The night was chilly and an eerie fog settled in the jungle as three men gathered in a secluded spot among the wild bushes. A small bonfire was lit up in the middle as the men gathered around it. Two of them had their faces covered as they approached the other man who sat there casually smoking a cigar.
"Maalik! Kaam hogaya. Khan ki biwi ko goli lagi hai" one of the men informed, removing the bandana from his face to reveal himself.
"Aur Khan?" The man asked, exhaling another puff of smoke.
"Khan bach gaya, uss ke bandon ne hum pe goliyan chalani shuru kardi. Lekin uss ki biwi ka bachna na mumkin sa lagta hai" the second person informed, folding his hands in front of him as he stood a little nervously.
"Chalo acha hai, biwi maregi tou Murtasim Khan tou jeete jee hi marjaega" their Maalik smirked, toying with the large ring on his finger as the light from the bonfire reflected off of the stone and lit up his surroundings with a light orange glow.
"Ye lou" he reached into his pocket and pulled out two huge wads of cash, throwing them at their feet and watching with complete disinterest as the men scrambled to retrieve the money from the ground.
"Jao ab yahan se, aur dehaan rahe koi dekhe na tum logon ko" he ordered, eyeing them up and down and rolling his eyes at their desperation for money.
"Salaam Maalik" the men bid farewell before they turned around on their heels and walked away after a nod of his head.
"Murtasim Khan, tu ne mere hi logon ke saamne meri beizzati karwayi thi na...ab tu dekh mai kese teri zindagi jahanum banata houn" he whispered, taking one final drag of his cigar before chucking it into the fire in front of him, watching as it slowly burned and crumbled into ash among the burning wood; the flame reflecting the dangerous fire that burned within his own eyes.
****
"Meerab...Meerab!" A piercing ringing echoed in Meerab's ears as consciousness returned once more. She had been drifting in and out of consciousness for an unknown duration, and each time she opened her eyes, her vision was hazy, with a familiar face filling her sight and calling her name as though it were the only word they knew. However, she couldn't discern the identity; her mind and body felt numb. Tears streamed from her eyes, yet the reason for her tears remained elusive; she couldn't sense or comprehend anything, except for the persistent voice calling her name.
"Meerab!" The voice resounded again, and she attempted to concentrate on it, striving to identify the speaker. Yet, as she struggled to focus her gaze on the face above her, a brilliant red light became the final image before unconsciousness overcame her once more.
****
Tears welled up in Murtasim's eyes as he observed the nurses wheeling Meerab into the operating theatre. She had regained consciousness, and the hope that she could hear him led him to repeatedly cry out her name. He aimed to provide some solace through his voice, attempting to shield her from the potential pain caused by the bullet wound, despite the nurse's assurance that she had been sedated and would be entirely numb by the time they reached the hospital.
As the doors to the operating theatre closed, obscuring Meerab from his view, Murtasim felt his heart quicken, panic setting in. The medical professionals had assured him that the bullet hadn't struck a vital organ and wasn't fatal. However, Murtasim couldn't shake the anxiety, especially when his gaze landed on the dark maroon stain on her shirt. Each time Meerab briefly regained consciousness, whimpering his name, he couldn't help but panic.
The sound of her uttering his name in a pained whisper, with closed eyes and a distressed expression, felt like repeated stabs to Murtasim's gut. Despite her eyes being slightly open, she remained unresponsive when he called her name. Instead, she would toss her head on the pillow before slipping back into unconsciousness, the heart rate monitor tauntingly displaying her vital signs. Throughout the ambulance journey on the narrow village roads to the nearest hospital, Murtasim clung to the nurse's earlier announcement that her vitals were stable, scrutinizing the numbers as if his own survival depended on it.
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Chess & Checkers
FanfictionLIFE IS CHESS, NOT CHECKERS What happens when lifelong friends and business partners, Meerab Ahmed and Murtasim Khan, are forced into marriage by their families, for reasons unknown to both of them. How will this forced union affect their lives? Wil...
