Fates Intertwined (Tere Bin AU)

5. Malik Zubair

It was Meerab's last semester. It had been more than 2 years since she had last seen Murtasim. This long separation had made her realise her love for Murtasim. A lot of times she had wanted to contact him but a part of her just thought that he might've moved on and if that was the case, Meerab did not want to interfere with his life.
Meerab was studying as hard as ever since her bar exams were in only a few weeks and she intended to ace them with flying colours.

Murtasim on the other hand was busy with the Panchayat. Malik Zubair had burned their fields destroying their crops and killing and injuring some of their farmers. The panchayat members had gathered to decide his punishment.
"Murtasim Khan, tum mujhy koi bhi saza de do, asal maza tou tab hi ayega jab tumhare ghar ki izzat meri izzat ban jayegi." Malik Zubair's face held a triumphant smile. Murtasim ignored him but he couldn't help feel uncomfortable at his remark.

Once he was home, he pondered over Malik's sentence. Marium was already married and she lived in Islamabad with her husband something that Malik Zubair might not be aware of. Then who had he meant when he said "Tumhare ghar ki izzat."

Meerab, Murtasim thought. It had to be her. Murtasim had been unable to digest the sudden departure of Meerab. He had this feeling of dread long ago that there was some ulterior motive to Anwar Khan taking his daughter with him to London. Now it seemed that the motive was coming to light. Malik Zubair wouldn't have been so confident if he hadn't executed his plan of action already.
Murtasim closed his eyes and sighed. He wondered if he was too late. He could never forgive himself if Malik got hold of Meerab.
Murtasim stepped outside his office and went downstairs.
"Bakhtu", he called out to his faithful right hand man.
"Jee Maalik." Bakhtu responded promptly.
"Humare jasooso se kaho ke wo pata lagaye Malik Zubair ke zehan me kya chal raha hai. Uss ne poore itmenan ke sath itni bari bat kese kahi. Mei apni izzat pe koi anch bardasht nahi karunga bata dena unhe. Mujhy 2 din ke ander ander jawab chahye unse." Murtasim half shouted. Whatever had happened in the past hadn't been Meerab's fault and he still loved her. The thought of her becoming Malik's izzat was too much for Murtasim.
"Ap ka hukam sar ankho par Maalik." Bakhtu immediately left to act on his orders.
Murtasim returned to his office. Pata nahi kaha hogi Meerab iss waqt? Kis hal me hogi? Khush hogi bhi ya nahi? Aur Anwar Chacha ka iss sab se kya talluq tha? And what about his promise to support Meerab's dream of becoming a lawyer? Was that all a lie just to lure Meerab into his trap? There were just too many questions in his mind and he had no answers. Hopefully his spies within the Malik's men could provide some answers.

---

"Beta ap ke exams kab tak end hojayengy?" Anwar asked her.
Meerab was surprised. Baba never talked to her about anything, why was he suddenly concerned.
"In the mid of May", she replied.
"Right. Actually beta ap ke liye ek bohat acha proposal hai wo log engagement karna chah rahe hain."
"WHAT? Baba abhi mei parh rahi hu and my exams are right around the corner. Engagement jesi distraction mei afford nahi kar sakti abhi." Meerab firmly stated.
"Beta mangni hi tou hai. Shadi graduation ke bad hogi ye mera tum se wada raha." Anwar tried to convince his daughter.
"Ye kesa proposal hai Baba. Na ap ne mujhy ye bataya ke kon hai kya karta hai direct ap engagement ki bat kar rahe hain. That's not fair Baba. Ap shayad bhool gaye hain mei ek lawyer hu."
"Bhoola nahi hu beta. But maybe you should trust me a little please?"
"Meri life ka itnay baray decision ke liye mei kisi pe trust nahi kar sakti I'm sorry Baba."
"Kahi koi tumhe pasand tou nahi?" Anwar asked suspiciously.
"Agar hai bhi tou kya huwa. I have full right to take my life's decisions." Meerab said in her defense thinking of Murtasim with tears in her eyes.
"Matlab koi hai." Anwar said in disgust. "Kher ab hum iss topic pe tumhare bar exams ke bad karengy." Anwar thought it best to dismiss the topic for now.

