If Only- A Tere Bin Story

Good Riddance

Anila had convinced Meerab to accompany her to the nearest super market after the breakfast as she needed to get some stuff for the kitchen. She decided that Meerab needed to go out to normalize her life. At the grocery store, Anila felt immense happiness in simply filling her trolley with Meerab's favorites like bars of Mars Chocolate, chips, peanut butter etc., things they had stopped buying since Meerab left.

Meerab felt considerably relaxed and at ease. It seems like someone had lifted a burden of 10 months of trauma from her shoulder. She felt herself slowly warming up to Waqas and Anila again. Meerab had realized that she was finally starting to get over from her trauma of abandonment and identity crisis but only to again be scared with a new wound of heartbreak.

Things, after so long, have started to get back to normal except....There was a Murtasim shaped hole in her heart.

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Murtasim, after having the bomb of revelation dropped on him stood still in his living area as he watched Marium leaving the house. Anger, Frustration and sense of betrayal rising up in him. With all those emotion came another one, more profound and more hurtful.....Regret.

As much as he hated Haya in this moment, he hated himself more. How could he not trust Meerab and trusted Haya instead' he cursed himself. Haya had been plotting and scheming to destroy his marriage for so long and he had still kept her in this house, despite Meerab's vocal displeasure with this arrangement. Murtasim knew Haya was in love with him and always tried to discourage her. However, he had always felt sorry for her for how she was wasting her life for a love she couldn't have.

Now, Murtasim realized that she wasn't wasting her life at all, she used all her time in planning the destruction of his marriage and she had almost succeeded, he contemplated as the events of  last night flashed in front his eyes. He felt a new surge of disgusts towards her.

Not only his and Meerab's relationship, Haya also endangered Marium's life and her happiness. ''How could she....how dare she'', Murtasim hissed as his anger shot up and he finally decided to take action.

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Anwer Khan entered the lounge and saw Haya consoling Maa begum as she sobbed non-stop.

"What happened Bhabi begum?" Anwer inquired.

"Naurez and Marium came a while back....it seems they don't want to see any of our faces for a while." Haya informed matter-of-factly.

"That's drastic....but why?" Anwer, always out in the fields ignoring family matters, was clueless as usual.

"We were hard on her Anwer, but I only did it for her own good" Maa begum said trying to convince herself more than anyone." How could Naurez deny us meeting our own daughter?"

"Naurez isn't denying....it's Marium's decision" Haya said correcting Maa begum. Her expressions a weird mix of relief and amusement.

"I'll talk to Naurez about it." Anwer said and Maa begum immediately replied.

"Please talk to your daughter first who hasn't came out of her room since last night. Apparently she and Murtaim had a fight....Again"

"I'll go and check on her" Anwer said sheepishly and left.

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Meerab came to Waqas's library and saw him drowned in piles of paper work. She had always admired how seriously her father took his profession and how sincerely he seek justice for his clients. Waqas has always been her ideal, her reason for wanting to become a lawyer a dream that was put permanently on hold until......

Suddenly, a memory erupted in her brain. Murtasim has given her admission papers of Law school and urged her to apply and pursue her dream. Granted, his intentions might have been to keep her away from family drama but still, it had warmed her heart and she had decided to work on it soon after Marium's wedding....but alas!

Meerab cleared her throat and Waqas  looked up at her. His heart warmed up. Meerab came towards him and sat down across him on the table. Her expressions were serious. Waqas waited for her to say something.

"Would you....." spoke and then stopped feeling unsure.

"I am listening," Waqas said reassuringly.

"Would you stand by me if I tell you that I am going to do something I know you or any of my biological family would  not approve of?" Meerab asked.

"I won't leave you alone if the devil himself came." Waqas said firmly, then continued "What is it Meerab?"

"I......I will let you know, I just needed your word." Meerab said.

"You have my word" Waqas said watching Meerab intently as she rose up and left his room.

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Murtasim walked towards the lounge with long, determined strides. His entire body language scream of authority and power. He looked like a man with a purpose and right then, his purpose was to sabotage Haya.

"Haya".....a loud thunderous voice echoed in the lounge where Maa begum and Haya were seated. Both of them jolted at the sudden harsh intrusion. Murtasim came in and stopped just in front of the sofa where the two ladies were seated and both of them stood up at his arrival clearly noticing the menace in his voice.

Murtasim glared at Haya but spoke to Maa begum "I want this witch out of this house before nightfall."

Utter shock appeared on both Maa begum and Haya's faces. "What rubbish are you saying?" Maa begum exclaimed.

"You heard me Ma, I want her out....And that's the order of the head of this empire" Murtasim made himself clear., "I can not bear to see this vile creature around me or any of us for that matter," he concluded.

"What had happened all of a sudden?....and what did she do?" Maa begum was now desperately trying to get answers. It was too much drama for her in one day but little did she know.

"This girl is a snake Maa, one you have fed and nurtured and now, she's biting the happiness of your children." Murtasim was extremely angry and yet somehow stopped himself from yelling. 

"do you know....she knew about Malick Zubair but this B*tch never bothered to warn Marium or any of us. Hell! She made a freaking video of Meerab letting Anas in....she was there and she didn't try to save Marium." now he was yelling.

"Maa begum's face was ashen, the tears had stopped because of the shock of the revelations as she toppled back and sank into the sofa.

"Discrediting Meerab and destroying my marriage was more important than Marium's life ....han Haya?" Murtasim was speaking directly to Haya for the first time since he had come to this room.

"No....No, this is a lie...I am sure Meerab is feeding you these...." Haya was frantically trying to cover up but Murtasim cut her off mid-sentence.

"Meerab never said a word about it" he said flatly and the inner voice told him 'because you never let her Idiot!'.

"Don't Haya! don't even try...I know all of this is true," said Murtasim to Haya, his eye red as he barely controlled an urge to strangle her. Then, he turned to Maa begum "And....if I would tell you what abhorring act she pulled last night to sabotage my marriage you would be questioning your tarbiyat, so I am gonna spare you that." Murtasim said sternly and then announced one last time for any doubt to be erased...

''I.WANT.HER.GONE.BEFORE.SUNDOWN"

**************************************************************************************************** Sorry guys! I know the update is short and late but, it's a busy week so bear with me! :)