Part 5
Meerub woke up from her sleep after hearing the noises outside the room and looked at the clock to see it's almost noon so she got up from the bed to freshen up after kissing Ashir's forehead who further snuggled into bed.
After she came out of the washroom she heard the knock on the door and opened it to only found Maa Begum so she welcomed her inside.
"Sorry beta, woh mujhse ab raha nahi gaya isiliye Ashir ko dekhne aagayi", [ sorry I couldn't control myself anymore so came to see Ashir] Maa Begum said with an apologetic smile and looked at her grandson who was still sleeping.
"Maine tumhe disturb toh nahi kiya na apni excitement mein", [I didn't disturb you in my excitement right?] Maa Begum asked with a sheepish smile Meerub shook her head to assure her.
Then they heard another knock on the door and this time a maid came with their breakfast, Maa Begum instructed her to set the table after which she left.
"Maine socha hum sath mein Naashta kar lenge pehle ki tarah", [ I thought we will have breakfast together like before] Maa Begum said and Meerub nodded understanding she has some questions for her and she deserves answers.
"Jee Zarur", [yes of course] Meerub replied and they both sit to have their breakfast. "I know Aap ke bohot saare sawal hai, mai aapko jawab dungi puchiye jo puchna hai", [ I know you have many questions and I will answer them all ask whatever you want to know] She continued and Maa Begum nodded.
"Tum aise achanak kyun chali gayi thi?”, Maa Begum asked her.
“ I am sorry, I can’t tell you this but I had to”, Meerub replied her voice drained of any emotion.
“Hmm, Ashir ka tumhe jaane se pehle pata tha?”, [About Ashir, you knew before leaving?] Maa Begum again asked.
“Nahi”, [No] Meerub answered in a monotonous way and Maa Begum took the hint that it was a sore topic.
“Hume batana zaruri nahi samjha?”, [you didn’t think it necessary to inform us] Maa Begum again tried her luck.
“Kabhi samajh hi nahi aaya”, [ Never understood what to tell] Meerub replied with a painful smile, even though she loves Ashir but there was a time before his birth where she could not accept it, he brought all the happiness in her life but with happiness some painful memories are also attached.
She was not a saint to love him the moment she came to knew about him but she never had the courage to get rid of him. It was a difficult journey before she understood that he is what she really needs. She was very careless in initial days of her pregnancy and when she was on the verge of loosing her child she came across the fear she never knew before.
“Kya hua tha?”, [ What has happened?] concerned voice of Maa Begum broke her reverie and she shook her head.
“I am sorry, I really can’t tell”, Meerub replied with a smile which translates pain, pure pain and Maa Begum kept pats her hand indicating that she understands.
After Breakfast Maa Begum went and Meerub woke her baby up as he too needs food. She gave him a bath and dressed him up for the day after which both the mother - son duo came out of the room as it’s almost lunch time so they found Anwar and Maa Begum on the dining table.
“Good noon Dadi and Nanu”, Ashir went to both his Dadi and Nanu and kissed on their cheeks then came back to his mother who made him sit at the table.
“Good noon, Mistle Cly”, Ashir wished Murtasim who was passing from there after seeing him which stopped Murtasim on his way and he turned to him with a smile.
“Ashir”, Meerub used her mum tone on him for the nickname he used.
“What? He was clying in night”, Ashir explained himself unaware of the fact that he just threw his father in an awkward situation as both his mother and uncle was looking at him in question.
Murtasim rubbed the back of his head and gave an awkward smile to his mother and uncle then looked towards Meerub who was acting as if he is not present here, he rolled his eyes at her and turned to look at Ashir who was having his food innocently from his mother’s hands like he didn’t cause a trouble for him.
“Aao baithe Khaana kha0”, [ Come Sit and have lunch] Maa Begum instructed his son in a strict tone and Murtasim having no other option went beside Anwar to have lunch.
“Dadi colded Mistel Cly”, Ashir laughed at his father’s reaction who glared at him.
“Scolded not colded, Shir”, Meerub corrects her son who nods at his mother while Murtasim rolled his eyes at her behaviour, is she serious she is correcting his words instead of scolding him for the trouble he caused.
“Mistel cly…”, Ashir called Murtasim who again made a face at this nickname, his son surely has weird sense of giving nicknames.
“Mr. Funny is fine, Ashir”, Murtasim said to his son in a pleading voice so he can stop embarrassing him.
“Okay Mistel Funny”, Ashir happily nodded as his MR. Funny acknowledged his nickname.
