Tere bin shots

Tangled threads pt4

"Meerab?" Murtasim's voice halted Meerab's heart. He wasn't supposed to hear this—Ya Allah, not this. Anxiety kicked in, as her heart started to race uncontrollably. She turned to look at him, and the look on his face broke her heart. His furrowed brows and eyes, which had just regained their warmth, were once again filled with immense hurt and pain. She could see his shivering hand, clenched in a strong fist, as he threw a pained and disappointed look at both Rohail and Meerab before walking away.

"No, wait, Murtasim—" Meerab exclaimed as she moved to follow him but was stopped by Rohail, who held her hand. In that moment, she didn't know what possessed her, but the next thing she knew was that her hand had launched a hard slap across Rohail's face.

"Don't ever touch me again! And get out of here!" Her eyes filled with rage as she pointed her finger at him, issuing a last warning that left a shocked Rohail grappling to process what had just happened.

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Embarrassment, rage, frustration and disgust—Murtasim could not fathom the multitude of negative emotions flooding through him. Disbelief, however, emerged as the dominant force. How could Meerab casually discuss something so private, so personal, with someone like Rohail? It left him feeling pathetic and disgusted, reminiscent of the emotions he had experienced when Haya had, so shamelessly, brought up the godforsaken contract in front of everyone, tossing around his personal life as if it meant nothing.

Murtasim Khan had always tried his best to keep his egotistical side in check, but the idea of someone, especially his wife parading their private matters around like this was unbearable. Walking around the room and taking deep breaths, he momentarily forgot about all the physical aches he had been feeling, as the mental disstress was too much to take.

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Meerab rushed to their shared room, observing Murtasim in a state of frustration. His fingers ran through his hair, and deep breaths bore witness to his anger. With each circle he traced, the room seemed to tighten its grip on the tension. Regret for her foolishness gnawed at Meerab as she cautiously entered the space.

Murtasim's gaze, filled with frustration, met hers as he abruptly halted his movements. In the charged silence that ensued, Meerab gathered the courage to break it. "Murtasim, I know what I did was stupid and embarrassing, but it just slipped from my tongue when we met before. I didn't mean to tell him this," she whispered, nervousness engulfing her words.

Murtasim's frustration echoed in his voice as he responded, "Slipped from your tongue? Meerab, is this something that should just be slipping from your tongue!?" His eyes bore into hers, disappointment and hurt etched across his features.

Meerab, feeling the weight of his gaze, took a step closer. "Murtasim, please try to understand. I never meant to reveal anything about that contract like this. It was a mistake, and I am genuinely sorry."

He sighed, his agitation giving way to a weariness that seemed to seep into every word. "Meerab, it's not just about the slip of the tongue. It's about trust, about keeping our personal matters private. HOW COULD YOU, SO CASUALLY, GO AROUND TELLING STRANGERS ABOUT THIS?"  his voice got louder, the weight of disappointment and frustration evident in every syllable.

"I didn't do it inten—" Meerab began, but Murtasim's sharp interruption cut through her words.

"Intentionally or non-intentionally, this is just so embarrassing! Ya Khudaya, I can't handle this. I don't know where we even stand. I mean look at us! No matter how hard we try to make things right between us, something always ends up ruining everything. Are we really going to spend the rest of our lives arguing like this? Giving justifications? Ugh, this whole thing is just—" Murtasim's continuous blabbering grated on Meerab's patience, and she couldn't hold back her response any longer.