The Eclipsed Heart

Chapter 42

The weight of Meerab's words crashed down on Murtasim, the raw honesty of her emotions leaving an indelible mark on his heart as his tears involuntarily traced delicate paths down the letter. The room, bathed in sunlight, stood as a silent witness to a love that was both brave and tragic. Lines of farewell and heartbreak traced across the paper, revealing a depth of emotion that transcended the confines of written words.

"This has to be a joke, right?" Murtasim's mind desperately sought refuge in denial. The idea that Meerab would soon appear with Farukh, ready to reveal the jest they had orchestrated for him, lingered as a fragile hope. "She can't be gone."

Minutes felt like agonizing hours as Murtasim clung to the belief that Meerab's absence was merely a prank. But the cruel reality remained unchanged. She did not materialize, and the room held no secret observers. With trembling hands, he opened the envelope, unveiling the cold, legal papers that bore Meerab's signature—the undeniable evidence of her departure.

Crushing the divorce papers in his hand, the weight of reality pressed heavily upon him. "No, Meerab, you can't leave me alone, you won't right?" he muttered, as if his words could summon her back. The eclipse that Meerab had lifted from his heart now descended anew, plunging him into a darkness he thought he had left behind. It felt surreal, as if the ground beneath him had vanished, leaving him suspended in a void of despair.

His mind wrestled with a barrage of emotions. How could she do this? How could she abandon the connection they had forged? Meerab, the one who had mended his stoic heart, was now the one tearing it apart. His anguish constricted his chest, making it difficult to draw breath. She had left him, and the reality of her absence felt like an insurmountable void.

Why did she have to make such a big decision all by herself? She could've talked to him, questioned him and made him understand her perspective. But instead, she just left.

Despite their marriage was something based on compromises and familial duties but wasn't that something left in the past? Hadn't they evolved into something more?

And divorce? Was it only her call to make? It felt like she'd ripped a page out of their story without giving him a say.

These questions bombarded Murtasim, his pain manifesting as anger, directed inward, the lines of agitation etched on his furrowed brow. Tears of frustration left him, tracing erratic paths down his cheeks, mirroring the tumultuous storm within. He threw the bedsheet covers away with a vehement force, the fabric billowing in the air before settling on the ground. His emotions unraveled in a torrent of self-blame, the room bearing witness to the tempest of emotions that raged within him.

Why hadn't he confessed his true feelings to Meerab? The echoes of this question reverberated through his mind, a relentless refrain amplifying his regret. The weight of his unspoken words hung in the air, an oppressive force that fueled the anguish that clenched his chest. Each missed opportunity to bare his soul to her became a searing regret, intensifying the internal turmoil.

Why hadn't he reassured her that his heart belonged to her, not Mahi? The realization of his failure to communicate the depth of his feelings became a haunting specter in his thoughts. The unspoken assumptions, the silent spaces between their words, all now seemed like missed chances to bridge the emotional gap. The words he should have uttered lingered in the room, unsaid and regretful.

The room, bathed in the harsh reality of shattered love, bore witness to Murtasim's unraveling emotions. His eyes fixated on the crumbled divorce papers scattered on the ground, a poignant symbol of the bond that now lay in ruins.

In a surge of frustration, he picked up the divorce papers, his hands trembling with a mixture of anger and despair. With a vehement motion, he tore them away as if erasing the legal confirmation of their separation could somehow mend the shattered fragments of his heart. The symbolic act carried an intensity of emotion, a futile attempt to undo the irreversible damage inflicted upon the connection he had shared with Meerab. The room bore witness to this act of desperation, silent and unyielding, as the torn pieces fluttered to the floor, echoing the irreparable nature of their strained relationship.