Colors of Ishq (Tere Bin FF)

chapter five

five / BRIDGING TWO WORLDS

Hi y'all, my apologies for going completely off the grid, but if you've been following me on here or have had come across my tweet on X, you'd know I wasn't in the headspace to continue writing either of the fics which resulted in this massive stretch of absence. I wrote a one-shot a couple of weeks ago which finally got me into the groove again, so here's the next chapter which is almost the length of two chapters and has been long overdue. Happy reading!

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     As the evening descended upon the Khan haveli, casting a shadow that was battled with the cadence of the soft white lights, Meerab found herself engulfed by the heat of the stove, the delicious aroma of the kebabs and an unfamiliar motherly embrace of Maa Begum. She flipped each of the kebabs on the pan, the sizzling of the oil adding to the recurring chirping of crickets in the background and she pressed each of them further into the pan, letting each piece soak the heat and turn a shade of golden brown, the instructions a soft echo in her mind.

     She'd stood outside the empty kitchen several hours ago, trudging around the threshold while her mind had been a battle a contrasts, the idea of making kebabs for Murtasim—or not—a dichotomy that she hadn't been able to discern for minutes at a stretch. It wasn't an impromptu thought that'd stemmed within the confines of her mind, but one that'd found a sanctuary after Mariam had told her about his fondness for kebabs, a quintessential piece of information that'd slipped past her lips during those quiet afternoons of camaraderie when she'd settled into the comfort of her room in the past week.

     The week had held a sense of calmness, a tranquility that she hadn't felt in days and she'd associated it with Haya's absence—one that despite its heaviness in the haveli had washed her with relief, settling the brewing storm within her. Yet, as the minutes had unraveled into hours and the hours into days, the realization had dawned upon her, almost tricking her mind and pushing her into a realm of contemplation, the calmness due to Haya's absence a forgotten thought, instead filled with his thoughts that she hadn't been able to fathom.

     For how could have his presence brought her a calmness, ceasing the thoughts that'd wrecked a havoc within her mind, filling her with a peacefulness that she'd started forgetting about?

     It'd reminded her of her life before marriage, a life that now felt too distant to return to, yet its memories had lingered in her mind, etching them within the deepest crevices of her being like a tattoo she couldn't find riddance from. She'd wanted to erase those memories, repeatedly reminding herself of the pain that'd been inflicted upon her every time she'd recalled those moments, but despite the similarity, the calmness in his presence had carried a tinge of difference, one that she hadn't been able to decipher at first.

     However, it was during one of those afternoons, when she'd found herself nestled into the coziness of Mariam's room that the realization had seeped into her mind, clearing the blurriness that'd shrouded her. It'd nudged her gently, coercing her into shifting her perspective and understanding that Murtasim's presence had returned to her a peacefulness that she'd unknowingly associated with a sense of belonging, ingraining a belief within her that somehow, she belonged in his life, even if it was in the tiniest nooks of his life.

     It'd reminded her of that dreadful night, transferring her into the darkness that'd clouded her, threatening to consume her into a blackhole that she hadn't known how to navigate through. The reminder of the dismissal she'd faced had surged through her, suffocating her, but as the memories had flooded her mind, she'd recounted the invitation he'd held out for her, calling her into his world with a gentleness that'd surprised her.