Mahjabeen brought out her sketchbook and started painting furiously, her strokes filled with emotion and passion. As the tears dropped from her face, glistening like pearls, she felt the weight of helplessness and frustration bearing down on her. The world seemed to blur around her, but her heartache found solace in the strokes of her brush.

Unbeknownst to her, time slipped away, lost in the depths of her art. The page of her sketchbook bore witness to her pain, the word "stupid" scribbled over and over, each stroke a testament to her anguish. She wondered if every praise from Murtasim had been tainted with a hidden meaning, if his kind words were merely veiled insults. Doubt crept into her mind, tarnishing the memories of their moments of bliss.

Exhausted from her emotional turmoil, Mahjabeen eventually succumbed to sleep, her grip still clinging to the paintbrush. In the stillness of the night, Murtasim emerged from his room and discovered her slumbering form, tears staining her cheeks. His eyes fell upon the word etched repeatedly on the sketchbook, a painful reminder of his hurtful words. Regret washed over him, realizing the depth of his actions and the impact they had on Mahjabeen's fragile spirit.

With a tender heart, he gently carried her to their room, his touch careful and full of remorse. But as he tried to walk away, she reached out and held his wrist, her touch as delicate as a butterfly's wing.

"Murtasim, aap sofey par mat soye mujhe accha nahi lagta", she whispered groggily, the way she said that to him broke his heart. There was no anger, she wasn't expressing her emotions at all the way she usually did and he felt worse. She had told him before once on their wedding night how much that word affected her. And now he was the one who spat it out in his anger.

"Mahjabeen... mujhe maaf kardo. Mujhe tumhe woh sab nahi bulana chahiye tha", he apologised as he sat down on his knees, his eyes pleading with hers to forgive him, to forget the hateful words he spewed at her. But it was all wishful thinking because even if she forgave him, she would never forget.

"Arrey stupid aur kam akkal insaan ko koi Einstein toh nahi bulayega. Mujhe bura nahi laga sacchi", Mahjabeen replied as she took his hand in hers, smiling but he saw the tears in her eyes. It had hurt her deeply because she had never expected this from him. This side of him was foreign to her, he had always controlled his anger around Mahjabeen but somehow it burst out today and he broke her heart.

"Tum nahi ho kam akkal, mai hojata hu gusse me. Aisi baatein konsa shohar bolta hai apni biwi ko", he whispered embarrassed wiping the tears on her face as Mahjabeen stared at him, she blinked then asked.

"Aap sachme sharminda hai?"

Murtasim nodded his head quickly, he would do anything for her apology. The way he reacted today was far too extreme, he had hurt her feelings and killed her self-confidence in only a few minutes. And he knew he wouldn't have stopped speaking if Mahjabeen hadn't left the room.

"Haan me sharminda hu, mujhe tumhe woh sab nahi bulana chahiye tha", he confessed, Murtasim actually didn't believe she was stupid.

"Kaan pakadiye", she whispered now feeling a little better but he held her ear instead of his making her laugh.

"Mere nahi apne", she corrected him with a smile and taught him how to apologise, "aur ab bolye, I am sorry Mahjabeen"

"I am sorry, Mahjabeen", he whispered while holding his ears, at that moment Mahjabeen couldn't help but nod. She pulled away his hand and held it, Murtasim finally saw a smile on her face and sighed in relief. She was smiling because she imagined Maa Begum seeing Murtasim in this position and her reaction.

"Waise beizzati zyaada hui thi toh aapko meri ek baat maanni hogi", she continued softly.

"Haan manunga tum batao toh sahi", he quickly agreed as she smiled and patted the space next to her on the bed.

Mahjabeen, witnessing his genuine repentance, nodded gently, her eyes shining with forgiveness and renewed hope. She released his hand, but this time to pull him closer, beckoning him to share the warmth of their bed.

"Aaj bed pe so jaye, please", she requested, Mahjabeen knew couples slept on the same bed but Murtasim had mostly slept on the sofa. It irked her because she felt the reason behind this was that he was forced into this marriage. She knew he had married her because he pitied her, but she couldn't stop herself from falling for him. Mahjabeen yearned for them to bridge the gap that had kept them apart, to rewrite the narrative of their love story, one night at a time.

As Murtasim settled on the bed, Mahjabeen sat up and tucked him in. Then she took his hand and turned to face him, she knew this could be her only chance to see his face this close. She stared at him without blinking not wanting to waste any second. His face was close to hers, she could feel his breath and didn't shy away at all.

Mahjabeen gazed into Murtasim's eyes, searching for the love and affection that she had always longed for. She saw remorse and regret in his eyes, but she also saw something else-an underlying tenderness that had been masked by his anger. In that moment, she realized that perhaps Murtasim's outburst was a result of his own frustrations and not a true reflection of his feelings towards her.

