For several minutes, I admired my wife's relaxed face as she allowed the realm of dreams to entrance her attention, far away from the claws of reality. Her head rested on my shoulder, arm draped over my torso, which tightened every now and then whenever I adjusted myself. Sighing in contentment, I pushed back her stray black hairs, wondering how I ever got so lucky to be with her.

Images of our tangled bodies, pleasured moans, and passionate kisses engulfed my feeble mind, distracting myself with the comfort that came with being within her, the aura of delight swirling between us. It had been both of our firsts, but the night flowed as smoothly as a river.

There were no hesitations, no worries, no fears, or anxiety. There was only us covered in the blanket of darkness with each other as the light to guide us. There was only us in the face of a million obstacles and terrors, but together they were nothing but illusions. Tasneem managed to erase every spot of evil that had ever inflicted my skin with only her lips and soft voice.

I pulled her closer, craving the warmth of her body like a man deprived of water. Pressing my lips to her forehead, I huskily whispered, "Wake up, sweetheart."

Slowly, her eyes peeled open, blinking away the fatigue and adjusting to my eyes. Immediately, Tasneem beamed her famous bright smile, making my heart do a double-take. The rapid beat drummed against my chest, begging to be let free, to spill my heart's desires, to love her for eternity.

"Morning," she yawned, stretching against me and tempting my desires.

I gripped her hip, lips nipping at her earlobe. "I don't think that's very wise," I murmured, "not if you want another repeat of last night."

She grinned. "Perhaps," she drawled, a tantalizing finger trailing down my chest, muscles tightening under her touch as I closed my eyes. "Depends on if you're willing."

"I'm more than willing," I growled when I opened my eyes, flipping her underneath me.

Once again, our minds became lost at the bliss of our bodies pressed together. Her succulent lips whispered the sultry words that were wild enough to drive me to insanity, a senseless state that had my mind spinning with ardor for my wife. The world dissipated into thin air as our tangled bodies connected under the covers, losing ourselves in our passion.

She was mine and I was hers.

* * * *

I panted, leaning my back against the headboard. Tasneem got up, pulling one of my white shirts over her head. I lazily grinned down at her as she nestled herself beneath the endless duvets that draped over her curvaceous form.

"Stop looking at me like that," she blushed, covering her face with her hands.

I chuckled and leaned down to pry her hands off. "Like what?"

"Like you're helplessly in love with me," Tasneem said, pulling the blanket up and over her head.

"That's because I am."

Peeking up from her hiding spot, she furrowed her eyebrows. Starry brown eyes glanced up at me, absorbing my expressions carefully, but I couldn't keep the smile off my face. The euphoria bursting within my chest was ineffable, a past no longer scarring but rather a present that shone brighter, a girl that melted all the frigid icicles away with a single brush of her finger tips.

"I love you too," she smiled, the blanket resting across her chest.

I snuggled closer to Tasneem. We sat in silence, fingers interlocked under the covers and chests softly moving to the sound of our breaths. My arms tightened around my wife when I felt her shift to sit up.

I raised my brow in question at the abrupt movement.

"Why are you getting involved in a lawsuit?" she suddenly asked.

A dark expression crossed my features. "It's nothing."

"Ibrahim."

Sighing from the tone of her voice, I ran my fingers through my disheveled hair. "My business is under massive scrutiny and a victim to a potential monopoly," I confessed, my voice low.

Tasneem gasped. "But you're Ibrahim Tarkan, one of the most successful bussinesmen in the United States!"

"Being successful doesn't mean that it has no consequences."

She titled her head, confused. "What do you mean?"

"If you haven't realized, most immigrants don't make it to the top as quickly as I did, especially owning a private enterprise like mine. The government isn't exactly fond of me," I cringed. "They think I'm a spy for Turkey or that I'm against the government's values, which is harmful to them since I share a considerable amount of wealth and power."

"But that doesn't make any sense!" exclaimed Tasneem. "Just because you're an immigrant doesn't mean you're suddenly suspicious. You have as much right as all the rest. You're legally here and your corporation helps make the economy. They can't just jeopardize your business."

"Well the government isn't at that stage nor do they have power to harm my business," I stated. "Instead a new Russian businessman wants to take over, but I refused. He threatened me, and Thomas believes that a legal lawsuit would ruin his reputation if we win, forcing his credibility in Germany and India to decline."

Her brown eyes widened. "All this time I thought businessmen had it easy," she muttered to herself.

I gave her a tight smile, trying my best to cover the fear that was etched across my face. "Sadly, the world of business is a brutal battlefield filled with soldiers that lost all sense of worth and instead are replaced by cowards. They hide behind lies and allow their deception to elevate them," I bitterly remarked. "In business, they do anything to crush competition."

Her eyes softened as she reached for my hand, soft fingers brushing against the rough skin. My eyes snapped to her, sensing the wave of sympathy radiating off Tasneem's expression.

"You're scared that the Russian will uncover your past," she whispered, not bothering to ask it in the form of a question. "That's what you're so afraid of, that people will begin to doubt you because of the horrors you endured."

My body froze, the former ice rebuilding its stone castle in my heart, locking in all my emotions like a self-defense mechanism. Was she right? Was I truly just afraid of my past that I couldn't bare to have another man find my weakness?

