Chapter 24

Zoya scrunched her brows in effort to see the stranger when she heard the mumbling sound from Asad's room.

But before she could understand anything that strange shadow of the person turned in front of the mirror which was showing its impression, Zoya's eyes popped out and the rod slipped from her hands which she took to beat the thief which forced Khan brothers to turn and look towards the window and all the three were shocked and numb.

Zoya was looking with questioning eyes at both the brother, she remembered that Ayaan called her Aseemah again and again in the shopping mall which she thought that might be a flirt loafer but no, today they were again under the same roof and that too in Asad's bedroom.

"He is the same guy who met me in the shopping mall and was calling me with a certain name again and again...ah what was that??", Zoya desperately started reminding the name and Asad closed his eyes as today he has nothing to hide.

Asad gulped down the fresh lump formed in his throat and she finally remembered that name, "yes...yes Aseemah...Aseemah was the name"

"But what is he doing here? Aap ise jante hain?", Zoya asked looking into Asad's eyes, he could clearly notice the questions in her puffy red eyes which were expecting the true and honest answer from him.

But Asad didn't has that strength to neither spill the truth out nor to hide it . She frowned and massaged it and completed herself in a single breath with stress and the height of confusion and a mystery, "Ye sab ho kya raha hai mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha. Koi mujhe nahi batata kya ho raha hai. Kyu? Ek ajnabi aata hai jo mujhe ek ajnabi naam se bulata hai...aur mujhe kuch samajh hi nahi ata. Aur aaj ye ajnabi mere samne hai phirse..."

"Mr. Khan! please tell me aap jante hain ise? Kaun hai ye aur kaun hai ye... Aseemah?", Zoya clutched her head in the height of mystery.

Asad now felt defeated and decided to reveal the truth of Aseemah, there was a huge stone on his chest of guilt to cheat a girl with keeping her away from one of the side of her life. So today he finally put his arms down and he opened his mouth looking at something but nothing.

"Ayaan! Mera bhai", he was not even blinking his eyes.

Zoya was amazed when she heard an unsaid and unrevealed flash of Asad's life, which slipped "Bhai?", from her lips. But Asad was not going to stop today, nothing could stop him here.

And he kept saying, "Haan Bhai! Nahi suna na iske bare mein kabhi? Yahan bhi nahi rehta. Kyuki ye..."

But he stopped, he was not able to reveal the reality of his so called father, Ayaan rubbed Asad's shoulder to give him support and took the command.

"Abbu ne Badi Ammi ko cheat kiya tha", Ayaan told looking on the floor at which Asad hid his tears and stepped towards the bed and get seated with a thud.

"Cheat?", Zoya asked.

"Hmm! He wanted money. He always wanted money. He left Badi Ammi for money, married my mother for money and keeping me away from my siblings for money", Ayaan uttered with the deep disgust and tears rolled down from his and Asad's eyes.

Zoya too couldn't control herself and opened her mouth with chocked throat, "I'm sorry!!", as she too loved her Phuppie and Najma. She didn't know the name of feeling which was developing inside her for Asad but, she indeed understood the feeling of being away from father, as she too was away from her father.

"You don't need to be Ms. Farooqui", Asad left the bed and stepped towards her.

"That's why he was here, to meet you?", Zoya guessed at which Asad blankly nodded his head in agreement.

"But why did he call me with that name?", Zoya amusingly asked in the left confusion.

"Because...", stopping himself between this he stepped towards his closet and Ayaan as well as Zoya noticed him taking out something from his closet but Ayaan was keen noticing that it was Aseemah's photograph so he immediately come in front of Zoya so she couldn't see the photo and spilled in a single breath.

"Because...because meri adat hai main har ladki ko kisi na kisi naam se bula hi leta hoon...just to impress her you know", and he winked while giggling falsely.

At which Zoya mumbled, "That means my guess was right about you? You are a loafer?"

Asad has now realized that Ayaan has changed the card before he could take out Aseemah's photograph and shockingly, he turned to look at Ayaan who has done this.

