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.

Is he's here to confess his love for her. Or he's here to apologize for those years not talking to her, not asking her about her studies, health. She was feeling so happy from bottom of her heart. She was wrong her Murtasim was hers only.

She still remember how they used to play ghar ghar in their childhood. Where he used to play the character of 'Minu's father', her stuffed toy and she used to be his wife and minu's mother. How she covered her doll with a towel and took one of aneela's duppatta and covered her head like a married women.

He's her bestfriend from childhood. She used to handed him that doll and uttered," Aap isko dekh ke rakhna, yeh ro rahi hai". Toodler murtasim took that doll as it was a real baby and patted its stomach." Ache bacche rotey nhi hai, apki mama aa rahi hai", he said cutely.

It's all are like there we're just toodlers yesterday and in present they are getting married to eachother. Her heart was feeling peace Looking at him.

He was standing infront of her in a grey salwar kameez, His messy hair are the profe that he's tensed. But his eyes ar sparkling in the moonlight. She was lost in him. Her trance got broken when ahe heard him asking for permission again.

Her body was trembling seeing him. She gulped and nodded in approval. He stepped in closing the behind. He run his hands through his hairs for a moment.
"Meerab yeh sab jo hone jaa raha hai, yeh sahi nhi hai", murtasim said. She juat blinked her eyes Looking at him.

He took out a paper and handed her." Yeh kya hai?", she asked him with a confused look.
He looked at her "Contract hai, iss baat ka ke hum mein koi rishta nhi hai", he uttered.

She scanned the paper from up and down.
" Contract", she mumbled in her breath.

There are some rules written there.

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1. We will be husband and wife infront of the world but in the room we were strangers.

2. We've to maintain a very good distance between us.

3. We won't get into each other's affairs.

4. If anything happens, we will divorce in future.

5. We will live our life on our own terms. No one will say anything between each other's personal matter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"These are the rules, I know tum bhi yeh shaadi nhi karna chahti aur na hi main", he said firmly. She tried hard to not shouted at him. Her heart was hammering with his behaviour. He was just assuming things by his own. Why he was not seeing that she have something in her heart only for him. Maybe love.

" Toh kya karna hoga mujhe", she asked taking a long breath." Sign it", he uttered offering her a pen. She took it with her shaky hands. She sign it with her trembling hands, she was sweating rapidly. Her heart wasn't beating normally. She sign it for the sake of him.

He took the paper and was about to leave." Wait, murtasim.", she said. He stopped in his way." Jab tumne contract bana hi diya hai toh mujhe bhi apni ek shart rakhni hai tumhare aage", she said not facing him.

"Bolo", he uttered turning towards her." Mujhe LLB padhni hai aage, isse kisi ko koi problem nhi honi chahiye", meerab said now facing him with a rage in her eyes." Iss mamle mein main maa begum se baat karunga", he said while leaving.

After he leave the room she close the door and sat in the floor hugging her knees."Why only me allah, why he isn't seeing my inner turmoil ?", she cried. She didn't get a chance to confess her feelings for him.

The ray of sun filled an excitement and happiness in the haveli. Everyone was flying here and there doing preparations for Engagement ceremony. Anwar and waqas was busy giving instructions and ideas about decoration to event planner. Where maa begum and aneela are looking at their khandani jewelleries, which one will suits on meerab. Marium was jumping in happiness finally his brother was getting married with her dearest meerab her bestie. She was twirling and dancing happily. On the other side haya wasn't happy with this engagement. She have a huge crush on Murtsim but Murtasim never ever give him any hope.

"Maa begum ne yeh sahi nhi kiya, mera haq meerab ko de kar", haya spilled. Marium gave her an annoyed look and uttered," chup raho haya. Bachpan se bhai aur meerab bhabi ki shaadi tey thi. Kisi ka haq kisi ko nhi diya gaya hai". Haya was not convinced with that at any cost." Aue tum usse bhabi kyun keh rahi ho? Bani nhi hai abki tak woh tumhari bhabi", haya said angrily." Bani nhi hai toh 10 dino meij ban jayegi. Tum bhi aadat daal lo haya meerab bhabi ko bhabi bulane ki", marium expressed and left from there.

