Echoes of Heartbreak- meerab and murtasim 's fate.

chapter -18

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Salma’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"What are you saying, Meerab?"

Jalaluddin leaned back in his chair, his face a mask of surprise.

"I don’t understand. If you don’t love each other, then why—"

“It was a contract marriage,”

Murtasim interrupted, his voice steady but heavy with guilt.

“Contract?”

Salma repeated, her voice shaking with incredulity.

Before Murtasim could say more, Meerab stepped forward, her hands clenched at her sides.

“We married under a contract,”

she admitted.

Murtasim turned to her, his eyes wide with shock. Why is she lying? he thought, his heart was sinking.

The Night Before

Murtasim paced the room, his hands clenched into fists, as Meerab sat on the bed, watching him. His agitation was palpable.

"Ahm,"

he started awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I don’t know how to say this to you. Trust me, I’ve been trying for days. After hearing this, please don’t hold back. Pour all your anger on me, give me two or three slaps if you want."

Meerab frowned, her confusion visible.

“What are you talking about?”

Murtasim inhaled deeply, his voice faltering as he continued.

Murtasim stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression heavy with regret.

"I’m sorry. The way I’ve treated you… I don’t deserve forgiveness. I forced and blackmailed you into marrying me. I gave those good-for-nothing people reasons to speak about your character. I was even the reason you had that asthma attack. I got so blinded by revenge that I didn’t think about what I was doing to you."

Meerab’s expression softened, her voice quiet but firm.

“You didn’t trigger my asthma attack. I get them often. That day… I saw the wedding album of Ammi and Abbu, and that happened"

A sudden knock on the door interrupted her.

Mahir stepped in, his casual demeanor masking the storm brewing in his mind.

“Dinner’s ready. Come down,”

he said, his voice was neutral.

They exchanged a glance before agreeing, following Mahir out of the room.

The sound of Salma’s hand connecting with Murtasim’s cheek rang through the room. Everyone gasped, their expressions a mixture of shock and disbelief. Mahir stood up abruptly.

Salma’s face was a mix of anger and heartbreak as she pointed a trembling finger at Murtasim.

“I never expected this from you!”

she exclaimed.

“You turned nikkah, one of the purest relationships, into a mockery. Do you think marriage is a game? That you can marry when you want and leave when you’re done? You’ve made a mockery of feelings, of trust, and of faith."