Fate

Chapter 5

After the waiting room fiasco, Farukh's aunt thought it best to bid farewell to Meerab and depart from the hospital. She understood Murtasim's reaction towards Farukh but it had also scared her. She had always heard Meerab praise the man, talking about the love, care and respect he always treated her with whenever the topic arose and her nephew also said that he was a good man from the two encounters he had with him. But she didn't know him as personally and closely as Meerab and the image of feudal lords in her mind wasn't a pleasant one. So fearing for her innocent nephew's safety she slowly convinced him and herself to say their goodbyes to Meerab in her unconscious state before things got any worse.

Murtasim had been sitting in the room when Farukh sheepishly knocked and both him and his aunt entered when a stern yes was heard from inside.

He was shaking as he entered, his aunt following and began apologising for everything. But he was left surprised when Murtasim just shook his head in response, "nahi, maafi tou mujhe maangni chahiye. Aap ne itna arsa Meerab ka khayal rakha mai hamesha aap ka ehsaan mand rahunga. Bahir jou kuch bhi hua uske liye mai maafi chahta hou" he said, his eyes dropping to the floor and Farukh felt a gnawing feeling tug at his heart at the broken state of The Khan Murtasim Khan, so hopeless, so helpless.

"Nahi Khan sahab aap maafi mat maangou. Kaisa ehsaan aur kaisi maafi. Hamara kya majaal ke aap hum se maafi maangta hai. Hum ne tou jou kia insaaniyat ke naate, apna farz samajh ke kia. Meerab ko hum ne apna behen samjha, tou behen ko aise kaise akela chod deta" Farukh replied and Murtasim cracked a faint smile at the sincerity in his voice.

"Agar mai kabhi bhi aap ke kisi bhi kaam aa sakun tou mujhe boht khushi hou gi" Murtasim exclaimed, his tone and demeanour shifting from personal to professional and Farukh nodded with a smile.

His aunt smiled at Murtasim with a motherly affection, "meri dua hai ke tum teeno hamesha khush abad rahou Ameen" she said tenderly caressing his daughter's small head. Turning to Meerab, she her heart ached as she spoke "aur khuda koi mojza karei aur Meerab bilkul theek hou jaye" she whispered, blinking away the tears as she leaned in to place a tender kiss on her cheek.

As his aunt came to stand by his side and his eyes landed on Meerab's unconscious face, Farukh suddenly remembered something. Reaching out into his pocket, he pulled out a gold chain with a small diamond pendant.

Murtasim's eyes scrunched in confusion when he recognised the it, his mind flashing back to the day after their walima when he had clasped it around Meerab's neck.

Before he had a chance to ask any questions Farukh spoke up, "Ye chain Meerab ne hum ko dia tha, Karachi jaane ke liye. Paise nahi thei uss ke paas tou uss ne ye de dia" he sighed, laughing a little sadly, remembering the night a distressed Meerab stood in front of his bus and begged him to take her to Karachi, offering her chain in place of money when he quoted the price of the ticket and threatened to kick her off the bus if she didn't pay.

"Boht mauqe aaye iss ko bechne ke, lekin nahi bech saka, kyun ke ye kisi ki muhabbat ka nishani hai" he finished.

Murtasim felt a pant of guilt as he took in this new information. Was Meerab so desperate to get away from him that night? What had he done that was so bad to deserve such behaviour?

He was drowning in this pool of constant confusion and the guilt that maybe he had done something wrong for the past 7 months. And his questions still remained unanswered. But all he could mutter was boht shukriya and Farukh nodded politely in reply. He passed a teary smile in Meerab's direction and then another at the baby in Murtasim's arms, feeling a lump in his throat and his voice cracked as he bid adieu to Murtasim one last time before exiting with his aunt.