"Ayaan mujhe bolne do...main", but before Asad could complete himself Ayaan interrupted, "Sorry Bhai maaf kar do mujhe thodi na pata tha ye yaha guest hain"

Asad again tried to argue but Ayaan again flipped it, "I know Bhaijaan you hate this behavior but...", he turned to look at Zoya and winked, "But kya karu Oh lady main hoon adat se majboor"

At which Zoya giggled, "You're hopeless...but not that bad", and smiled.

"And Mr. Khan aap bhi na wo actually main hi lage rehte hain learn something from him, loafer hai but express to kar deta hai", and chuckled looking at Asad at which Ayaan opened his mouth in a O shape.

"Loafer again?", Ayaan pouted.

"It suits you a lot", she laughed and left the room bidding both of them a goodnight to take some rest as she was too tired after all the whole day was like a roller-coaster ride to her.

She turned to left from the gate and Ayaan took a sigh of relief but she again turned to look at them and asked, "Par tumne Mr. Khan ko mujhe kya batane ke liye kaha tha?"

The unexpected question bombarded at Ayaan but he managed to reply in few seconds, "Yahi ke wo gadha main hi tha jo mall main ...mall main mila tha"

"Oh!!", she replied and while laughing she left finally at which Ayaan took a deep sigh of relief.

Asad who hasn't understood what has happened in seconds was standing numb but came to reality when Ayaan shrugged his shoulder.

"Huh...Ayaan what the hell was this?", Asad clenched his jaw.

"Bhai you were going to tell everything to her about Aseemah and ...and you weren't even sure about it", Ayaan argued which took both of them to few minutes back before Zoya's arrival in the room.

"Ayaan tum?", Asad asked.

"Wo neend nahi aa rahi thi...apko bhi to nahi aa rahi na.", he said and asked at the same time at which Assad nodded his head in affirmation and took steps forward, his back was at window.

Ayaan followed him and asked, "I was worried about...but aap ko nind kyu nahi aa rahi"

"Pata nahi", Asad could only reply this.

"Bhai humesha khud se jhoot bolna zaroori nahi hai...you know why are you not sleeping", Ayaan retorted back immediately resting his hand on his shoulder.

"Ayaan!!...Jante ho jab wo mujhe dekhti hai to main ... main ek cheater jaisa kyun feel karta hoon", he replied closing his eyes tightly.

"Kyu", Ayaan asked immediately.

Asad closed his eyes tightly and spilled out, "Because I've hide Aseemah's truth from her aur maine aaj tak kisi se kuch nahi chupaya"

"Heheh! shayad kuch alag hai wo aapke lie...kisi se bhi...islie?", Ayaan tried to explain Asad.

"Ayaan please...meri life mein...", Ayaan interrupted in between, "...Aseemah ki jagah koi nahi le sakta?"

"Indeed! She is special to you...par uski bhi apni jagah hai Bhai...wo bana rahi hai and I can see that", Ayaan said this on Asad's face.

Asad closed his eyes tightly and clenched his jaw, "Ayaan please bakwas band karo!"

"Then why you're in dilemma?", Ayaan changed the topic as he knew his stubborn brother wouldn't accept it in front of anyone.

"Main nahi janta use batana chahiye ya nahi...kabhi lagta hai bataunga to wo hurt hogi kyuki koi thi jo uske jesi lagti thi or wo use janna chahegi...aur kabhi lagta hai ke nahi bataunga to shayad ...shayad wo aur jyada hurt hogi I'm in dilemma...I'm", Asad spilled out in a single breath.

"Aur phir jabse wo yaha hai problem mein hai...aur aaj aaj agar use bataya to...", Asad stopped while saying and looked at Ayaan who was aghast when he saw Zoya there with questioning eyes.

The waving storm broke the vase which fell on the floor with a thud sound , bringing them back into the reality.

