Renewed Vows (Tere Bin)

21: KARMA

"Bakhtu, when he reaches home, convey my greetings to him once again," Murtasim instructed Bakhtu over the phone.

"He won't be reaching home," Saba interjected, catching Murtasim's attention. He looked at her, a trace of confusion clouding his expression.

"He had this all planned out; he's leaving for Dubai," Saba clarified, revealing the underlying scheme.

Murtasim's brow furrowed. "Do you have any evidence to support this claim that this was planned by him?"

Saba nodded and proceeded to play an audio recording on her phone, both of them listening intently.

Saba's voice emanated from the recording, sincere and concerned. "Just hear me out, okay? If you genuinely care for Meerab, please consider leaving her be. How can we claim to be her friends if we're determined to disrupt her happiness? Since her marriage to Murtasim, this is the first time I've seen her genuinely content with him. Please, Rohail, don't take this away from her."

Murtasim's gaze sharpened as he absorbed the revelation.

"What's wrong?" Saba asked, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

Rohail's confession unfolded through the recording. "I... We hatched a plan," he admitted, "Murtasim's cousin and I. We intended to create misunderstandings between them, all so I could get Meerab and she could have Murtasim."

Saba's astonishment was palpable in her voice. "Is this how far you're willing to go? To manipulate a married couple for your own desires? I had a higher opinion of you, Rohail."

The audio hung heavy with Rohail's silence, eventually giving way to Saba's next inquiry. "Is that cousin named Haya?" Rohail's subdued 'yes' affirmed her suspicion.

"That's enough," Murtasim interjected, putting an end to the playback and the unsettling revelations it contained before leaving the room.

Meerab's tears of relief flowed freely as she tightly embraced Saba. "Thank you so much. You can't possibly know how much this means to me. He was ready to believe that I had initiated contact with Rohail again."

Saba held her friend gently, a sympathetic smile on her face. "I'm sorry, Meerab. I tried my best to reason with him. When I learned a while ago that he was still on his way to Hyderabad, I rushed here hoping I could help resolve the situation."

Just then, Murtasim entered the room, Haya in tow and a perplexed Maa Begum following behind. The atmosphere was charged with tension and confusion.

Murtasim's face was a mix of anger and disbelief as he looked at Haya, who seemed everything but ashamed. Maa Begum, sensing the tension, looked between the faces of those present, clearly bewildered.

"What is going on here?" Maa Begum finally asked, her voice carrying a hint of concern.

Meerab wiped her tears and stepped forward, her voice tinged with a mix of frustration and determination. "Maa Begum, Haya has been trying to create misunderstandings between Murtasim and me. She was involved in setting up that lunch invitation from Rohail, trying to make it seem like Murtasim had invited me."

"Meerab bila waja meri beti par ilzam matt lagao," Maa Begum said in a warning tone.

Saba, who had been observing the situation, stepped forward. "Auntie, I have an audio recording of a conversation between Rohail and Haya. It's evidence of their plan to create misunderstandings between Meerab and Murtasim." She played the recording, letting the words speak for themselves.