Chapter 14

Zoya was dragging herself on the middle of the fully rushed road of Bhopal, unaware of being surrounded with the heavy traffic. If she was aware of something, then it was about her parents, identity and that Haveli. The words of the new owner of that Haveli were echoing in her ears. Her mind has stopped working and soul was
searching its way.

Her self-consciousness has stopped working; she could only think that if she has no connection with that Haveli, then how she is going to find her father and identity. She has lost all the hopes, as there is going to be no morning and the sun will never shower its rays on her, as a new day and beginning.

Zoya was dragging like an autumn leaf with the flow of air on the heavy rushed V.I.Proad, of Bhopal. She was crawling, when on the spur of the moment a car followed her path with the momentum of light and was about to crush her like a doll. But the same time a hand came in her direction and pulled her.

Zoya came to her senses when she realized that someone drew her and came to her senses with a jerk, "Huh!", she gasped.

"What the hell were you doing?", the person clenched his jaw and she came to
reality.

"Mr...Mr Kh-Khan I wa-was--", but before she could compose herself being heart-broken, Asad snatched his hand and threw her
inside the car and drove off.

Asad was driving like a maniac and his whole concentration wasn't on the road. All he could see, correction memorize were the two different but similar incidents. Only two pictures were painting in front of his eyes, one when he lost Aseemah in an accident in front of his eyes and the second, when he could lose Zoya too.

The thought to lose Zoya in an accident was pinching his heart, even he wasn't
aware why? Why he was feeling like this. Indeed, Zoya and Aseemah were the two different persons of similar faces, one who was no more and one who was beside him and his heart was bleeding with the notion to lose Zoya, like Aseemah. He was in complete dilemma, why was he anxious, because he lost Aseemah and she was her look-alike or because he was about to lose her.

But Asad had no time to remark all this, his anxiety turned into frustration and they finally reached the house. He held Zoya by her wrist and threw her on the couch as a non-living thing.

Zoya was already broken into umpteenth pieces and she remained aghast when he shrugged her from the shoulder, "What the hell were you doing? Itni irresponsible kaise ho sakti hai aap", and he jerked her off.

Zoya didn't spill a word out of her mouth being disconsolate. But Asad kept
screaming, "Aap ke jaisi irresponsible ladki maine aaj tak nahi dekhi."

"Us bungalow se bhagne ka matlab kya tha?", he shouted out loud.

But she remained like a lifeless stone.

He shrugged her from upper-arms and screamed, "Tell me! What the hell was going on in your mind?"

He shuffled his hairs and crushed his teeth, "Do you have any idea, aap ki
irresponsibility se sab kitna pareshan hote hain, especially..."

He stopped in between and continued, "Especially me" and this words of
his forced her to uplift her eyes in his direction.

He turned his back to not see her as he used to always scattered when he saw her face and yelled, "Aapko kaha kaha nahi dhundha maine aur aap...aap waha road pe marne chali thi. Because aapko us bungalow ke real owner ka
naam--"

"J-just for that stupid thesis", he said sarcastically.

"Irresponsibility ki had hoti hai...agar aap ko kuch ho jata to...", his become moist which he didn't want to show her and stopped with chocked throat and continued.

He continued himself, "Agar aapko kuch ho jata...to I would have gone--", but he stopped in between.

"Ammi is not here and for these two days you are my sole-responsibility and you are not going to put your feet outside the house.", he announced curtly.

"Did you get it?", he clenched his teeth and fist his fingers and turned back
to look at her.

She nodded her head and dragged herself towards her room and shut it with a thud.

Zoya rested her head on the door and glided on the floor hugging her knees and crying out loud. She was feeling as she has lost her path to find herself. She was incognizant of her own identity and life and on the top of that Asad and his words were echoing in her ears.

"Mr. Khan was right. I'm a highly irresponsible person that's why my my parents left me", she cried out loud and kept crying and crying.

In the lap of her knees, even she doesn't when slumber hugged her.

Whereas, Asad was half-conscious, the two incidents were painting in black and white and revolving around his eyes like a picture. He was trying to sleep but slumber was away from his eyes, even he didn't know, why this was happening for Aseemah or for Zoya!! Morning

"Prasad! Have you lost it? How can you arrange the meeting such short period of time?", Asad shrieked on the phone.

"But you know I am on the leave.", he evicted him on the phone.

But somehow Prasad convinced him and he replied back, "Okay just for few hours.", and disconnected the phone call.

Asad kept blabbering with himself, "Pata nahi aajkal sabko kya ho gaya hai. All are so irresponsible around me"

He continued himself, "Dekhe where is that so called bechari of Ammi"

He departed for the drawing room but she was nowhere. He scrunched his brows and realized that she must asleep.