“What do you want to say”, Murtasim asked to his son who called him for something but later got distracted.
“Oh, have fish. It izz yum”, Ashir forwarded his plate towards his father which consisted his favourite food and Meerub stifled her laugh at this, her son surely knows how to kill someone without picking a weapon. And Murtasim looked like he would be anywhere but here.
After lunch Meerub stopped Murtasim when her father and Maa Begum took Ashir with them to have a meeting with him so she can start working at her case, as soon she finished her case as fast she can leave for Dubai. They both went to Murtasim’s study to have the meeting.
“Mr. Khan..”, Meerub started to speak when Murtasim stopped her in between.
“It’s Murtasim for you”, Murtasim said with a hope in his voice that she would finally stop calling him Mr khan, it’s killing him to be this formal with her, like he is a stranger to him.
“I am sorry but I do not get personal with my clients”, Meerub replied in a plain voice pricking Murtasim’s heart. How easy it is for her to discard him? He agrees he was wrong but he was helpless, he would never hurt his Meerub deliberately.
“Meerub…”, Murtasim whispered her name and she looked at him after listening her name, his teary eyes are doing something to her but she controlled herself.
“It’s Ms. Khan for you”, Meerub replied formally but Murtasim is not taking any of her shit now as he needs answer.
“Why did you hide him Meerub? It was my right to know him, I deserved to know about him”, Murtasim said without beating around the bush.
“Oh really”, Meerub scoffed at him and he closed his eyes to control the tears which were on the verge of falling out of his eyes.
“ So my feelings really doesn’t matter for you”, He questioned, his voice pleading her to not break his heart.
“So you have feelings”, She mocked. “Listen Mr. Khan unlike you I am very busy so let’s talk for what we are here”, She continued clearly indicating that she doesn’t wants to talk to him. After they discussed business, Meerub went out to meet the People she has to represent, Murtasim offered her a drive but she rejected him and went alone.
Ashir was playing with his Dadi and Nanu and really enjoying their company as before today he had to tolerate those stupid kids and teachers at day care who forced him to do different things but could not understand a small thing that he only obeys his mother. His Dadi and Nanu are smart so he is asking only smart questions to them.
“You ale Mama’s Dadda and you ale hel mamma”, He pointed first at Anwar who nodded at his question and then at Maa Begum who shook her head.
“You ale not”, He again questioned to be sure and Maa Begum again nodded in no.
“So who izz Dadi”, He questioned unable to understand. He knows Mama as he has one and also about dada as other kids at day care has one and his dada got lost in park according to him cause when he asked his mother about his Dada she could not answer and he concluded it with incident which happened his friend’s father who could not answered when he lost his daughter in the park.
“I am your Dada’s Mama”, Maa Begum answered and Ashir hugged her which surprised Maa Begum.
“Solly Dadi, Mama lost him in palk”, Ashir replied comforting his Dadi as his mama also gets upset when she doesn’t find him so his Dadi must be upset.
“Lo.. Lost in ppp..park”, Maa Begum stuttered at her grandson’s words and Anwar also looked at him in shock.
“Yesh, Mama took him to palk fol playing and he got lost”, Ashir calmly explained to his grandparents who were having problem in understanding this simple thing.
“Who told you this?”, Anwar asked his grandson still little surprised as his voice doesn’t have that sadness which a kid has after loosing one of his parents.
“No one, Shil izz smalt.”, Ashir said and then explained the incident which happened with his friend’s father and as well as about his mother’s reaction at which both his grandparents laughed.
“So you are not sad that your Dada is lost”, Anwar asked after composing himself as this question was bothering him since Maa Begum told him about her conversation.
“No”, Ashir shook his head and Anwar become surprised at his response as he was not expecting this so he asked him why?
“Shil don’t know him”, Ashir replied innocently breaking Maa Begum’s heart for her son.
“I am your Dada’s Mama”, She said to Ashir at which he widened his little eyes in surprise.
“You fond him”, He asked in excitement and Maa Begum nodded at him.
“Whele izz he”, He looked at Maa Begum in excitement as now he finally found his dada and can show off him to his friend who was saying his dada is “Napped”.
“There”, Maa Begum pointed her fingers at Murtasim who was coming from outside.
Meerub went inside the cafe to have some drinks after having a meet with her clients and when she was about to sit on her table, her eyes fell on familiar face, who was there with a man and a baby girl.
“Haya..”, Meerub whispered in shock after seeing haya there and at that moment Haya too looked at her, both of them equally shocked.
