Fated Love

Chapter 40

The room hung heavy with tension, the air thickening as Murtasim's cutting words reverberated, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Shahnawaz Khan narrowed his eyes in a volatile mix of rage and underlying hurt. His steps heavy as he closed the distance to Murtasim, the lump in his throat making each swallow a visible struggle.

"What did you just say?" Shahnawaz's voice trembled with disbelief and fury as he confronted Murtasim. The room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the impending clash.

Murtasim, heart racing, met Shahnawaz's intensity with his own. His response, delivered with a louder, more defiant tone, cut through the charged atmosphere, "I said, do you think you're even capable of being called a father?"

The confrontation escalated with a swift, unspoken fury. Shahnawaz's hand lashed out, a resounding slap echoing through the room. Murtasim staggered backward, his hand instinctively finding his stinging cheek. The room's silence was broken only by the gasp of Maa Begum, her shock mirroring the collective astonishment.

Shahnawaz, visibly shaken, struggled to regain his composure. His voice, laden with restrained anger, bit through the charged air, "You dare question my capabilities as a father? You, who knows nothing about the sacrifices and struggles I've faced for my family?"

Murtasim, recovering from the blow, glared defiantly at Shahnawaz. The room became a battleground of emotions, the tension escalating as accusations were hurled back and forth. Shahnawaz's measured response tried to defend his actions, but Murtasim remained unyielding.

With a bitter smile, Murtasim scoffed, "Sacrifices? Struggles? All I see is a man who's never truly been there for his children. A man who's too absorbed in his own world to care about the needs and wishes of his family."

Shahnawaz, struggling to comprehend the Murtasim's sudden hostility, found himself at a loss for words. "What have I done?" he managed to utter, anger hovering his sanity. "I have provided you with everything – luxuries, education, the gaddi, all the power. I gave you everything, and look at you, shamelessly blaming me" Shahnawaz spatted.

Murtasim, shaking his head in disbelief, retorted, "The gaddi? Power? You gave me all of that to trap me in this suffocating system. You never once asked for my wishes, my likings. These duties were not assigned out of trust or my abilities; you just wanted to chain me down so I could never think about leaving again." Murtasim didn't know when his body started to shake or when the dam of his tears broke away.

His mother, unable to keep quite anymore, interjected, "Murtasim, beta please stop," her own tears flowing uncontrollably.

"Nahi Maa! Haven't we had enough? Are we going to spend all of our lives trapped in this prison and allow him to do whatever he pleases? Don't we have the right to make our own decisions? To live like normal humans beings and not some captives?" Murtasim exclaimed, his voice hoarse as he freed himself from her mother's hands holding his arm.

Murtasim took a deep breath, his eyes locked with his father's. The room felt heavy with unspoken words, the tension palpable.

"Baba," he began, his voice quivering slightly, "how could you not care about us for once? Why can't you prioritize your own children over all other norms, honor, laws, and izzat for once?"

His father, stern-faced, looked at him with a mixture of surprise and impatience. Murtasim pressed on, determined to voice the emotions that had been festering within him for years.

"Fathers are supposed to be a safe place for their children. A source of comfort, someone we can turn to when the world feels overwhelming. But instead, your presence makes us feel suffocated, trapped."

His father remained silent, his gaze unwavering.

"Growing up, I always believed a father should be someone I could admire, someone providing protection and guidance. However, all I've experienced is fear and constant condemnation." Murtasim struggled to take deep breaths as he continued expressing his emotions. "Baba, do you realize there hasn't been a single day when you didn't make me feel insecure, worthless, and pathetic?"