The moon hung high above the horizon, casting its silvery glow over the vast expanse of Khan Haveli. The night was cool, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees, carrying with it the faint scent of jasmine. Inside their bedroom, Meerab stood by the window, her arms wrapped around herself, gazing out at the star-filled sky. The world outside was still, yet within her, a storm of emotions brewed.
She had never been the type to believe in love, at least not the kind that could consume a person so entirely. She had always been logical, pragmatic. But somewhere along the way, in the presence of Murtasim, something had shifted. She had fought it for so long, this pull between them, this undeniable force that had bound them together. And yet, even now, with everything they had been through, she wasn’t sure she fully understood what it meant.
Murtasim, lying on the bed with a book in his hand, glanced up from the pages. His eyes softened as he watched Meerab, her delicate features illuminated by the moonlight. There was something about her tonight, something distant, thoughtful, as if she were lost in a world of her own.
Setting the book aside, he got up and walked toward her, his footsteps silent on the carpeted floor. He stood behind her, his presence warm and solid, and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Penny for your thoughts?" he asked softly, his voice carrying a hint of concern.
Meerab didn’t turn to face him immediately. Instead, she let out a small sigh, her eyes still fixed on the vastness of the night sky. “I was just thinking… about us.”
Murtasim’s brow furrowed slightly, though he kept his tone light. “That sounds serious. Do I need to be worried?”
A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She shook her head. “No, not worried. Just… curious.”
He moved beside her, leaning against the windowsill, his dark eyes searching her face. “Curious about what?”
There was a long pause before Meerab finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “What is *ishq*, Murtasim?”
The question hung in the air between them, heavy and laden with meaning. Murtasim blinked, surprised by the sudden depth of her inquiry. Of all the things he expected, this wasn’t one of them.
“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice equally soft now.
Meerab bit her lip, as if trying to find the right words. “I mean… people always talk about *ishq* as if it’s the most powerful force in the world. They say it’s something that changes you, consumes you, becomes you. But what is it, really? What does it mean to truly love someone like that?”
Murtasim was quiet for a moment, considering her words. His gaze drifted to the moonlit garden outside, the soft rustle of the wind in the trees the only sound accompanying their silence. He had never given voice to these thoughts before, at least not in the way Meerab was asking. But if there was ever a moment for it, it was now.
He glanced at her, his voice contemplative. “Ishq…” He paused, running a hand through his hair. "It’s not just a word, Meerab. It's more than that. *Ishq* is when two souls become one, when their essence blends so deeply that you can’t tell where one begins and the other ends."
He stepped closer, his gaze deepening. "It’s like Rumi said:"
*"The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you,
Not knowing how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along."*
Meerab listened to him, her heart aching with a strange emotion she couldn’t name. She turned her gaze from the window to look at him, her voice small. “But how do you know it’s real? How do you know it’s not just... attachment?”
