Meerab came back to her senses when Murtasim moved forward to open the door completely to enter her flat. She tried to close the door but it was too late he was already inside.
"Aap yahan kya kar rahe hain? Aap jante hain apko yaha aane ki ijazat nahi hai." She said to his back as he had already moved to the small hall which was looking even smaller due his towering presence.
"Aur mujhe yaha aane se rokega kaun?" He turned to finally to address her. "Hmph. Tumhe lagta hai tumhare Baba ya ek legal document mujhe rok sakta hai? Main sirf apne bete ki khushi ke liye chup tha. Kyuki mein janta hu ke ek bachche ko uski ma se door karna kitna bada zulm hai. Lekin agar tumhari zid uske zehan par ghalat asar daal rahi hai to mein chup chap nahin bethuga. Mein usey apne sath Hyderabad le jane aaya hu." He told her with an authority of a feudal lord, that he was. Where noone can deny or question his decision.
"He's already disturbed. Behtar hoga ke aap uske samne koi tamasha na khada karen. Agar aap ko uski mental health ka itna hi khayal hai to apne affairs usse chhupa kar rakhiye jab tak wo itna bada na ho jaye ke in mamlat ko samajhne lage." She said with suppressed anger. If she thought it will make him feel bad then she was wrong because her words only entice him.
"Really? You say my affairs are affecting him. But I am man of needs Meerab. Then whom do you suggest I should bestow my attentions on?" He said scanning her head to toe. His eyes settled back on her face, shining with a dark excitement. Meerab stepped back by the force of the sudden change in his mood. She felt nervous perspiration running down her spine."Since as much as I know he is very possessive of your position as his mother and he doesn't like anyone threatening it."
"I have already suggested you should k.. keep your affairs hidden from him." She said moving towards the kitchen making sure to not come in contact with him. Why was she stammering again. She hated to see herself so weak when it comes to him. "Behtar hoga agar aap din me Arham se milne aayen kyunke wo so chuka hai. Aur mujhe abhi boht sara kaam karna hai. So I can't entertain you anymore." She said cleaning the counter-top as Murtasim had moved to stand on kitchen door.
"Mein yahan tum dono ko apne sath le jane aaya hu. Arham ki teacher se meri baat hui hai aur mujhe ye bilkul nahi gavara ke mera beta tumhari zid ki wajah se suffer kare." Meerab turned around to look at him with disbelief on his words. Did he said what she heard?
"Sorry? You must be out of your mind if you think I will ever go back to that hell of a place." Meerab felt a malicious satisfaction to see the smirk, that was pasted on his face, wiped off. She turned back to continue cleaning.
"If I can bear living with a coward, trickster of a wife for my son. So you can also live in that hell of a place, if you really want to keep him with you." He said standing right behind her. She didn't notice when he moved from his position. She couldn't take him insulting her like this in her own home. She had had enough. She turned around to slap him. But he caught her hand mid air.
"Sochna bhi mat Meerab." His voice was ice cold. But his expressions changed in a second. He was back in control. "Lagta hai tumhari yaad-dasht kamzor ho gai hai. Tumhe yaad dilana padega ke apne shohar se kaise paish aate hain." He said in a husky voice. His eyes moving to her lips, making them tingle. She gasped due to the unwanted sensation. Which made a smirk crept on his face sensing her reaction.
"Aap mere shohar nahi hain. Sirf chand dino me humari divorce final ho jayegi. Isliye behtar hoga aap yahan se chale jayen." She decided to talk civilly with him because she was not ready to face his other side at the moment. She
turned around to pick things from the counter. But she had no idea what she was doing. He legs were feeling like jelly. "Arham 12 baje school se wapas ayega. Aap tab aakar usey apne sath le ja sakte hain."
"Tum bilkul bhi nahi badli na, Meerab?" He asked scrutinizing her. "Aaj bhi utni hi selfish ho. Lekin yaad rakhna agar mere bete ko tumhari is zid ki wajah se mazeed koi bhi pareshani uthani padi to me bardasht nahi karuga." He left the house saying that.
She fell down on the nearest chair. If he was terrifyingly intimidating at 24 then now he was alarmingly calculative and cold at 31. She was afraid if Arham insisted for her to accompany him to Hyderabad she will have no other option left.
