BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

CHAPTER 16: A CRUSHING CRUSH

So as promised, here is one of the chapters I had in my draft. I was planning to make some changes to it since it doesn't really add anything to the plot, I only wrote it as a fun chapter. But oh well! Hope you like it though.

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Following that day, it had become a routine for Meerab and Murtasim to work together in his office. They would discuss the cases, Meerab would tell Murtasim about the household budgets and he, in turn, told her all about the land disputes, construction commissions , fueds and anything he had trouble with.

Meerab, now had an almost clear view of the fuadal system, the family businesses and investments, the panchayat and its internal politics. With a clear picture, she could see how the power dynamics among the lords influences their respective regions and how big of an impact any wrong move could have on the fragile power play between them.

After that day, it was like Meerab had broken the wall of responsibilities Murtasim had built around himself. He would share almost any kind information with her and all she had to was ask. She says almost because he still seemed reluctant to share anything about the ongoing fued with the Maliks.

She still couldn't believe Murtasim actually wanted to pursue another career, its just that she couldn't imagine him as anything other than Khan.

But it made sense.

In her vague flashes of childhood memories, Meerab could remember a very young Murtasim with a camera, an old, barely working thing. During her visits to the haweli, she would see him running behind a squirrel or a butterfly with it in hand.

The only thing she couldn't remember was just when the camera had disappeared from his hand only to be replaced by land documents and budget folders. It was like one day, he was the scruffy looking neighborhood kid with weird hobbies and in the next, he was a mini adult, tailing his father to the village.

Meerab hadn't realised just how fast Murtasim had grown up. One minute, he was taking Meerab and Maryam to get henna and Chudi before Eid, and in the very next, he had no time to waste on such frivolous activities.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Nothing important." She focused back on the task at hand. Her workload was increasing day by day.

She wondered how Murtasim handled everything alone. Meerab wondered if he ever wished for Saad to be present. It would lessen his share of work.

"Tell me." Looking up from his own work, he flashed her a toothy smile. "I like listening to your thoughts. They are interesting."

Her heart thumped at his words. He really was charming with those cheesy dialogues of his.

"I was thinking about how you stopped taking me and Maryam to buy chudi before Eid."

Murtasim let out an airy laugh. "Because you moved away to Karachi. It's kind of hard for me to go there before Eid, you know."

"I only celebrated like three Eids in Karachi!" Meerab made a face. "We came back for all the rest."

Right after her family's move to Karachi, they had to spent Eid there due to her father's workload. But as soon as he managed to settle, they were back here for every Ramadan.

"Well-" he looked up and leaned forward with a mischievous smile, "- my apologies. I had to visit the villages. Spending time with hoards of teenagers were not at the top of my priority list."