Chapter 20
"Ammi!", Asad broke down and hid himself in the warmth of his mother's arms and kept crying.
Dilshad's eyes were moist but she calmed herself down and consoled her son, "Ssh! It's okay Asad"
Asad parted from Dilshad and asked looking into her moist eyes, "Have I never lost anyone ammi?"
A tear drop from her eyes and she sat beside him and whispered, "Asad!"
"Please Ammi tell me, maine kabhi kisi ko nahi khoya?", Asad asked in tears.
The fresh tears started flowing from her eyes but she quickly wiped them to hide them from Asad.
"Asad! Is duniya mein aisa koi nahi jisne kabhi kisi ko nahi khoya. Har kisi ko muqqamal jahan nahin milta", Dilshad tried to explain him.
A lone tear fell down from his eyes when Dilshad gulped and whispered, "Why don't you let Zoya know about Ase-Aseemah"
Asad tilted his head up and looked into his mother's eyes with amusement, "I can't"
"Why can't you Asad?", Dilshad asked cupping his face.
"How can I ammi, that girl is already dealing with a riddle about her own identity, and how can increase her riddle about letting her know about Asee--", Asad started expressing his reason in a flow but stopped at Aseemah's name.
"Ms. Farooqui ko agar maine Aseemah ke bare mein bataya to wo zaroor janna chahengi ki...ki wo bilkul unke jaisi kyu lagti thi, aur apni problems badhayengi, aur aisa", Asad completed his reasons and stopped but with a pause of second he continued himself, "---aisa main nahi chahta"
Dilshad wrapped Asad in his arms to engulf and caress his back to console him and closed her eyes to pray for her children including Zoya.
She opened her eyes and pressed her lips as she was satisfied with the fact that Asad was changing and was thinking positive for Zoya without realizing it, she prayed that Asad will realize soon, his pure and unconditional feelings for Zoya, which were unnamed.
Few Hours Later, Zoya was sitting hugging her knees. Her tears were rolling down on her cheeks. She has asked for some alone time from Dilshad and Najma.
"What does he think of himself, wo kuch bhi kahenge aur main sun lungi?", Zoya gasped and wipe her fresh tears rolling down on her cheek with her back of palm.
She pressed her lips tightly and thought, "No Mr. Khan you are wrong, I'm not among those who can bear your harsh words"
Zoya gulped down the fresh saliva formed in her throat and tear droplet fell from her eyes, "But You didn't deserve that reply Mr. Khan"
She closed her eyes and tears rolled down her cheek, "But why am I regretting"
She rolled her eyes in search of her reason of being regretted after stating that he hasn't lost someone. She creased her perfectly shaped brows and mumbled, "You were really cruel to me since the first day in house, but I never felt bad as I was habitual of your comments and harsh behavior, but today why...today was different?"
Zoya shuffled her hairs and cupped her mouth, "Why am I getting hurt after all you were always like this since forever?"
"Why am I regretting for m-my comment? Why?", she kept chanting and rested her head on the bedside and tears rolled down on her pale cheeks.
In the evening, Dilshad and Najma were having tea in the room, as Zoya wanted to be alone.
Najma took a sip from her cup when her phone rang, which she picked up as it was from her best friend Hina.
"Hi Hina!!", Najma whispered to greet her.
"Hey! You are sounding low, are you okay?", Hina concerned for her.
Najma curved her lips in a light smile as she was showing her smile to her friend and replied, "Yeah!! Everything is alright"
And immediately Najma changed the topic, "Tell me about you"
"I'm also good. How is Khala and Asad Bhai?", Hina asked cheekily.
"Sab thik hai", Najma answered and continued herself, "Haal chaal ho gaya ho to topic pe aao", and giggled.
The chatterbox Hina bit her lower lips and excitedly laughed, "Hahah! You know me very well haan?"
Before Najma could reply Hina continued herself, "You know what? We have just come after watching Dhoom 3"
Najma said, "That's good"
"Yeah!! It is. The movie was fab, and Amir uska to koi jawab hi nahi", Hina excitedly jump.