Sensing my emotional withdrawal from her, Tasneem gently place a hand on my cheek, her thumb caressing the numerous black bristles under her fingertips. Unconsciously, I leaned into her touch, my eyes drifting over the innocence in her eyes, her button nose, and the curve of her cupid's bow above her lips, finding Tasneem to be as enchanting as ever.

"Ibrahim," she said softly, "don't be afraid. Be brave and courageous in the face of obstacles. If he uncovers your past, it only further proves how capable you are."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, staring deep into her brown orbs. "They'll tie me to the military coup and make me a threat. My business, my employees, this house, everything will be stripped away from us."

"Allah gives us trials and this is your trial. You can't give up," encouraged Tasneem. "Put your trust in Allah and do the best that you can to save your business."

At the mention of my Creator's name, a familiar wave of comfort came across me. Indeed, Allah was the all-knowing and the best of planners. It was a thought that had gotten me out of my dark days, and helped shape the type of man I was.

People feared me, believed that I was a man who overworked himself and left no time for family, but most failed to realize the amount of walls I had to break in order to reach my position. I crushed my competition, being mysterious in all my economic conquests with an army of faithful employees behind me.

My dark past was concealed under all my achievements, but the effects of uncovering such evils could be lethal. It was a recurring nightmare of losing all the progress I had gained.

"You're right," I agreed. "I know that this is trial, but I can't afford to lose everything. Jared Gavlik is a dangerous man."

"Jared Gavlik?"

I nodded. "He's the infamous Russian CEO."

"A lawsuit does seem like a better approach," she pondered after a while, before an uncertain look entered her eyes. "Is it possible that he'd try to play dirty?"

"Very possible."

"That's never a good sign," she winced, "but it's okay. We have Allah on our side and in His guidance alone, we'll find peace in all this."

I smiled, pulling her to my side, arms around her small figure. Tasneem let out a small yelp of surprise before laughing.

"I forgot to tell you some good news," she chirped, smile spreading wide. "I'm helping to redesign the orphanage."

"The one I donate to?"

She nodded. "I just need money to do it, but I know with your business lawsuit, I can't just depend on you, and I don't want to ask for your money. I was thinking of using my dowry money to help rebuild it and make it a more positive looking environment-"

I put a finger to her lips, stopping her. "My money is your money. You don't have to use your dowry," I offered.

"But l don't want to only rely on you."

An idea popped into my head. "How about a bake sale? You, Amira, and Kanza could bake sweets to raise some money. Bashir and his friends could help spread the word. If we want to save money, then on weekends or my days off, Damon, Tanwir, Thomas, and I could all help with the rebuilding unless you girls want to do it yourself."

Tasneem's eyes slowly widened the longer my alternative ideas infiltrated her mind, giving her all the possibilities she had to raise money and help those orphans. Her intentions were in the right place, but she didn't know how to achieve them.

"Whoa," she breathed. "You're willing to help me even with a court case hanging over you?"

"Yeah. You're my wife, Tasneem. You're one of the most important people in my life."

A wistful gaze entered her eyes as she absentmindedly played with the edge of my shirt. I never realized how beautiful she looked even with a baggy white shirt covering her body from my hungry eyes. I watched transfixed as her silky, black curls fell over her forehead across the right eye.

The image of Tasneem, sitting on my bed, completely bare under my shirt seemed like a fantasy from a distant land. It was a whimsical memory to cover the darkness that surfaced below, but for some reason, there wasn't anything cynical about us. Behind Tasneem was an endless amount of noor (light), and I wondered if this was how my father felt every time he gazed at my mother.

Allah, please secure the highest place in Jannah (paradise) for my parents. Let me see them in the HereAfter and give me the strength to raise Bashir exactly the way they'd want me to.

It was a duaa (small prayer) I'd always say whenever I thought of them. Every day of my life, even when their deaths weighed heavily on my shoulders, I remembered that hardship was not permanent. Hardships were only temporary and with patience would come ease and in the comfort of Allah I was able to survive.

My patience was rewarded with a life-long companion, my wife, my best friend, my Tasneem.

Her voice whispered soothingly into the peaceful silence. "When I looked into the eyes of all those orphans, I saw you in all of them, Ibrahim."

I stayed still, listening intently and hanging off her every word like a wounded up string.

She lifted her eyes to meet mine, smiling ever so slightly. "They were all just as ambitious as you are, their eyes held so much pain, but hope in it as well. The orphans, I want to protect them. I know we can't adopt all of them, but they deserve to get the same opportunities as other children. They deserve to hold onto their innocence," she said.

"And if Allah wills it, we'll help them together with both our friends and family," I smiled.

Scooting closer to me, Tasneem rested her head on my shoulder, arm around my torso. The rapid beat of my heart started again, warming my body with the heat of hers. Never in my life was I able to talk about my problems without the fear of being judged or criticized harshly, but Tasneem was understanding in all regards.

She understood me like no one else, and her advice had strengthened my iman (faith) and my belief in Allah's plans because there was never a time when Allah had abandoned me. Sometimes people forgot their Lord was their ally, however, with remembrance they became unstoppable. With Tasneem in my arms, I felt as though I was unstoppable.

Gavlik had another thing coming if he thought he could take all this away from me, a vow I swore to see till the end.