Fates Intertwined (Tere Bin AU)

7. The Truth

As she picked up the ornate choker to admire it's beauty, a yellowed piece of paper fell out.
Meerab immediately picked it up and unfolded it. It was a letter addressed to her. 

Meerab's heart started beating fast. Her mother had cared for her enough to leave something for her and had also hidden a letter inside it.

As Meerab unfolded the letter, her heart raced with anticipation, hoping for answers that would shed light on the true circumstances of her mother's death. With each word she read, a mix of emotions flooded her being—relief, disbelief, and a profound sense of sorrow.

In the letter, her mother revealed the actual cause of her passing, a truth that had been shrouded in secrecy. She confessed that she had battled a silent enemy within her own body—cancer. The disease had ravaged her health, slowly weakening her, but she had chosen to keep her husband, Meerab's father, in the dark about her condition.

The weight of this revelation bore down on Meerab, as her mother explained her reasoning for concealing her illness. She wanted to shield her husband from the pain and anguish that would have accompanied the knowledge of her impending death. She cherished the love they shared and didn't want their time together tainted by grief and despair. Especially since she knew she wouldn't have a lot of time with him.

Tears streamed down Meerab's face as she absorbed the truth. The burden of blame and anger she had carried towards Murtasim's family suddenly dissolved, replaced by a profound sense of relief and a renewed appreciation for the love her parents had shared. The realization that her mother's death was not a result of any malicious act but rather a natural course of events lifted a weight off her heart.

Baba needed to know about this. Maybe this was what she had needed to justify her match with Murtasim to him. Maybe he'd finally agree to take her back to Hyderabad. She knew it'd be a long talk with her father full of tears and regrets.

The next morning, Meerab mustered the courage to talk to him as she knocked on the door to his office.

With tear-filled eyes, Meerab sat her father down, clutching the letter tightly in her trembling hands. She began to recount her mother's revelation about her own death, hoping to offer solace and understanding to her father in this difficult moment.

However, as Meerab's words reached her father's ears, his face contorted with anguish and guilt. He collapsed onto a nearby chair, his sobs echoing through the room. In between tears, he confessed to the unforgivable truth that had haunted him for years.

"Beta mujhy maaf kardo. Bhai aur Bhabhi ki nafrat me mei andha hogya tha. When I lost my business many years ago, I decided to sell my share of the Khan's lands. Murtasim offered to buy them but I was greedy. I sold them to Malik Mukhtar because he offered me double the price. Then after a few years, I faced financial crisis again. I asked Malik if he could share some of the profit he'd gained from my lands with me but he refused. Then when Murtasim threatened to get his son arrested upon something he'd done, he made a deal with me. Agar uss ka beta kabhi bhi Jail gaya tou bail nahi kara sakta tha wo. Kyu ke Hyderabad ke wakeel Khan family ke sath hain. Tou uss ne ek plan banaya aur mujhy uss me shamil kar lya. Peso ke liye itna bhooka tha mei ke mei ne hami bhi bhar li so he made a deal with me that mei tumhe wakeel banau. London ki behtereen university se. Wo sara kharcha uthayega. Aur degree complete hone ke bad mei tumhari shadi uss ke bete se kardu. Iss ke badle me uss ne mujhy lifetime profit offer kiya meri ek zameen ka. Meri lalach aur nafrat itni barh gayi thi ke mei maan gaya. And sab se bara coincidence tou ye tha ke it was your dream too, to be a lawyer. Mujhy maaf kardo beta mei ne tumhari izzat ka soda kardya."

In that moment, Meerab's world shattered. She grappled with the truth, struggling to come to terms with the fact that her own father had conspired to harm her. The love and care she had believed he had for her now seemed like a facade, tarnished by greed and desperation.

Torn between the love she once held for her father and the anger she felt towards his betrayal, Meerab made a difficult decision.
She immediately went to her room packed her belongings and left. She didn't have a particular destination in mind nor did she have any money. Once she was a little far from her father's house, she went to a nearby cafe to clear her thoughts. First thing that she'd need was a place to live. She didn't have any money but she had some jewellery; her mother's antique jewellery set, Murtasim's ring and her earrings. She could not part with her mother's jewellery, nor with Murtasim's ring. Both were close to her heart so she removed her earrings with the intention of selling them.

The earrings didn't bring a lot of money but it was enough to live at a hostel for a couple of months in which she hoped that she'd secure a good job in one of the law firms she had applied at.

As soon as she entered the room at the hostel, she saw a familiar face. It was one of her university seniors, someone who had been a good mentor and a good friend for her first 2 years at university.
"Hello Olivia!" She greeted her.
"Hey there! Wait aren't you Meerab? Or should I say The Topper Meerab Khan."
Meerab flushed. It wasn't a secret that she'd secured the highest grades in her year.
"Anyways welcome to my room. How're you doing anyways?"
"I've been better. How about you?" Meerab diverted her attention from herself.
"I've been good just struggling with office. Being a full time lawyer isn't easy. Have you applied for jobs yet?"
Meerab nodded.
"Also forgive me for being so nosy but didn't you live with your family. Then why did you come here?"
"I don't have siblings and I lost my parents." Meerab's eyes filled with tears at this. It wasn't entirely a lie. She had lost her mother when she was a baby and her father when he betrayed her.
"Oh my Meerab. I'm so sorry to hear that. I shouldn't have asked." Olivia felt guilty for asking too much as she went forward to hug her friend.
"Things must be so hard on you right now."
Meerab nodded. "I'm trying to be strong." She managed a smile. Her friend smiled too.
"Now that's the Meerab I know from University. If you need any help I'm right here okay?"
Meerab nodded and thanked her. She was glad that her roommate was none other than her friend. She had badly needed a hug and some support. Things didn't look really bad now. The only thing she wished for was getting a job. Then things would be fine.

It was evening. Meerab lay on her bed thinking about how her life had undergone a sudden change in less than 24 hours. 24 hours ago she was enjoying her graduation ceremony as a topper with her father. 24 hours later, she had been betrayed by the same father and she was now homeless.
Oh why had she even left Hyderabad in the first place. How had she been so naive to trust the man who had never showed up for her in her 18 years of life. And how could she think bad of the people who raised her, who loved her, who cared for her, her whole life.
Olivia's voice broke into her thoughts. "Meerab?"
"Yes. What happened?"
"The caretaker just called me to let you know there's someone to see you. He couldn't reach at your number."
"See me?" Meerab gulped. Had Baba found her already. It wasn't possible was it?
"Did he tell the name of the person?"
"Yes I think it was something like Mor.. Idk it was a name I've never heard before. I'm sorry I don't recall."
"Was it Murtasim?" Meerab asked her hopefully.
"I think yes. That's what the name was. Do you know him?" Olivia asked her. "I'm assuming it's a him that is." She added doubtfully.
Meerab nodded. "He's my fiancé." The whole picture was too messy to explain to Olivia so she just went with fiancé for now.
But could it really be him? Had he really come to find her? After 3 years? Or was it Anwar Khan? Trying to lure her by using the name of the man she loved. There was only one way to find out.
"I'll go see what he wants." She told Olivia as she left.

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Poor Meerab 💔

Now the question is has Murtasim found her already or not?

A/N :   I felt like Meerab needed a friend and since I had skipped her uni days, I decided to introduce her friend to you all. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave comments. I love reading them.