Qubool Hai (MeeraSim FF)

8 - Ahsan

It was just a few more steps- thats what Meerab told herself as she became breathless at the endless stairs. She didnt know her way but assumed if she kept going up, she was bound to reach some sort of chath.

When she got to the last of the stairs, she pushed the doors open and sure enough, Murtasim was sat on the roof with his Mamu, Amir Khan. They had just retired from the mens quarter and made their way to this room- from another set of stairs. The house was maze like.

She walked forward she saw Murtasim perched on a bench. He was resting in a slouched side position with his elbow on a round pillow and both legs up, folded back slightly.

Amir was sat on a chai directly opposite, smoking for a large hookah. Meerab noticed there were charpaai's stacked up on the far side. The open roof was otherwise quite bare, other than the occasional plant plot.

Murtasim sat up stair and put his legs down as he saw his wife walking towards them.

Meerab arranged her scarf on her head as she reached the two men.

Murtasim introduced her with a sense of pride, 'Yeh Meerab hai, meri Begum.' ( This is Meerab, my wife.)

Meerab noticed the way he deliberately left out her second name.

Amir said to her, 'Asalaamu alaykum bete, behto.' ( Hello daughter, sit.) He was inviting her to take a seat. There was only one spare space, and that was next to Murtasim on the bench- it was a two seater.

She consisdered sitting on the table between them, or even on the floor. Instead she chose to remain standing, hoping that Murtasim would stand up and fetch a heavy wooden chaarpaai for her. There was a moment of stillness as she weighed her options and waited for him to take the hint.

Rather than moving more than he already had, he remained seated. He guestured to the seat beside him and said, 'Yaar, yahan he beht jou. Mamu kuch nahi kahey ga.' ( Sit here. Mamu won't say anything.)

He was inviting her to take a seat next to him, on the same bench, infront of his uncle. She had always assumed that they were veryyyy traditional and that this would be equivalent to sitting in his lap.

She started to become annoyed with him now- couldn't he consider that maybe she didnt want to sit next to him. There was an awkward silence as she stood blankly- trying to communicate her reluctance by her stillness.

Amir laughed at the way Murtasim addressed his wife and had involved him in the statement too. 'Tum dono nikkah mein hou. Beht jau.' ( You two are married. Take a seat.)

He thought that she was being shy. But in reality, Meerab wanted to keep her distance from the manipulative and opportunistic man, Khan Murtasim Khan.

If he wasent moving, she wasent gonna spell it out for him. Meerab reluctantly took and seat and Murtasim took the opportunity to place his arm on her shoulder. Meerabs cheeked blazed hot and she nudged her shoulder, as though that would make him arm fall off.

Unfortunary the arm was very much alive and attached to him. He conciously stroked her back before his hand came to rest on the top of her arm joint.

She was gonna kill him.

'Mere jaanay kay baad kya kara.' Murtasim asked sweetley as he glanced at her. ( What did you do after i left?)

She looked to the table ahead, and then saw the hookah next to Amir.  Then Meerab told him, 'Kuch bhe nahi.' ( Nothing.) His voice was too close and his side body was touching hers.

'Kuch bhe nahi?' ( Nothing? ) He repeated.

Maybe it was a genuine question. 'Nano tumhary bachpan ke kahaaniyan sunarahee thee.' ( Nano was telling me stories from your childhood.)