Meri Musibat [Tere Bin FF]

36. 28, 31

A/N: For part six (of eight) of our epilogue, we check in on our family of five Ms now (Murtasim, Meerab, Meesam, Maahir, and Maira + the goats who are out frolicking somewhere). Hope y'all enjoy this chapter!

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In the dimly lit room, Meerab watched anxiously as the physician examined her twins, Maahir and Maira, laid out on the soft bed. Her heart was heavy with worry, her mind racing with the possibilities of what could be wrong.

"They've been fussy all night, at first I thought it was because they missed Mur—their father, but they're both a little warm and keep crying," Meerab explained, her voice tinged with concern as the doctor held a thermometer to Maira's forehead.

A wave of relief washed over her as the thermometer flashed green, indicating Maira's temperature was normal. Meerab held her breath again as the physician moved to take Maahir's temperature. She silently prayed for another green light, which came, much to her relief.

She watched closely as the doctor checked each baby's ears and then their mouths, her fingers gently stroking their hair in an attempt to soothe their cries. The familiar sound of her shushing filled the room, a soft counterpoint to the babies' distress.

"No sign of any kind of infection, it's just teething, their gums are a little sore. Some children have a harder time with it than others," the physician finally concluded with a sigh, offering a smile that seemed meant to reassure.

Except it didn't.

"Do they need medication? Ointment of some sort?" Meerab asked, remembering tales from other mothers about numbing gels for teething babies—Meesam had been so different, simply waking up one morning with teeth breaking through her gums.

"No, ointments and gels aren't great for babies. If they get really irritable, you can give them baby acetaminophen to help them sleep through the night. But not more than once a night," she advised. "I'll have my assistant bring you a teether, it's just rubber. Put it in the fridge for a while and let them chew on it. For now, you can just run your finger across their gums or a cool spoon if they get fussy. This is one of those things that you just have to get through, sadly. I recommend making pureed fruits and freezing them to make ice lollipops. They might not fuss about those because it'll help with the pain," she explained further, his voice calm.

Rifat Bi, the head of their house staff, chimed in. "I'll have those made and brought to you," she said.

"I'll also send up the medication just in case," the physician added before packing up her tools.

Rifat Bi escorted the physician out. Meerab knew one of the maids would be standing outside the door, ready to assist if needed.

Meerab gently picked up both Maahir and Maira, moving them further up the bed until they were nestled among the pillows. She sat cross-legged beside them, her motherly instinct kicking in as she began to soothe their tiny bellies with gentle rubs.

Maira's face scrunched up into a screech of discomfort. "I know, baby, I am sorry it hurts," Meerab whispered softly, her finger delicately tracing along Maira's tender gums in an attempt to offer some relief.

Just then, Maahir started to cry.

Quickly, Meerab scooped him up and nestled his face against her neck, rocking him gently while continuing to tend to Maira. She sang softly, a lullaby to calm them, her voice wavering as her own eyes filled with tears.

The emotional weight of seeing her babies in discomfort was overwhelming.

She had always been sensitive to Meesam's pain, but now, with twins, the experience was doubly intense, the though of them being in pain was worse than being in pain herself. "It's okay, I know it hurts, but before you know it, you'll have little teeth and you can try even more foods like Mee-Mee," she reassured them, trying to infuse her voice with cheerfulness despite her aching heart.