Meerab, witnessing the man she had grown to admire in such a vulnerable state, felt a sharp pang in her heart. The room, once a sanctuary, now held an unspoken sorrow that seemed to engulf them both. Moved by an instinct to bridge the emotional distance, Meerab approached him with measured steps.
Sitting beside the sofa where Murtasim sat, she called out his name softly, "Murtasim." His silence was deafening, the air filled with unspoken words, hanging heavily between them. Meerab, undeterred, extended a gentle touch to his knee, a tender attempt to draw him out from behind the walls he had erected.
"Murtasim," she uttered once more, the repetition carrying a weight of concern. His face, partially concealed by his hands, revealed nothing. The room held its breath, waiting for a response that seemed elusive. Meerab's heart ached, the proximity to Murtasim's pain stirring an ache within her.
Murtasim, in an attempt to preserve the crumbling walls around his emotions, shifted his face sideways, pushing away Meerab's gentle touch. His eyes, a battleground of restrained tears, told a tale of inner turmoil he was determined to keep locked away.
Undeterred by his attempt to distance himself, Meerab summoned a reservoir of courage. She moved closer, now sitting on both knees in front of him. Gently, she reached for both his hands, pulling them away from his face. Holding his form with both her hands, she implored, "Murtasim, Please btao kya hua." The air thickened with the weight of unspoken pain as she sought to unravel the mystery behind the walls he had erected.
In response, Murtasim surrendered, meeting Meerab's eyes, yet his gaze remained inscrutable. His otherwise expressive eyes were veiled, concealing the depth of his suffering. "I let him go. I failed." he uttered with a haunting vacancy, the words echoing through the room with a chilling finality.
A fleeting moment of relief washed over Meerab as Murtasim disclosed that he had released Malik Mukhtar. However, a sense of responsibility tugged at her, prompting her to offer solace to her partner. "You did the right thing, Murtasim," she said, a genuine smile breaking through.
"No," he retorted immediately, shaking his head, breaking the eye contact they had established. "No, I didn't do the right thing." His voice resonated with an uncharacteristic vulnerability, a stark departure from the usual confidence that defined Khan Murtasim Khan's demeanor. "Mere apne log mujhe kamjor samjhenge," he continued, a tinge of fear weaving through his words. The weight of that fear, unprecedented in Murtasim's stature, hung heavy in the air. "They'll see me as a weak leader, incapable of defending our land."
In that moment, Meerab glimpsed the internal struggle that tormented him. The weight of leadership, the burden of perception, bore down on Murtasim's shoulders. His admission laid bare the vulnerability that even the strongest leaders harbor, the fear of being perceived as weak, a fear that gnawed at the core of his identity.
Meerab sat by him, her hands gently resting on his knees, a silent anchor of support. "Murtasim," she began, her voice a soothing murmur, "strength is not in holding on to power at any cost. It's in making the difficult decisions for the greater good."
"Tum nahi samajh rhi Meerab," he interrupted, his voice rising a notch, frustration evident in the crease of his brow. "Main apni zameen nahi bacha paya, logo ko kya mehfooz rakh paunga? That's what my people will think. And I can't have that Meerab." The weight of his perceived failure hung heavily in the air, a sense of inadequacy etched across his face.
"Murtasim aisa kuch nahi hoga", she felt the pain in her heart growing at his devastated state and tried to sooth him by taking his face in her hands.
"No", he shook his head, released himself from her and got up from the sofa and stood next to the almirah. "Baba entrusted everything to me with such honor. I let him down today, I let my family down, my people. All of them. I am the leader, Meerab. I should have protected our land, my father's legacy. Instead, I've allowed it to slip through my fingers like sand. Not once but twice. Once out of my sister's love and honour and this time out of fear. It makes me so weak." Meerab came and stood beside him, trying to offer him comfort with her closeness. To be his anchor now as he poured out everything that had been hurting him.
"And you know what Meerab," he turned then, and levelled her with a look, his eyes only speaking vulnerability. "You're my biggest weakness." Meerab's heart skipped a beat. "The thought of anything happening to you, it takes away all my pride, my power away and then all I am is a begging man, wishing you are never harmed." The words hit Meerab like of bricks and a tear found its way down her cheek.
"Murtasim - come here", not knowing how else to soothe him, to take away his pain, she slowly guided him towards herself and then took in his big form into her smaller figure by the waist. He completely let go of himself and engulfed her in his chest as he burried his face in her hair. Taking in her scent, he felt a wave of calmness enter his raging heart, levelling it down. She smelt like home to him and he closed his eyes. She rubbed soothing circles on his back and pressed a small kiss to his kurta-clad chest, unbeknownst to him. His demeanor seemed to have relaxed a little, making the dull.ache persistent in her heart since she saw him entee the room, fade away. This man had come to mean a lot to him, how when why, she didn't understand, but maybe that's what destiny falling in place is called. Destiny had written him for her, and despite resisting for so long, she finally let him in her heart. She did not know in which capacity yet, but his pain hurt her in equal measures and her own words "jiske dard pe aah nikle, usi se to to mohabbat hoti hai" started echoing in her head.
They stayed like that for a while, enveloped in each other's arms, until Meerab broke the hug softly. She cupped his face in her hands and said, "I won't say I understand what you feel, but I want to say, I am here with you now. You don't have to take burden of these responsibilities and decisions all on your own. Share with me, instead of hiding. I will help you, support in whatever capacity, and be your strength. I promise you." She promised him, her eyes holding resolution that extended to his heart.
He sighed deeply, "okay," he conceded, his fingers gently enveloping her hands on his face, "but today, you broke a promise." His expression was a canvas of intricate feelings, a mosaic ranging from gratitude to a lingering disappointment that cast shadows over his features.
"That's because you gave me a reason to break it," Meerab retorted, her words carrying a subtle undertone of defensiveness as she attempted to conceal the abashedness that crept into her being when called out for her risky endeavor.
A wry smile played on his lips, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes at her attempt to reframe the situation. "Yes, ma'am," he replied, acknowledging her resolve with a touch of humor, "this time, I'll try my best not to give you one."
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A/N: So what do you think? Did Murtasim make a wise decision?
Hope you guys like this update, please do give feedback <3
9; You Lose Some, You Win Some
Start from the beginning
