Murtasim's eyes widened for a moment. He was speechless. He have no answers.

"Bol Murtasim, kya tu kisi aur ko pasand karta hai. Main khala ko bol kar abhi shaadi rukwa dunga", ahad said.

Murtasim gulped and close his eyes. His mind wasn't working." Bol murtasim chup kyun hai", ahad said while shaking him a little. He looked at ahad.

"Nhi, aisa kuch nhi hai", he said.

"Phir kya problem hai bhai. Meerab acchi hai, khala ko aur ghar mein sab ko pasand hai"

"Haan woh acchi hai magar hum dono compatible nhi hain, woh mere sath adjust nhi kar payegi", he said Looking away.

" Aab tu zyada hi soch raha hai, tu na shaadi ki tension mein bawla ho gaya hai. Chill marr sab sahi hoga, in'sha'allah", ahad placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Dekhte hain kahan tak jata hai safar, aane wala kal kisne dekha hai", murtasim uttered while looking at the moon.

*******

After completing her heena session she headed towards her room. She was feeling so uncomfortable while wearing such a heavy lehenga and those jewelleries. Marium helped her to take off those jewelleries and tied her hairs in a braid.

" Thank you marium meri jaan", she uttered." Aap ke liye toh jaan hazir", marium said dramatically. They both laughed." Accha main chalti hu, mujhe bhi mehendi lagani hai", marium said and left.

She was thinking about his words, that fucking  contract and many things. She entered in the bathroom and washed her hands in frustration." Jab yeh jabardasti ki shaadi hai toh main kyun mehendi laga Kar apna time waste karun", she uttered Looking at herself  in the mirror.

She changed into her night dress and laid down on her side. Sleep was far from her eyes. She was just tossing and turning in the bed. When finally she was sleeping her phone ranged loudly. She pecked in her phone's screen.' Murtasim' was calling her. She hang up the call for two times.

He again call her. She recived the call while making an irritated face." Kya hai? Call kyun kar rahe ho", she said in an irritated tone.

"Actually, mujhe kuch puchna tha"

"Kya?"

"Haq meher mein kya chahiye?", he asked her in a serious tone. She gulped her saliva,'Why he's asking me about it? Yeh toh mujhse shaadi bhi nhu karna chahta', she thought.

"Mujhe kuch nhi chahiye", she said and cut the call.

He again call her." Dekho, maa begum ne puchne ko bola hai tumhe yeh natak kahin aur dikhana. Chup chap bolo kya chahiye ", he said angrily.

"LAW padhne ki ijazat chahiye, milegi?", she replied angrily. He cut the call without saying anything.

" Agar call cut karna tha bina kuch bole toh pucha hi kyun tha. Urghhh... Such a weird creature he is", she said.

She slept covering her head with the comforter. Damn from yesterday her life will took a horrified turn for sure. She want a peaceful sleep.

******

She was sitting in her room alone when she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door and found marium and saba there." Good morning humari pyaari si bride", marium said.

"Good morning", she greeted her.

Marium stepped in in her room holding her wedding dress. And some other girls are holding her jewelleries." Wow Meerab tumhari mehendi ka rang kitna nikhar kar aaya hai dekho", saba said.

She looked at her hands. Her eyes caught his name written in her palm, 'مرتسم'. Her face was glowing brightly." Dekho toh koi bohot chamak raha hai", saba teased her.
"Aisa kuch nhi hai", Meerab said.

"Kehte hain mehendi ka rang agar garha (dark) ho toh sohar bohot mohabbat karta hai", saba said.

" Main inn sab  mein believe nhi karti"

" Chalo maan liya bhabi aap nhi manti, magar apke chehre ki chamak aur mehendi ka rang toh bata raha hai ke bhai apko bohot pyaar se rakhenge", marium said happily.

She didn't argued with them but smiled bitterly at her fate.' Mehendi ka rang' never tells the depth of love.And 'Chehre ki Rangat' always covers the storm inside.
She was battling with her ownself.

"Woh sab chhodo, aur taiyar ho jao jaldi se", saba said." Haan mehmano ka aana shuru bhi ho chuka hai", marium said.

'Toh kya aab sach mein meri jang mujh  se shuru ho gayi hai? Iss be-umeed rishte mein khud ko band kar main apne self respect ko khud hi kuchal rahi hu. Sab ki khushi agar isi mein hai toh yehi sahi', she think and looked at herself getting ready for a loveless marriage where her would be husband himself told her that 'mujhse koi umeed mat rakhna'.

As saba and Marium slide bangles on her wrist a beautiful memory cane in her mind.

It was her 15th birthday when he gifted her green bangles. Once aneela had told ger a story of a girl. A prince gifted her green bangles and promised her foe marriage.

"Toh kya baba ne bhi apko haari  churiyan di thi?", she asked innocently.
" Haan, tumhare baba ne bhi di thi", aneela said." Agar mujhe kisi ne diya toh mujhe usse shaadi karni padegi kya?", she asked her mother.

" Kyun? Tum aise kyun puch rahi ho?"

"Kuch nhi bas aise hi"

Sge thought he unintentionally promised her for their marriage but when they are actually getting married he wasn't ready to accept her as his wife. She was a fool.

She looked at her hands, those red glass bangles and some gold bangles are looking awestruck in her hands. Her red peshawari Joda was looking more elegant.
Her jewellery, her makeup even her gajra was looking perfect at her. She was looking like a goddess. A dupatta with 'Qubool hai' border and 'Murtasim ki meerab' written in the front was covering her face.

But the fact is she wasn't feeling happy with all this. Marrying him was  one of her favorite dream after LAW. But he wasn't happy that's why she wasn't happy too." Mashallah", maa begum said while entering in her room.

