So as promised, here is one of the chapters I had in my draft. I was planning to make some changes to it since it doesn't really add anything to the plot, I only wrote it as a fun chapter. But oh well! Hope you like it though.

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Following that day, it had become a routine for Meerab and Murtasim to work together in his office. They would discuss the cases, Meerab would tell Murtasim about the household budgets and he, in turn, told her all about the land disputes, construction commissions , fueds and anything he had trouble with.

Meerab, now had an almost clear view of the fuadal system, the family businesses and investments, the panchayat and its internal politics. With a clear picture, she could see how the power dynamics among the lords influences their respective regions and how big of an impact any wrong move could have on the fragile power play between them.

After that day, it was like Meerab had broken the wall of responsibilities Murtasim had built around himself. He would share almost any kind information with her and all she had to was ask. She says almost because he still seemed reluctant to share anything about the ongoing fued with the Maliks.

She still couldn't believe Murtasim actually wanted to pursue another career, its just that she couldn't imagine him as anything other than Khan.

But it made sense.

In her vague flashes of childhood memories, Meerab could remember a very young Murtasim with a camera, an old, barely working thing. During her visits to the haweli, she would see him running behind a squirrel or a butterfly with it in hand.

The only thing she couldn't remember was just when the camera had disappeared from his hand only to be replaced by land documents and budget folders. It was like one day, he was the scruffy looking neighborhood kid with weird hobbies and in the next, he was a mini adult, tailing his father to the village.

Meerab hadn't realised just how fast Murtasim had grown up. One minute, he was taking Meerab and Maryam to get henna and Chudi before Eid, and in the very next, he had no time to waste on such frivolous activities.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Nothing important." She focused back on the task at hand. Her workload was increasing day by day.

She wondered how Murtasim handled everything alone. Meerab wondered if he ever wished for Saad to be present. It would lessen his share of work.

"Tell me." Looking up from his own work, he flashed her a toothy smile. "I like listening to your thoughts. They are interesting."

Her heart thumped at his words. He really was charming with those cheesy dialogues of his.

"I was thinking about how you stopped taking me and Maryam to buy chudi before Eid."

Murtasim let out an airy laugh. "Because you moved away to Karachi. It's kind of hard for me to go there before Eid, you know."

"I only celebrated like three Eids in Karachi!" Meerab made a face. "We came back for all the rest."

Right after her family's move to Karachi, they had to spent Eid there due to her father's workload. But as soon as he managed to settle, they were back here for every Ramadan.

"Well-" he looked up and leaned forward with a mischievous smile, "- my apologies. I had to visit the villages. Spending time with hoards of teenagers were not at the top of my priority list."

"And what was?" She raised an eyebrow in question. "Was there someone in the villages that you had a crush on?"

Meerab wanted to laugh at how quickly the smile vanished from his face and was replaced with scandalised look. "I did not have anyone before marriage! I told you!"

"Okay okay," she pushed his aggravated self back into his chair by the shoulder. "I get it. You are the purest of flowers. A true virgin sacrifice."

At her words, his face turned red. Meerab let out the most unladylike laugh at that, which she guessed wasn't a good idea because he looked supremely offended.

"You sure know a lot." He narrowed his eyes. "How many did you like?"

"I said "Crush", you idiot!" She tried to hit him on the forehead but he caught her hand instead. Their inyerwined hands now sat on top of the desk in-between them.

"What's the difference?" He tilted his head to the side.

"Well-" Meerab tried to think. "Crushes are very basic. It doesn't even to be romantic attraction. It's just when you're momentarily star struck by a person and proceed to think about them. It might later turn into something deeper if you persist on it but otherwise its harmless." Meerab shrugged her shoulder. "Having crushes are a part of growing up. I had tons."

"Really?" He didn't look pleased. At all. " And among these tons, do I happen to know a few?" His hands around her tightened.

"Yes, of course!" Freeing her hand, she gave a cheery clap. "Let me just give you a list so you can go and interrogate them about your wife liking them ten years ago."

This damn neanderthal!

He gave an expression that was somewhere between unimpressed and a pout. The dramatics of this grown man never ceased to surprise her !

"I told you, they were just crush!" She threw up her hands in defeat. "Just momentary fascination!"

His eyes lit up at her words. "Momentary fascination?" He murmured to himself.

Aha!

"You had a crush on someone!" She had her greatest Yureka moment as she threw the pen in excitement.

Unfortunately, it hit Murtasim on the forehead and he yelped in surprise. " Ouch!"

"Sorry!" She quickly ran around the desk to get a look. Cupping his cheeks, she inspected his injury. The side of his forehead was slightly reddish. "Does it hurt?!"

"No, I enjoy pain. I married you, didn't I?" He just gave his usual answer.

In response, Meerab pressed her thumb on his injury. He yelped again in pain. "Hmm, you sure are enjoying it!"

With a fake smile, she took out the first aid box and grabbed the pain reliever gel. Squeezing out some on her index finger, she massaged it on his forehead while her other hand kept his face straight, his beard itchy on her palm.

Meerab could feel his burning gaze on her, giving her goosebumps as always. "So, who was it?" A conversation would be good distraction from whatever it was that seemed to be going on between them.

