Tere Bin SS - After the Storm

After The Storm - 7

Murtasim felt like a mess. What else had everyone hidden from each other? When he had learned about Sana's existence...it had broken him. Learning about his family's betrayal had...shattered something inside him. He sat down on the bed with his face in his hands. Will he ever be able to trust any of them again?

His own mother who always said he decides his own life...had taken the choice of trusting his wife out of his hands. She did what she thought was true and right. Did that make the consequences of that mistake any less painful or forgivable? No.

His sister, his naïve little sister, who still felt misunderstood enough to hide something like that from everyone. Had he been that harsh and unforgiving that his own sister had run away with another man rather than trust his judgement? She felt comfortable sharing her pain with Meerab rather than her own brother. What had he done to warrant such mistrust?

Haya. He sneered. Even the thought of her made him feel disgusted. Had she always been this cruel and selfish? Had he been sheltering such evil in his own home? How could she have acted so innocent all this time after what she had done? He had been skeptical of her intentions from the start with her hovering over him, but he never imagined that obsession could run this deep. Should he have taken Meerab's taunts back then about Haya seriously? His head ached painfully. His lips curled, she had even remained silent knowing who Malik Zubair is from the start. He was glad she is out of the house now. He didn't want her near his daughter and wife...

His wife...his beautiful, brave and kind wife. His heart ached painfully. His wife who had finally trusted him and their marriage. Trusted him with her love. And what had he done? He had thrown her out without listening to her or trusting her. He should have known Meerab would never do something like that intentionally. But he had trusted his family over her. He had lost his place in her heart, that hurt. He had been so patient and had finally managed to change the indifference and dislike in her eyes for him to caring and love. But now, her eyes were almost blank when she looked at him and it scared him. What if he had lost her truly this time?

Enraged at himself, he slammed his fist at a nearby chair which toppled over. He screamed into his fist muffling the sound. God it hurt. Just then a tentative knock sounded on his door. He looked up startled, he had been very careful not to disturb his daughter next door. He cursed at the toppled chair and composed himself enough to open the door.

Meerab looked at him with concern. "Is everything okay Murtasim?", she asked adjusting Sana on her hip. The baby whimpered slightly but remained asleep. He looked at her quietly. Did she really hate him now? He wondered painfully.

"Murtasim", Meerab called again seeing him lost in thoughts. He managed a small smile, "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?", he said too brightly. Meerab looked suspiciously from his blood-shot eyes to the chair on the floor behind him. Something had gone wrong, she was sure.

"Okay...", she started not sure how to proceed. "Can we come in?", she asked hesitantly. She felt deep inside that she shouldn't leave him alone now. He looked surprised but opened the door wider.

"Can I please hold her?", Murtasim asked Meerab gesturing at their sleeping daughter in her arms. He looked so vulnerable it scared her. What had happened to him? What had happened to this proud man who always seemed unbreakable? She nodded slowly and passed Sana over to him.

Murtasim took his daughter in his arms gently feeling just a tiny bit better. He sat down on his bed leaning against the headrest holding her against his chest. He felt like he didn't deserve this tiny human's love. His eyes teared up again.

"So what happened?", Meerab asked finally gesturing to the chair. Murtasim swallowed painfully. "I heard Mariam talking to you when I came to check on Sana", he said with a tremor in his voice. Meerab was surprised, "Oh", she said not sure how to react. So he had found out the truth finally. She didn't know what was going through his mind. She had accepted her fate as time passed but to him the pain would still be raw.