"Accha!!", Najma was avoiding her blabber when Hina crossed the limits and spilled all the beans out of the suspense from her stomach, "Haan Amir has played double role of twin brothers, amazing movie it was"
Najma couldn't pay attention on her blabber and excused to disconnect the call, "Ah!! Hina I think, I've left the milk bowl on the stove, and I'll call you later okay, bye!!"
And she immediately disconnected the call and sighed.
Dilshad who was noticing all this opened her mouth in O shape and said, "Liar!!"
"Ammi!! Bakwas kar rahi thi total, meri sari chai bhi thandi ho gayi, dobara banani padegi", Najma pouted and left for the kitchen.
~~**~~
Asad was sitting on his bead resting his head on the headboard of the bed and was guilty about the past few hours. This was the first time when he didn't want to hurt her, but he did so she couldn't get hurt more.
He gulped fresh saliva formed in his throat and his mind was laughing on his irony as Zoya was merely few feet away from his room to her but he couldn't was that he could neither even apologize for the umpteenth time nor discuss about his reasons.
Asad caressed his aching temples and step out of the room to have a mug of coffee. He didn't want to disturb anyone so he decided to make it by himself.
He was staring at the floor and shifted his eyes towards the kitchen platform where Zoya was pouring coffee in her mug. Her pale face, red puffy eyes and the lines of tears were not get ignored by him.
Zoya was about to lift her eyes up from the platform but before her eyes could fell on him, he hid behind the pillar, so she couldn't notice him.
When she left the spot he looked at her till his eyes could follow him. He was guilty to this extent that he couldn't even manage to show his face to her and departed towards Dilshad's Room so he can ask for a mug of coffee to her instead of facing Zoya.
~~**~~
"Huh! Now I'm feeling a bit relaxed!! Nahi to Hina ne sar mein dard kara diya tha", Najma sulked while putting her cup of tea on the table.
"Aise nahi bolte", Dilshad glared at Najma at which she mouthed a sorry.
Whereas, Dilshad was lost in her dilemma, for her both Asad and Zoya were right at their points, and she couldn't chose one of them to minimize the distance of thoughts and opinions. Dilshad closed her eyes tightly and prayed, "Yaallah! Koi to rasta hoga jo sab thik karde"
"Kya hua Ammi! Subah ke lie abhi tak pareshan hain?", Najma's question took Dilshad into her senses with a jerk.
At which Dilshad nodded in agreement and sighed out and tried to forget the incident for sometime while engrossing herself in some usual talks.
"Hina kya keh rahi thi?", Dilshad searched the topic to start and asked.
"Do you really wanna discuss that?", Najma surprisingly asked.
Dilshad laughed a bit at her daughter's expressions and said, "Hahah!! Yeah!"
"Ammi aap bhi na!! she has watched Dhoom 3 few hours back bas usi ki story suna rahi thi", Najma replied shrugging her head.
"Hmmm!!", Dilshad mocked.
"Haan! I mean who spill out the beans of suspense of a movie, that--", Najma started with a velocity of train but immediately stopped with a jerk.
At which, Dilshad caressed her brows and asked, "That?"
Najma was still for a second just like a lifeless stone but Dilshad kept her hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"What happen?", Dilshad asked.
"Ammi! Can I share something?", Najma asked licking her lips.
Dilshad closed her eyes and said, "Of course baccha you can", and she cupped her face.
Najma gulped the fresh lump formed in her throat and asked, "What if-if Aseemah and Zoya are related?"
Dilshad alerted at her question but couldn't answer her.
Najma held her mother's palm but before she could say anything her eyes popped when she noticed Asad witnessing all this.
"Bh-Bhai wo main", Najma trembled and stuttered as she assumed that she will witness her brother's anger.
Asad arched his brow and asked, "What do you want to say?"
