After the End (Tere Bin) (ON HOLD)

Gaddi

The next morning in the Khan Haveli was just as hectic as the previous one, if not more.

Meerab groaned as the sound of her husband loud voices reverberated through the room. Her face was flushed under the comfort of her pillow, she tugged her blanket closer to her, trying to block the sound of his voice.

"Nahi Qureshi Sahab, maine aapse kaha na? 2 ghante mai muje videographer final chaiye!"

(No Mr. Qureshi, we've talked about this! I need the videographer finalised within the next 2 hours!)

Meerab snapped her head up and groggily looked around.

Murtasim paced outside in the balcony of their room. Even from afar, in the faint light of dawn, she could see his tensed muscles and clenched jaw.

Oh, he was taking this party way too seriously.

Sighing she quietly slipped out of bed. She swiftly passed a glace at the cot where Meesam slept, making sure she was tucked in well, and made her way towards her husband

"Aur haan, muje 11 baje se phele mere ghar pe ek professional photographer bhi chaiye. Family portrait aaj ke aaj click karke tayaar karna hai-"

(And I need a photographer at my place before 11. The family portrait needs to be clicked and finalised tod-)

Her hand gently caressed his shoulder.

He turned around

"Murtasim?" she whispered

His expression momentarily softened at the sight of her before it snapped back into anger. Clearly whatever he heard from the caller didn't make him very happy.

His attention went back to the call

"Qureshi meri baat sun-"
(Mr Qureshi, listen to-)

Meerab snatched the phone away from his grasp and turned her back to him, making sure his phone was out of his reach.

"Hello? Haanji, Qureshi Sahab. Mai Meerab, Khan ke biwi. Itni kya zaroori baat discuss karni hai aapko jo aap subhe 5 baje yaha call kar rahe hai?" She asked, her calm voice a stark contrast from her husband's.

(Yes, Mr. Qureshi? I'm Meerab, Khan's wife. Whats so urgent that it needed to be discussed at 5 in the morning?)

Whatever she heard was definitely not in Murtasim's favour. The look she gave him was enough to make the strongest of men cower.

Murtasim groaned inadvertently.

She continued staring her husband down while she sweetly talked to the another guy on the phone.

"Fikaar maat kijiye aap, mere shauhar kabhi kabhi thoda zyada he rude ho jaate hai. Itni subhe sunhe aapko call nahi karna chaiye tha. Unke taraaf se mai aapse maafi maangti hu. Aur haan, photographer aap din mai kabhi bhi bhej dijiye ga. We'll manage"

(Don't worry Me Qureshi, my husband tends to go a little overboard. I apologise on his behalf for waking you up at this ungodly hour. And please, just send the photographer as soon as possible, it's okay if he doesn't show up in the morning. We'll manage)

No matter how much he wanted to, Murtasim didn't dare open his mouth to protest.

She discontented the phone and quietly handed him his phone back.

She turned her back to him once again, this time to calm herself down and prevent snapping at him for disturbing her sleep.

She held her head in her hands and massaged her temples. He was clearly going through something, she had to talk to him.