Meerab wakes up from her sleep. She take a shower and changed into a pink suit. She wasn't sad nor happy while her wish was becoming reality. She had always  dreamed to marry Murtasim, to spend her life with him, to be his wife. Today when their engagement was happening she wasn't happy and the reason is him. He don't wanna marry her.

The only question was roaming in her mind ' is he love someone else?'. She was afraid to ask him, if he said yes then she will die for sure. Her heart will not accept this answer. She wasn't feeling good, she just wanted to talk to him about everything. Why he changed this much? Why he stop talking to her from last five years. Why he's distancing himself from her. Her head was paining thinking all this in once.

She heared a knock on the door." Meerab bhabi main aa jaun?", marium asked." Aa jao marium", she replied. Marium entered and sat on the couch near the window." Woh maa begum was calling you for breakfast", marium said and took a bite of her chocolate." Accha chalo. Aur pagal ladki breakfast ke time pe chocolate kyun kha rahi ho", meerab asked her. Marium looked at her smiled brightly." Khushi mein", she uttered.

"Kis khushi mein?", meerab asked." Offo, Aaj aapki aur bhai ki engagement hai, isse badi khushi aur kya hogi boliye. Mera toh hamesha se sapna tha apko meri bhabi ke hisab se dekhu, haye aap dono kitne pyare lagenge ek sath dulha-dulhan bane huye", marium said dreamily. Meerab gave her a smile." Aab chaliye", marium said and hold her hand to leave.

They came downstairs and joined other for breakfast. Meerab and murtasim was sitting on opposite sides facing eachother. Meerab greeted the elders by saying was the last word left from her mouth during breakfast. She didn't talked after that, nor she looked at his face. She focused on her food. She barely eat two or three morsel  of her food then left the table.

Murtasim was observing her behaviour. She wasn't  a quite person at all and not so serious. He thought that she isn't happy that's why she's behaving like this. He completed his food and told his mother that he was going to office for a meeting.
In return his mother scolded him.

"Haan ek kam karo shaadi wale din jab moulvi sahab nikah padhane baithe tab bhi bolna meeting hai. Meri ek baat nhi manni hai", salma begum said angrily." But it's impossible maa saab. I've to go", Murtasim retorted." Kahin nhi jaa rahe ho tum samjhe kahin bhi nhi", maa begum spat with an angry glare but he's khan murtasim khan." Allah hafiz", he uttered and left. Maa begum was angry with him.

In the evening meerab was getting ready in her room. She unpacked her dress and got shocked." Yeh meri dress nhi hai marium", she scoffed. Marium smiled at her and said," Bhai ne kharidi hai apke liye. Unhein woh peace colour ki dress achi nhi lagi".

Meerab changed into the blue anarkali dress. She curled her hairs and do her makeup. Marium help her to wear the necklace which maa begum had gifted her with matching jhumka's. She was looking mesmerizing. Her doe eyes are looking so beautiful.

Maa begum came to her room. She hugged meerab amd bless her happily. Then they headed towards lawn where the engagement ceremony will be happened.

Those fairylights and fresh flowers along with curtains looking so beautiful. It was a fairytale story for her which she had read in her books. A prince and princess are getting married but in reality her prince isn't happy to marry her.

They claimed the stage and maa begum make her sit with Murtasim. Their eyes meets with eachothers. They gave a smile. Murtasim was lost in her beauty. 'She's beautiful' he thought.

On the other side meerab's heart was racing looking at him. He's handsome but today he was looking more attractive. Him in blue sherwani was a deadly combination for sure. His intense gaze was making her go weak.

Everyone was looking so happy. Maa begum handed him their khandani ring. He extended his hand towards her, as she placed her hand on his they both felt a electric jolt in their bodies. He slightly put the ring om her ring finger. Everyone clapped happily. Then Meerab took the ring and slid it on his finger.

Everyone showered them with blessings and dua's. They smiled at them. After that they clicked some family pictures, sone couple pictures. They both were feeling hesitation while taking couple pictures.

Haya was fuming in anger and jealousy. She gave a weird yet disguised expression towards meerab. While marium noticed it and dragged haya with her." Please aaj ke liye koi tamasha karne ka mat sochna", marium said. Haya left from there with her irritated face.

To be continue....

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