"You only said na that from the day she came here, she has always been in trouble...aur aaj jo hua wo maine bhi dekha hai...I don't know wo kaise react karti", Ayaan argued with his logic.

"You're right aaj sahi waqt nahi tha...she has just managed herself ...abhi batata to pata nahi...", Asad stopped while saying being highly dilemma-tic.

"Exactly!! Main chalta hoon Allah Hafiz", Ayaan bid a good bye to Asad at which he responded back after which Ayaan jumped out from the window.

But before leaving Ayaan thought in his mind, "Perhaps I was selfish by not letting her know everything about Aseemah, but when I saw you both together in the park...the way you were handling her...Mene aapke andar wo dekha jo kisi ke liye nahi tha shayad Aseemah ke liye bhi nahi...aur ye maine apke liye kiya"

"Aur wo...she was also so reliable on you jaise aap hi hai jo usey sambhal sakte hain...only you. Kuch hai aap dono ke andar jo meri ankhe dekh sakti hai but not you too...", he continued himself while walking out.

He took a deep sigh, "Aur ye mene un feelings ke liye kiya jo main aaj apke andar dekhi Zoya keliye...jo kisi ke liye kabhi nahi thi... Aseemah ke liye bhi nahi."

He jumped in his car, "Aaj aap dono emotionally bahut attached they...apne use abhi tak kuch nahi bataya...ap sure bhi nahi hai...i don't know woh kese react karti...At least aaj."

"Aur aap kitna bhi mana kare...wo apke liye aur aap uske liye kuch se bahut jyada hai", he finally ended himself and drove off.

~~**~~

Zoya was tossing on her bed, trying to sleep at the late hour of night but the slumber wasn't in her eyes. She tried a lot but couldn't manage herself to sleep so she get up on her knees and took a glance over the wall clock, it was 1 in the night but she wasn't feeling sleepy at all.

She bit her lower lip and snatched her pillow on her lap and leaned her head on the bed rest and gets seated folding her legs across.

"Neend nahi aa rahi", she disappointingly said and took her steps forward to the window looking for her best companion the half moon, but it wasn't there as the crescent moon was in the way and Ramadan were coming after 4 to 5 days as per the wish of the moon.

But the stars were twinkling in the sky, as someone has stud diamonds in a beautiful black dupatta which has endless and indefinite length and has beautified it on the head of the whole world, naming it as sky of the moonless night.

She took a deep sigh and looked above at the sky, "You aren't there my best friend but you know what...wherever you are, I want to share something with you as you haven't witnessed it."

On the other side, Asad was also in a dilemma to tell Zoya about Aseemah or not but now he has decided to tell her as he now believe that it would be injustice with Zoya to let her be unaware with the fact that there was a girl who has a similar face like her, just like her mirror.

But the supreme problem for him was how to tell her about this as he has previously hid about Aseemah to due to the hatred, which was only because she was Xerox of Aseemah but still in nature opposite to her, according to him but his opinion about her has started changing for her, day-by-day.

And now he was repeating his own deed, "I should've told her about Aseemah"

"I did a mistake which is not just a mistake and that's why I'm in dilemma to how to tell her.", he rested his head on the headboard of the bed and keeping the duvet aside he left the bed and reached his window.

"My friend why aren't you there? Tell me na how to tell her...pleasse", he insisted the moon that was behind the clouds as he was ire with Asad.

Asad licked his lips and took a deep sigh, "Ab kuch bhi ho jaye, ye baat batani hai mujhe Zoya ko...", and he paused at Zoya as this was one of the rare of the rarest time when he called her Zoya instead of Ms. Farooqui.

While folding her arms on her chest she continued herself, "Today was the rollercoaster ride, I wonder, ek hi din mein itna sab kaise ho sakta hai...from bribe to molestation then Mr. Khan ka...", she was continuing herself in a single breath but stopped when Asad's mention came.

