Unveiling Meerab [Tere Bin FF]

33. cape town

A/N: GASP - an update without replying to comments for the last chapter?! I only had time to do one thing, so I'll post the chapter and save all the wonderful reactions to read together. I hope you enjoy this last chapter of their honeymoon before we return to Hyderabad and welcome...surprises, hehehe. This chapter is all fluff, Mr. Kaahaani said "this is a guidebook for how a husband should be" - and it's a long 20 page one. See you on the other side!

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"It feels like we're leaving a part of us here," Meerab muttered as she nestled close to him, her hand in his, gripping it with a tenderness that spoke louder than words, as they travelled from the resort in the same Mercedes to the same airport they had arrived from.

He sighed, "it really does." He muttered, with each mile they put between themselves and the resort nestled in the heart of the wild, if felt like they were also distancing themselves from moments that had become etched into the very essence of their beings. Moments of unbridled joy, of tranquility, of a love that had somehow grown ever deeper. It felt like a bittersweet departure from a place that had witnessed so many memories, a place immortalized through the lens of his camera and their minds.

"We can come back some day, right?" she implored, resting her head against his shoulder.

He nodded, "maybe in a few years, with our children, we can stay at the lodge that allows them." He remembered the little brochures about all the different lodges at Lion Sands.

She yawned, "I like that."

"Sleep, I'll wake you up." He told her.

"I don't know why I am so tired suddenly." She whined but curled into his chest as he wrapped his arm around her, falling asleep within minutes. She woke up as they went through the easy check-in process at the Skukuza Airport where they had first arrived and boarded their short flight to Cape Town.

Their flight was quiet as well, Meerab falling asleep as soon as the plane took off, only to wake up when he tried to buckle her seatbelt as they got ready to land.

Their arrival marked a transition, from the rustic, untamed beauty of the wild to the sophisticated allure of the city. Meerab's grip on Murtasim's hand tightened as the plane descended, her eyes wide as she looked out the window. "It's so different," she whispered, her voice laced with wistfulness as they began their descent into Cape Town.

Peering out the window alongside her, Murtasim took in the sprawling cityscape set against the dramatic backdrop of towering mountains and the expansive blue of the ocean. It was a stark contrast to the serene vastness they had left behind. Here, the vibrant pulse of city life was palpable. The majestic Table Mountain loomed over the city, a stoic guardian watching over the bustling streets, the lush greenery offering a vivid reminder of the natural beauty that surrounded this urban oasis. It was a world away from the secluded paradise of their safari resort, yet it held the promise of new adventures, new memories to be made.

Arriving at the One&Only Cape Town, nestled in the heart of the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Murtasim and Meerab were greeted with their hotel, renowned for its opulence and prime location amidst the bustling hub of luxury shopping and scenic views.

As the car stopped, Meerab spoke. "It's so weird to hear traffic and people again," she remarked, her voice tinged with a mixture of awe and nostalgia as they took in the lively atmosphere.

"It does seem unnatural now," Murtasim mused. "Imagine going back to Pakistan."

Meerab groaned and he laughed just as their car doors were opened, they stepped out of the vehicle, greeted by the warm smiles of the hotel staff. Meerab's little giggles, a sound that never failed to warm his heart, echoed softly as they navigated through the check-in process, their luggage whisked away to their room.