After the End (Tere Bin) (ON HOLD)

New Beginings

To say that Meerab was a nervous wreck would be an understatement.

Her law classes were to officially start tomorrow.

Online though they were, the mare idea of finally starting her journey towards becoming a lawyer had her feeling nauseous with  anticipation.

She paced around in her room, alone.

What if she isn't meant to be a lawyer? What if she sucks at it? All that fighting, all that resentment that she'd held towards her parents and her husband would've been for naught.

Oh how she missed her baba.

Her baba always knew the right things to say, always had been her strongest supporter.

If he were here today, perhaps she wouldn't have been feeling this doubtful to began with.

Unbeknownst to her, Murtasim casually leaned against the door and observed his wife wear herself down with worry.

He had noticed the change in her demeanour as the day of her law school orientation neared.

Despite his continued reassurances, Meerab's mind simply couldn't be brought out of the cycle of self doubt and fear it wasstuck into.

So, Murtasim had begun planning.

"Tum theek ho?" Murtasim's voice broke her out of her musing.
(All okay?)

"Mmhh" she nodded, still not focusing on the man in front of her

Murtasim wasn't convinced. But for once, he decided to let it go.

"Chalo pher.. muje tumhe kuch dikhana hai"
(C'mon I have something to show you)

He grabbed her hand and began leading her out the door.

"Kya.. kaha ja rahe hai hum?" She asked
(What? Where are we going?)

His reply was as nonchalant as his countenance.  "Arie bas chalo toh"
(You'll see when we get there)

Meerab's confusion grew as Murtasim calmly led her through the vast and empty hallways of their house.

The walked around in silence, his warm hand offered a sense of comfort in the others chilly night.

"Is this where you tell me you've had a crazy secret first wife locked in the attic?" She asked, quoting one of her favourite classics

Murtasim, unfamiliar with the works of Charlotte Brontë, glanced back at his wife and gave her a look that could only be described as pure confusion and borderline horror

"Meerab... meri biwi siraf tum ho.."
(Meerab... no I don't have another wife...you know that)

Meerab bit her lips in an effort to hold back a laugh. He looked adorable, so she decided to play along.

"Biwi nahi... toh pher koi aur?" she continued
(A mistress I don't know about then?)

His came to an abrupt stop causing her to collide against this back.

Her free hand gripped his kurta to steady herself.

He turned around.

"Meri zindagi mai tumhare ilava aur kisi aurat ki jagha nahi hai.. mai siraf tumhara shauhar hu.. aur kisi ka nahi. Na kabhi tha, na kabhi houga.. samji?"

(You're the only woman in my life. I don't have another wife and I most certainly don't have a mistress. I was never married to another woman and  I never will be. Okay?)

Unwanted and unbidden, the image of him sitting next to Haya, on the precipice of saying his 'I dos' flashed her mind. Suggesting otherwise to his declaration of undying love and loyalty.