Meerasim: An Unlikely Alliance

An Unlikely Alliance: 27

The past week had passed in a blur, just like a vivid dream playing right in front of her eyes, managing to teeter everything upside down. The feeling of losing someone close humbles you down, but actually experiencing it firsthand and that too after realizing the amount of love and adoration associated with that person shatters your soul into pieces. And the worst part is if the person held responsible for their critical condition is no one but you.

She had spent the next few hours drenched in guilt and numbness, for her heart had almost stopped witnessing his blood-drenched frame. Her father had found them, and the moment he'd seen them, they had taken him to their hospital without wasting any further whiffs. The whole labourer fiasco had rendered Murtasim to call out a team of doctors from Karachi, and they had managed his airway and breathing and conducted primary procedures until the surgeon arrived.

He had lost so much blood, and her heart had stopped. The bullets that were supposed to hit her had torn his skin, and she wanted nothing but to revisit and change the whole scenario, for she did not deserve him.

He deserved better. His love deserved better.

He had entered her life as her arch-nemesis, had managed to evoke the tendrils of attraction and sexual tension, was her partner in an unwanted alliance, and finally had grabbed her hand as her husband when she was at her lowest when her identity was flipped. Like the magician he was, he had swirled his magic stick around them, and amid tasting the sap of ripened passion, he had melted the walls around her heart and invaded the picket fence making himself the centre of her world.

And what she had done? She had let time slip away like fine sand, and now the fine grit had surpassed through her fingers and she was left with nothing but dusty fingers and empty hands.
Guilt, Pain, and Heartbreak had shackled her and this time, she was the one responsible for it.

His unconscious state had left her numb, the tears had dried down, and all she could think was to pray. Pray for him, pray for his life, pray for her love, pray for them.

Anwar Khan had called Maa Beghum, and just as a wailing Maa Beghum had entered the emergency ward, she had swiftly approached her in fury, but before she could do something, her father had launched himself in front of her. But for the first time in her life, she felt nothing. Her taunts, her cries, her blame all dissipated into thin air, for her heart had blurred everything out and focussed solely on him.

"Anwar ise yahan se le jao, isse pehle Ki main kuch aisa kar doon jiski ijaazat mujhe bhi nahi hai" Maa begum had summoned and Meerab had cried out in pain, " Nahi Maa Beghum, Main Murtasim ke paas rahungi".

Maa beghum's rage had exemplified and Kahnum had taunted her through clumped lashes, " Ab toh mujhe darr lagne lagaa hai Meerab, Ki tum paas rahogi toh Mera beta kabhi Mahfouz nahi reh payega..she had added on in a bitter tone making her gut churn in revulsion, "Mujhe mere faisle par behad pachtava hai".

Meerab's words never left her mouth and instead of her, her father had come forward again and told her firmly, "Aap Meri beti par ilzaam lagaa rahi hain Bhabi..ab failsa Murtasim hi karega" and with that, despite her protests, he had dragged her out of the hospital, but instead of going back to haveli, she had found a prayermat's space in the dargah and made dua for him.

Minutes passed into hours, and her tears never stopped, it was a broken plea, an appeal for divine power to intervene and heal him, and her duas were answered.

She had left the energy to fight back or to stand up for herself but just like an alchemy carrying out the thread of life, her father had patted her head and announced warmly, "Murtasim ko hosh aa Gaya hai, Milne nahi chalogi?"

Her eyes had glistened upon a chunk of information and just like a kid being reacquainted with her most loved thing, she had nodded her head whilst being in tears.