It was one of those lazy afternoons in Khan Haveli where the sun filtered gently through the curtains, casting soft, golden light into the room. The day had been peaceful, quiet even, with no pressing matters to attend to, no dramatic family feuds, no business deals looming over Murtasim's head. It was just him and Meerab, with the whole day stretching out before them.
Murtasim had returned to their room after taking care of some matters outside, expecting to find Meerab buried in her books or busy ignoring him, as she usually did. But what he wasn’t prepared for was the sight that greeted him when he opened the door.
Meerab was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her hair slightly tousled, wearing an oversized sweater that almost swallowed her whole, with sleeves far too long for her small hands. She was holding a book, but instead of reading it, she seemed lost in thought, her nose slightly scrunched, lips softly pouting. She looked up as soon as he entered, and her large doe eyes blinked at him in the most innocent, heart-melting way.
"You're back," she said softly, her voice gentle, almost too soft for the quiet room.
Murtasim froze in his tracks, his hand still on the door handle. Something about her at that moment was so... *cute*. He couldn't explain it, but it hit him like a punch in the gut. She was usually fiery, sharp, and quick to challenge him, but right now? She was adorable—so much so that he couldn’t resist the urge to smile.
"I am," he replied, his voice lower than he intended. He felt something stir inside him—an almost unbearable urge to walk over, scoop her up, and never let go. But he held himself back. Barely.
Meerab gave him a tiny, almost shy smile, her eyes twinkling. "Did everything go well outside?"
"It did," he said, taking slow steps towards the bed. His eyes never left her, and he noticed the way she fidgeted with the ends of her sleeves, pulling them over her hands. How could she make something as simple as sitting on a bed look so irresistibly cute?
"Good," she said, her tone still soft, barely a whisper.
When he finally reached her, Murtasim sat down on the edge of the bed, close but not too close, watching her with amusement. His heart was doing strange flips in his chest, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to just grab her and smother her with affection.
"Meerab," he said after a moment, his voice light and teasing. "Why do you look like that?"
"Like what?" she blinked, genuinely confused.
"Like you’re trying to be cute," he teased, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
"I'm not!" she protested, but it was in the softest, most adorable way possible. Her cheeks puffed out slightly, and her lips formed the tiniest pout as she narrowed her eyes at him.
Murtasim laughed, leaning closer. "Oh, you definitely are."
She crossed her arms, the sleeves of the sweater drooping over her hands, making her look even more huggable. "I don’t know what you’re talking about," she huffed, but there was no real anger in her voice.
Murtasim’s heart couldn’t take it anymore. He had seen her in many moods—angry, feisty, irritated—but this soft, cuddly version of Meerab was new, and it was driving him wild.
Without warning, he reached out and pulled her into his lap, causing her to squeal in surprise. She wriggled in his grasp, but he held her firmly, his arms wrapping around her waist. She was so small, so delicate in his embrace, and the way her eyes widened in surprise only made her more irresistible.
"Murtasim!" she squeaked, trying to push him away, but her efforts were half-hearted at best. "What are you doing?"
"You're too cute right now," he said, his voice low, but the smile on his face was wide and bright. "I can't resist."
"I'm not cute!" she huffed, but her cheeks were turning a soft shade of pink, and Murtasim couldn’t help but chuckle at her failed attempt to sound serious.
"Really?" he teased, pulling her closer until her head rested against his chest. "Because I’m pretty sure you are."
She mumbled something into his chest, too embarrassed to look up at him. Her hands, still hidden inside her sleeves, pushed against his chest in a feeble attempt to break free, but Murtasim only tightened his hold, resting his chin on top of her head.
"Meerab," he whispered into her hair, his voice soft and affectionate. "You’re making it really hard for me to behave."
Her head shot up at that, and she stared at him with wide eyes. "Behave?" she repeated, clearly not expecting that.
He laughed, his chest vibrating against her. "Yes, behave. You know, like a decent, respectable husband who doesn’t smother his wife with affection every time she looks too cute to resist."
Meerab blushed harder, and she swatted his chest playfully. "Stop saying that!"
"Saying what?" he asked, pretending to be confused.
"That I’m cute!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled as she buried her face back into his chest.
"But you are," he said, grinning as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Especially when you try to hide in my chest like this."
"Murtasim!" she groaned, embarrassed beyond belief. "You’re so annoying!"
"And you’re adorable," he shot back, enjoying the way her small fists weakly pushed at him.
He held her like that for a while, rocking her gently as the room filled with their soft laughter and playful banter. Every now and then, Meerab would try to escape, but Murtasim was having none of it. He was far too comfortable, with her warmth pressed against him, her scent filling the air, and her soft giggles ringing in his ears.
"Meerab," he murmured after a while, his voice quieter now, more serious.
"Hmm?" she mumbled, still nestled against him.
"You know you can be cute and strong at the same time, right?"
She tilted her head back to look at him, her eyes searching his. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said, brushing a strand of hair away from her face, "that it’s okay to be soft sometimes. It doesn’t make you any less of the strong, independent woman you are."
Her gaze softened, and for a moment, she just looked at him, as if she was seeing him in a new light. "I didn’t know you thought about that," she whispered.
"I think about a lot of things when it comes to you," he admitted, his tone sincere. "But today, I’m just thinking about how much I love seeing you like this."
"Like what?" she asked softly.
"Like this," he said, gesturing to her sweater, her messy hair, the way she was curled up in his arms. "Soft. Comfortable. Happy."
Her lips curled into a small smile, and she leaned her head back against his chest. "I guess I can let you see this side of me sometimes."
Murtasim grinned. "Oh? Just sometimes?"
"Don’t push your luck," she warned, but there was no bite in her tone, only affection.
He chuckled and held her close, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. "I won’t, I promise."
They stayed like that for the rest of the afternoon, wrapped up in each other, with Murtasim more than willing to indulge in Meerab’s soft and fluffy side, and Meerab finally allowing herself to relax in his arms.
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