Alternate Universe One shots.
This one starts right after Maa Begum announces Murtasim and Meerabs engagement at Meerub’s birthday party.
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“Maa Begum I am sorry I can’t make such an important decision so abruptly I need to sleep over this. I’ll see you all at breakfast tomorrow please leave me alone till then.” She had said and ran off to her assigned guest room.
She shut the door and quickly gulped a glass of water in hopes of calming down her racing heart and giving much needed respite to her parched throat.
What a birthday Meerub she whispered into nothingness.
The announcement was a shock although not an unpleasant one but it was something she was completely unprepared for. Perhaps she should have anticipated something like this. Maa Begums constant attempts to get them to talk, lavish gifts for her on all occasions and her constantly sending Murtasim to pick her up instead of any normal driver were all indicators she had missed.
Her brain was working on an overdrive. She had anyway planned on talking to Murtasim before this visit ended but it seemed like she would have to do it tonight itself.
She took a quick shower and did her skincare routine as she impatiently waited for everyone in the house to sleep or at least settle in their rooms.
By the time she was sure everyone was asleep it was already midnight she quietly closed the door of her room and walked towards the secluded back garden of the haveli certain that he would be there.
She vibrated with nervous energy, her heart beating fast , her muscles tense with the anxiety she had. Had she been a little less stubborn she would have chickened out but she didn’t have that luxury tonight. The conversation she planned to have was what was going to decide the turn her life was going to take.
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Murtasim on the other hand stood in the garden gazing at stars, his blazer long discarded, shirt sleeves rolled up and hair messy after he had ran his hands through them a hundred times. He signed as he lit his third cigarette of that night. He usually stopped at one, two at most but today he allowed himself some leeway considering the special circumstances.
He had already been pissed off the entire day due to issues with the Malik’s adding to it the stress of locating the birthday girl. He had dragged her from her birthday party, placed a knife at her friend neck and she had understandably been upset. The had spent the entire car ride in charged uneasy silence.
This wasn’t how he had planned the day he had thought about letting her cut the cake before taking her back home but the way her friend Sohail, Rohail whatever his name was had looked had her had burned his heart pumping fire in his veins. The idiot had looked like a lovesick fool looking at her while obviously wishing to be more than friends. It had set something feral off inside him, the need to claim, hide and protect flowing through him and he had let his anger take over which had been a mistake resulting in nothing but heartache and regret the entire car ride.
Even though she hadn’t once glanced at him he as always had barely been able to keep his eyes of her looking exceptionally beautiful in the pink dress and cropped blazer delicately accessorized with diamond earrings.
He hoped that the party that awaited her at home would appease her. His eyes trailing behind her as she had looked at the decorations and he at her hoping for his silent apology to be heard and accepted.
He had after all always been less of words and more of actions.
She had certainly looked happier while cutting the cake and feeding it to her parents and his heart had felt at rest before another bomb had been dropped of at them unexpectedly.
