Veiled Harmonies (Tere Bin AU)

Chapter 1

The lights dimmed as Murtasim's powerful performance came to an electrifying end. The audience burst into thunderous applause, a captivating blend of wonder and excitement filling the atmosphere. Murtasim relished the admiration thrown his way as he took a bow, his heart still racing from the rush of the performance.

Backstage, Murtasim wiped the sweat from his brow, a grin spreading across his face as Ada, his enthusiastic cousin and manager, approached him with uncontainable excitement.

"That was something Murtasim!" she exclaimed. "You're already trending on Twitter.. oh this is so exciting!" she exclaimed and he gave her his signature smirk as he went to change his clothes. The award ceremony still had hours to go before it ended and he was expected to patiently sit and applaud for the 'idols'.

He changed his rugged performance attire for a more polished look—still edgy, but fitting for the prestigious award function. He could hear the crowd's murmurs, the buzz of excitement still palpable.  As they walked through the bustling corridors, Ada continued to gush about the viral response to his performance.

"Murtasim Sir, there is a change in the seating plan. You're being seated next to Meerab. Follow me, please."

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips , "Are you sure about this? This should be interesting."

The staff member smiled nervously, leading him through the maze of corridors to the main hall.

Murtasim approached the designated table and took his seat beside Meerab.

She turned to him, her expression warm but formal. "Good evening," she said, her voice like a soft melody.

Murtasim nodded, his rugged charm on full display. "Good evening, Meerab."

They nodded at each other, exchanging polite greetings. He could sense a shift in energy as he sat next to her, and the constant clicks of cameras focusing on him—or rather, him sitting next to Meerab—confirmed it. A bad boy rapper known for breaking industry norms through his lyrics and music, sitting next to their beloved princess.

He could almost see the headlines and Instagram captions: "Bad Boy Corrupting Our Angel!" The thought made him smile.

Meerab was undoubtedly a talented singer. Even he, an outsider and what people termed a flagbearer of hating 'nepo kids,' acknowledged that her voice surpassed anyone he had ever heard. But she was also the beloved daughter of Nazia, one of the most celebrated models in their country, who had walked numerous international shows and remained a highly active and popular celebrity. Her father was one of the country's biggest industrialists.

Her brother was an international model and actor, and her cousins ranged from being successful in their own right to coasting on the family name.

They exchanged polite smiles and then turned their attention to the stage, watching the ongoing performances.

The tension between their public personas was palpable—Meerab, the epitome of grace and sophistication, and Murtasim, the embodiment of raw, unrefined talent. Cameras clicked around them, capturing the unlikely duo side by side. Within minutes, photos of them started trending on Twitter. Ada would be having the time of her life right now!

@MurtasimMania: "OMG, Murtasim and Meerab together! Two worlds colliding! #MusicAwards #UnexpectedDuos"

@MeerabIsMine: "Is it just me or does Murtasim look out of place next to the angelic Meerab? #ClassVsGrit #MusicAwards"

@LordMurtasimLover: "Leave Murtasim alone! He deserves to sit wherever he wants. He's is amazing and Meerab should be grateful to be sitting next to him..not the other way around! #RespectTheArtist #MusicAwards"