| Hawaaon Ke Paighaam | Messages Of The Wind

| The Ballroom |

She got a raised eyebrow in return. Not bad. Two could play at this game. As she about to tilt her head and fold her hands in defiance, Murtasim straightened up from the counter he was leaning on and started walking towards her. The closer he got, the shorter Meerab's breaths became. He'd surprised her. She hadn't thought he'd actually approach her and make a scene in the ballroom. That wasn't the way of the Khan's. No, they discreetly smoothed every ruffled feather in public and then caught you when you were alone, where it couldn't cast a shadow on the Khan prestige. Who knew this better than her?

Suddenly Karim stopped chattering, finally realising that Meerab wasn't listening to him and that rather importantly, his boss had now joined the party. Murtasim's eyes were locked onto Meerab and Karim suddenly felt like an unwanted accessory. This was soon confirmed when Murtasim shifted his eyes to him, raising his eyebrows as if to question what he was still doing here. Meerab was aware of Karim scurrying away and snapped her eyes shut to confirm her mantra. Offensive, offensive, offensive. Confident, she opened her eyes and raised her eyebrows.

"Good evening husband. Acha nahi laga mujhe dekh kar?"

His nostrils flared and for a moment, only the live classical music playing in the background could be heard.

"Iss waqt, idhar mujhe mat aazmana, my darling wife. Bahar lobby mai chaltay hain."

His voice was calm, deceptively so. He stepped to the side, waiting with his hands clasped behind his back. Staring up into his eyes, Meerab decided to comply. She hadn't been married to him long, hadn't lived with him at all, but she did know that honesty was the best option with Murtasim. Keeping her head high, she slowly made her way to the lobby.

Just as she'd left the ballroom and entered the foyer, her hand was pulled to the right from behind. It took her a second to realise Murtasim had pulled her into the VIP access lift located right next to the ballroom entrance.

"Ye kya batameeti hai?" she moaned, her face portraying her annoyance at her bossy husband.

Murtasim scoffed and stepped closer, reaching an arm behind her to tap a gold card on the operating panel. "Batameezi to abhi maine shuru hi nahi ki."

They were face to face, their noses almost touching. Folding her arms across her chest she taunted "Oh really? Kya karlogay tum Murtasim? Tumse darti nahi hu mai"

His eyes were glued to the floor numbers steadily increasing, his breath fanning her face. "Phir tum meri soch se bhi zyaada bewakoof ho"

She gasped in offense just as the display signalled 'Pres' and the lift doors opened. Of course Lord Murtasim Khan would be staying on the Presidential floor, unlike the rest of the employees. She was rudely disturbed mid eye-roll by Murtasim taking her hand and marching her through the marbled foyer of the penthouse and through a set of large mahogany double doors. She shook her hand out of his grasp as they reached a plush lounge, scowling at the vexing man she'd married.

Murtasim unbuttoned his suit jacket and took it off, his movements sharp.

"Tumharay paas paanch minute hain Meerab and you know mujhe kya jaan na hai"

"Murtasim ismay itna hairaan honay waali koi baat nahi hai. Mai ek kaam se yahan aayi huwi hu" Meerab spoke with fake bravado. Truth be told, she was now beginning to get nervous.

It was too late to wish she'd been recruited by any other airline. Or that he flew for another one. Or that he hadn't been her pilot on her first bloody flight. The moment his voice had come over the speakers on the plane at Karachi announcing himself as the Captain, Meerab knew karma was very much real. Her carefully crafted plans were about to be bulldozed over. She had heard from her Baba that Murtasim was a certified pilot. She just hadn't realised he flew flew, with an actual commercial airline. The very one Saba had chosen. She must've really pissed off the universe in a past life because it was out to get her in this one.

Murtasim pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to keep his temper in check

"Ye tha tumhara career jiske liye tumne mujhse woh shartein manwayi thi? Jiski wajah se tum abhi tak rukhsati ke liye raazi nahi huwi? Jiski wajah se meri biwi honay ke bawajood tum abhi tak Karachi mai reh rahi ho?"

His voice got harsher with every word and the jacket he was still holding was flung across the room as he gritted out the last sentence.

Meerab gulped, trying to get rid of the strange lump in her throat. Everything she had worked so hard for and planned meticulously was about to be unravelled. He would find everything out and so would everyone else. Not just Mama and Baba, but Maa Begum too. Was this meant to be her short and lousy attempt at a career? One week of independence as a woman before being shackled with duties as the Khaani of Khan Murtasim Khan; to be left with no identity of her own, her only supposed triumph in life to be that she had the good fortune to marry a ridiculously wealthy and powerful man?

"I'm waiting Meerab." He stood tall and broad, like a mountain directly in front of her.

Meerab couldn't speak. The lump made it impossible to do anything but keep her head high and whisper a low "Murtasim", hating herself for falling weak­. Hating that this meant so much to her.

It was enough to shift the atmosphere in the room. Suddenly everything seemed to be at breaking point. Meerab, tired and awake for almost twenty hours now, due to the flight and training schedule, and Murtasim, who couldn't explain the way his chest tightened at the hint of tears in her voice. A husband and wife standing at a precipice, neither of them willing to take a leap of faith.

Hello my dears, happy MeerAsim reading! I have been updating like a mad bunny on steroids and I had thought I'll give a longer gap for this chapter, but this first meeting in Doha was one of the first scenes I had envisioned and written, so I was a lil excited to get this posted :D

I had also, since forever, wanted to put Thagiyaan as the song for this scene. It fits perfectly with the vibe of this chapter and also for those who haven't heard it, give it a go! It's Coke Studio and an amazing song imo.

Inspo photos above as always.

Till next time, D xo