Burn The World

Assurance

Everything was a blur. A big, painful blur. Almost three weeks passed by since the phone call from the police inspector. Meerab’s parents were dead. She was now an orphan.

The reason? Robbery.

Waqas and Anila had almost reached their house when the taxi they were in passed through an empty street. There, the taxi was stopped by an armed man with a mask over his face.

At gunpoint he had demanded cash, jewellery and any other valuable goods in their possession. Then he fired gunshots and killed Meerab’s parents on the spot. They didn’t even have a chance to defend themselves.

The masked gunman had fired a shot at the taxi driver too. The taxi driver was luckier than her parents. He had initially been critical but he gained consciousness after being treated at the hospital. He had given his statement once he was okay to speak. The police claimed they were doing all they could to find the killer. And just like that, two very important people in her life had been taken away from her. Instantly. Traumatically.

Meerab had cried tears of pure anguish when the news first broke. Murtasim held her in his arms consolingly as she cried the entire time, from the first discussion with the police to the hospital where they had gone to view the bodies.

Murtasim tried his very best to be strong himself so he could support her, but his tears wouldn’t stop either. Waqas uncle and Anila aunty had shown him so much love over the years.

Maa Begum, Anwar, Maryam and Haya had arrived in Karachi for the janazah two days later. By now Meerab wasn’t sobbing uncontrollably anymore. She had gone quiet. Despite having a slightly blank expression on her face, internally she was trying her best to come to terms with the situation. No good ever came from wallowing in sadness and depression. Her father Waqas would often say this to her. She prayed sincerely for her parent’s in their next life. They were good people and she was sure they were happy in their barzakh stage.

Anwar, Maryam and Haya had given her their condolences with sombre faces after the janazah, but they had to depart back to Hyderabad. Maryam and Haya had studies and Anwar was taking care of the lands in Murtasim’s absence.

It was surprisingly Maa Begum who had stuck around to console Meerab. Maa Begum was worried that Meerab wouldn’t be used to living alone, so she wanted to stay a few more days with her to ensure she was completely okay. Meerab had always deemed Maa Begum too strict a disciplinary to understand human emotions, yet she was caring for her as if she were her own mother.

Meerab didn’t want to stay in her parents’ house, as the reminder that they weren’t there with her was still too raw. So Meerab had stayed in Murtasim’s flat again, though this time she obviously couldn’t stay in his room.

Maa Begum had stayed with Meerab, in her designated bedroom within Murtasim’s flat. That’s how almost three weeks had been spent, with Maa Begum now an addition to the flat, trying her utmost best to help Meerab in a period of pain and making sure she ate well. Meerab’s concentration wasn’t the best either so she had resigned from her temp position and she’d gotten her last semester in uni which was due to start soon, delayed. She needed a few months off.

After her parents, Meerab was naturally drawn towards Murtasim for comfort, as he was now the only family she had left. Murtasim knew there was a chance Maa Begum might throw a huge ruckus if she found out they were in a relationship without marriage, so they had limited almost all of their interactions and they remained cordial and distant.  Murtasim had asked Meerab to only pay him a quick visit after Maa Begum fell asleep if she ever needed anything.

All Meerab needed was his embrace and his assurance he would be with her forever and never leave her alone. His presence had the ability to calm her frazzled nerves and her swopping anxiety. So she’d sneak into the lounge after Maa Begum slept for a quick embrace lasting two minutes and a few words of assurance every night. Then she’d slip back into her room to sleep next to Maa Begum. Much to Meerab’s own surprise, she had managed to hold her emotions together fairly well during a hellish time.