Back then he used to retaliate with power and anger immediately if he believed anyone has done wrong to him or his people. But now she had a feeling he has grown patient, now will take his time to torment that person.
The last time she saw him he had turned his back on her and never look back. At that time he thought she had made a fool of him by making him believe she has accepted him. But she was planning with her father to leave him all along.
She didn't think she will see him ever again. But now that she had seen him the memories won't stop coming back to haunt her.
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Flashback
Meerab was surprised when Murtasim didn't demand her to share his room. Instead she was shifted to one of the guest rooms from her father's portion of haveli. Murtasim had went to the villages to see the lands and reservoirs. She used to spend most of her time with her Dadi, who was curious why Meerab stayed back when she was supposed to go to Karachi. But didn't ponder much cause she was happy that Meerab was staying with her.
It had been three days her father was sent back to Karachi. Meerab was sitting with Dadi who was telling her childhood stories of her father and his siblings. Then a maid came to inform them "Khan aa rahe hain." The whole room went silent. The nurse who used to take care of Sarwat jahan Begum, the personal house help who was always there with her, the boutique owner whom she had asked to come because Meerab needed new wardrobe, everyone stood in attention. Meerab had her back towards the door when Murtasim entered the room. She didn't move a muscle. She felt like she was in frozen into a statue.
"Assalamu alaikum Dadi jaan." He said kissing his Dadi on forehead.
"Jeeta rahe mera pota. Ummeed hai sab theek chal raha hoga." Dadi said putting her hand on his head giving him blessings.
"Aap ki duaon ke chalte kuch ghalat nahi ho sakta. Aap aur duaen dijiye ke apne dushmano ko unka sahi anjam dikha sakun." He said
"Mein to bas tumhe khush dekhna chahti hu. Jab se Maryam ki shadi hui hai is ghar me jese veerana chha gaya ho. Mein to ab is ghar ko khushiyon se hara bhara dekhna chahti hoon." She said last sentence looking at Meerab. Which brought Murtasim's attention towards her. He raised his gaze to her. And her breath caught in her throat. She felt like a rabbit caught in headlight. She breathed out only when he look back at Dadi and said goodbye leaving the room.
Meerab felt suffocated in that environment where everyone treated their master like he was some mughal emperor. It gave him freedom to exploit his power. She wanted to get out of there really badly.
After that day she didn't see Murtasim much. He wasn't there at meals. He was either busy in his father's library, which was his now. Or he was gone to village to see the matter of livestocks, and lands and what not. She was spared by him but his relatives were not so generous. One day Dadi introduced her to Murtasim's khala, Begum Shahjehan Sultan, who was also from a Nawab family. She had a daughter named Haya. Meerab got an impression that she had expected Dadi to choose Haya for Murtasim. And Dadi's decision had made her bitter. She was nice in front of Dadi but when Dadi retired for her afternoon rest, she looked at Meerab and said
"Tum apni Dadi ko bewaqoof bana sakti ho lekin mujhe nahi. Bakhoobi janti hu ke Waqas Sahab ko achanak Ma ki itni yaad kaise aa gayi, jiske salon minnate karne se bhi unka dil nahi pighla tha. Or itni zyadah ke apni beti ki shadi tak us ghar me kar di jahan apne sage bhai ki maut par bhi shakal dikhana zaruri nahi samjha. Apni bhatiji ki shadi me shirkat dena zaruri nahi samjha." He voice was filled with envy.
"Aap meri badi hain isliye tameez se keh rahi hoon. Dobara mere Dad ke bare me ek lafz bhi kaha to me bhool jaugi ke aap kaun hain." Meerab stood up in anger and left her.
Meerab knew she had to get out of there. She was looking for any way out, standing on the terrace that night. But on all the gates there were guards. She called her Dad.
"Dad." Her voice quivered with tears when her father picked the phone immediately.
"Meerab? Meerab, meri bachchi. Kesi ho tum? Tumhara phone kyu nahi lag raha tha. Mein kab se koshish kar raha hoon." He said with worry.
"Dad mujhe lene aa jaiye mujhe yahan nahin rehna. Please." Meerab broke down hearing her father's voice.
