The Eclipsed Heart

Chapter 34

The thick tension enveloping them was abruptly shattered by the shrill ring of the phone, mercilessly rupturing the fragile equilibrium. Murtasim, jolted back to reality, reluctantly released his grasp on Meerab, creating a small distance between them. The abrupt interruption left both of them breathless, caught in a suspended moment that had teetered on the edge of something profound. The phone continued to ring, its insistence cutting through the charged air, demanding attention and diverting them from the intense moment they had shared just seconds ago.

Murtasim, his voice barely rising above a whisper, admitted, "It's my phone," and reluctantly departed the room, leaving Meerab standing there, her thoughts mirroring the unspoken question lingering in the air. The room, once filled with an electric energy, now echoed with the aftermath of interrupted connection and unspoken possibilities.

As Murtasim closed the door behind him, his steps were accompanied by a profound silence that mirrored the lingering intensity of the encounter with Meerab. The air outside the room felt heavy, charged with the weight of unspoken questions and unresolved emotions.

Murtasim's mind was a turbulent sea of conflicting thoughts. The vulnerability he had allowed himself to reveal clashed with the composed facade he usually wore. The memory of her eyes, wide with an unspoken emotion, her breath hitched in the charged air, and the sensation of her soft milky skin under his rugged hands, casted a shadow over the tumultuous sea of his thoughts, like a heavy cloak he couldn't shed.

Vulnerability, confusion, and the lingering trace of desire created an unsettling storm within him. Each emotion jostled for dominance, leaving Murtasim in a state of inner turmoil. The unexpected turn of events had stirred this whirlwind of conflicting feelings, making it challenging for him to navigate the intricate labyrinth of his own emotions.

He couldn't shake off the impact of those moment. The question that echoed in his mind—What the hell was that, and what would have happened if the phone didn't ring?—hung in the air like an unspoken challenge. Murtasim's pulse quickened as he replayed the encounter, each second dissected for clues to comprehend his own actions.

Just as the weight of the uncharted emotions threatened to consume him, Murtasim reached for his phone. The screen once again illuminated with the name "Farukh," momentarily breaking the spell of the charged atmosphere.

"All of these things, you used to do them regularly for the past eight years, but they all stopped. They all stopped because of Meerab. And you cannot deny the fact that you feel something for her as well!" Farukh's words echoed in his mind, haunting him. The weight of those words bore down on Murtasim, urging him to confront the truth that lingered beneath the surface of his carefully constructed walls, a truth that was threatening to shatter the façade he had created for himself.

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As Meerab stood alone in the room, she let out a breath that she had been holding, her heart racing uncontrollably. The lingering echoes of "tum meri biwi ho" reverberated in her mind, sending shivers down her spine and raising goosebumps on her skin and the way his eyes had darkened when he said those words left an indelible impression on Meerab, a visual imprint that lingered alongside the echoes of his husky voice. The intensity of their proximity still hung in the air, and Meerab couldn't shake off the unsettling warmth that had spread across her cheeks.

Confusion and questions swirled in Meerab's mind. What was wrong with Murtasim? Why was he behaving like that? The contradictory nature of his actions left her grappling for understanding. Wasn't he the one who had stressed repeatedly that their relationship was nothing but a business deal for him? Then what was this unexpected surge of possessiveness and intimacy?