Meri Meerab *Discontinued*

23 - Munafiq

The following noon, Maa Begum instructed Meerab to go to retrieve Haya and bring her back to the haveli. It had been almost 3 week since she had gone and not looked back. She knew that whatever misunderstanding had happened between them, needed to be resolved in person and only Meerab had the ability to do that.

They were both stood in the hallway under the wooden arch between the foyer and the servants quarter. Maa Begum was about to head out to the garden to attend to the village ladies and act as a mediator in any disagreements between them.

When Murtasim walked into the hallway, in which they were stood, Maa Begum beckoned him over and he approached them.

Meerab didnt turn to face him- there was a sense if awkwardness between the three from her stiff body language.

'Aaj ka koi kaam hai?' His mother asked him.

'Karachi mein meeting hai meri. Wahan he jaa rahaa houn.'

Maa Begum reached out to his arm before telling him, 'Challo, fir Meerab ko bhe Karachi lay jau aaj. Usney Haya ko manana hai and waapis ghar layaana hai.'

He nodded at his mothers instrcutions. He wanted to stay away and not lead Meerab on, but this request could not be refused.

Rather than him, Meerab spoke out to decline his services. 'Main iske saath nahi jaungey Maa Begum. Baktu kay saath behj-deejiyaga mujay.'

He was a little taken back as to the indifference from her, just two nights prior she was asking him to kiss her whilst sat in his lap.

'Jab Murtasim hai, tou mulaazim kay saath kyun jaana hai?'

Meerab reaffirmed her stance on the issue and crossed her arms. 'Maine keh diya hai. Main Murtasim kay saath nahi jaungi.'

Maa Begum was not impressed. 'Yeh kounsi tameez hai Meerab, jou tum meri baath nahi maan rahe?'

This moment, Meerab looked towards him to make direct eyecontact before informing them, 'Yahan tou loug deen, imaan, usuool bhool chuke hai. Aap tameez ki baath karahee hai Maa Begum.'

'Kya keh rahee hou Meerab.' Maa Begum stroked her hair to comfort her. 'Safdar ka yaad aaraha hai?'

Meerab didnt elaborate on her statement and nor did Mas Begum query any further.

Murtasim didn't have time for their deliberstion and walked past both of them, making his way to his car. 'Main late hou raha hou, come.'

'Jau beta, zidd nahi karte.' She gestured in the direction that Murtasim had left. 'Itnay dinnou say Haya ghar nahi aay. Tum bari behn ho, samjau ussay.'

Only for the sake of Haya, she listened to Maa Begum and began making her way out. 'Jee Maa Begum.'

She didnt need to take anything with her as it would just be a day trip- straight there and back. She didnt even expect to be entertained by Anila as she had been recovering from her ill health, so there was no special reason to hang around in Karachi.

She supposed this outfit was acceptable too, it was a pair of lightwash of skinny jeans, with a flowy pink kurti. It had small white embroidered flowers and embedded diamond shaped mirrors on it the neckline and sparsely thought the top too.

The car had been prepared and it stood just outside the houses entrance. A male member of their staff stood with the front passenger door open, so she sat in and the door was closed behind her. They began driving towards the opened gate and then onto the roads of Hyderabad.

The city was bustling with street vendors and workers going about their daily life. As they stood at the red lights, a child approached their window holding a stick full of fresh flower bangles. 'Saab, yeh gajre aapki biwi par pyare lagenge.'