The evening sun dipped below the horizon, casting the haveli in shadows. Its walls, which had once echoed with laughter and warmth, now seemed to hold only tension, uncertainty, and the echoes of long-buried pain. Inside, a storm was brewing.
Murtasim had been silent since his conversation with Meerab. The weight of his actions, his regrets, and the possibility of redemption hung heavy on his shoulders. But there was another matter to address-one that he had neglected for far too long.
Haya.
Her name was like a poison that had seeped into the very foundation of his life. He had been blind to her manipulations, allowing her to wreak havoc on everything that mattered to him. And tonight, it was time for her to face the consequences.
Murtasim stood at the top of the grand staircase, his eyes cold, his jaw clenched in determination. He was no longer the man lost in guilt and regret. This was the Khan of Khan Haveli, a man who would no longer tolerate the deceit and betrayal that had torn his family apart.
"Haya!" His voice boomed through the haveli, commanding and powerful. The servants froze in place, their eyes wide with apprehension. They had never heard him speak with such force.
Downstairs, Haya's heart skipped a beat. She was in the middle of directing the wedding preparations, her delusions of grandeur feeding the fantasy that she was about to marry Murtasim, finally claiming the place she had coveted for so long. But the sound of her name, uttered with such fury, sent a shiver down her spine.
"Murtasim?" she whispered to herself, her hands trembling as she clutched the fabric of her dupatta. For a moment, doubt crept in. But she quickly dismissed it. *He wouldn't hurt me,* she thought. *He can't. He loves me.*
But as Murtasim descended the stairs, his dark eyes locked on hers, that certainty began to unravel.
"Haya," he said again, this time lower, more dangerous. "Come here."
Her feet felt like they were made of lead, but she forced herself to move, her heart hammering in her chest. As she approached him, she tried to mask her fear with a smile, but the cold fury in his gaze made it impossible to hold onto her composure.
"What is it, Murtasim?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.
For a moment, he didn't speak. He simply stared at her, as if assessing the depth of her treachery. Then, without warning, he grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward. The force of his grip made her gasp, her smile slipping entirely.
"Murtasim, what-?"
"Enough!" he roared, his voice like thunder. "Enough of your lies, enough of your schemes, enough of your obsession! Do you think I don't know what you've done?"
Haya's eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. She tried to pull away from him, but his grip was unrelenting.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" she stammered. "I haven't done anything wrong. I've only ever wanted to be with you, Murtasim. I love you!"
"Love?" Murtasim's laugh was harsh, devoid of any warmth. "You call this love? You destroyed everything, Haya. You poisoned my life, turned me against Meerab. And you dare to stand here and claim you love me?"
Haya shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. "No, you're wrong! It was all for you! I was trying to protect you! Meerab was going to leave you, she didn't care about you the way I do!"
"Stop lying!" Murtasim's voice cut through her protests like a blade. "I know what you did. I know how you manipulated me, how you set up that entire scene to make it look like I was betraying Meerab."
His words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. For the first time, Haya realized that she had lost control. The carefully woven web of lies she had built around herself was unraveling, and there was no way to stop it.
"You had the audacity to send me that note, to lure me into that room, knowing full well what you were doing," Murtasim continued, his voice cold with disgust. "And then you had the nerve to hug me, to make it look like I was... like I had chosen you."
Haya's knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, sobbing. "Murtasim, please, you have to understand. I was desperate. I couldn't stand seeing you with her. I thought if I could just make you see that she didn't love you, that I was the one who truly cared-"
"You thought ruining my life would make me love you?" Murtasim's face twisted in anger. "You thought tearing my family apart would bring you closer to me? You're a fool, Haya. And now you're going to pay for everything you've done."
Haya shook her head, her tears streaming down her face. "No, please, Murtasim! Don't do this. Don't turn your back on me. I love you!"
"You don't know the meaning of love," he spat. "Love isn't manipulation. It isn't deceit. And it certainly isn't betrayal. You are nothing to me, Haya. Nothing."
The finality in his words was like a death sentence. Haya sobbed, clutching at his feet, but Murtasim stepped back, his eyes hard as steel.
"I want you out of this haveli," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You're no longer welcome here. You will leave tonight, and you will never come back."
"Murtasim, no! Please!" she cried, but he didn't waver.
"You're lucky I'm not throwing you in jail for everything you've done," he growled. "But make no mistake, if I ever see you again, if you ever come near my family, I won't be so forgiving."
Haya's sobs echoed through the halls as the reality of her situation crashed down on her. She had lost. Everything she had worked for, all the lies and schemes, had led her here-cast out and alone.
As the servants came to drag her away, Haya's cries grew louder, more desperate. But Murtasim didn't look back. He stood there, tall and unyielding, the Khan of Khan Haveli, watching as the woman who had once been his cousin was removed from his life for good.
And when the doors closed behind her, the air in the haveli seemed lighter, as if a dark cloud had finally lifted.
Murtasim took a deep breath, his chest heaving as the weight of the confrontation settled over him. It wasn't over-not by a long shot. He still had to face the consequences of his actions, still had to rebuild what had been shattered between him and Meerab.
But Haya's hold on his life was broken. And that, at least, was a victory.
As he turned to head back to his room, his mind wandered to Meerab. He had a long road ahead of him to win back her trust, to prove that he could be the husband and father she deserved. But for the first time in a long time, he felt like there was hope.
And that hope was enough to keep him going.
