A cloud of happiness engulfed khan mansion all around. Maa begum was busy inviting some closest relatives. Finally his only son was getting married. Everyone was busy in work for Engagement ceremony which they held two days later.

Meerab was sitting on her room looking outside of the window when marium knocked her room door." Main andar aa jaun?", she asked." Aa jao marium puchne ka kya hai?", meerab said turning towards her. In this house only marium is her favourite. She's a bubbly and cute girl. For her she's her own sister. Marium noticed her frown.

"Meerab bhabi aap busy ho kya?", marium asked her. Her heart skipped a beat by listening 'bhabi' from marium. She tried her best to not blush but that's not enough she caught red handed." Aap aadat daal lein, aab se main apko bhabi hi kahungi", marium said with a smile." Kuch kaam tha marium?", she asked.

"Offo, main bhul hi gayi", marium said while hitting her own head." Actually maa begum ne kaha aap bhai ke sath shopping pe chalein jayeing. Woh engagement ka joda lene", she informed." Tum chalogi?", meerab asked her. She really don't wanna be alone with him because she felt a bit uncomfortable with him. Marium looked at her for a moment." Bolo na marium chalogi mere sath? Please.", she again asked her." Okay main bhi chalungi", marium replied. They smiled at eachother and marium left the place.

She changed into an ivory salwar suit and make a braid. She didn't add any makeup on her face. She grabbed her dupatta and reached downstairs in a hurry. Murtasim was coming from other side while looking at his phone. They both collided with eachother. She was about to fall but murtasim hold her wrist, she close her eyes in fear. But when she recognize that she was not in a floor she opened her eyes. Their eyes meets, she stands up properly.

"Andhi ho kya? Dikhai nhi deta", he spilled angrily." Tum andhe hoge. Ek toh khud phone me ankhein gaad ke chal rahe ho aur mujhe andha kehte ho", she said." You idiot", he said while raising his index finger infront of her, she twist his finger and said,"Don't you dare to..".

"Bas karein aap dono please, maa begum udhar chilla chilla kar pagal hi jayengi, chaliye please", marium said while coming. They looked towards marium who's looking irritated. Meerab leave with marium while glaring at him." Khudaya.... This girl is out of my mind", he huffed in anger to himself.

******

"Murtasim, meerab ko jeweller ke paas le jana shopping ke baad", maa begum said." Mere paas itna time nhi hai", he said without looking at his mother." Main tumhe puch nhi rahi hu, bata rahi hu, khan hoge tum hayedarabad ke mere samne nhi", maa begum said. He cursed his fate. He nodded his head cause there was no way to argue with maa begum. She will roast him more he have more in his side from morning.

He sat on the driving seat of  his mercedes benze while ordering bakhtu and his guards ti follow them on the other car." Main bhi chalu tum logon ke sath", haya said while coming. Meerab made an irritated face while sliping  on the passengers seat.

"Mana karne maan jaogi?", marium said." Nhi", haya said." Toh puch kar time waste na karo", marium said.  Haya sat with marium while glaring at meerab who was looking at murtasim. He was driving the car with a serious expression.

" Murtasim tum mujhe sham ko paradise market le jaa sakte ho?", haya asked him extra sweetly." Mere paas inn fazol kam'on ko chhor kar bhi bohot kuch hai, driver ko sath le kar chali jana", Murtasim replied. During the journey haya was bothering him with her talk." Haya apna moh band rakho warna main bakhtu se keh kar dusri car mangwata hu tum usme aana", he said angrily. Haya shut her mouth.

Murtasim noticed that meerab was not talking with anyone, she was just lost in her thoughts while leaning near the window. He knows that she isn't a quite person at all. She was just replied marium.

They reached the mall. Murtasim parked his car on the parking area and joined them. Marium and haya was busy trying their new dresses. Meerab's heart was pounding slowly, her mind was not working at the moment. 'Magar mujhse koi umeed mat rakhna' his words are ringing in her mind. Why she's ruining her own life when she knows that there was no future of them.

"Ma'aam, aapko kis type ke dresses chahiye?", a girl asked her." A simple one", she said Looking at her. She choose a peach coloured dress for the occasion. Her mind wasn't in a sense. She's a girl who ruined all the store for a scarf but today when she have a such a special day of her life her 'Engagement', she's choosing a simple dress.

