Meri Musibat [Tere Bin FF]

20. 22, 25 - Part 8

A/N: It's hereeeeeeeeee! What y'all have been waiting for, over 10K word of confessions and moving forward, hehehehehe. See you on the other side!

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Meerab's heart was a battleground of emotions as she stepped out of Zaki's car, an apology hanging on her lips for the turmoil she'd swept him into. His soft "good luck" was a balm, but it did little to steady her nerves. She closed the door with a soft click, her gaze lifting to meet Murtasim's black Mercedes – which had come to a halt right behind them, as expected.

Her feet carried her towards his vehicle, each step a tumultuous echo of the dread and longing warring within her. She prayed that he didn't break her heart, that he didn't say that he had fought himself and come to the conclusion that he loved her in spite of all the things he hated about her. She wanted him to tell her that she had it all wrong, that there was a perfectly good reason for why he had pushed her away, that he loved her for who she was...that she wasn't a mistake.

But would he?

The metallic click of the passenger door handle was almost too loud in the stillness, and as she settled into the seat, the scent of Murtasim—bergamot and vanilla with a hint of mint—wrapped around her, evoking memories she grappled to keep at bay. It was a scent that offered an odd comfort in that moment amidst the uncertainty that swirled around them like a silent storm.

"Meerab, I – " Murtsaim's voice, heavy with emotion, broke the silence, but she cut him off before he could continue.

"Take us somewhere we can talk, the side of the road doesn't work," she snapped. The edge in her voice belied the vulnerability she felt, swirling amidst the confusion that clouded her thoughts.

Murtasim sighed, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of the world, and the car pulled away, gliding through Karachi's streets. The city was a different world at this hour, its usual bustle subdued under the cloak of night. Streetlights cast a hazy glow, illuminating their path in intermittent flashes, while the distant hum of the city provided a muted backdrop to the silence between them.

Her mind raced, trying to think of a place where they could talk undisturbed. The usual spots – a mall, a coffee shop – were too public, too prone to interruptions, and not right for what she anticipated being a very emotional conversation. The side of the road wasn't an option, with the ever-present risk of suspecting police officers knocking on car windows, she could only imagine the drama. She could only think of her house, but she knew that would mean her mother, and if he was able to, her father would come out to investigate.

Meerab decided to leave the decision to Murtasim, her eyes flickering around the meticulously maintained interior of his car, the absence of any clutter, emblematic of Murtasim's orderly nature. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she found herself stealing glances at him. It was as though her mind, starved of his presence, became ravenous at the sight of him, drinking in every detail with an insatiable thirst, utterly incapable of tearing her eyes away again.

He was a portrait of solemn beauty in his white kurta and shawl. She noticed that he had trimmed his beard since she last saw him, his hair was shorter too, yet strands still fell slightly over his forehead. But he looked far from unkempt as he had at the hospital. His mouth was taut with unspoken words. He was a study in restraint, and yet, there was an underlying tension, a barely concealed turmoil that made him seem more accessible, more real than he had in months.

Her confusion deepened, sitting so close to him again, in the same car that had been the starting point of their strange journey to the village, where she had fallen irrevocably in love with the man beside her. Her gaze drifted to the hood of the car, now devoid of any signs of the accident they had been in, driving smoothly and humming quietly as it always did. That night, when they had crashed into a tree, she had been just as confused by his behavior – his unexpected kindness, the way her heart fluttered at his proximity, the warmth of his hand against hers as they were cuffed together.