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"I don't like mangoes."

"That's blasphemy." Murtasim lets out a hearty laugh at Meerab's grave offence on behalf of the famous fruit. Meerab laughs too. She seems to be laughing a lot these days; it makes his stomach do an odd little jolt.

Sometimes, in his few personal moments, he marvels at the girl in front of him. Meerab was hard to understand; a mystery to him. She was fiery when it comes to him, but almost childishly docile in front of her foster parents; quick to close her heart to him, but not to Saad or Maheer.

Murtasim wonders what exactly is it that he was doing wrong. He tries to listen to her more, tries to talk to her whenever he gets the time, tries to ask for her opinions in village matters.

Her easy smile says his efforts were bearing fruit. But the hands firmly tucked into her lap, away from his own one sitting in the middle, tells a different story.

"What's the name of your best friend?" Meerab claps her hands, bringing him out of the melancholy. "Mine is Saba."

"I don't exactly have a best friend. I mean, I still talk to friends from college, not to many though." Murtasim takes a sip of his coffee. It had gone cold long ago. Meerab's second attempt at bevarage making had gone much better. Even though the suspicious liquid in his cup was still too sweet, it was much more drinkable.

"That's okay. You have Bhaktu." Meerab gives his shoulder a sympathetic pat. "Even if he's like fifty years older than you."

"He is not my-," sighing, he gives up halfway through, "- nevermind," realising there was no point in protesting.

With their feet dipped in the lukewarm pool, they have been on this for a while now. He asks a question and she answers. Then she asks one and he does the same. At this point, it was like a childish game of twenty questions.

Murtasim wasn't complaining. In fact, he was having more fun than he had expected. He thinks it has more to do with who he was playing with, rather than what he was playing.

"So, who was your first celebrity crush?"

Murtasim chockes on his drink. There goes the fun.

"I told you I don't believe in such stuff before marriage."

"Geez, calm down, virgin maiden!" She smiles at his reaction, all dimples and bambi eyed. Now, how was a man to say no to that?

"Come on, don't be a prude." She bumps his shoulders with her own. "Who was it? Mahira Khan? Saba Qamar?"

"There was no one. I never had time for movies. I was always busy with the lands and my studies. If I ever got any free time, I spent it in the photography club room." He shrugged.

"I had my doubts before, but now I am completely sure." She nodded her head sagely.

Murtasim knows the next words that comes out of her mouth would be outrageous, but appearently he was a masochist. "And what exactly would that be, Mrs. Khan?"

She sighed; never forgetting to add her over-dramatic flare. "My husband was the stereotypical nerd and a loner. That's a terrible combination."

"And you deduced all that from the fact that I didn't have a celebrity crush, Sherlock Holmes?" He smiles at the mischievous glint in her eyes. Murtasim hadn't realised just how bright Meerab was at the full force of loveliness.

"Elementary, my dear Watson." She mimics the gesture of looking through a magnifying glass. "No wonder your only friend is your ancient attendant. That is kind of sad."

"Whatever scenario you are cooking up inside your brain, I assure you, is most definitely not true." Faking nonchalance as hard as possible, he moved his hand closer to her, almost touching their fingers.

"I wasn't coming up with anything." Meerab denies the very true accusation instantly. "So tell me about your crushes."

"I just told-"

"I heard. And then I decided to ignore it. Because you were lying." Meerab didn't let him finish his sentence. "It's a celebrity crush, every high school kid has one. Come on, spit it out!"

"Fine!" He huffs out. "It was Mahira Khan! Happy?"

"Humsafar?" She raises an eager eyebrow.

Murtasim gives a half smile, twinkle in his eyes. "Sadqay Tumhare."

Meerab lets out the most adorable gasp, eyes wide in scandal. "Murtasim Shanewaz Khan! You are a man of superior taste!"

"I know." He took another sip of Meerab's passable attempt at coffee-making. "You can tell that from my choice of bride."

His wife turns red at an alarming speed; the rosy tip of her nose scrunches up in defense. "And I can tell that you don't watch movies because your flirting skills suck."

"Works on you." He winks at her, just to rile her up a bit more. It's hilarious when she tries to hide her flustered self behind a facade of anger.

"It most definitely doesn't!"

"But you are all red."

"From anger!"

