Meerasim : Dastaan - E - Ishq

Dukhi Man Mere

Izzat, Khandhaan, Rasm - riwaaz formed the holy trinity of things that governed the zamindaars' family in Hyderabad. Nothing ever came easy for them, everything had been a transactional fight. 

 Murtasim Shahnawaz Khan could go from kind hearted to indifferent in a fraction of a minute and decided the fate of people's lives. As much as he wanted to believe that he was the right man for his wife, somewhere Meerab knew that his upbringing was tinged with tones of patriarchy and the urge for justice that resided within, was it the mard in him or his insaniyat?

Murtasim uski zidd ki aag ko badhane waali hawa ki tarah tha, abhi use muqammal qubool nahi ho paya tha!

Every day brought a new test for the young couple. Meerab had been thrown into a new world where traditions and honor held importance over everything. She had given a half hearted acceptance to the relationship and was not ready to give up her morals for her new family. What she didn't realize was that she was being naïve,  possibly way too idealistic and putting her married life at stake. Her distaste for the blatant display of patriarchal ideals by her husband's mother didn't let her see that he wasn't all that bad.

Even though they might have given themselves to each other physically, they ferociously guarded their hearts and morals and traditions, which often became a conflict. Meerab's idealism clashed with Murtasim's practicality.  

A new incident had again brought worries in their world. Meerab's kidnapping had forced Murtasim to go to extreme steps, asking for a trade. While he was setting his conditions, he had been shot at by Zubair and Bakhtu had taken the bullet meant for him and was in the hospital. He had wanted to retaliate but discovered that his gun had been emptied of the bullets by his dear wife. He had come home, full of anger, dismissing all her concerns for him. He had kept her at a distance, not even sparing her a look.

"Uske zakhmon pe toh marham lag gaya hai, lekin jo chot mere aitbaar ko lagi hai, uska toh koi marham bhi nahi."

Meerab knew that she deserved everything that he was saying to her, she also knew the hell she had been in upon hearing that he had been shot. He continued to speak his mind in the confines of their room. He vented about how he could have even died had Bakhtu not taken the bullet.

"Ek hari hui maut, jo sirf tumhari taraf se milti mujhe."

Meerab had tried to make small efforts to pacify this rift. She had prepared the breakfast herself, making an elaborate spread but he just dismissed his efforts, telling Mai that he wouldn't be having breakfast. She knew she needed to properly apologize, but how could she, if he wouldn't even let himself be near her?

But all the apologies that she had planned were forgotten as she was made aware about Naila. The way things proceeded seemed so barbaric to her, izzat ke badle izzat? Isme uss aurat ka kya kusoor tha? 

She had placed herself on the line arguing for Naila, not stopping to think of the consequences and placing little trust in her husband. Honestly, if Murtasim had 1 PKR for every time Meerab got him into trouble, he would buy a new brain for her which had better sense and trusted him.

She had done the unthinkable. Before her, every person had placed their trust in their Khan, expecting him to do the best and be an able leader. They said that he was an even better decision maker than Shahnawaz Khan and praised his upbringing. 

She had interrupted his panchayat, barged in there like she had the authority to do so. More than insulting her husband, she had hurt him gravely by questioning his choices, by assuming that he was capable of doing the worst. He had been at his wits' end as to why she couldn't place her trust in him.