This is unedited.
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Meerab sat on her chair, going through the case files, two months had passed, she was six months pregnant. Her baby bump visible, she was assisting her father while pursuing her degree in online mode. Meerab did everything she could to distract herself, and she was successful. But sometimes late at night, the loneliness of the night, the kicks of her baby and overall bad day would make her sob. It was hormones and heartbreak, the worst combination. Sometimes a single tear would start all the others. She would think about the past, about all the stupidities and bad decisions that had landed her into all of this, and cry some more.
Her baby would kick when she would sob, she would caress her bump and whisper, "I would never abandon you, I will be there for you, even when you are wrong, I will support you". Something her parents had failed to do so.
She knew crying over the past wouldn't bring her anything except pain, and as she thought about it she felt more emotional.
Another month passed and her life was peaceful. She was concentrating on the baby but thoughts of him often crossed her mind, "I miss him, but I could not tell him that. I have to make efforts to slowly erase him from my life, even if it makes me cry. The thought that he was living his life happily without me was more painful than his absence".
Meerab's relationship had improved with Waqas but with Anila there was still some tension.
"Beta Murtasim abhi bhi tumhe dhund raha hai".
Meerab who was sipping her tea rolled her eyes, placing the strand of her hair behind her ear, "Kyun? Talaq lekar Haya se nikkah karna hai"
The words that escaped her lips were painful, but she had shed too many tears, and accepted that Murtasim was marrying Haya.
"Tum wapas chali gayi toh nahi karega woh Haya se nikkah".
She shook her head, placing the cup on the table, "Ab mai Haya aur uske khushiyon ke beech nahi aaongi".
Her left hand was on her back, as she lifted the bag. "Back pain?"
"Thoda kam hua aaj".
"Beta aaram karlo", Meerab shook her head, "Ammi pura ek saal peechey hogayi hu mai apne batchmates se, mai chahti hu ke jab tak baby aaye tab tak uski Maa apne pairon par khadey hojaye. Kisipe dependent na rahey... ek ghar ho khudka."
Anila's hand trembled as she listened to Meerab's words, there was no anger, just acceptance.
"Meri himmat waali, bahadur bacchi hai", truly Meerab was a strong fierce girl.
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The phone rang and Meerab saw the name, "Anwar Khan", her actual biological father, she felt nothing for him. No anger, no heartache or grudge.
Waqas picked up the phone, "Anwar... kya hua?"
There was silence but Waqas briefly glanced at Meerab, "Tum kyun pareishan horahey kuch nhi hoga,.... Anwar tum nhi marney waaley. ..... meri baat suno mai ghar aata hu".
Waqas glanced at Meerab who looked at him with worry, "Blood cancer, last stage hai. Tumse milna chahta hai marne se pehle".
Meerab started scribbling on her papers, her hands trembling. Anwar was just her biological father, she repeated. But... but he was her father, why was her heart aching, as if someone was twisting a dagger in her heart.
There was a knock on her door, Meerab fixed her face and told the secretary that her father was out.
When she was coming back, she saw gajra. She remembered Murtasim slipping it into her wrist, his eyes soft, that was love. Wasn't it?
