Meri Musibat [Tere Bin FF]

12. 22, 25 - Part 1

A/N: First chapter in Meerab's POV, ahhhhhh! We get to find out if y'all were right in saying "aag dono taraf barabar lagi hai" and in your speculations about what's going to happen next! See y'all on the other side :)

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In the quiet sanctuary of her room in Karachi, Meerab sat before her vanity, brushing her hair, lost in the reflection that mirrored back more than just her image. Around her, the room was scattered with the chaos of preparation—suitcases gaping with new outfits, their vibrant colors a silent homage to the man whose gaze softened when his eyes met the hues of pinks, reds, and yellows on her.

She ran a brush through her hair, each stroke rhythmic, calming. "It's easy," she murmured to her reflection, a semblance of assurance in her voice. She drew in a breath, her chest rising with resolve. "Just take a deep breath... and say it."

"I love you, Murtasim," she whispered, the words floating through the stillness of her room.

A smile bloomed across her features, a blush tinging her cheeks at the sound of her own confession. It felt silly, yet exhilarating, to admit such a feeling to her own reflection. She looked away, her eyes shining with the truth she'd been too scared to voice aloud.

Returning her gaze to the mirror, she tilted her head, considering. "I like you?" she tried, as if testing the waters. But the phrase seemed lacking, insufficient to encompass the depth of what pulsed through her veins.

Meerab's gaze lingered on her own eyes in the mirror, the depths of which held a story only she knew in its entirety. It was a tale that began with mere attraction, a recognition of something potent and compelling in the man who was Murtasim.

Meerab's love for Murtasim had arrived unbidden, a tempest that had swept into her world without warning. It was as if the skies of her heart, once clear and serene, had suddenly darkened with his presence, an electric charge filling the air, heralding the storm to come. She had not anticipated the whirlwind, had not prepared defenses, for how does one brace for a storm they do not see brewing on the horizon?

He had come into her life with the force of a gale, defying every thought she had of who she would one day end up with. His smile, his stern looks, his unexpected kindnesses—each moment with him was a gust that shook her foundations, a clap of thunder that echoed in the empty chambers of her heart. Before she knew it, he had inundated her thoughts, flooded her senses, and drenched her soul with an intensity that left her breathless.

Like a tempest, he had found his way through the slightest cracks in her resolve, pouring into her life with the ease of rain through a sieve. She had no defenses against him; he saturated every thought, soaked through every layer of her being until she was awash with feelings she couldn't stem. And just as a storm leaves its mark on the landscape, Murtasim had indelibly marked her heart, reshaping it in his image, transforming her inner world as thoroughly as a deluge alters the land.

Now, in the aftermath, just like the world following a storm, everything felt more intense—the colors of emotion more vivid, the landscape of her life irrevocably changed. She was left with the realization that, no matter how unexpected or tumultuous, Murtasim's presence in her heart was as elemental and undeniable as the rain that falls to the earth.

He had ruined her for anyone else. Of that she was sure.

Meerab sighed, remembering those early days that summer when they first went to the village—the way he had apologized for his actions after yelling at her about his camera, attentively listened to her as they embarked on a trip, offering comfort without words, showing care with his actions. He had dismantled, piece by piece, the image she had constructed of him, revealing someone far more complex and considerate.