Unveiling Meerab [Tere Bin FF]

22. bridging hearts

A/N: I know it's been a while for which I apologize - life has been busy lately. But I am back with a super long chapter. 21 pages. Over 10K words. Hope y'all enjoy it!

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Meerab's heart was hammering in her chest, each beat a reminder of the fact that they had just been interrupted, caught while kissing in the car. "I thought you said the windows were tinted!" she whispered. Her voice was frantic as she hastily retreated from Murtasim's embrace.

"They are... but not if you stand that close," Murtasim replied, a wry smile in his voice that didn't quite hide the tinge of his own embarrassment.

"MURTASIM!" The name came out as a half-laugh, half-reproach as she thumped his arm, her cheeks burning with a warmth that rivaled the intensity of their prior closeness. She shuffled back into her own seat, smoothing down her clothes in a quick attempt to regain her composure. "This is so embarrassing."

"We're married, it's not a big deal," Murtasim said in an attempt to ease the tension, but Meerab could only think that being married did not make the public spectacle any less red-faced for her.

He exited the car with a casual air, as if extricating himself from such a situation was an everyday occurrence. He acknowledged his friends with a nod, blatantly disregarding their snickers as he circled the car to open the door for Meerab. Meerab caught herself, as she often did, staring at Murtasim, marveling at how the simplest actions, like him walking around the car while running his fingers through his hair, could captivate her so completely.

"Could have just used the same door, she was in your lap," Shahzain quipped, his comment slicing through the air like a blade, sharpened with humor as the door opened and Murtasim helped her out.

Meerab glared at the snickering group, her gaze fierce, though inwardly she was grateful for the normalcy the teasing provided, allowing her to anchor herself in the banter rather than her embarrassment.

"Bro, you have something right here," Saad said, motioning around his lips while Salar chuckled in his arms, even though he likely had no clue what had everyone laughing.

The implication was clear: remnants of their passionate kiss were on display for all to see. Meerab's fingers, delicate and precise, reached out to Murtasim's face, her touch feather-light as she sought to erase the evidence. As her fingers brushed against his lips, Meerab's eyes inadvertently met Murtasim's, and she found a twinkle of mischief there. There was something about Murtasim's smile that lit up his eyes, making Meerab's heart flutter every single time she was on the receiving end of it.

She could feel the heat radiating from his skin, the slight stubble under her fingertips, and the tickle of her own heartbeat in her ears as she meticulously wiped away the red lipstick. The red smudge came away, leaving a clean slate but doing nothing to cool the flush that continued to burn on her own cheeks.

The group's banter swirled around her like a whirlwind she was trying to steady herself against.

Rani's snicker punctuated the air, a light sound but it landed heavily on Meerab's ears. "I was telling them to wait, I wanted to see how long it would take for you two to notice," she confessed, amusement lacing her words.

Dua's response was immediate, a gentle whack against Rani's shoulder, a silent reprimand for the invasion of privacy. Meerab found a grateful smile twitching at her lips—Dua always understood.

"Soooo, Meerab..." Shahryar's voice started to rise, a teasing lilt to his words, but he didn't get far.

Murtasim's glare was a palpable thing, a silent sentinel rising in her defense.