Chapter 17

Asad decided to never let Zoya know about the truth of Aseemah. He entered in his room, caressed her photograph with love and care, as it wasn't a photo frame but the real person.

And he was about to unhook the frame from the wall but the same time doorbell rang. He immediately covered it as he knew that Zoya might pass the corridor to open the gate, and she did the same.

But before she could view it, the frame was veiled. She creades her brows when Asad passed a light smile to her, seeing his suddenly opposite reactions, expressions and behavior.

Zoya opened the door and found Dilshad and Najma. Dilshad wrapped her in a tight motherly hug.

"Itna senti kyu ho", Zoya asked with incognizance.

Dilshad held her palms and whispered in a single breath, "Zoya mera baccha! Anwar told me everything about your past, about-about your mission to come Bhopal...about your Abbu".

The discussion of her abbu took tears in Zoya's eyes but Dilshad wiped her tears, "Don't worry!"

Zoya plunged her hands around Dilshad in a tight hug to feel mother's warmth and cried.

Dilshad caressed her back and consoled, "No! You aren't going to cry now. We all are with you and Inshallah tumhare abbu ko hum dhundh ke rahenge"

"Now don't cry! My good girl", Dilshad wiped her tears from her hand as a mother do for her own daughter.

Asad who was witnessing all this, noticed that which bond Zoya has tied with her mother and sister, the two most important ladies of his life and it forced him to smile.

He tried to lighten the atmosphere with grin, "Are you both done with your melodrama?"

Dilshad and Najma both astounded with his suddenly changed behavior, as he giggled after a long time.

But Asad was all set to stun them again, "Accha hua aap jaldi aa gayi, nahi to you to mujhe Pizza khila khila ke maar deti"

He said as he was the child of 5. At which, Zoya gave a deadly glare to Asad at his lame joke, so he bit his tongue and when Najma couldn't stop her laughter at Lion Ahmed Khan's bheegi billi look, Zoya smacked her shoulder lightly and pressed her lips to stop the laughter.

Zoya was sitting on her bed, resting her head on the headboard with a cushion on her lap. She was all lost and was looking somewhere but nowhere. Suddenly her phone beeped.

She picked it up, which was flashing Babar Ahmed Khan.

"Hello", she greeted.

Asad replied, "Ms. Farooqui! I'll be back in few minutes, aap ready rahiyega"

"Ready? Kyu?", she asked confusingly.

"Aap taiyaar to ho jaiye", he said.

"I didn't get it. Aap thik se samjhaiye Mr. Khan", she said while caressing her temples.

"Aapko har baat phone pe hi jaanni hai?", he taunted.

"lekin--", she tried to say but he interrupted in between.

"Lekin's department is mine okay!", he sarcastically said and then laughed.

She smiled as he was looking at him and said, "Accha!"

"Hmmm! Now get ready soon. I'm coming.", he said in haste.

"Okay", she laughed too.

She was disconnecting the phone call, which was flashing Babar Ahmed Khan. She twisted her lips in a grin and giggled, "Itne purane zamane ke bhi nahin hain"

"He is a changed man now, God knows how", she chuckled rolling her eyes and continued, "So name also changed.

And she finally saved Asad's name as Mr. Khan.

On the same time, Asad too changed her name from Confusion Queen to Ms. Farooqui, and left Dilshad Construction for Khan Villa, while grabbing his coat from the chair.

Zoya was sliding her feet in her belly-shoes, when Dilshad noticed her.

"Are you going somewhere?", Dilshad asked.

"Yeah! Mr. Khan ne call ki thi. He is taking me somewhere.", Zoya informed her.

"Really, I can't believe this", Dilshad surprisingly said.

Zoya hummed and replied, "You know what? Even I'm surprised. Kal raat se Mr. Khan is behaving as he isn't the same Mr. Khan to whom we know"

"Hmmm! I too noticed that today. He is behaving different.", Dilshad replied.

"Different? He is behaving like an alien. Aap ko pata hai kal raat to guitar bajake gana ga rahe the", she shrugged and laughed.

