Meerab was getting ready to go out with Mariam, when Murtasim walks in, busy on a call. He sees her in front of the mirror and stops to stare. She notices his eyes fixed on her, lost, and feels a little conscious.
"Tumhe kuch chahiye? (You want something?)
He was caught a little off guard, "Hmm? Kya? Nehi..kuch nehi... woh mein..tum kahin ja rahi ho?(Huh? What? No...nothing, I just..you going somewhere?)
"Haan. Mariam ke saath thora parlour ja rahi thi, use jana tha."
(Yes. I was going out with Mariam. She wanted to go to the parlour.)
"Oh, accha. Mein tumhe drop kar deta hoon. Mein bhi vaise bahar he ja raha tha."
(Oh, okay. I can drop you guys. I'm going out too.)
"Kahan ja rahe?"
(Oh, where to?)
"Woh gaon jana hai, panchayat ke faisle hai. Jab tumlogo ka hojaye toh Bakhtu ko call karlena, wo tumhe utha lega."
(I've to go to the village, for a panchayat meeting. When you're done, call Bakhtu, he'll pick you guys up.)
"Theek hai. Mera almost ready hoon."
(Okay. Sure. I'm almost done.)
"Haan, ko nehi, take your time."
(Yeah, no worries, take your time.)
Meerab continued to comb her hair, while Murtasim seated himself on the bed, right behind her.
She saw his eyes on her, through the mirror. "Murtasim, are you sure tumhe kuch nehi kehna hai?"
(Murtasim, are you sure you don't have something to say?)
"Meerab, you're looking beautiful."
She was taken aback and for a moment was unsure of how to react. He stood up and slowly came and stood next to her, all the while his eyes fixed on her. With a slight smile, he said, "Bass, yehi kehna tha. You're looking beautiful."
(That's what I wanted to say, you're looking beautiful.)
She felt a flush of emotions run through her, unsure why what he said had such an effect on her. "Th..thank you." He continued to smile and turned around, back to looking at his phone.
Meerab was still lost in what he'd said when Mariam walked in, "Meerab, ready?"
Snapping out, she looked up and nodded, almost in a daze. "Chalein? "(Let's go?)
Murtasim looked at her and then a Mariam and said, "Mein raaste mein tum logon ko drop kar dunga. Mariam, gari mein baitho, Bakhtu ke paas chabiyan hai. Hum, aarahein hai."
(I'll drop you guys on the way. Mariam, go and sit in the car. Bakhtu has the keys. We are coming.) "Thik hai, bhai." (Okay, bhai.)
Meerab looked at him, still trying to fathom why he'd said what he had, all of a sudden.
Murtasim slowly walked up to him and said, "Meerab, aaj hum saath mein dinner karenge. Mere kuch plans hai." (Meerab, we'll have dinner today. I've something in mind.) That was a sudden plan. Looked like Murtasim was in a mood to keep surprising her today.
"Dinner? Woh kyu? Kuch khaas hai kya?" (Dinner? What for? Is there anything special?)
"Nothing. Mujhe bass meri biwi ke saath thora time spend karna tha. Mein kaafi masroof raha hoon aur mujhe ehsaan hua hai ki humein zyada baat karne ka mauka he nehi mila."
(Nothing. I just wanted to spend some time with my wife. I've been busy, and I realise that we've not had the chance to talk to each other.)
"Kis bare mein?" (About what?)
"Kuch bhi. Ek dusre ko janne aur pehchanne ka, shayad? Mujhe tumhe baat karte huye sunne mein accha lagta hai, Meerab." (Anything. Getting to know each other maybe? I'd love to hear you talk, Meerab," and he gave a warm smile.)
While she wasn't sure about whether she was ready to let their relationship progress to the level of knowing each other, Meerab couldn't help but smile back at the effort he'd taken, "Hmm, theek hai." (Okay, sure.) "7 baje pick karunga. Ready rehna?" (I'll pick you up, at 7:00. Be ready?) She nodded. "Chalo, Mariam humara intezaar kar rahi hai." (Come, let's go. Mariam is waiting.)
Meerab got her bag, and together, they walked out.
YOU ARE READING
Ranjish He Sahi
RomanceArranged marriages can be hard and confusing. 'Ranjish he Sahi' is a story of two mismatched individuals falling in love through shared pain, loss, suffering, abandonment, and more. Characters' names and arcs have been taken from the Pakistani dram...
