Unveiling Meerab [Tere Bin FF]

38. sweet anticipations

A/N: Helllo! Thank you to you all for all the lovely comments and love for the last chapter! We start off where we left off with the crew. Just a heads up that the last section of this chapter has smut, I know some of you are probably abstaining from reading smut during Ramadan so I thought I'd flag it for you. This chapter is 13K words, so it's a long one, haha.

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The backyard was alight with the soft glow of the fire pit, casting a cozy ambiance over the group nestled in plush sofas, surrounded by the endless canvas of a starry night. Dinner had been delightful, its various aromas more inviting than ever to Meerab, who found herself enjoying every bite, her movements animated, much to Murtasim's amusement. His eyes had been on her all evening, a smile on his face, giving an opportunity to Shahryar to tease him endlessly about how smitten he was.

After the meal, the night had drawn them outdoors, Aaminah and Salar's laughter mingling with the crackle of the fire before sleep claimed them, leaving the adults to revel in the kind of uninterrupted conversation that was a rare luxury.

Wrapped in a blanket beside Murtasim, Meerab relished the warmth and security of his side, her head comfortably resting against his shoulder. Their friends, equally snug in their seats, contributed to the voices and laughter that filled the night.

"Cold?" Murtasim's voice was soft, a whisper meant only for her, as he noticed her cuddling closer.

Shaking her head, Meerab looked up at him, their eyes meeting in a silent exchange of affection. He adjusted the blanket around them, his lips meeting her temple in a gentle kiss, his arm drawing her closer, a protective hand resting lightly on her stomach. She hummed contentedly, the simple gesture flooding her with warmth.

Shahzain's voice broke through the comfortable lull, tinged with nostalgia. "Man, where have the years gone?"

Saad's laughter followed, a sound that seemed to echo around the fire. "What? Reminiscing the good old times?"

Murtasim smiled, his gaze still locked with Meerab's as he played with her hair.

Shahryar, with a snicker, chimed in, "I am still epic and fun, you're both dads...and Murtasim is just whipped."

"You were never epic and never will be," Murtasim shot back playfully, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he turned back to his friend.

"Damn right, I was the real genius," Shahzain boasted, only for Saad to quickly counter, "We all know Murtasim was the real genius."

Meerab, intrigued, turned towards Murtasim, who simply shrugged, an amused smirk on his face. Shahzain, unable to contain his laughter, reminisced, "Murtasim always acted like he was too cool to participate, until it was actually time to do something, then he had all the ideas."

"Like?" Meerab prodded, her interest piqued.

"There are too many to count," Murtasim attempted to deflect, but his friends wouldn't have it.

"Oh no no, we're going there," Saad declared, the excitement in his voice undeniable.

Shahryar, already looking between all of them, suggested, "Chronological order?"

Rani suggested, "I want to sleep at some point, so highlight of every year?" trying to condense the walk down memory lane.

"Year one has to be Professor Jamil," Saad said, sparking a chorus of snickers among the boys.

Dua, smiling, had clearly heard snippets of this legendary tale having gone to the same university. "The Bollywood one?"

Meerab turned to Murtasim, arching her eyebrow.