Dhaagey: The Ties that Bind Us

14. locked down

Meerab's slender fingers delicately flipped through the papers sprawled across the coffee table. Maryam and Rumi lingered around her, flipping through magazines and chatting about one thing or another. Meerab's eyes focused on the words that blurred together. It was a daunting task, trying to catch up on five years of missed decisions, but Maa Begum had entrusted her with overseeing certain matters and she was excited to help

Lost in her work, Meerab's concentration was only broken by the sound of familiar footsteps, the leather soles of Murtasim's dress shoes clicking against the floor. Her heart skipped a beat even before she turned her gaze towards the entrance to the living room.

There, standing tall and commanding, was Murtasim, a gentle smile playing on his lips as their eyes met.

Her breath caught in her throat as she took in his presence. Murtasim had always possessed a captivating aura, but now, his mere presence, and his smile, had the power to send her heart into a wild dance. It was as if the room lit up when he walked in, filling the space with warmth and tenderness.

A soft flush warmed Meerab's cheeks as she recalled the stolen kiss that they had shared earlier that day before he left. It had been a fleeting moment, their lips brushing against each other in an act of affection and longing as he whispered a quiet goodbye to her in the foyer.

A tingle had lingered on her lips even after he left, a reminder of the tenderness.

Her thoughts wandered, and she wondered if something similar would have transpired in that moment if Maryam and Rumi hadn't been present. For now that she had a taste of what his lips felt like against hers, she craved more.

"Wah bhai, you're home early today." Maryam spoke first, a subtle hint of curiosity in her tone.

Meerab looked towards the window, realizing that it wasn't dark yet, Murtasim was home much earlier than usual.

Rumi, with a playful grin, added. "Couldn't stay away from your Meerab for too long, huh?" The twinkle in Rumi's eyes was infectious, causing both Maryam and Rumi to giggle mischievously.

Meerab's cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and delight. She wished they would stop teasing but at the same time enjoyed it just a bit.

Curiosity filled the room as Rumi spoke. "What's that, Murtasim bhai?"

Meerab followed Rumi's gaze, finding that her eyes were fixated on the long blue velvet box that Murtasim held in his hands. Her eyes widened with anticipation, a mix of excitement and nervousness coursing through her veins, somehow knowing that the box was for her. She wondered what could be inside it. Her mind raced with possibilities, each one more enchanting than the last.

Murtasim seemed amused by Rumi's inquisitive nature. "Don't you have somewhere else to be, Rumi?" He replied, trying to deflect the attention away from the mysterious gift in his hands.

Rumi's giggle filled the room, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "You just want to be alone with your Meerab."

Maryam joined in on the banter, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "It's written all over your face."

Murtasim's eyes met Meerab's, and for a brief moment, she noticed a mix of emotions flickering in his deep brown eyes. There was a hint of vulnerability, a shy bashfulness that she had rarely seen before. It was as if the teasing had momentarily stripped away the armor of his self-assuredness, revealing a more tender side of him.

"A present for Meerab then, isn't it?" Rumi teased. "How romantic!"

Maryam, always observant and quick-witted, spoke again. "Why? To thank her for helping you, or is it for something else?" Maryam waggled her eyebrows suggestively, her playful tone laced with intrigue.