Chapter 13

We sat there for a while as the stars let us know their presence and suddenly I recalled, I had forgotten about the rules he had mentioned before.

My eyes fell on him as I asked, "What were the rules you were talking about previously? I forgot to ask." 

He looked at me with puzzled eyes and asked, "The rules?"

"Yes, you said there are some rules I need to follow?"

He took a moment and then his eyes sparkled, "Oh.. Yes.. There are some rules that you need to follow strictly. Although it is for your own safety." 

I nodded.

He thought for a second then started, "First, you can't go to the forest." 

I looked at him with worried eyes because I wanted to see it. I had never seen a forest this close.

"But I wanted to go..." I mumbled more like whining. 

"There is a second rule, talk after I finish." He said with an irritated voice, "No, actually it's the third rule." 

"Okay." I nodded.

"Well, if you wish, you can go to the forest but not far. Dangerous animals always lurk there, so it's better to stay away from it."

He was right. Although I loved the trees and birds and I could watch them all day but he was right, there might be so many animals and they could attack me. 

Arashi looked at his hands and said, "If you want to go sometimes, then I can give you company."

My gazes turned down as I felt my heart warming. "Okay..." A weak voice came out of my mouth.

"Second, If you need to go to the village or the market you will be going with me but not alone." He said as I looked at him questioningly.

"Why?" 

"What was the third rule again?" He raised a brow and tapped his foot on the floor.

"Err..." I recalled it was to talk after he finished. "S—sorry."

"Because you still don't know the routes and also, there might be some threat lurking..." He hung his words in the air as I was tempted to ask what kind of threats but I remembered the third rule, so I kept quiet.

"Okay." I nodded again.

"Third one that you already know." He added, "And that's it."

I arched my brows and asked, "What about the fourth and fifth?" I had expected to have many rules or restrictions like my old house. I wasn't allowed to have meals before them, I wasn't allowed to show my presence when our relatives or any guests came and I wasn't allowed to go outside apart from drying the washed clothes.  I wasn't allowed to speak as well but Arashi never stated anything like that. 

"I don't have many rules or restrictions. It is your house as much as mine and you have your own rights to choose what is best for you." He said which surprised me and at the same time, breaking all of the chains of restrictions that were placed on me. 

Arashi must have sensed my surprised gazes on him as he said, "There is a fourth rule..."

I was expecting him to say anything that would restrict me here but he said, "That would be to call me by my name, Arashi." 

A gap parted my lips as my whole body flooded with shock. My frown must have been visible on my face as he inspected me for some time and said, "That's only common to call your husband by his name and I expect you to tell me if you need anything or aren't feeling well."

By now, my mind had stopped working and a strange warmth settled inside my belly. I never had expected that there should be someone who would place some rules before me only to break my restrictions.

I nodded shyly as my ears heated.

"Alright, let's go eat dinner." He said as he left to the kitchen and I put my hands over my mouth as I breathed heavily. 

After finishing dinner, I went to wash the dishes but Arashi didn't want me to wash and told me to go straight to my room and take a rest. 

I came back to my room and laid down on my futon reminiscing the events that happened to me. It still felt like a dream and my heart wouldn't stop beating loudly. I moved around my gaze and saw the room had gotten very dark. Only slightly moonlight came through the window and I felt lonely. 

The whole house was quiet. No sound as if a pin had dropped on it. I shivered at the quietness. I could not make myself close my eyes as suddenly I remembered what Arashi had told me.

Many people were buried here. I wanted to go to him and sleep in the same room but I dared to do that.

As I moved on my futon my eyes fell on the thin wall of the room and my feet and hands froze. There was standing someone's silhouette and it moved round and round. My heart stopped and my voice caught in my throat as tears brimmed in my eyes.

"Ahh!" I screamed to death and took the rag close to myself as I closed my eyes in fear. My heart felt like it was about to jump as my body shook in fear.

Suddenly Arashi came running from another cell of the house and asked with a concerned voice, "What happened? Are you alright?"  

I couldn't speak as I looked at him with my teary eyes and with a breathy voice somehow I managed to say, "T—there is someone standing behind the wall, walking..."

I pointed my hand toward the silhouette and he went there immediately as he opened it and let out a sigh. "It was my cloth that I hanged here to dry but forgot to put it inside." 

There was a moment of silence and my cheeks heated with embarrassment. "I—I thought... You said...people were buried..." I couldn't say anything that would make any sense but Arashi got it as the corners of his lips twitched. 

I looked at him with a blank face as he started to laugh. "I was just jesting you..."

I turned my face away as I felt angry. He was just making stories! How could he do that?!

"I didn't know you were that of a scaredy cat." He teased as he gained his composer. I got more flustered and could not keep my head up. Right there I felt like digging the ground and hiding there. 

"Come to my room, it was my fault. I should not let you sleep alone in this dark and dead house." 

"No... It is fine." I mumbled with a grumpy voice and I could feel his grin behind me.

"Are you sure? Because the forest behind us is scary..." 

He was teasing again but I wasn't going to believe it now! However, a sound caught my ear and all the hairs on my skin stood up straight. A few wolves were howling at a distance and I tightened my grip on the rag I held as if it was going to save me.

Arashi watched me as I was scared but I was a little mad at him for teasing me so he said, "Alright! There is a fifth rule."

I looked at him with round eyes as he said, "From now on, you will be staying in my room with me."