answer to be whispered back to herself.
The sound of moving water could be heard from the bathroom along with shuffling of things. Armaan must've been done with his bath.
At the same time, Coraline was still stuck in her head. Shaking Mr. Teddy harder each time she repeated her question. Until her arms felt heavy and the bear fell onto her chest.
She gasped for a breath of air as she looked around herself. There was many dirty secrets Armaan could find on Coraline.
It'd be one more person she'd have to hide it from. In honesty, Coraline still didn't feel secured with Armaan. There was a chance he was hiding an ugly side of himself from Coraline as well.
Just like she was with him.