When Rivals Collide (Tere Bin AU)

Chapter 10: Glimpses

A couple of weeks had passed since her encounter with Malik Murtasim and Waqas Ahmed at the school. Since then, she had kept herself busy trying not to think too much about the lawyer's appearance or her evening encounter with Murtasim. Thankfully, there were still a lot of legal issues and other things to deal with, keeping Meerab busy day and night.

But amidst all this, Murtasim still remained a constant in her thoughts.

From the first moment they met, Meerab had seen Murtasim as a symbol of everything she rebelled against—a feudal lord, a man of tradition, a figure of authority that made her bristle with defiance. But in recent days, something had shifted. The layers she had stubbornly refused to see in him began to peel away, revealing a man who was more than just his title. The way he had quietly supported the school, the gentle concern he had shown for her work—these were things that lingered in her mind, refusing to let her rest.

And there was something else. She couldn't deny that every time she saw him, whether at the school or during family meetings, her heart would skip a beat. She would find herself drawn to the way he moved—confident, yet with an underlying grace that spoke of a man comfortable in his own skin. His tall frame commanded attention, and the way his broad shoulders filled his tailored sherwani had not gone unnoticed by Meerab. His dark, expressive eyes seemed to hold secrets she was both eager and afraid to uncover, and his deep, rich voice stirred something inside her she wasn't ready to acknowledge.

It both excited and frightened her.

One afternoon, Meerab was in her study, the late afternoon sun casting a warm, golden glow across the room. She sat at her desk, papers strewn in front of her, though her mind was far from the documents she was supposed to be reviewing. She was lost in thought, her gaze unfocused, when a soft knock at the door brought her back to reality. She looked up, her breath catching slightly as she saw Murtasim standing in the doorway.

He filled the space with a quiet intensity, his presence commanding attention without uttering a word. The sunlight streaming through the window highlighted the sharp angles of his face, the strong line of his jaw, and the way his hair, dark and slightly tousled, framed his features. Meerab couldn't help but notice the way his eyes seemed to soften as they met hers, a contrast to the stern expression he often wore.

"May I come in?" he asked, his voice a low rumble that sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.

Meerab nodded, gesturing for him to enter, her hands moving quickly to gather the papers in front of her—a futile attempt to hide the flutter of nervousness his sudden appearance had caused. As he walked towards her, she was acutely aware of the way his presence seemed to fill the room, his every movement deliberate and sure.

Murtasim approached her desk, his gaze briefly skimming over the documents before returning to her face. His eyes held hers, and for a moment, Meerab felt as though he could see straight through her, into the turmoil of emotions she was trying so hard to conceal.

"I just wanted to check on how things are going with the school," he said, his voice calm but with a softness that took her by surprise. "I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time there."

Meerab offered him a small smile, trying to steady the racing of her heart. "It's been... a lot of work, but it's going well. The girls are eager to learn, and that makes everything worth it."