The calm before the storm

Chapter 7

He turn his side towards Her and saw that she was shivering duo to cold. He covered her properly with the blanket. And again slept peacefully.

In the morning meerab wakes up first duo to a knock on their room door. She took her dupatta and opened the door slightly." Apko aur khan ko maa begum ne bulaya hai niche", a maid informed her and left.

She close the door and goes to take a bath. She came out from the washroom wearing a pink kurti and white palazzo. He opened his eyes and saw her wiping her hairs with towel. He blinked his eyes two or three times to come in reality.

She looked at him amd said,"Woh apki mama ne niche bulaya hai.... Humein. Aap taiyar ho jayein", she said looking downwards." Thik hai tum niche jao main aata hu", he said but she nodded her head in a no.

"Ji nhi main akele nhi jaungi", she said." Don't worry koi tumhein kuch nhi bolega, magar phir bhi tum akele nhi jana chahti toh thik hai main ready hi jata hu phir sath mein chalte hain", he said and retired towards washroom.

After a while he came out of tge washroom wearing a white shirt and black jeans. He took his blazer from cupboard and place it on the couch.

"Main apka bnagdage badal deti hu", she said and instructed him to sit on the couch. She took out the bandage slowly and put ointment on the wound then again bandaged it. The cut was not deep but also not a small one.

" Thanks for this", he said eyeing towards his hand." Yeh toh mera farz tha she said and smiled lightly.

They came downstairs together and saw maa begum was sitting on the living area waiting for them.

"Assalamualaikum maa saab", He said." Walaikum assalam", maa begum replied and looked towards meerab and said," Tumne kya gungi ladki pasand ki hai murtasim". Meerab looked at her and said," nhi aunty mujhe bolna aata hai", she said.

Maa begum looked at her stunned." Maa begum, Sab mujhe maa begum bolte hain toh tum bhi yahi bologi", maa begum said correcting her." Ji", she nodded.

"Aab jo bhi kar lo isse yeh sach nhi badlega ke tum iss khandan ki bahu ho, aur tum mere bete ki pasand ho toh main kuch nhi leh sakti mujhe Murtasim par bharosa hai", maa begum said." Maa saab aap log baat karein main office ke liye nikalta hu", he said and was about to leave.

"Ruko Murtasim", maa begum stopped him and continue," Iss khandan ke kuch riwayat hai". Murtasim looked at his mother's face with a confused look. Maa begum removed their khandani ring from her finger and handed him the ring." Yeh apni khani ko pehena do.

He took the ring and forward his hand towards meerab. She place her hand on his palm and he slide the ring in her ring finger. Its was looking more beautiful in her hand like it was only made for her.

"Beta yeh anguthi Iss khandan ki bahu ko isi liye diya jata hai kyu ke aane wale waqt mein khani ki zimmedariyan bhi milne wali hoti hai unhe, mujhe meri saas ne di thi maine tumhein di hai aur aane wale kal mein tumhein apni bahu ko deni hai", she said placing her hand on her head and bless her." Magar maa begum mujhe khani ke kaam'on ke bare mein nhi pata kuch", she said.

"Koi maa ke peet se sikh kar nhi aata waqt ke sath tum bhi sikh jaogi, main hu na main samjha dungi tumhe", maa begum said and smiled at her. She felt an unknown connection towards meerab. Haya was fuming in jealousy with all this.

" Aab main jaa sakta hu, i'm getting late", he said." Sab sath mein nashta karte hain phir chale jana", maa begum said and took meerab with her towards dinning table.

They sat there, mariyam and haya joined them." Apne sohar ko khana parosh do, acchi biwiya'n apne sohar ka khyal aise hi rakhti hain", maa begum said meerab.
Meerab nodded and served him food.