Arziyaan

Khauf

"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything."
― C.S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

"Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up."― James A. Baldwin

Murtasim had never thought he would feel the need to slow down, yet he wanted nothing more than the time to stop. Armaan had already left for his honeymoon this morning, and his wife was packed for her medical camp tomorrow morning. Murtasim could already feel the walls closing in on him. As he made his way to the emergency council meeting with Junaid, Murtasim realized that some whispers from the wedding were still bothering him. The early afternoon sun spilled into the car, making Murtasim crank the air conditioning. Murtasim relished in the independence and control of driving, something Armaan would never allow, but Junaid and he had an understanding. Thinking about the u-turn his life had taken, Murtasim scoffed, which turned Junaid's attention to him from the phone screen.

"What is wrong, Khan Sahab?" Junaid asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. His friend has been on the edge the whole morning.

Murtasim got little comfort from the moniker his wife had given him. "Remember, on the day of my Nikah, I had asked you what I would do with Meerab?" Muratsim continued as he heard his friend chuckle next to him, "Well, she would be going away for two weeks, and I don't know how I would do without her?"

Junaid took pity on his friend's misery and suggested, "Go to Karachi. I am sure you have enough pending work."

Murtasim spared Junaid a deadly glare, "Did you two talk about this earlier? Stop sounding like Meerab. You are supposed to be on my side?"

"I don't think anyone is on your side anymore, Murtasim Khan," Junaid stated the ultimate truth of Khan Haveli, "From the day you brought her in the Haveli, wrapped in your chaddar, everyone in the Haveli, including you, has been on Meerab's side. She made that Haveli a home."Murtasim nodded in agreement and thought she had become his home, so how did he manage to live without one for so long?

This time, the venue for the council meeting was the local school. As Murtasim entered through the gates, he saw a plain playground, an unfinished school building and chipped paint. Guessing from the cars parked in the playground, Murtasim realized they were the last to reach. As they approached the office, Murtasim asked one of the guards why the school was in such shambles under Khans. They responded that they were in one of the Maliks' villages, and the school was under their care. Murtasim's blood boiled as he clenched his fists. The last time Murtasim Khan was on Malik's lands, he had left them beaten and unconscious. The afternoon heat had suddenly chilled. Murtasim entered the school office and scanned everyone's faces as he sat beside Sajid Abbass.

"Now that Khan is here, let's hear your grievances, Zubair and Rohail," the council's eldest member, Hussain Nawaz, stated.

"Murtasim has his eye on our Havelis. The council has a rule that members' homes are out of bounds," Zubair accused.

Do you have any proof of that, Chote Shah? It is a big accusation." Hussain Nawaz asked.

"Here are the collection notices," Rohail Malik pulled out the legal notices he had received in the last two days, "It clearly states the debt owner to be Khan Corporation."

Murtasim fixed the palla of his dark blue kameez as he leaned back into the chair, crossing his legs, "Khan Corporation has an umbrella of companies under them. I know that I acquired three banks last month. Those banks have all the rights to send notices to their defaulters."

"As per rules, our homes are off limits, Murtasim Khan," Zubair Shah replied, gritting his teeth.

"Not when you put them as collateral for loans and default on payments afterward," Murtasim smirked at Zubair in response.