---

"Do din hogye hain Bakhtu. 48 ghanto me ye ek choti si bat ka pata na laga sakay. In se keh do agar agle 24 ghanto me bhi kuch pata na chala tou inn ke sath acha nahi hoga." Murtasim shouted.

At lunch time, Maa Begum noticed her son's stressed out form. "Kya huwa beta sab kheryat hai?"
"Pata nahi Maa. Filhal tou kheryat hai lekin kab tak baki rahegi ye nahi janta." Murtasim felt defeated.
"Sara din bas tensionon me guzar dete ho beta. Kitni bar samjhaya hai shadi kar lo, zindagi me aagay barho. Kab tak uss Meerab ka intezar karoge beta. Haya ek achi larki hai 2 sal se keh rahi hu socho iss baare me."
Haya was their second cousin and her love for Murtasim wasn't a secret matter.
He shook his head. "Qiyamat tak intezar kar sakta hu Meerab ke liye mei."
"Ye pyar nahi deewangi hai beta."
"Jo bhi keh len ap isse mujhy koi farq nahi parta. Ja raha hu mei." Murtasim left leaving his food untouched.
Maa Begum sighed. "Pata nahi iss larkay ko kab aqal ayegi."

---

"Malik Mukhtar ne Anwar Khan ko pese diye hain taake wo apni beti ka hath uss ke bete ke hath me dede. Janta hu Maalik ke ye poori bat nahi hai lekin iss se zyada ye log pata nahi kar sakte warna Malik ko shak hojayega." Bakhtu told him.
Murtasim nodded. "Mere liye bas itna hi kafi hai filhal."
He immediately went to his office and placed a call to his travel agent to book his flight for London.

"Kahan ki tayyari hai beta?" Maa Begum was confused to see her son packing bags.
"Ap khana lagwaye, mei khane pe sab bataunga ap ko." Murtasim told her.

At the lunch table Murtasim told his mother everything he knew till now. Maa Begum was shocked. "Malik Mukhtar ki itni jurrat? Theek hai bhanji hai uss ki lekin wo log tou Nadia ko disown kar chuke thy. Iss hawale se Meerab ka un se koi rishta nahi banta. Hairat tou mujhy Anwar pe hai. Apni beti ka dushman ke sath soda kar liya uss ne. Beti hai uss ki koi zameen thori hai ke kisi ko bhi paiso ke badle dedi jaye." Maa Begum was very angry.
" Baba ki death ke kuch arse baad Anwar Chacha went out of business. Unho ne mujh se contact kiya tha poochne ke liye ke un ke hisse ki koi zameen hai. Mei ne unhe bata dya aur sath me ye bhi kaha ke agar un ka bechne ka irada ho tou mei khareed lunga taake ye zameen khandan se bahir na jaye. Lekin Malik Mukhtar ne dugni qeemat lagayi zameeno ki aur Chacha Sahab ne mujh se mashwara kiye bager usse bech di apni zameen. Tab hi mujhy kuch had tak andaza hogya tha ke Anwar Chacha ko khandan ki izzat ka koi lihaz nahi hai. Phir bhi mei ek lamhe ko soch bhi nahi sakta tha ke wo Meerab ka bhi soda kar lengy. Khatka zaroor tha mujhy un ka yaha ana aur Meerab ko yu le jana lekin iss bat ka andaza nahi tha. Bas dua karen Maa Sahab ke Meerab mujhy sahi o salim mil jaye."
"Han beta jao aur usse kisi bhi qeemat pe dhundo. Wapas yahi lana acha."
"Ek aur bat Maa."
"Han kaho beta."
"Agar Meerab mujhy mil gyi tou ap meray aur uss ke nikah me der nahi lagayengi please."
"Acha beta dekhi jayegi pehly wo aa tou jaye."
"Wada karen mujh se Maa, warna mei London se kabhi wapas nahi aonga."
"Theek hai beta." Maa Begum knew that she couldn't argue with him further so she agreed.

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A little clarification incase you all are wondering. The law degree programme in Pakistan is 5 years long while in London it's 3 years long. I also learnt this today only so I corrected it in the previous part as well.