"Beta mein poori koshish kar raha hoon. Mene vakeel se bhi baat kari hai. Lekin wo kehte hain ke forced marriage ka accusation kaam nahi karega. Unke paas photos aur videos hain nikah ke jis me hum sehmat aur khush nazar aa rahe hain. Wo ulta hum par fraud ka case laga sakte hain. Bas thoda sa waqt do mujhe ek baar tumhe yaha bula loon phir hum divorce ke liye apply kar sakte hain. Lekin waha Murtasim se ladai maul lena bewaqoofi hai. Samajh rahi ho na tum?" He asked desperately. But Meerab didn't understand anything. She knew just one thing that she wanted to get out of this jail. "Waha kisi se ladai maul mat lena. Thoda samhal ke chalo. Take Murtasim ko pata na chale tumhara irada kya hai. Tabhi tum wahan se nikal sakti ho. Usko chunoti dena khatre se khali nahi hai. Theek hai?" Meerab noded still crying.
"Kisse baat kar rahi thi?" She jumped on Murtasim's voice behind her. He came stand beside her. She had no idea he was at home otherwise she would have been careful.
"Nahi.... kisi se nahi." She stammered hiding her phone in her dupatta. She had never seen anyone more intimidating. He was dressed in a brown pathani night suit, but still looking as vigilant as if he was going on war. His face was hidden in darkness as the moonlight was coming from behind him, his silhouette giving impression of a dark angel.
"Itni raat ko akele mat nikla karo ye jagah safe nahi hai." He said looking at the haveli stretched in front of them. Meerab thought he must be paranoid to think so. The place was filled with guards.
"Ye aap ki haveli hai. Apne to kaha tha mein mehfooz hoon. Yaha apse kaun baghawat karega?" On her question he turned to look at her. His eyes had turned almost black with something she can't figure out. But it gave butterflies in her stomach. He took a step towards her leaving just a foot between them. Meerab gulped down in fear. She wanted to run away but didn't trust her feet.
"It's not always the outsiders to be wary of." This was the first time he was looking in her eyes. And she felt hypnotized. "Sometimes...."
Before he could complete his sentence there came small thud sound from the corridor. He turned his head in anger. It was Haya standing there. Around her feet were peices of broken tumbler. Before any of them could say anything Meerab ran from there without looking back.
Next morning Meerab took a decision to get out of the haveli. Because she didn't like how Murtasim made her feel. Her father had given her mobile number of a servant in haveli, Mudassir Baig. He used to look after Murtasim's horses, who were dear to Murtasim more than his life.
Murtasim had gone to village. So it was a good time to start her mission. She went to search for Mudassir. And found him to be a good looking young man. She asked him if he knows her father.
"Yes, madam. Aap ke Baba ne hi mujhe ek mahine pehle yaha bheja tha." Meerab was confused why would her father employ anyone here, when he doesn't live here. But she didn't had time to think about that.
"Theek hai. To mujhe yaha se nikalna hai aur kisi ko khabar nahi honi chahiye." She wispered hiding her face with her dupatta.
"Aap fikr na karen. Meine sab intezam kar liya hai. Aap sirf..."
"Kya intezam?" Came Murtasim's thunderous voice. Meerab felt her blood run cold in her veins. She didn't dare to turn around. Before she could absorb what just happened two men came and dragged Mudassir out of the barn. She was left alone with Murtasim.
"Kaha tha na mujhe dhoka dene ka sochna bhi mat." His eye were bulging with rage. He took her hand and dragged her with him. She had to run to meet his stride. He opened the door of his room and flung her inside. He came in and closed the door behind him. Meerab felt terror-stricken. Her whole body was trembling with fear.
Meerab backed in a corner. She was petrified what he was going to do to her. But he must have seen something on her face that reduced his anger. He was still standing by the door. He clenched his teeth and said "Tum is kamre se bahar nahi jaogi." With that he left the room closing the door behind him with a loud thud.
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Author's note
So here's another chpter. Please 🙏 let me know how do feel about this one. Your reviews are most welcome.
Sorry if it annoys anyone but there's gonna be many flashbacks.
Hope you like it. Don't forget to comment.