"Meerab bhabi aap aayein  na mujhe help chahiye", Marium asked her from a corner. She left the place after saying to pack the order. Murtasim saw that which bothered him." I wanna see some dresses",he said. After seeing almost 50+ dresses he choose a Dark blue anarkali with golden embroidery and a great flair.
"Isse bhi pack kar dein", he said.

"Murtasim bhai, Aap bhi apne liye kuch dekh lijiye. Aapko bhi toh kal ke liye kapde lene the",marium said." Main choose kar duj murtasim?", haya asked.
" No thanks, chacha saab already mera outfit laa chuke hain, tumhe pareshan hone ko nhi kaha hai kisine", he said to haya.

"Marium hum ghar chal sakte hain? I'm not feeling well", meerab said. Murtasim looked at her and asked,"Are you okay?".
" hmm... Bas acha nhi lag raha", she said." Kya baat hai, pehle kisi ko shopping  se fursat nhi thi aur aab ghar jaana hai", marium teased her." Nhi marium bas sarr dard kar raha hai", she said. Everything was seeming uneasy to her.

As they entered khan haveli she retired to her room and locked the door. Her head was seeming hevvy, while her heart was not beating properly. Why she's panicking this much? Is she's doing unfair with herself by agreeing in this marriage, questions are roaming in her mind.

She heard a knock on the door. She took a deep breath and opened the door." Meerab tabiyat thik hai na?", aneela asked her with a concern face." Kuch nhi hua mama bas kuch ajeeb sa lag raha hai", she replied." Janti hu beta shaadi ko le kar pareshan ho tum,magar yakeen karo murtasim se accha ladka tumhe nhi milega", aneela said while patting her cheeks. She smiled lightly. Waqas came there and sat with them." Pareshan mat you meerab kuch nhi hoga", waqas said.

She will never forget the day when haya had told her that waqas and aneela aren't her parents. They had adopted her from anwar. She cried after this and locked herself on the store room. Murtasim was the only person who talked to her and convinced her. What if she is not their daughter, so both of them never lacked in love for her. They are her true parents. For meerab anwar khan is her 'Chacha saab' as Murtasim called him by this name. He didn't matter to her, she had never accepted him as her father.

Waqas caresed her head gently," meri beti
Bohot bahadur hai", he said." Baba aap meri ek akhri baat manenge?", she asked her father." Bolo beta, aisa hua hai meri beti ki koi baat taali gayi ho", waqas said  with a smile." Mujhe LAW padhna hai", she said and waqas's smile faded." Bhabi begum se Main baat karunga iss bare mein", he said. She smiled and hugged her parents, aneela kissed her forehead.

*****
After completing dinner she retired to her room. She laid down on the bed and start reading her favourite novel 'Peer-E-Kamil'. She's such a girl who was always lost in her own fairytale world. She was a silly teenager when she starts reading such romantic novels and story books. She is always in with fairytale singh childhood. She and murtasim along with marium used to watch disney princess movies like cinderella, Snow while and Ariel. She has always imagined her as a. Princess and him as a prince.

"Meeru yeh princess bilkul tumhari tarah hai", a eight year old murtasim said with a grin." Haan pyaari si aur yeh jhagdalu prince tum ho murtu", a five years old meerab said. Where a three years old marium was looking at her TV with wide eyes.

As she recalled those memories a layer of tears interrupted her reading. She close her eyes and put the book on the side table.

"Jab main badi ho jaungi tum mujhe ek aisi dress dilawaoge nah?", she asked." Haan par tumhe mujhse shaadi karni hogi", Murtasim said." Promise magar mujhe aisi hi dress chahiye", she said showing him a cinderella drawing which she made by herself.

Their silly talks are something else she thought." Kaash hum bade hi na hote kabhi, toh mera best friend mujhse durr na hota", she said while wiping her tears away.

It was 12 O'clock at night when someone knocked her room door. She opened it and found murtasim was standing there." Tum itni raat ko yahan kya kar rahe ho?", she asked." Baat karni thi, andar aa sakta hu", he said. Her heart skipped a beat.

To be continue...

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