The sun rays beamed on the innocent but withered face of Zoya. The lines of dry tears were clearly visible on her pale face. She opened her eyes when the sun rays disturbed her. The puffy red eyes were enough to show her pain, which she didn't want to show anyone, not even herself. She washed her face in the basin of her washroom and while wiping it when she saw her withered face, she turned her back because it was the sign of her failure, according to her.

Asad was amazed when he realized that the chummy guest of his house she was seen to be nowhere. He shook his head at

her stubborn and irresponsible behavior when he knocked the door of her room but she didn't open it, misinterpreting it as purposely done by her.

The frustrated Asad took a leave from the house while murmuring, "If she has to eat, then she can do it by herself. Why do I care? Huh!!"

He rolled his eyes and said sarcastically, "Waise bhi aata hoga unka Pizza"

Saying this he left the house, locking her from outside as she wasn't ready to do it by herself according to him.

Zoya Farooqui was heartbroken, her face has become white as snow, her puffy red eyes were showing the pain she has engulfed in her soul. She has always spent her life by forgetting the pain and enjoying the life, but this was different she was shattered into pieces like a glass.

The tired Asad unlocked the door and he was surprised that why Zoya did didn't open it. He was about to leave for the room when door bell called him.

Asad opened the door with frustration and found a pizza delivery boy, which forced him to roll his eyes with annoyance.

"Morning Sir! Your pizza", the delivery boy said while handling the pizza box to Asad.

"But I've not order any pizza", Asad said with confusion.

"No sir! It was bulk order from this house. For the whole 2 days", the delivery informed him.

Asad creased his brows and shut the lids of his eyes when he realized it was Zoya, who ordered them.

Asad took the pizza and was about to close the door while paying when pizza boy informed, "Sir! I've visited last night and in the morning also but no one opened the door, so I left."

Asad nodded and while closing the door he realized that Zoya hasn't ate anything last night also and not in the morning too, that was the reason the door was locked.

He immediately departed for her room realizing his rude behavior with her last night. He was guilty thinking that he was irresponsible for this. Reaching her room, he was about to knock the door but found that the gate was half opened. He leaned and found that Zoya was having a video call with hi jiju, Anwar.

Asad turned deciding to come, few minutes later. But something stopped him, Zoya's sob.

"Jiju! Mr. Khan is right.", she gulped down and continued herself, "I'm very irresponsible that's why Allah didn't bless me with parents", she cried out.

"Zoya! Please don't lose hope. If that bungalow doesn't belong to your Ammi, it doesn't mean that your father isn't alive", Anwar consoled her.

"No!I don't deserve loved ones..", she mourned.

"Pehle ammi, phir khala aur ab abbu ...sab mujhse itna door kyu ho jate hai?", she asked him as she was a child of five who was crying for a chocolate bar.

"Zoya look at me. You have me, your aapi and I know you will get your abbu soon.", he assured her as he knew it.

A lone tear fell down from her eyes, "Wo haveli mere abbu tak pahunchne ka rasta thi. Jo band ho gaya", she whined and kept crying.

She pressed her eyes which started pouring tears. She wiped them and continued, "When...when Khala told me that my parents are no more. I'd compromised to spent my life with that bitter lie", she whined and licking his lower lip grabbing her strength.

"Par jab khala ke letter se pata chala ke mere abbu hai. Yaha Bhopal mein, mujhe ek...", she discontinued herself and continued wrapping all her desires.

"Mujhe ek nayi ummeed mili thi. But jiju aaj uska rasta bhi band ho gaya", she completed herself compiling the strength.

Zoya cried out loud, "Why only me Jiju?"

Anwar shushed her and tried to consolidate her, "Its okay Zoya naya rasta milega."

He continued himself, "And tell me. If one path get block then it to open the new. Right? That's what your Khala used to say", he explained her to not get depress.

"Isn't it?", he confirmed with helplessness.

She nodded her head but kept crying without being aware with a fact that someone was witnessing. The one, who was completely oblivious with her life, but now he was not. Asad Ahmed Khan, the one who alleged her of being irresponsible and doesn't deserve to have parents. Now, he was aware that parents were the only thing which dragged that irresponsible badtameez girl all the way from New York to Bhopal, and he was rooted stun with this.

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A/N: Cliff hanger right!! But jo maza suspense mein hai kahin aur nahin . Please maaf kar dena joote mat maarna, I am okay with the rest. Please hit like and leave your appreciation or criticism via comments.

Love you all 

Adi