This name Asad Ahmed Khan took her to the whole day, the way he came running in her concern and handled her as if no one in the world could do it. She got a comfort, crying on his shoulder and felt secure in his arms. She was broken mentally and emotionally because she has faced the whole scenario first in the whole lifetime that too in an alien country, where she born but not lived her whole life, any girl could've broken but the way Asad supported her and became her strength was something which no one has done before.

And the most important aspect which amazed her was about her only. She declared in front of the whole Khan Family that she will never take Asad's help but when she really needed someone who could give her strength in that dilemma, she automatically dialed Asad's number as she knew that only he could only give her support and save her from any negativity.

Asad scrunched his brows when he remembered his journey with Zoya from day1 to today where he was standing, he again looked for the moon but the curious man has forgotten that the Moon is not going to show his face to him. He was remembering the whole day and realized that he has never supported and cared for anyone like this before and has never stood like a pillar for anyone. He has become a wall through which no pain or wounds could pass and touch her and he has never did this for anyone except his family, not even to whom he loved, Aseemah...not even for her, then why Zoya.

He was so engrossed in this question that didn't even realize when the stars get invisible in the smoke and fog and the clouds growled to take him back. Growled back at him

"Allah why did I ran to support why?", and again started searching for the stars and moon but except black clouds there was nothing.

She was leaning outside from the window as the stars have also become faded due to smoke and clouds but she knew her Allah is there for her.

"Allah! why did I called him? He's never been important to me or even I can't expect support from...not at least him, then why did I called him?", she frowned looking with questioning eyes towards the sky.

"I and especially he don't like me from the day 1 then why did I call him and why did he came and supported me as...as someone has...has gave pain to him not me", she stopped in between of the whole line.

She closed her eyes tightly and opening them asked to herself, "Mujhe us waqt aise kyu laga ke wo hi mujhe sambhal sakte hain...aur unhone sambhala bhi"

"Kyu use pain mein dekhke aise laga jaise kisine mujhe hurt kiya hai...iss had tak jitna main kabhi nahi hua...kabhi nahi", he looked toward the roof and closed his eyes with shivering lips.

He clenched his jaw and fisted his palms, "Aise kyu laga jaise us admi ki jaan lelu jisne use hurt kiya is had tak...jaise mujhe chot pahunchayi usne kyu?"

A tear droplet fell from her eyes and destined to the back of her palm which were resting on the window sill, "Aaj jo hua bahut painful tha mere lie, but he handled me and I...I became a bit normal...itna ke has sakti hoon main"

"Unhone koi rule nahi toda par phir bhi us officer ko jail bheja...to suffer for what he did", she frowned and continued, "Kuch alag hai unme...bahut alag"

"The one who almost hated me, the man who uses to get angry at me...jise meri koi baat pasand nahi as he hate each and every aspect which I've ... Wo mujhe itni acchi tarah kaise sambhal sakta hai and why", she questioningly looked at the sky and keep asking as till the time she will not get her answers she will continue it.

Zoya's memory lane took her to the day 1, she met Asad near a dessert like area of the city to the shock they both got knowing that they are going to live under a same roof to the truce and then to the song he sung for her to let her forget her pain and helped in finding her abbu then he blasted at her when she entered in his room in search of the picture and today the way he handled her like someone has pierced a knife in him.

"From my dressing sense to my edible habits and my constant chatter, he doesn't like anything about me, in fact he never wanted me to live under a same roof with him and on the top of that he always used to scream and yell at me at such a small and meaningless points then ...then why did he came and supported me...Why Allah? Kyuki unhe...", she stopped while talking to God in a single breath.

And she continued after taking a breath, "Because unhe koi zaroorat nahi thi, unhone kabhi mujhe pasand hi nahi kiya as person...wo humesha keh sakte the...Ms. Farooqui you've gave birth to this problem...but he didn't. Why?", she completed with the fact.

"Why did I thought that she needed me and why did she needed me...wo bhi to...kyu use sukoon mil raha tha mere sahare se kyu? To cry on my shoulder gave her peace why? Why I was securing her from everything and why SHE was feeling safe?", he rested his head on the wall whereas his bleeding hand dropped the blood on floor constantly.

