Stargazer Sentinel

Chapter 16

Murtasim was on his way to meet Chief Mustafa. The news had spread quickly, and it was obvious that everyone was now aware of what had happened. He had been busy with Amar on Samreen raza's murder investigation, and by the time Zain called him, he was on his way back to the agency to retrieve some important files. Thankfully so, that happened. Because if he had been too caught up to check his phone or too far away from the location of the fashion show, he wouldn't have been able to do anything for Meerab, and the thought alone made an unsettling feeling bubble inside of him.

As Murtasim arrived at the ground floor, the guards around him looked on with concern. They all might have seen the chaos unfold, but none of them approached him to ask anything. It was clear that Murtasim Khan was in a bad mood and it was only wise to not disturb him. Entering Chief Mustafa's office, Murtasim saw the worry etched on his superior's face.

"How's Meerab?" Chief Mustafa's voice was filled with concern.

"She's okay now," Murtasim replied, his voice steady but taut.

"Who did this?" the chief asked, his tone darkening.

"Zara Amin," Murtasim replied, his voice holding hints of suppressed anger.

"Where is Meerab right now?" Chief Mustafa asked.

"At her home," Murtasim answered.

"Murtasim, are you okay?" the chief asked, looking at Murtasim's cold and irked face. Murtasim just nodded.

"Are you worried about Zain?" Chief Mustafa asked.

"Yeah," Murtasim replied curtly.

"Now Meerab has another shoot next week. Who should be her guard now?" the chief wondered aloud.

"Whoever is trustworthy," Murtasim replied, his tone clipped.

"You're the one I trust the most. But you're also busy with the case investigation," the chief mused, but Murtasim remained silent.

"Murtasim, you don't look okay," Chief Mustafa probed again.

"I am," Murtasim said, his voice flat.

"Why do you look so angry?" the chief asked gently.

"Because I am," Murtasim replied, his words laced with frustration.

Chief Mustafa fell silent. He knew Murtasim well enough to recognize that when he was angry or disturbed, he gave short, terse answers. Maybe he was distressed because of Zain. The chief nodded, understanding that pushing further would be unwise.

"All right, Murtasim. You can leave now," Chief Mustafa said, his voice softening.

Murtasim nodded and turned to leave, his mind racing with thoughts of Meerab. The image of her vulnerable face standing on the stage flashed in his mind, fueling the fire of his anger. As he entered his office, he sat at his desk, burying his head in his hands, trying to calm the storm brewing inside him.

Meanwhile, Soniya Ali was on the ground floor, looking around with a determined expression.

"Where is Murtasim?" she asked, her tone demanding.

The guards looked at each other nervously before one of them spoke up. "He's in his office, ma'am, but he's very tensed right now. It's wise not to disturb him."

Soniya ignored the warning and walked briskly toward Murtasim's office. The guards exchanged anxious glances, knowing that this wouldn't end well.

Soniya barged into Murtasim's office without knocking. "What are you doing here, ma'am?" Murtasim asked, his annoyance clear.

"I saw you and Meerab on TV," Soniya said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Do you know what people are saying about you now? That girl is ruining your reputation. She's nothing but a scandalous, flop—"