The Eclipsed Heart

Chapter 9

Murtasim awoke to the gentle caress of sunlight playing on his face. As his eyes slowly unveiled the world around him, a serene figure greeted his blurry vision. The sight seemed almost fantastical, as if plucked from a dream. A cascade of hair framed a delicate, peacefully sleeping face that seemed almost too surreal to be true. Intrigued, Murtasim's hand moved slowly towards the face, the contours of which were still fuzzy in his waking consciousness.

However, as his hand approached, a sudden wave of realization crashed over him—it was Meerab. The dreamlike quality of the moment shattered, replaced by a jolt of awareness. Hastily retracting his hand, Murtasim fully roused himself from the remnants of his trance, absorbing the details of the scene before him.

His hand lay entwined with Meerab's, a testament to the unspoken connection that had unfolded in the quiet of the night. Frustration and embarrassment gripped him as the memories of the previous night flooded back. In the throes of a nightmare, he had unknowingly embraced Meerab in the midst of his turmoil, mistaking her for another presence.

Untangling himself from the remnants of their shared dreamscape, Murtasim stood up, his mind swirling with a tempest of conflicting emotions. The weight of his earlier declarations about the insignificance of their marriage now bore down on him. How could he possibly face Meerab, given his past insistence that their union held no special meaning for him? What might she be thinking about him now?

As he contemplated these questions, a cloud of uncertainty enveloped him. In an attempt to clear the fog of introspection, Murtasim moved forward, resolving to take a refreshing shower. The cascade of water provided a moment to wash away any ambiguity and unease that had settled within him.

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Meerab awoke with a tired heaviness clinging to her, her head throbbing from the aftermath of a late night. As she struggled to pry open her eyes, the realization dawned—the side effects of sleeping late. With a reluctant sigh, she pushed herself upright, taking in the room's surroundings. Murtasim was engrossed in some closet reshuffling, a sight that instantly triggered memories of his gripping nightmare and Farukh's cryptic mentions to Murtasim's enigmatic past.

Contemplating whether to approach the subject, Meerab slowly rose, her steps carrying her toward Murtasim. As she approached, it became evident that he was making space for her belongings. Seizing the opportunity to diffuse the lingering tension, Meerab quipped, "Have you finally accepted that you're stuck with me and sharing is now a crucial skill?" Her attempt at humor sought to dissipate the awkwardness that clung to the room.

"I've cleared out room in the closet, bathroom shelves, and dresser. You can start organizing your things," Murtasim responded without glancing her way, his focus on the task at hand. Meerab nodded appreciatively, breaking the silence with a playful, "Well, thank you, Mr. Khan."

Yet, as Meerab mustered the courage to breach the subject of the haunting nightmare from the previous night, a knock on the door intervened. Murtasim opened the door to the maid, who delivered an invitation to breakfast. "Maa is calling us down," Murtasim announced, turning to Meerab.

However, Meerab was in no mood for interrogation in the morning, "I'm sorry but I'll pass. I'm not really in the mood for an interrogation or a long checklist that maa begum had prepared for me. I'll be here, arranging my things," she declared with a firmness that hung in the air. As Murtasim nodded and exited, Meerab embarked on the task of organizing her belongings, leaving the unspoken questions and the weight of the previous night's shadows to linger in the room's atmosphere.

As Meerab delved into the task of organizing her belongings, the closet soon echoed with the rustle of clothes and the shuffle of shoes. The room gradually transformed into a curated reflection of her presence.