Agar Ishq Se Hai Mila
Fir Dard Se Kya Gila
Iss Dard Mein Zindagi
Khush Haal Hai
*
*****************
It was one summer eve two years ago that Murtasim had realized he couldn't have Meerab no matter how desperately he had wanted her.
It was the summer after Meerab's nineteenth birthday and her whole family had come to the haweli for Eid Holidays.
Freshly into college, Meerab still induced that irrational warmth inside Murtasim's otherwise logical heart. With age, she grew even more pretty everyday. And before he knew it, Meerab had become the most beautiful girl in their whole Khandan.
She was the centre of attention in every party, every function. And like bees drawn to the most fragrant flower, his Meerab was surrounded by admirers.
But she was naive too. Innocent at heart, she never noticed the love sick looks around her....just like she never noticed what was in his heart.
Their childish banters had turned into spiteful fights as Meerab grew into an opinionated and free-spirited woman and Murtasim settled into his role as the Fuadal lord whose duty was to uphold age-old traditions.
But alas, the lord in him failed to rein in his heart that skips a beat every time Meerab fearlessly looked into his eyes. Instead of punishing her for her impudence, he was left speechless in front of her, mesmerized by the fire in her eyes.
Her undying spirit was like burning fire and he was probably the foolish moth flying toward it.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen!
As his heart stopped listening to him more and more that summer, Murtasim had gotten the much-needed reality check.
In his perfect world of imagination, Meerab, lovely Meerab, would have fallen in love with him and become his willingly.
But he did not want that Meerab.
He wanted the one in real life. The one who wants to study law like the father she idolized. The one who fought him at every turn, the one who despised him.
But that Meerab didn't want him.
That Meerab wanted to study Law, wanted to fulfill her dreams. And being Khan Murtasim Khan's wife will not allow her that.
That summer day when she was getting yelled at by Anwar Uncle for daring to dream bigger than her station and her eyes looked helplessly at others present in the room for support was the day he finally realized the harsh truth.
Murtasim couldn't break the chains of responsibility and position around his feet and making Meerab his would, in turn, mean chaining her to him.
And Murtasim's Meerab deserved better than that.
Meerab was a free bird wanting to fly and Murtasim's position was the weight that pulls down everyone with it.
He was the King yet he couldn't go against the very thing that gave him his kingdom in the first place.
If Murtasim wanted then Meerab would be his queen but a Queen trapped in the most luxurious of palaces was still a prisoner, wasn't she?
*************************************
Meerab was getting more daring with age. He still cannot believe she was fighting on the streets with a stick like some kind of hooligan!
Who did she think she was? Batman?
As if Anwar uncle needed another reason to be mad at her!
Sometimes he thinks all the love had made her too sheltered. She did not understand the concept of self-preservation or impulse control at all.
Does she even realize what kind of things people would say about her if she kept doing stuff like this?
Probably not.
This was his Meerab, after all.
She definitely did not think of anything beyond getting that lady justice.
Classic Meerab. Never stepping back when it comes to helping others.
Should he admire her for her courage or be mad at her for putting herself in a position like that?
Oh yeah and he did not forget the whole disrespect thing she said to him!
Allah had most definitely put Meerab on earth to test his patience!
Oh Meerab, how much more will she play with his emotions!
It was things like this that made it so hard for Murtasim to stop loving Meerab. Every time he makes some kind of progress, she does something that makes the volcano of emotion inside him erupt with all its might.
That slip of a girl makes him annoyed, she makes him furious, makes him childish.....she makes him Murtasim.
But he cannot be just Murtasim just like she cannot be his.
He has to be Khan Murtasim Khan and she has to be forgotten.
That was final.
***********************************
His Anwar Uncle was still raging on about how the incident will affect Meerab and our family's honor which is still as weird as it was in their childhood.
Seriously, why does he care so much about his friend's daughter?
Is it because he, himself, has no children?
Or was he perhaps in love with Aneela aunty or something?
When Meerab gets married to some Karachi boy who will let her study law, will he be like this towards her child too?
Will her child look like her or her husband?
Will she visit the haweli she so despises with her new family?
Will Murtasim be forced to talk to the man who would snatch his Meerab from him?
What kind of man does Meerab like anyway?
Does she already have someone in her heart?
Why did he love torturing himself like this?
Why did he give his mother that wretched idea about her marriage?
The very thought of her with someone else made Murtasim sick. The ache in his heart suddenly made him feel so suffocated that he couldn't breathe.
He already knew Meerab would one day get married to a faceless man that won't be him. His idea had just sealed the deal.
He would probably be invited.
Or not, she doesn't like him very much these days. But Waqas uncle would surely invite him.
But he would rather die than go.
Yes, he would never go to his Meerab's wedding with some gangly immature Karachi boy who would probably be more bark than bite; who wouldn't and couldn't love her as much as Murtasim does.
Oh, who was he kidding?
He would definately have to be there. People will talk if he wasn't there.
He would probably organize the whole affair and even talk to her future in-laws like her older brother.
God, was he a sadist?
Even now he was organizing her birthday party at his Uncle's request.
He was sitting alone in his office, ignoring all his pending work to choose the shade of pink Meerab would prefer for her birthday.
His uncle had a long list of demands to make everything perfect for Meerab's special day tomorrow.
Again, what was his uncle's deal with Meerab?
Everything felt too much to Murtasim these days. He felt like he was drowning.
The Maliks were getting on his every last nerve. Just thinking about that lecherous Malik Jubair made him furious.
He had ignored his work in Hyderabad for too long because of those damn pests. Sighing, Murtasim almost felt the headache building up seeing the pile of documents in front of him.
It was two in the morning and he was still looking at cake designs for Meerab's birthday.
Why hadn't he refused the role of Meerab's personal event planner again?
Oh right! because he was a madman who wanted a part in making the girl he loved happy on her birthday.
The same girl whom he had sworn to forget.
God, he was hopeless!
Meerab probably won't even know about his efforts. Even if she knew, she would never care.
Meerab did not care about his efforts.
She did not even care about him.
Did he want her to care?
Did anyone care about him?
He was working in his office late into the night and no one in the family had asked him to stop.
Why would they?
This was his responsibility as the heir and his family did not dare to go against him.
He preferred it this way actually. He hated interference with his decisions.
Then why was he so mad?
At his family?
At himself?
Why did he feel so close to bursting?
Why was he so exhausted?
Silently he prayed to God to give him enough strength to hold it all in until tomorrow ends.
It was his Meerab's day. He didn't want to ruin it in his anger.
**************************************
So how was the second chapter?????
Pls leave comments and share your thoughts.