Meerab was in the kitchen.

She was making tea.

She has never made tea.

So ofcourse, in the last half and hour, she has managed to burn her hand, overturn the sugar container and break the milk jug.

Suffice to say, her endeavours were not going well. She had greatly underestimated the difficulty of the task in hand.

But she has to persevere.

She was on a mission. It was a challenge.

And Meerab Waqas Ahmed never backs down from a challenge.

Almost on queue, the tea cup slipped from her hand and shattered into pieces.

Well, maybe this particular challenge was not for Meerab Waqas Ahmed!

She was now Meerab Murtasim Khan anyway!

No, focus! she couldn't give up!

Meerab was made off stronger stuff than that.

So she asked the maid to clean the floor and took out another tea cup and poured her hardwork into it.

She stared down at the cup of tea, the first ever she had made.

It looked a bit dodgy. The liquid was a bit darker than it was supposed to be. It honestly looked like a witch's potion to her.

Oh well, she was sure it's just the look. It probably tasted just fine.

Surely Murtasim was not someone who judges tea by its looks!

Happy with her own conclusion, Meerab walked towards her not-so-beloved husband's office with the cup. She made sure to walk slowly in order to not spill a drop.

It was a product of her blood and sweet, after all!

She cannot believe she was wasting it on Murtasim of all people.

Maybe she should've added a bit of laxative. Not much, just a pinch maybe.

No, no, she can't think like that!

Today she wanted to thank him for letting Saad go, for taking her side over Maa Begum's.

After doing the right thing by respecting Saad's wishes, he was finally worthy of having something made by her.

He should really thank his lucky stars.

As Meerab let herself in without knocking, just like she had done ever since she could remember, she saw Murtasim deep in work.

He was almost drowned in papers and folders scattered messily around and on his desk.

Meerab would never admit it to anyone but her arrrogent, conceited, moron of a husband did look rather dashing with that concentrated look on his face.

Meerab has to agree that if not in personality, Murtasim definitely won in looks department.

She could still remember when Murtasim was the most awkward teenager with gangly limbs and a hoarse voice. Meerab can clearly remember his pimpled face and stupid haircut.

Oh, and how could she possibly forget the horrendous moustache he insisted that helped him look manly?

On the hindsight, maybe Meerab shouldn't have told a teenage Murtasim he looked like a discount Charlie Chaplin...

Well, in her defence, she had originally wanted to call him a funny looking Slander-man but she thought that would be too unkind towards the boy.

But of course, he hadn't appreciated it and looked at her as if he wanted to strap her to a rocket and send her directly to the sun.

The little brat had snitched to her mother and made sure she got punished. Meerab had never seen a more petty sixteen year old than Murtasim!

She tried to defend herself to her mother by saying Murtasim did actually look weird in the eyes of a ten year old Meerab.

Which he did!!

He was all bony limbs and nasty sweaty smell!

But her mother just laughed at her and told her it was simply because of something called "Puberty" and for some reason, had assured her that he would grow up in his features and turn into a dashing young man.

And indeed, by the time she was sixteen, the frog had turned into a Prince charming!

Gone were the stick figure limbs and funny mustache. In their place came broad shoulders, strong biceps and a dashing face.

A sixteen year old Meerab was almost awestruck with the twenty-two year old Murtasim.

But of course, he just had to open his big mouth and ruin everything.

Good looks can only take you so far.

"For how long are you going to stand there like a creepy stalker?"

See!! His big mouth never complimented his good looks!

"For however long I want. Do you have a problem?" Meerab made sure to bite back as she walked towards his messy desk and handed him the perfectly drinkable tea!

"What is this?" Murtasim asked her with a face full of wonder.

This man was too old to be this dramatic!

"It's tea, you know, the drink very common around the subcontinent!" Meerab gave him a fake cheery smile.

"I see." Murtasim returned her smile with a fake one of his own. "Well, it sure looks free of poison!"

How dare he?

Meerab burnt her hand to make it!

"Just shut up and drink. You will not get another cup. EVER!" Meerab made sure to emphasise on the last word.

