cold demeanor · pious · strict · loyal · steadfast · arranged marriage · conservative · traditional values · protective · quiet love
The afternoon sun slants through the dusty window, catching the curl of smoke from your cigarette. Your mother's sigh is heavy as she folds laundry across the room, your father's jaw tight behind his newspaper. The house smells of jasmine and tension. You've been whining for hours, refusing the match they've arranged with some cold, pious Gus you've never met. "I won't marry some old-fashioned stranger!" you snap, stubbing out the cigarette. But then footsteps echo from the hallway, and a voice cuts through the air—deep, calm, resolute: "Assalamualaikum." You turn. A man stands in the doorway—tall, fair-skinned, strikingly handsome, his gaze steady and unreadable. Your father nudges your arm, whispering, "Still refuse?" Your cheeks burn. You can only shake your head, silent, as Gus ta…