"You know what? I always show that I'm so strong, but I'm not, when I'm in danger I need someone who is close to me and today I needed him?", she quizzically asked about herself.

"Kya wo sach mein mere close hain...haan to kyu? Aur na to phir maine unhe kyu bulaya...Answer me na please!", she requested innocently to Allah.

And she again rememorized the way he supported her, "Perhaps, he might not be close to me...par kuch to hain wo mere liye", and she bit her lower lip and smiled.

"Par kya?", she scrunched her brows and pressed her lips in thin line and took her seat on the window sill and started searching her answer in the past days memories. A smile automatically embraced her and she jumped from the window sill.

She chirped and commented, "Do you know what? If my bestessst friend would be here wo zaroor mujhe answer karta...my best companion", she winked and with smile she continued herself, "Aura ab to wo sirf chand raat ko ayega Ramdaan ki pehli raat...shayad tab mujhe mere answers mil jayein", and smiled more widely and threw herself on the bed flatly.

And the slumber caught Zoya and Asad even they didn't know when.

In the morning, the sunrays beamed on an innocent face and disturbed her, Zoya rubbed her eyes with her fists and tiptoed to the washroom to get freshen up but she stopped in her tracks. She thought something in her mind and pressing her lips and then arrived for where she has started walking and entered the washroom.

Dilshad and Zoya were talking about something in her room when Asad passed the room but stopped in his tracks, to see the two beautiful ladies in front of him seating, chatting and having fun.

"Ye to bahut accha khayal hai Dargah jana chahti ho to sochna nahi chahiye. Bas chale jana chahiye", Dilshad patted Zoya's cheek.

Zoya nodded her head in agreement but stopped in between, "Yeah! But Phoopie...Mujhe Mr. ...", when she was about to say Mr.Khan her gaze fell on him who was standing there only and witnessing them.

When Zoya's gaze fell on Asad, Dilshad automatically looked at the person to whom she was gazing and it was his son, being oblivious with the fact about the yesterday's misbehave done by a government officer to Zoya and the way Asad supported her in this Dilshad pressed her lips and tried to patch them up at least in normal behavior.

She indicated Asad to come inside and ordered, "Asad! Zoya Ziyarat ke lie Dargah jana chahti hai tum use le jao"

Assad pressed his lips and thought as if Allah is welcoming him to the Dargah to let him pray for giving him strength to tell Zoya about Aseemah and he nodded in agreement, "Ji Ammi!!"

Dilshad smiled at Zoya who responded back and replied, "I'll be back in few minutes, just wanna change...I'll not take much time", and saying that she left.

Few Minutes Later, Zoya came out wearing a white Pakistani chudidar suit with a pair of pearl and gold studs & left her hairs open on both of her shoulders.





Zoya's Dress

Zoya's Earrings

Dheemi Dheemi Anch Pe Jaise,
Dheere Dheere Jalta hai yeh dil,
Bekaraari Kyun hai, Yeh Khumari Kyun hai,
Awargi Kyun hai har mod par...

Asad couldn't take his eyes off from her; in fact he couldn't even blink his eyelashes and let himself lost in her. Zoya who was talking to Najma couldn't notice the way he was starring her but when Dilshad kissed her forehead at which she responded her with a hug her eyes fell on him.

He was starring her like hell but it wasn't his fault, she was looking so adorable the way she has taken her dupatta on the left shoulder and adored the dress, her beauty was reflecting in her simplicity and her angelic face. The big doe shaped eyes, rosy lips and the aroma she has in herself.

She was witnessing all this but he was so lost in her that couldn't even realize that she has caught him but when she started stepping forward to him, he blink his eyelashes umpteenth time and started looking here and there but his eyes always find the way to look her once whether by cheating her or let her noticing it.

Asad was driving but his mind was still stuck in Zoya and how to tell her truth as he didn't have that strength to tell her. But today, when he saw her she mesmerized him, but why was the biggest question for him.