"Allah tumhe khush rakhe bas yahi dua dungi main", she said with happy tears.
Aneela was feeling so overwhelmed and emotion. She kissed her daughters forehead lightly and whispered a silent prayer." Allah meri bacchi ko har buri nazar se bachaye", aneela uttered.

On the other side murtasim was looking at himself through the mirror. His ivory coloured Rajsahi sherwani and matching shawl was complimenting him today. His shawl was his pride. Ahad came there with his pagdi.

"Chal mere bhai tere halal hone ka waqt aa  gaya hai, aaja yeh pagh  tere sarr pe set kar dun", ahad said.

He sat on the couch and ahad start tucking the pagdi in his head. After completing his work he gave murtasim a proud grin.

"Dekh bhai zindagi asan nhi hoti, banani padhi hai. Kabhi maaf kar ke toh kabhi maafi mang ke. Kabhi hass ke toh kabhi ro ke. Bas dono ko sath dena padta hai", ahad genuenly said.

Murtasim meets his eyes and smiled.

"Dekhte hain kahan tak jaata hai yeh safar", he replied.

They stepped out of the room and start walking towards wedding venue. While ahad place his one hand on his shoulder.

"Ek salah deta hu tujhe sun mere bhai, yeh biwiyan  na bohot khatarnak janwar hoti hain. Tu usse Gussa mat dilana aur tareef karna mat bhulna. Yeh baat apne zehen ke pallu se bandh le", ahad joked.

"Kyun bhai neha bhabi ne kya bartan dhulwaye hain", murtsim laughed.

Ahad rolled his eyes at him with fake anger." Teri shaadi na hoti toh tujhe pit deta", he warned.

Murtasim exchanged hugs with waqas and anwar then sat on his place under the floral canopies left side. A huge florat curtain was in center parting their respective seats. His heart start beating faster as he saw her walking towards her side. A veil was covering her face but still its glow was attracting everyone.

As she sat on her place and their eyes met eachother their heart skipped a beat. He can feel her gaze on him from the veil.

Moulvi sahab cleared his throat to caught their attention. He recites something then asked,"Meerab binte  anwar khan haq meh...", he could not complete his words because of Meerab.

"Rukiye, mere baba ka naam waqas ahmad khan hai", she declared. Everyone was looking at her with shocked and surprised looks. Her voice wasn't loud but firm. Waqas looked at his daughter emotionally and proudly.

Maulvi sahab again said,"Meerab binte  waqas ahmad khan, haq meher pachar lakh sikkey wali Murtasim khan wal Shahnawaz ahmad khan ke sath apko
Yeh nikah qubool hai?"

Meerab took a breath to calm herself. Her heart was beating loudly. Everyone was giving her random looks. Murtasim was looking at her eagerly to heard her answer.

"Qubool hai", she uttered. He blinked his eyes in satisfaction. Like his heart was at peace. She recites 'qubool hai' two times more.

After that maulvi sahab asked him the same. Murtasim's eyes are locked at hers. His fave was looking so calm." Qubool hai", he said.

They all prayed to almighty. He signed the nikahnama first. But when she took the pen in her hand her whole body was shaking now she was sitting beside him. He noticed that. She was feeling emotional and sad because she will not be able to see her parents everyday.

She tries to took the pen but her hands are shaking. Murtasim didn't think for a moment and stands up from his seat and held her hand from her behind. He leaned towards her a little that she can sign the nikahnama. Damn, she felt an electric jolt in her. She signed the nikahnama and he left her hand.

Everyone was looking at them with an awe. They are such a cute couples. Everyone was complementing them but haya was feeling devastated.

"Khada tumhein kabhi khush nhi rakhega meerab tumne meri khushiyan khayi hain. Tum mere liye meri barbadi ho, tum kabhi khush nhi rahogi", haya whispered with some tears.

She was such a stubborn girl. She always wished to be Murtasim's wife. She was hungry for power and wealth. She want Murtasim because of his powers, she don't want his love but his name and fame. Haya was such a creepy witch and a selfish self obsessed girl. She promised to her ownself that she will destroy their new relationship soon.

*****
As he entered in his room he noticed the floral decorations and candles. Fresh flowers are smelling good. Their aroma was filled in the room. His eyes fell on a familiar face, meerab, his cousin, now his legally and officially wedded wife. She was sitting om the center of the bed still covering her head with the veil.

"Aab yeh kounsa naya natak hai?", he said
Sternly.

"Mujhe yeh sab natak karne ka koi shouk nhi hai, sab ne kaha haiujhe dekhne ka pehla haq tumhara hai, main ghunghat khud nhi utha sakti", she replied with same energy.

"Accha thik hai", he said and pulled out her veil. He got mesmerized by her beauty. They have an eye lock but she looked away and took her comfortable clothes and retired towards the washroom to change her dress.

When she came out of the washroom he wasn't in the room. She packed all her jewelleries and settled them on the cupboard. She sat on the couch holding her head. Her head was paining like hell.

He entered the room while talking in hid phone. He was instructing one of his client to set a new date for his pending meetings. He also changed into normal clothes.

He took a pillow and threw it on the couch." Jaise wahan baithi ho wahin rehna, hum dono mein hamesha 4 feet ki duri rehni chahiye", he said. She glared at him but didn't protested as she was already suffering from headache.

She settled the pillow and laid down on the couch. Her tiny figure was perfect for the couch. She didn't felt troubled but felt a little uncomfortable. Couch isn't made for sleep at all. But her 'Izzat e nafz' is more important for her. He will pay for it obe day. She cursed him mentally.

To be continue...

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Meerab tasted her own medicine here 😂. Couch kaisa laga? 🌝