Najma gulped and closed her eyes and spilled out in a single breath, "I'm saying that, Aseemah and Zoya are Xerox copy, it might be possible that she is related to Aseemah after all she doesn't know about herself"
"What if they are look alike, it doesn't make any sense that they are related", Asad replied after a huge battle of his mind and heart. His mind was in Najma's favor but the heart wasn't trying to accept that and at last he chose his heart.
But Dilshad's retorted him back which was in his mind's favor, "It does make sense Asad"
He was praying to the Allah that she couldn't relate Aseemah otherwise his old wounds will racked again.
Dilshad tried to calm him down and continued herself, "Asad! What if they do relate each other?"
"But I can't let her know about Aseemah. You know na I ammi, how curious she is And this time she will have a valid reason", Asad tried to make her understand.
Dilshad nodded her head in agreement but Asad continued himself which shocked the mother-daughter duo, "Aseemah ka naam is ghar mein ab koi nahi lega"
"Ye tum keh rahe ho", Dilshad shockingly asked.
Asad shifted his eyes from the floor and looked into hers, "Yeah! I'm saying", and in this process a tear drop destined to the floor from his eyes.
"I don't want her to get hurt more, because I think they don't relate", Asad confidently continued.
Dilshad giggled with amusement and asked, "How can you say that?"
"I'm not saying, bas chahta hoon", he replied shifting his eyes and turned.
He gulped down and continued, "I've to find her abbu, for her and...", he stopped and continued himself after a pause, "and me!"
And he marched from the spot wiping the fresh tears formed in his eyes.
"Ya Allah!! Please help my children", Dilshad prayed to Allah in tears, looking at the skies and Najma caressed her palm in support.
~~**~~
In the Night, Zoya was sitting on her favorite area of the Khan Villa, the backyard bench. She was kept staring at the stars with moist eyes as she was sharing her pain with the stars. But the twinkle of infinite stars and the beauty of the moon weren't even enough to forget her the harsh words said by Asad.
The pictures of their harmony started revolving in his mind, from the day they met, to her entrance in the house. Their nok-jhok to the harsh words for each other. the way he sang a song to wound her pain, he as helping her in search of his abbu and the way he console her after knowing a bit of truth of the Haveli.
The sudden change in him and then coming to the square one wasn't shocking for her but heart-breaking.
She thought in a chocked throat, "I th-thought you have changed after knowing my truth, but no you can never change"
A lone tear fell from her eye and she too didn't wipe it.
"Why do you do this to me Mr. Khan. I've never get hurt to this extent in this time span", She whispered in her mind.
"But why today...why did I felt guilty to be harsh with you and get hurt because-because you were harsh to me? Why Allah Miyan please answer me", She kept chanting and rested her head on the bench, but the tears kept rolling from her eyes with the increase intensity of the questions.
Zoya was all alone in the backyard, but she was not at all aware with the fact that someone was witnessing her, Asad who was staring her with moist eyes.
"I am sorry Zoya!!", he mumbled in his mind. This was the first time when he called her by her first name instead of Ms. Farooqui, even he didn't know the reason.
"But I promise, I will find your abbu soon", he stated as he was promising this with her and she was listening to him.
And he kept looking her to the eternity, without removing his eyes, and rested his head on the nearby wall.
Few Minutes later, something took Asad back from his slumber and caressed his face. He shifted his eyes to examine about Zoya, who has already slept while crying on the bench.
Asad caressed his arms with the cold breeze and immediately took his steps forward in her direction. He carefully scooped her in his arms, so she couldn't disturb in her sleep and took her to her room.
He carefully opened the door, so it couldn't make noise and gently laid her down on the bed. He covered her in the blanket with one hand and was about to take his another hand from beneath her head, her hair strand fell on her face.
He gently removed it from her face and she while taking a turn, rested her hand on his, being unaware. He was completely lost in her innocent child-like face and his lips curved into a smile but after a few seconds he realized about the similarity of hers and Aseemah's face.
Asad immediately but carefully removed his hand from her hold and left her room without making noise.
for being sooo late. Thank you so much to the new readers to follow the story 
As well as the old readers for being active here specially the friendship band Gang 
Plus my other friends and readers hope I don't need to mention the name 
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