Whereas, Zoya who was constantly gazing Asad with the corner of her eyes and a light smile was amazed that why he felt a magnetic attraction from her as well as she.

"I didn't felt that before for him then why I am feeling something strange for him?", she asked herself and answered as well, "Idiot hoon main kuch bhi sochti hoon islie"

She automatically flowed with the time when they were much more than enemies and now he was supporting her. His shoulder gives her support and peace, something ...may be everything has changed, she thought and smiled looking at him when he opened the door and offered the hand to let her get off from the seat and she gave her hand in his.

Asad said her to step forward, meanwhile he will come after buying the flowers and chadar to offer their prayers to Allah. She nodded her head positively and smiled. She was going forward when Asad tied his handkerchief on his head and asked the shopkeeper for the chadar and she looked back while adjusting her dupatta and looked back at him, she took few steps just looking at him and then turned to look forward and started draping her dupatta on her head.

Asad bought the chadar and took the plat of offering to god in hands and looked on the track where Zoya neatly draped her dupatta and kept going on her way at which he looked on the sky and finally followed her.

Inside the Dargah, Asad and Zoya both kneeled down on the mat and closed their eyes and cupped their hands in the position of prayer.

"Ya Allah! Kitna ajeeb ittefaq hai...maine Zoya ko sabse pehle Dargah mein hi dekha tha, kya ye aapka koi ishara hai...agar haan to mujhe himmat dein ki main Zoya ko sach bata saku aur...", Asad stopped in between whereas Zoya too was praying for herself.

"Ittefaq bhi to ittefaq se nahi hote na kya ishara hai aapka...aur ye sab jo mere sath ho raha hai...kyun main Mr. Khan ke liye pehli baar kuch alag mehsoos kar rahi hoon aur kya hai?", Zoya asked and pressed her lips in thin line.

Asad continued himself on the same time, "Aur ye jo ajeeb ehsaas mere andar aa rahe hain ye badlav kya hai ye sab main ... Mere maula meri madad karna"

"Aap meri madad karenge na Allah"

They prayed and caressed their hands when they finish with themselves and this was the time to clothe the chadar to the almighty. They both came together and the saint blessed both of them with his broom when they were clothing it.

And he blessed them, "Allah tum dono ko humesha aise hi sath rakhe"

Both, Asad and Zoya were more than amazed they were shocked when Asad tried to object, "Aap galat samajh rahe hain...", but the saint interrupted, "Khuda ke darbaar mein kuch sahi galat nahi hota...bas wahi hota hai jo uparwala chahta hai...nahi to ye chadar tum dono ek sath nahi udhate baba ko", they looked at their hands when they were completed and left they prayed and left in the opposite directions.

Zoya and Asad, both reached the holy wall to tie the strings on the opposite sides of walls coincidentally to pray and tie the strings on the wall loops so their wish fulfill.

"Ya Allah mujhe mere sawalon ka jawab dena...Kya hai wo Mere liye", the both prayed together referring WO to each other and tied the string when their hands touched they felt a familiar feeling.

But they again concentrated on their prayer and rested their head on the wall and closed their eyes and again left for the parking lot from the opposite directions.

Asad was inside the car and taking it out when Zoya came outside and jumped inside the car by herself and tied her seat belt. Her head was still covered with her dupatta so from a distance it was impossible to trace her face out, clearly but nothing can hid from the eyes of an eagle and the eagle was back again...

...THE END...




A/N: Dear Readers!!

Really Very sorry for the progressively gap in updating the story but believe it wasn't in my hands...


I've been busy in something and got stuck to it exams, function and so on... but still I promise to take out some time to update the story as soon as possible.


Please Do Hit LIKE and leave your reviews in the form of COMMENTS it will mean a lot to me ...

Plus the most IMP point, this update is for all of you who have waited for the update so Looong...

So!!

Aaj Ki Part Meri Taraf Se 🥳

Aditi 😊