Murtasim drove away from the Ahmed house, leaving his life, his reason for breathing behind. He shouldn't have come here. What had he been thinking? Meerab didn't love him, she never did. He had imagined her softening towards him because he had wanted it too damn much. And now she wanted to divorce him...whatever had happened - divorce wasn't even a word in his vocabulary. She was his wife and that was that, but she wanted to leave him. There was a small part of his mind that kept screaming to stop this madness and just talk to her but he couldn't bring himself to do that.
What would he say if they talked? What was there to say. She had broken her promise knowing how much he hated Rohail. Just his name acted like gasoline to his temper. Here he had been pining for her and she was out with him. He had put everything aside, his beliefs, his hurt, her betrayal and come to meet her but she didn't even wait a week to resume her life. Was he that inconsequential in her life? Just someone she tolerated because they lived in the same house? His mind threw images of her caring for him, teasing him, looking at him with soft eyes. Was that all an act? He couldn't make sense of the two and the uncertainty was driving him crazy.
He drove fast, faster than he usually did. His temper pushing him. He knew he should stop, think this through but he also knew that if he stopped, he would go back to her and shoot Rohail because he deserved it. He didn't have a problem shooting Rohail, but he did have an issue with begging and that's what he would do if saw her again. He would beg her to stay with him, settling for whatever scraps of affection she was willing to give him. That is if she decided to come back to him, which didn't seem like a possibility now. So, he kept up the pace and reached Hyderabad in record time, breaking all traffic records.
"Murtasim. Kahan chale gaye the? Kab se tumahara intezaar kar rahi hun." Maa Begum asked as he entered the haveli.
"Kuch kaam se bahar gaya tha" he replied, wanting to get over with the conversation.
"Meerab se milne gaye the?" she asked.
"Kaha na... kuch kaam tha maa. App bataiye mujhe kyun dhoond rahi thi?"
Maa Behum looked down and took a deep breath "I spoke to Mariyam, she told me everything. How and why Meerab helped her. Keh rahi thi Meerab ki koi galati nahi thi is sab me. Sochti hoon agar Meerab uski baat na manti toh kya aaj maine apni beti ko kho diya hota?" She whispered, her throat choking up.
Murtasim placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her "Jo nahi hua uske bare me mat sochiye, Maa. Lekin ek baat hai ye nikaah tab hi aage badhega jab Mariyam ki poori marzi hogi. Agar wo waqt chahti hai to use waqt dena hoga app ko. Wo Naurez se milna chahti hai, sab sach batana chahti hai" he said and watched as his mother's face paled.
"Kya? Sach batana chahti hai? Uska dimaag kharab ho gaya hai? Manti hoon humne galati ki hai jaldbaazi karke. Aur ye bhi theek hai ke use kuch waqt dena chahiye humein. Lekin, Naurez ko sab sach batana bahot badi galati hogi! Wo ye nikaah karne se inkaar kar sakta hai. Phir kya karoge? Khandaan me sab batein banayenge Murtasim!"
"Jo bhi ho. Main sab sambhal loonga Maa. Choti behen hai wo meri, use takleef me nahi dekh sakta main. Agar Nikaah nahi hua to na sahi, Naurez se accha rishta dhoond launga lekin Mariyam ke marzi ke khhilaf ab kuch nahi hoga."
Maa Begum shook her head "Murtasim tum samaj nahi rahe ho. Ladki hai wo, ye sab duniya nahi manegi"
Murtasim turned to look at his mother "Na mane duniya. Mujhe koi farak nahi padta. Shahnawaz Khan ke beti hai wo, meri behen hai. Koi us par ungli uthane ki himmat nahi karega. Ye mera wada hai aap se."
"Theek hai, agar tumhe yahi sahi lagta hai to milwa do Marium aur Naurez ko. Aur .." she paused, unsure how to say the next words.
"Ji?" Murtasim asked, even though he just wanted to cut the conversation and get away from everyone. He needed some time. Just some time alone.