"Here, calm down and have some coffee." He shoves the cup under her nose. "See if you can make it out in the world as a barista."

Blowing a frustrated puff of air, she takes a sip. "Wha-"

Murtasim can't help the laugh that escapes him. "Any comments, Master chief?"

"How are you drinking this?!"

"My wife made it with so much love."

"I only added suger and milk, don't really remember the love part." She puts the cup down with a disgusted face. "It was probably the maid's love you are talking about."

Murtasim chuckles, as always content to drink his wife's witch potion of a coffee and listen to her blabber on.

And when Meerab rests her smaller, warmer hand above his own, he thinks she is content too.

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"Would you like to-" Startled, Saad looks up from the book, back to Maheer; she was sitting on the bed, both legs tucked under blanket, hands fidgeting.

"Huh?" Saad had no idea what she was on about.

His dumb question seems to embarass her; her sweet cheeks turn incredibly red. She takes a deep breath, even pats her cheeks.

Now, Saad was even more confused.

"Would you like to come sleep on the bed?" As soon as those words leave her mouth, she squeezes her eyes shut.

Saad's first reaction to the absurd proposal was shock, followed by a boisterous laugh that builds up from the deep of his chest. His cheeks still hurts, but he doesn't attempt to control it.

Maheer blink open her eyes. She blinks quite a few times actually. Maybe trying to understand his reaction. Even he doesn't understand his reaction.

"What's so funny?" She looks adorably lost, forehead creased and bottom lip between her teeth.

"Nothing." Saad shakes his head in exasperation. "Why do you want me on the bed?"

Whoa! Did he just say that? Maybe Murtasim was rubbing off on him. Now he was saying outrageous stuff too!

Maheer turns an even deeper shade of red. "I'm your wife."

"Yes, Maheer, I remember saying Qubool."

Maheer gapes at him with open mouth. It was a hilarious sight.

"You are my husband!" She fists the blanket on her lap, distress clear on her sweet face.

"Yes, Maheer, you also said Qubool."

She looks even more lost now, her glassy eyes full of distress at him for not getting the message.

He does get it. But for once, he wants to hear it clearly.

"So we should sleep on the same bed."

"Why?"

So this is why Murtasim keeps pestering Meerab; it was amusing as hell!

"Because we are husband and wife!" Maheer throws her hands out in the air. She looks like she wants to crawl under the blanket in embarrassment.

"I think we have established that."

"BECAUSE I WANT US TO BE PROPER HUSBAND AND WIFE!" She points a threatening finger at him. "Now come to damn bed!"

With that, she pulls the blanket over head, and lays down with her back to him. Saad lets out another booming laugh at her antics.

He likes this. He had shed so many tears for her that he forgot just how much she makes him laugh.

"Stop laughing!" Maheer's muffled scream comes from underneath the blanket. It just makes him laugh even harder.

He picks up the pillow from the couch and moves to the other side of the bed. Gently, he lays down. His heart beats too fast and too loud. It was something that he never even dared to dream of.

"Mahi?"

"What?" She snaps at him. Clearly still mad.

"Can I ask you something?"

"No."

"Do you still have any feelings for Areeb?"

Silence. It feels like eternity. He puts one hand over his chest. He can handle it.

For Maheer, he can handle anything.

"I don't know." Maheer finally answers, blanket still covering her wholly. "Everything is foggy. I can't remember if what I felt was even love to begin with."

Saad turns to face her. Slowly, she turns too. Reaching between them, he pulls the blanket down. Her lovely dark eyes stare back at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I-" she pauses, trying to find the right words. "I know there was something. But now that I look back, I am not sure if it was love."

"So what was it?"

"Dilkashi? Uns?" She tries to come up with an answer. "But not Ishq."

"How would you know the difference?" Saad tucks a strand of hair behind her ears.

She stays quiet for a moment, looking at him with those doe eyes. Smiling she reaches for him, her soft hand traces a line from his forehead, to the bump of his nose, to the curve of his lips. She stops at his chin, going back to carass his cheeks.

"I know now."

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This was a short one. It's mostly about the couples being cute and stuff.

BTW, has anyone seen Yumna's new Drama, Qarz e Jaan? Omg, she is brilliant as usual! I'm loving her chemistry with her cousin!