She leaned in, closing the distance between them, her heart pounding in anticipation. Her gaze locked onto his, capturing every detail of his face, every emotion etched in his features.

Time seemed to stand still as Mahjabeen immersed herself in the depths of Murtasim's eyes. She traced the contours of his soul, searching for the love and tenderness she craved.

"Murtasim," she whispered softly, her voice filled with vulnerability. "Mai jaanti hu mai zaheen nahi hu. Mai apne dimaag se zyada dil ki sunti hu, aur aapke liye waha hamesha jagah rehegi"

Murtasim listened, captivated by her words, her sincerity igniting a fire within him. He realized he had been blind to her love, consumed by his own doubts and fears. His voice trembled as he responded, his words laden with raw honesty.

"Mahjabeen, tum mere liye unsab cheezon se badhkar ho... Mai sachme tumharey baarey me aisa nahi sochta bas gusse me boldiya", he replied, his voice filled with sincerity.

As Mahjabeen looked at him, she saw the genuine remorse in his eyes.

"Kya soch rahi ho Mahjabeen?" Murtasim asked as he saw the serious look on her face, she smiled and whispered to him.

"Koi insaan itna khoobsurat kaise ho sakta hai"

Murtasim was flustered at that, and he couldn't help but sigh. He thought she was still upset about what he had said, but the way she moved on amazed him.

"Tum naaraz nahi ho?" Murtasim asked, her response came in the form of a soft shake of her head.

"Ek baat puchu," she whispered, her voice a tender melody that melted his heart.

"Haan pucho," he replied, his voice filled with anticipation and a touch of vulnerability.

"Agar uss din meri jagah koi aur ladki hoti tab bhi aap usse nikkah karlete?" she asked the question that had always bugged her.

Murtasim frowned he knew the answer to it was no, he genuinely fell for her loving, soft and compassionate nature.

"Nahi. Tum karleti agar mere jagah koi aur ladka hota?" He asked with a smile.

"Haan", she answered truthfully, but it caught him off guard, he didn't like it one bit.

"Kyun?" He asked in a disappointed tone, but her answer made sense as she explained him the true depth of her emotions and thoughts.

"Meri majburi thi, Ammi Abbu mere liye darwaza nahi khol rahey they aur us wakt mere saath koi nahi tha siwai aapke, agar aapko mujh par taras nahi aata toh pata nahi mai kya karti"

Again the word taras blew him off, he didn't understand where this was coming from. Murtasim wasn't the type of person to pity someone to this extent, he wasn't an angel as she believed he was. And although he liked how positively she painted his image in her mind, the truth was he wasn't the hero she admired.

"Mahjabeen mujhe taras nahi aaya tha tum par, maine uss din jo kaha tha woh sach tha. Mai tumhe pasand karta hu"

Mahjabeen looked at Murtasim, her eyes widening in surprise. She had always believed that he pitied her and married her out of obligation. But his words contradicted her assumption. The realization sank in that he had seen something in her that she had failed to recognize herself.

"Sach?" she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief and hope.

"Haan, aur aaj mai darr gaya tha, jab mujhe pata chala tum dono gao aaye ho. Malik Zubair accha aadmi nahi hai Mahjabeen, mera yaqeen karo", he confessed shuddering as the moment played back in his mind.

As Mahjabeen gazed at him, she saw the truth etched in his eyes, his genuine worry for her safety. A smile curved her lips, radiating a pure, unconditional love that dazed him for a second.

"Tumhe pata hai mai kya soch raha hu?" Murtasim asked, his voice filled with curiosity as he caressed her cheek . She shook her head, a soft giggle escaping her lips.

"Nahi, kya soch rahey?," she whispered, her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Allah ne puri kainaat me mujhe sabse khubsoorat biwi dedi, log taaron ko dekhte hai, chaand ko dekhte hai aur Murtasim sirf Mahjabeen ko," he replied, his words carrying a blend of awe and adoration. Murtasim couldn't help but feel flustered by her enchanting presence, the way she saw the world through a lens of love and acceptance.

Mahjabeen's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue. She had expected him to be preoccupied with their previous conversation, yet here he was, basking in the glow of her radiance. The sweet tenderness of his words melted her insecurities, allowing her to embrace the truth they held.

"Ek aakhri cheez puchu," Mahjabeen whispered, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Ji pucho," he replied, his gaze locked onto hers, captivated by her every word.

"Agar meri jagah koi aur ladki hoti toh usse bhi aisi pyaari baatein karte?" she teased, a playful smile dancing on her lips.

Murtasim's face reddened, and he averted his gaze for a moment, feeling slightly sheepish. But then he met her eyes once again, and with a warm chuckle, he confessed,

"Nahi Mahjabeen sirf tum, tumharey siwa koi nahi"