Fates Intertwined (Tere Bin AU)

3. Separated?

It was Murtasim. "Are you okay Meerab?" he asked not understanding why she was crying.
Meerab shook her head as she pushed him away and ran upstairs towards her room.
Murtasim called after her but she didn't even look back. He sighed and went towards the living room.
Now Murtasim could clearly hear two people arguing. One was his mother for sure and the other sounded like Anwar Chacha. He wasn't sure though because he hadn't heard Anwar Chacha's voice in a long time.
"Kis bat par behas ho rahi hai yaha?" Murtasim asked as he entered the living room.
"Tum bas itna jan lo ke aj ke bad meri beti se dur rehna hai tum ne." Anwar Chacha told him.
"Lekin wo tou mangetar hai meri." Murtasim argued.
"Not anymore. Apni taraf se mei ye mangni torr chuka hu. Aur mei aya hi issi liye hu ke Meerab ko apne sath le jau."
"Ye sab kya hai Maa?" Murtasim was confused.
Maa Begum gestured him to stay quiet. Anwar left to go to his room.
"Beta Anwar has always given empty threats like these. Kuch nahi hoga. Pareshan hone ki bat nahi hai beta." Maa Begum assured her son once Anwar Khan left.
"Meerab se inhone kya kaha hai. Wo ro rahi thi." Murtasim suddenly remembered Meerab.
"Beta kaha tou kuch nahi hai lekin ho sakta hai uss ne jaate huwe humari kuch baatein sun li hon."
"Kesi baatein Maa?"
"Wohi Nadia ke hawale se bat nikal ayi thi."
"Ap logo ko khyal rakhna chahye tha na. Meerab ke dil pe kya guzr rahi hogi pata nahi. Hum ne humesha uss se ye bat chupa ke rakhi thi taake wo khush rhe lekin ab sara sach ap logo ki la parwahi ki waja se khul gaya. Ja raha hu mei Meerab ke pas."

Murtasim knocked on Meerab's room door. Hearing no response he went in anyway. She was huddled on her bed tears going down her cheeks.
He sat down in front of her and took her hand.
" Dushman ki beti hu mei tou mujhy itne pyar se kyu rakha tha tum sab ne?" Meerab asked him.
"Kyu ke tum Maa aur Baba ke liye humesha Marium ki tarah rahi ho aur humesha rahogi."
"Agar aesa hota tou Maa Begum kabhi bhi Baba se ye nahi kehti ke le jao isse apne sath."
"Anwar Chacha ki adat hai. Har bar aese hi dhamkiya dete hain lekin un me itni himmat nahi ke wo aesa karen."
"Wo tou iss rishte ke bhi khilaf hain."
"Hongy.. Lekin un ka koi haq nahi hai ke wo tumhari marzi ke bina iss rishte ko khatam karen. Tasalli rakho Meerab. I'm here for you. Kuch bhi hoga I'll handle."
"Murtasim can you please tell me who was my mother?"
"Malik Mukhtar ki sab se choti behn thi wo."
Meerab looked at him in shock.
"Anwar Chacha loved her. He fought a lot to marry her. Her family abandoned her for this decision and our family wasn't too accepting either. Baba supported Anwar Chacha to set up a business in London so that he could settle there. Your parents were planning to shift there after you were born. But just a few months after your birth, your mother suddenly passed away. Her death broke Anwar Chacha and he left all her memories including you here to move to London. Since she was a Malik, Anwar Chacha thought we had something to do with her death due to the Malik Khan dispute. I was young at the time but I am sure Maa and Baba had nothing to do with it."
Meerab shook her head." There must be a reason for him to believe that Maa Begum and Baray Abu had something to do with her death. And if they had nothing to do with it, why did you all hide the truth from me?" Meerab broke into sobs.
Murtasim gently stroked her cheek. "Ro nahi Meerab please. It breaks my heart."
Meerab pushed his hand away. "Tum jao yaha se. Mujhy tumhari ya kisi ki bhi hamdardi ki zaroorat nahi hai."
"Meerab..." Murtasim was shocked at her behaviour.
"Kaha na jao yaha se" Meerab shouted.
Murtasim left. They had never fought like this.
As soon as Murtasim left, Meerab felt guilty for shouting at him. He had only come to comfort her. But still she couldn't help feeling angry at him. He had also hidden the truth from her.

Just then there was a knock on her room door.
"Come in" Meerab called out and Anwar Khan entered.
"Ye sab kya hai Baba?" Meerab asked him.
"Ye haqeeqat hai beta. Wohi haqeeqat jo itne sal inn logo ne ap se chupa kar rakhi."
"Ap mujhy chorr ke kyu gaye phir inn logo ke pas?" Meerab complained.
"Beta tum bilkul apni Maa ki shakl o surat ki ho. Tumhe dekh ke mere gham taza hojaya karte thay. Iss liye chorr gaya tha. Iss bar bhi sirf milne aya tha. Lekin jab mei ne dekha ke tumhari mangni ho gyi hai Murtasim ke sath tou ye faisla kiya hai ke tumhe bhi sath le jau. Iss liye apna passport dedo mujhy. "
Meerab hesitated. Then she remembered Maa Begum's words,"Dushman ki beti se humara kya lena dena", so she gave her passport to her father.

***

As the day of her departure to London came closer, Meerab realised how much she would actually miss the Khan Mansion. She had lived here her whole life. She would miss Murtasim most of all. He had been her best friend since childhood. She hadn't seen him since the day she had shouted him. He had immediately left for the village that day and wasn't back yet.
Meerab fervently hoped that he'd come back before she left. She had already packed her bags. Baba had told her that he would support her for higher studies as well and that was the only thing Meerab was actually glad about.
Meerab went out of her room and saw him. Murtasim was going towards his office. Meerab ran towards him and called to him. He didn't look back.
"Murtasim ruko.." she shouted.
"Tum se rukne ka kahunga tou ruk jao gi?" The pain was visible in his voice.
"Just hear me out please." Meerab begged.
"I don't want to talk to you. Jao London. London University se Law parhne ka khwab tha na tumhara. You should be happy that your dreams are coming true. Meri muhabbat ka kya hai Meerab. Ho sakta hai waha tumhe mujh se bhi zyada muhabbat karne wala mil jaye jis se tum bhi muhabbat karti ho." With that Murtasim went inside his office leaving Meerab speechless.

With mixed emotions and a heavy heart, Meerab bid farewell to the familiar streets of Hyderabad, leaving behind the warmth of Murtasim's family and the shared childhood memories that had shaped her. She boarded the plane to London, carrying a bittersweet longing for what could have been.