PROTECTOR OF KHAN- AU Tere Bin universe where Murtasim is Meerab's bodyguard.
The Khan family established its reign over Hyderabad as land owners, whilst keeping an iron grip on their rivals to maintain political control. Anwar Khan is the embodimen...
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The price of securing a school trip that included boarding was alot of lies. And bribery. Meerab, just shy of 17, bribed her college tutor with a hefty sum to phone Gul and play along to the lie that they'd be venturing up to Muree. Then, she drafted an immaculate consent form for a girls-only educational trip that'd enrich them in geography and culture, and handed it over to her baba, vacationing herself 3 days in picturesque Muree. It fed into a larger grand plan where she knew Murtasim was stationed in military housing not far away from PC Continental, all thanks to their endless phonecalls.
Meerab, without telling a soul, took to flight up North, bracing herself for some cold.
To her surprise, the scene welcomed into was way brighter than she could have anticipated, and icier too, frost instantly numbing the tip of her nose.
Stood as some shabby bus stop, Meerab phoned him while shivering so hard that her teeth rattled. ''Murtasim?''
''Hellooo? Kaise hooo?'' His voice was marginally deeper, a ripe 19 years old, but tone playful and expecting a routine call from a pretty girl that his heart had surrendered to years earlier. (How are you?)
''I'm so cold?'' Excitement coloured her words, and yet, they were pained with the inability to feel the tips of her fingers. Her shoulders were drawn up to her ears, trying to conserve heat.
Murtasim chuckled at the childish whine. ''Why don't you wear a cardigan then?'' He asked into the phone, care laced into his every word. ''You know, I walked through the bazaar yesterday and there was this old lady that sold hand-knitted cardigans. Khareedne lagga tha tumhare liye — a light pink one with a creamy collars and sparkly buttons —, par doston ke saath tha, tou nahi liya.'' (I nearly bought it, but I was with friends, so I didn't.)
''Le lene tha, bahut thand lag rahi hai.'' Her cheeks ached from smiling so hard, anticipation clouding judgement of the risk she'd onboarded. ''Kahan hai dukaan, main khud hi khareed leti hun?'' Meerab said for hint. (You should have bought it, i'm so cold — where is it, i'll buy it myself.)
''Acha mazaak hai,'' Murtasim chuckled richly, the music hugging her insides.
Meerab heard shuffling as Murtasim roamed through the room whilst on the line, until the penny dropped all of a sudden. He stopped moving and there was bleak silence for a heartbeat.
Murtasim inhaled once, sharply, and didn't underestimate her madness for a second. ''Where are you, Meerab?'' (Good joke.)
The jokey quality to Murtasim's words vanished and gave way to palpable concern so deep that a butterfly fluttered in her heart. ''At a bus stop. I can't feel my fingers....''
She was serious? His mind stopped, only one worry consuming his mind: ''Meerab? Tum yahan ho?'' (You're here?)
''Milne aye hun.'' Now she whined, the intended surprise seeming more like shock to his system. ''Gussa kyun kar rahe ho? Main waapis challe jau?'' (I've come to meet you. Are you getting mad? Shall I go back?)
