Unveiling Meerab [Tere Bin FF]

34. home

A/N: Hellllooooo! We're back to Hyderabad in this chapter - Meerab and Murtasim adjust to their new routine, and act all kinds of cute, so I hope y'all enjoy it :)

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As much as Meerab hated that she had to share her time and Murtasim with others, she couldn't deny the warmth that the familiar embrace of the haveli brought with it. The place she had once dreaded and thought of as a prison had somehow become a comforting haven. The transformation was not just in the bricks and mortar but in the essence of the place itself, imbued with the laughter and love of those who filled its rooms. As she glanced around the sitting room outside her and Murtasim's bedroom, a smile broke across her face. The sight of Maa Begum, Maryam, her Abbu, and her Baba and Mama who had made the trip from Karachi to see her, gathered together made her realize how some part of her had missed home.

Murtasim and Meerab had arrived late the previous night and had slept through most of the day before facing the day and their eager audience. Murtasim had helped her meticulously lay out the gifts they had brought back on the table they had picked after much deliberation when they renovated their space.

They all loved their gifts, oohing and aahing over them, their gratitude evident in their smiles.

Her Abbu was the first to notice the new watch on Murtasim's wrist, which made sense given his own love for watches, smiling as he said, "nice watch, Murtasim."

Meerab watched, her heart light, as Murtasim's face lit up. "Meri biwi ne gift ki hai mujhe," he declared, his words sending a wave of affectionate smiles her way. The warmth of the room seemed to increase tenfold, her cheeks burning with a blush as the spotlight turned to her.

The mention of the Cartier watch, their final extravagant purchase on the morning of their flight, drew admiring looks, particularly from Maa Begum. Her approving nod towards Meerab, coupled with her praise, made Meerab smile. "You have to admit, Meerab always chooses well," Maa Begum's words echoed around the room as her fingers played with the fabric of the two designer shawls in her lap.

Murtasim's playful whine, "I helped," was met with laughter, the room buzzing with the light-hearted teasing.

"Acha?" Maryam spoke up. "Or did Bhabhi just show you options for you to pick one?" She teased, hitting the nail on the head for the most part.

Murtasim looked towards Meerab with a pleading look, "tell her."

Meerab giggled, "he actually helped."

Her mother's question, "Did you enjoy yourselves?" touched a deeper chord, reminding Meerab of the type of enjoyment that characterized most of the trip.

As Murtasim raised his eyebrow at her in playful inquiry, Meerab felt her cheeks warm with a blush she couldn't quite conceal. Yet, before the conversation could steer towards her and why she was blushing, Murtasim deftly shifted the focus, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Meerab picked the best resort. There were so many animals, I even got pictures of animals that are rare to photograph," he shared.

Waqas glanced towards the wall adorned with empty frames. "You can easily fill that wall then," he suggested, nodding towards the collection waiting for life in the form of photographs.

"I can hook up the camera to the TV and show you some," Murtasim proposed, excitement in his voice. As he went to retrieve his camera, Meerab couldn't help but worry for a moment that Murtasim hadn't removed all of the more private pictures off the camera, as much as she loved the people in the room, she didn't need them to see pictures of her pressing her lips to Murtasim's cheeks or pictures of him shirtless in bed.