Unveiling Meerab [Tere Bin FF]

3. a glimmer of hope

As Feena wove the tale of Haya's deceit and malicious actions, Murtasim stood there in stunned silence, his world suddenly turned upside down. He had known Haya for years, growing up alongside her, but he had never truly understood the depths of her manipulative nature. He had always found her a tad annoying and self-centered, but he had never believed her capable of the things Feena was revealing.

His mind raced, trying to process the gravity of the situation. He wasn't surprised that Haya had been instigating Meerab, she had done it in front of him, but he always thought Meerab didn't care for she handled it very well. She had from the moment he sat by her at the ubtan ceremony. He was more surprised by the fact that it went beyond that, that Haya intentionally caused her harm and turmoil at every turn, and wished for her death.

The realization hit him like a sledgehammer, shattering the image he had held of his cousin. To think that she had even resorted to black magic and attempted to harm Meerab, including the accident they had been involved in—it was unfathomable to him.

Murtasim's heart clenched as he recalled that fateful day, the accident that had nearly taken Meerab away from him. In that moment, he hadn't hesitated to put himself in harm's way, risking his own life to protect her because he had blamed himself for driving recklessly. Although he didn't believe in black magic, somewhere he couldn't help but suspect the timing of it all and the way the truck seemed to be heading straight towards Meerab. Meerab had been the target of Haya's malice, and he had unwittingly shielded her from the danger.

But Haya's actions hadn't ended there. Murtasim's mind flashed back to Haya's attempts to keep him away from Meerab upon his return from the hospital, and all her lies. Meerab's words rang in his ear, he had always dismissed her concerns as petty jealousy, because Haya didn't matter to him, he had no feelings for her, but he had been oblivious to intentions behind Haya's actions. The weight of guilt settled heavily on his shoulders as he realized the extent of the suffering his wife had endured at the hands of someone that he had considered family.

The revelation that Haya had deliberately tried to harm Meerab by placing oil on the stairs struck him to the core. Feena had cried through her recollection of that, and how she had feared that Haya would kill Meerab, that Haya had promised that she wouldn't let Meerab have his child. He hadn't been home when Meerab fell, but as Feena explained it, his heart broke, she had fallen badly enough that Feena feared for her life. And if she had been pregnant at the time...the mere idea sent shivers down his spine, filling him with anger, sorrow.

As Feena finished her account, Murtasim dismissed her with a trembling voice, visibly shaken by the truth that had been unveiled. He needed time to process it all, to reconcile the cousin he had known with the Haya that Feena had described, the one that was a danger to Meerab.

He retreated to their bedroom, his head throbbing with the weight of the revelations. As Murtasim lay on the bed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling, his mind churned with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. He couldn't help but question how he could have been so wrong about someone he had known for so long. Haya, whom he had always considered a good person, had now revealed herself to be far from it.

In contrast, Meerab, who had always managed to irk him with her strong-willed nature, had appeared in a different light since he had truly gotten to spend time with her. He had misjudged her, labeling her as badtameez and dismissing her opinions and actions without truly understanding her. It dawned on him that he had failed to see the depth of her character and the strength of her convictions.

The tables had turned, and the roles had been reversed. Haya, whom he had believed to be good, had proven to be a horrible person, capable of harming others for her own selfish motives. On the other hand, Meerab, with her unwavering determination and willingness to fight for what she believed in, had shown him a side that he had never expected.