Tere Bin - OS compilation

Loopholes

Hello everyone,

FYI this is the same one shot I had posted in my other OS/SS thread. I decided to keep it solely for my new short story so I am moving it here in case anyone new would like to read it! Sorry for the confusion. It has some mature content.

Meerab was trying really hard to concentrate on her book but her eyes were unconsciously drawn towards the lone figure of her husband who was sitting in the middle of a chaotic pile of books and papers. He was taking notes she noted. Meerab sat up surprised when she caught sight of the name of one of the books as he picked it up, it is one she recognized from her father's law office.

She couldn't help her curiosity, so got up to investigate. "Murtasim, what are you doing?", she asked. Murtasim looked up surprised. He was so engrossed in his work that he completely missed his wife's presence near him. "Nothing", he said as he quickly closed the book he was taking notes in. Meerab's eyes narrowed. Something's wrong, he was definitely up to something.

Meerab snatched the book out of his hands and tried to read it. Murtasim got up shocked and tried to wrestle the book out of her grip. "Meerab give that back! You can't read it, it's work related". Meerab caught a glimpse of words like marriage, contract, consummation and stopped in her tracks. Using the distraction Murtasim took the diary out of her frozen fingers.

"What were you doing Murtasim? Don't tell me its nothing. I know it's definitely not work-related", Meerab asked snapping out of her stupor. Murtasim sighed. He was not ready to have this conversation with her without doing proper research, but here goes nothing. Besides, with his wife you never know how a conversation might turn out to be. He mentally prepared himself. "Maybe we should sit down and talk", he suggested weakly.

Meerab looked at him suspiciously but decided to humour him. She sat down on their bed and waited for him to settle down on the chair near her. Instead he sat down next to her and turned around to face her. She let him be. Humph.

"Can you promise to listen to what I have to say without getting mad?", Murtasim asked her. Meerab gave it some thought and said, "I can listen to what you have to say and then decide whether to get mad or not", Meerab said suggestively. Murtasim gulped but nodded slowly.

"To be honest Meerab I was trying to find all the loopholes in our marriage contract", he said quickly and smiled innocently. Meerab gasped outraged. "What the bloo-", Murtasim held up his hands, "Remember you promised to listen" he said sweetly. Meerab spluttered enraged but managed to hold herself in. She was going to kill him.

Murtasim continued, "When I signed that contract I didn't like you. I had my mother's and my honour to protect so I agreed without thinking about the future. Little did I know that after living with you I would fall in love or be insanely attracted towards you", he smiled reminiscing about his foolish conviction back then about disliking her guts. Meerab looked away from the open admiration in his eyes for her. Sometimes he was just too sweet. Cruel man she thought grumpily. He made her heart flutter.

"Now comes the tricky part, I am trying really hard to stay away from you and not think any inappropriate thoughts about you but honestly I don't think I am winning that battle. At the end of the day we live are married, we share a room and I am frustrated with our lack of physical intimacy", he said sighing. He had woken up one too many times sweating after nights filled with wild dreams involving his wife. He didn't wish to voice them aloud or she might smack him.

"So I was hoping to find any loopholes in our contract and maybe add a few extra clauses that might leave a little room for me, I mean, us to spend some more time with each other, physically", he added the last part in a trailing whisper and waited for her to explode. "And why do you think I am going to agree to this idea of yours?", Meerab asked just as quietly controlling her emotions.