But this statement of Zoya, took Dilshad's attention and she retorted back with disbelief, "Nahi Zoya, it isn't possible. Asad gaana...nahi, I think you've misunderstood"

Dilshad was shocked when she heard, that Asad was singing. He always used to sing; it was his only hobby but stopped when Aseemah expired. The only reason of blooming their feelings for each other, were the strings of guitar and the marvelous voice of his.

So Dilshad was highly astonished, but she came to her senses when Zoya continued herself.

"I'm not at all misunderstood. Maine dekha hai unhein gaate hue. By the way, it is the topic of being surprised but not shock. Phuppie!", Zoya teased her.

Dilshad nodded her head and to change the topic she asked, "Where- where are you both going?"

"Huh! Only Allah miyaan and your son know", she sighed and winked.

Both the ladies were oblivious, with the fact that on the main door someone was witnessing them, who was none other than Asad Ahmed Khan. 

He knew that his mother would have been astonished for sure, when Zoya informed her about singing. 

And he thought, "I've to discuss it with Ammi, but later"

He was staring at the floor when Zoya's eyes fell on him and she asked, "Phone par to mujhse keh rahe the time waste na karein. Now what happen?"

He nodded his head negatively and whispered, "Let's go"

"Okay", she replied.

And they both left, shocked Dilshad alone.

In the car, Asad was looking at the road and was driving carefully. Indeed, he was trying to change himself and living the life in today, instead of dragging it, but the nightmare to lose someone again, was still alive in his soul.

The silence was the only sound, which was witnessing them and finally, Zoya broke it, "Where are we going?"

"Roy Mansion!", he answered back.

"Waha kyu?", she asked crunching her brows.

He looked at her for a second and arched his brow to ask, "Why? Aapko apne abbu nahin dhoondhne"

She gulped down and replied, "Indeed! I want to find him."

"Then?", he asked and was again staring at the road.

"Bas main soch rahi thi ke kahin aur jaa rahe hain", she replied in low tone, as she was literally expecting this.

"And why were you thinking that", he laughed and stopped the car in the corner.

She pouted and answered, "Apko phone pe itni jaldi thi, jaise--", but she stopped herself in between.

He was looking at her pout and grinned, "Jaise?"

"Jaise...jaise koi date pe le ja rahe ho", she blushed and looked here and there.

"Oh! To apko date pe jana tha?", he asked playing with his lips and twisted them aside.

She blushed in crimson red and immediately answered, "Yes".

She bit her toungue when he popped his eyes and replied, "No"

"I mean...", she stopped herself and started looking here and there, blushing hardly, while he smirked.

He giggled and started driving again, "make-up jyada ho gaya aaj"

She smiled with a blush and hid her face in her palm and started looking outside from the window.

Asad parked the car, at a distance away from the Roy Mansion.

"Yaha kya milne wala hai ab?", Zoya asked confusingly.

"Hmm! Let's see", he simply replied.

She creased her brows when Asad ordered, "Aap rukiye! I'll be back in a while"

She nodded and observed that Asad was talking with someone but they weren't audible to her. She tried to hear them but get failed and finally, while hiding themselves they reach towards Zoya.

"Ye?", she asked Asad while pointing towards the man.

"He is the bushman of the bungalow. Prasad has searched from his sources that he and his generations have worked here", he introduced.

Zoya smiled and her eyes lightened as she has found her destination already, which didn't get unnoticed by Asad and he smiled peacefully. But then her smile vanished with a thought.

"What happen Ms. Farooqui?", he asked worriedly.

"Par isse humein abbu ka pata kaise--", she was trying to ask when he interrupted, "Chirag jalane ke liye ek chingari kaafi hoti hai", and smiled.

She nodded. Whereas the bushman informed, "My father worked for the previous two owners."

"Aap mere sath mere ghar chalein. I hope main apki kuch help kar pau", the bushman said with nobility.

Asad and Zoya reached the bushman's house in the old Bhopal. They entered inside and the bushman introduced them with his father, who was lying on his death bed.

"He is my father. Currently, he is struggling with his life but I still hope, maybe he can help you", he introduced with his father.

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A/N: I am not sure about your feedback for this chapter. Lets hope for the well. Please hit Like and post comments if you liked the update. If not, then all your criticisms are welcome with open arms.