Meri Meerab *Discontinued*

32 - Suroor

After Meerab had got up and left, so did Haya. Then Safdar didnt linger for long either. Perhaps Murtasim's look of discust also made him feel less than a welcome guest. Besides, he had only come for one thing- to give the proposal in person.

As soon he had left and the doors of the haveli had closed behind him, Murtasim turned to Maa Begum and said, 'Woh rishta maangta gaya and aap sunte gey?,' his voice laced his irritation and disbelief.

'Murtasim, mein aur kya karti? Woh Meerab ka mamu hai,' Maa Begum desperately tried to explain- this wasn't her doing.

'Haan, issne mamu kay haqook puray karey hai jou aik father-in-law ka kareyga.' He said sarcastically, whilst shaking his head in disgust at the man.

Maa Begum could tell he was frustrated. She had put up a barrier in his way is persuing her niece- perhaps if he had just told her about his feelings earlier then she would have been less welcoming. 'Agar tum mujhay pehle bataa detay, tou main nahi sunte.'

Murtasim shook his head. It had already been done now- there were 2 proposals on the table before and it irked him that she could even need a second to weight up her options.

Maa Begum looked over to her son. A man now- tall and decisive- asking for her nieces hand. She surpressed a smile at the thought. 'Yeh faisla kahan say aaya?' She enquired with a hint of pride.

'Bas aaya... fir mainay Meerab ka rishta maangliya hai.' He confirmed again as though his mother wasent there to witness it first hand, but his tone was defensive.

'Iss mein burayi koy nahi hai Murtasim. Magar insan kou soch samaj kay qadam leyna chaiye.' She wasent taunting him- she just wanted to figure out his thought process. She liked to be a part of the decision making.

He contemplated for a second. 'Socha tha. Pasand aagi hai mujahy,' he elaborated so seriously as though he was in a business meeting. The realisation of the words made him exhale conciously and look up her to his mother to gage her reaction- she seemed pleased at his confession.

Pasand. He had asked for her hand so it was certainly passed that stage. 'Pasand.....ya mohabbat?'

He nodded but his mother understood which one feeling he was reffering to- she reached out to stroke his shoulder. His greyish shalwar kameez crinckled at the elbows now and she noticed that his hair wasent styled like it usually was. He looked overworked- defeated. 'Baat yahan tak pounch gaye hai?'

'Haan Maa,' Murtasim said in defeat. The feelings he frlt for Meerab unavoidable. He had tried to surpress it by avoiding her and he tried not to even talk with her, but his efforts were in vain. 'Yakeern karein, jaan buch kar nahi kiya.' But somehow they had been forced to face it- own up to their feelings when he couldn't bear Anas around her, and now Rohail. 'Khud ba khud hota chala gya and main khud to rok na paya.' The words tummbled out if his mouth in a hurry, raw and unrefined. Murtsim always thought his decisions through, but this decision had not been taken by his mind, rather his heart. He had been defeated in love.

At some point in time, his mind wondered into the realm of Meerab and had chosen to remain there- in the shadows of her silky black hair, amongst the curve of kind smile and innocence of her dark doe eyes.

In all honestly, Maa Begum like the idea of Meerab staying in her house forever- she had raised her and she had grown in this house for the most part. What's better than a daughter not leaving her own house? There would be no issues with adjusting. Their would be no feeling of foreignness except for a room change. 'Inshallah tumhara rishta choose karey ghi.'

Murtasim had no doubt about it. But it hurt when she said she needed time to think about it, right after he had finally come out and asked for her hand. She was always so forthright - but then again the Meerab infront of him was different to the Meerab infront of the world. 'Zahir hai Maa Begum, mujhay he choose kareygi,' he scoffed as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.