As if she would ever volunteerily enter the kitchen for him!

Murtasim just scoffed at her word and took a sip. He frowned as he gulped down the liquid.

Meerab had felt less nervous in her twelfth standard boards than she was feeling now. As if her life depended on Murtasim liking her tea.

Which he should!

Meerab worked hard to make it.

She fiddled with her dupatta as she waited for the verdict.

Maybe he didn't like it!

She was so stupid!

She should've just bought him a gift.

Why did she have to go around asking what Murtasim needs when work was too much for him? Why did she have to ask the maids how he preferred his tea? Why did she have to go on after the first failed attempt?

Why did she expect atleast a compliment from him?

Meerab wasn't like this.

She never needed anyone's assurance!

"It's good!" Murtasim's words were simple. Nothing special. Yet her heart thumped so loudly that she was scared that Murtasim might hear it and tease her again.

Meerab couldn't help the grin that stretched across her face.

Maybe Meerab was just that good at making tea!

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The tea was horrible! Absolutely horrendous!

It was a culinary crime!

It was a nauseating syrupy liquid which looked like two more hours in the gym tomorrow morning.

But Murtasim loved it.

He thought it was crazy just how much he loved something as simple as a cup of tea.

But against his better judgement, he did!

He wanted to smile like a maniac as he looked at Meerab's adorably big eyes full of expectation. She was biting her lower lips in nervous anticipation.

"It's good!" He didn't expect the smile that spread across her beautiful face despite her attempts at looking as nonchalant as possible.

And just like that, Murtasim Khan fell in love again.

"Whatever, it's not like I made it or anything. You can thank the maids." She flipped her hair over shoulders in her signature style but the smile remained intact.

Oh, she definitely made the tea.

"You can say it on my behalf. The tea is the best I had in my whole life." He leaned over the desk, very close to Meerab.

Meerab, as usual, was shocked as she quickly tried to move away. But Murtasim had other plans as he held onto her flailing hands in a tight grip and pulled her towards him.

Her pretty face flushed as red as the outfit she was wearing today. His Meerab was beautiful in any colour.

But Meerab in red?

Now, that was a formula for Murtasim's demise.

Add a blushing Meerab on top?

Murtasim was not letting her go that easily!

He took her by the hand and pulled her to stand next to him. Holding her delicate little hands with one hand, Murtasim opened the side drawer with his free one and took out the first aid kit.

Taking out the cooling gell, he pulled Meerab's hand towards his chest to reveal the burn mark. Meerab gaped at his action and tried to free herself. But he was as persistent as ever.

This stupid girl!

He saw the mark when she was handing him the cup. Now he was sure she got hurt while making tea for him.

How is it that he knew this girl for almost all of his life and she still remained an enigma?

One moment she was loosing all hopes in the world and in the very next, she was giving hope to someone!

Murtasim doesn't get her.

He was a selfish person who only cared for those who he considered his own, he was an arrogant man who respected himself over everyone, he was a calculative person who saw the world in win or loss.

Then why does his heart beat for a girl who was the complete antithesis of him?

A girl who defied him, a girl who fought for others, a girl who fought him?

As Murtasim gently rubbed the gell on Meerab's hands, he thought back to Saad, his twin.

His twin who had left everything behind for a simple life.

Was it really good?

A simple life, a simple job, a simple person.

Murtasim was sure he wasn't cut out for it.

But sometimes he liked to imagine his life free of everything.

A life where he was a simple man who didn't have to give up on his dreams.

A life where he was a passionate wildlife photographer who travelled the world.

A life where he would ask this beautiful lawyer named Meerab on a date.

A life where Meerab would slowly fall in love him as much as he was in love with her.

Murtasim wasn't cut out for such a life.

Then why did it feel so good to imagine?

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So how did you like Meerab and Murtasim's pov???

And can please anyone explain what's up with teenage desi boys and their fascination with facial hair? Like literally all of them look horrible lmao!😭😭

As always please give your feedback in the comments and vote if you like!