"Who?" He looked confused.

"The girl you had a crush on?" She gave him a conspiratory smile.

"I can't tell you that." He sighed. "It was a long time ago."

"So you admit?!" Oh, this was great!

"Fine." He waved his hand in dismissal. "But it was only for a moment. Long time ago."

"Why can't you tell me who it was?"

"The same reason you can't tell me your ones." His smile was as smug as ever.

"I'm not jealous like you." She made sure to apply extra pressure on his wound. "Don't delude yourself!"

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "Fine then. You'll know who she is." He gave her an amused look. "She is someone I have known almost my whole life."

His whole life?

A relative then?

Some she knew too?

"Was it Asmara fuppi's daughter?"

Murtasim gave her a confused look. "She has a daughter?"

This man...

"So, not her then."

"I saw her at a wedding after some years, the last time we had any interaction being three years before on a crowded post Eid feast." His eyes were unfocused, playing absentmindedly with the end of her dupatta. "I didn't recognise her at first."

"Really?" Meerab was intrigued. Was it one of their relatives who lived abroad?

"Yes. It's like one moment she was a mouthy pimpled face little girl and the next, she was an other worldly beautiful woman."

Other worldly beautiful?

Well, that didn't bring out any uncomfortable feelings from inside her! Nope! No insecurity, no jealousy, none!

Who was this girl?!

If she was so beautiful, then surely Meerab would know about her!

Everyone in their family always talked about how pretty their distant cousin Meheru was but she was quite a few years older than Murtasim.

It could also be Madiha, Murtasim's metarnal cousin. She was also a famous beauty. Or their other cousin, Aneesa.

Meerab tried hard to think of anyone else on their family who was known to be extremely beautiful. But these were all the names she could think of.

"I didn't expect her to attend the wedding, you know." Murtasim's tone was nostalgic. "But there she was. In a white dress. For a moment, I thought I was seeing a hoor on Earth." He chuckled. Meerab's hands paused as she looked down at his smiling face.

An actual smile. Not his usual smirks.

A hoor, huh?

"I almost fell down the stairs when she looked back at me. Her giggles echoed inside my mind when she and her friends laughed at something. It was the most melodious sound." He continued without caring about the turmoil going inside her head. "My heart was beating so loudly. My mind was a Mess! I thought all the smoking was getting inside my brains."

"It is. You should quit smoking." Meerab snapped. He looked at her in surprise.

"Are you okay?" He asked with concern laced to his voice.

"Just great." Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "I'm done." She put the gel inside the box and wiped her hands away.

"Oh!" He was still looking at her weirdly. " Thank you."

Meerab quitely went back to her seat and focused on her work. Atleast she was trying to. The stupid man in front of her was making it difficult with his constant staring.

"What?!" That's it. She had enough.

"Are you angry?" He had the audacity to look surprised.

"No." Her grip on the pen tightened. "Why would I be?"

"You look very angry." He paleness forward, concern laced onto his stupidly handsome face. "Are you okay?"

"I am just fine!" She went back to her work, ignoring the oblivious idiot in front of her.

"Are you mad about the crush thing?" He tapped his fingers on the desk. The noise was getting on her nerves. "Like you said, it was just a crush."

Except it doesn't sound like one!

No love before marriage, her foot !

The basterd in front of her clearly liked this girl!

Look at this shameless moron! Calling another girl other wordly beauty in front of his wife!

If she called another man handsome in front him, he would shoot him!

"I just said I am fine." She gave him her fakest smile. "I. HAVE. NEVER. BEEN. BETER." She made sure to pronounce each word with force to drill it into his thick scull.

"Oh!" He looked taken back. "Well, umm-" he gave an awkward smile "- Good for you." It sounded more like a question.

Silence. They continued to work in silence.

"Listen, Meerab-" his voice was apologetic, "- I'm sorry. I should've known it will bother you." He looked down at his hands in defeat.

"It doesn't bother me." It did. A hell lot!

"You don't have to lie." He looked at her with those eyes again, hopeful yet so hopeless. "I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

"No." God, now she felt guilty. She can't believe she was feeling hurt after all of her preaching. "It's okay. It was just a crush."

"Listen, I know-"

"Hey, it's fine. " She cut him off before he could continue to apologize for something he shouldn't be. "It was before marriage. As long as you don't like her anymore. Whoever she is."

He doesn't, right?

If she suddenly came in front of her again, he wouldn't fall for her, right?

"Wait, what do you mean whomever she is?" He looked at her with wide eyes full of disbelief. "Meerab? I thought.. but you..." He looked at loss of words.

"What?" Now she was confused. "I deduced it was either Madiha or Aneesa."

He looked even more scandalised now. "You-" he pointed a finger towards her. "You're pretending, right?"

"What?" For the life of her, she couldn't understand this man. "Was it someone else?"

Who?

Was she not one of their relatives?!

A family friend then?

"Meerab." Murtasim sighed in disappointment. "Just focus on your work."

What? What did she say?

Before she could ask, Murtasim's phone rang. He picked it up without looking at the screen.

"Yes, Murtasim Khan here." His brows furrowed as he heard what was being said on the other side, his face soon contorted into rage. "Saad is in jail? Why didn't you call me sooner?!"