Chapter 19

"Nothing can harm me, Najma. Nothing," Zoya said. She looked around the room in hopes of spotting him.

"He's in his room, Zoya," Dilshad said, knowing exactly who she was looking for. Zoya's face fell and she folded her hands in her lap.

"Zoya, what's happening? Why is Asad so angry with you? And what's the whole thing with the murderer?" Dilshad asked gently patting Zoya's head. Zoya looked up at the inquisitive faces of Dilshad and Najma. Sighing deeply, she told them everything.

"WHAT?!?" Najma and Dilshad screamed in shock when Zoya finished telling them what happened.

"No, I refuse to believe it," Najma said covering her ears and shaking her head.

"But Zoya, how..." Dilshad trailed off not knowing what to say. Zoya shook her head looking defeated.

"It's done Phuppi. The evidence against me is too solid. It will take only a few days before Mr. Khan decides to send me away," Zoya said sadly. Dilshad wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Zoya, Tanveer may have trapped Asad, but she hasn't trapped me," Dilshad said firmly. Zoya looked up at her in surprise.

"You believe me?" She asked incredulously.

"Of course I do, Zoya. You may be wild and obnoxious, but you simply cannot hurt anyone," Dilshad said, "As for Tanveer, I've already told you about my doubts about her. They still stand and are now confirmed."

Zoya hugged Dilshad tightly and leaned back with a smile on her face; it took only a few seconds before the smile vanished.

"What happened, Zoya?" Najma asked.

"Najma, Mr. Khan hates me now. What am I supposed to do?" Zoya asked quietly. Najma looked at Dilshad and then at Zoya.

"We'll think of something," Najma said softly. The Khan women hugged Zoya tightly and Zoya felt the familiar feeling of home surround her.

* * * * *

"Tanu, I don't want to eat," Asad said as Tanveer practically tackled him onto the chair for breakfast the next day.

"You have to eat something," she said, shaking her head.

"Has Zoya eaten?" He asked, before cringing at the look she gave him.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to think about her anymore?" Tanveer asked exasperated. Asad mumbled something under his breath, which sounded oddly a lot like "Twice". Tanveer narrowed her eyes at him and served him his food.

"Jammy," she said placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know you are worried and angry. But you can't keep doing this to yourself. Zoya has done something wrong and she needs to pay for it. Everyone needs to pay for their dirty deeds some time or another," Tanveer said softly. Asad squeezed her hand and smile weakly at her.

"You're right. I don't know what I'd do without you, Tanu," Asad said thankfully. Tanveer smiled brightly at him and patted his hand.

"You probably would've been stuck deciding between jam or butter," she said. Asad smiled at her before his face fell. Tanveer turned to see Najma and Dilshad helping Zoya down the stairs.

Zoya was extremely pale and her face contorted in pain with every step she took. Her head was spinning but she knew she had to walk around. The doctor had told her to walk as much as she could, but as soon as she got up from the bed, her head started to spin like a top. Had Najma and Dilshad not been there, she would've fainted then and there. The back of her head was still sore with several bolts of pain running through her occasionally.

"Sit Zoya," Dilshad said helping her sit. Zoya ignored Asad with all her might, refusing to look at him. Over the course of the night, her pain at his lack of faith in her had turned to anger. She had felt so cheap after realising that she had slept with him and yet he still didn't trust her. So used. It was then she made up her mind that she would not make that same mistake again.

"Zoya, toast?" Najma asked. Zoya nodded and reached out a shaky hand to pick up the glass of fresh orange juice Dilshad had placed in front of her. She could feel eyes on her but she ignored them. When Zoya took the first bite of her toast she became aware of the sweet and tangy flavour of the strawberry jam that had been spread onto the toast. Her eyes automatically flew to him as he sat there looking at his plate.

"Zoya," Dilshad said sharply. Zoya's eyes snapped towards her own plate and she finished her breakfast in silence.

Asad watched her eat from the corner of his eye. He felt both anger and sympathy for her, but his sympathy was winning by a mile. Every time a crease of pain would form on her forehead, a strong urge to take her in his arms and kiss it away took over him, his fist clenching to keep him steady.

Tanveer's eyes narrowed when his fists clenched and darted towards the raven-haired woman sitting across from her. Anger bubbled inside of her and she reached out to take Asad's hand, smiling triumphantly when Zoya's eyes snapped to their clasped hands. Her grin widened when she felt Asad squeezed her hand in response before he stood up and left.

Zoya had seen the entire exchange and she felt sick to her stomach. Her spinning head and her suddenly sick stomach weren't helping at all and suddenly she felt her freshly consumed breakfast rising up.

"Phuppi," Zoya groaned before scrambling to her feet and hobbling to the nearest bathroom. Leaning over the toilet, she heaved her breakfast into the toilet seat. Beads of sweat pattered her forehead and her body started to shake violently. Warm hands touched her cold forehead and held her hair back as she heaved. After a few minutes, Zoya sunk to the ground. The warm hand left her forehead and flushed the toilet before closing the lid.

"Zoya," the voice said. Zoya let Dilshad gently dab a wet towel against her forehead before helping her stand. Najma came to help and the two women helped Zoya to her room.

"Call the doctor, Najma," Dilshad said. Najma dialled the doctor's number and handed it to her.

Once on the phone, Dilshad told the doctor about the whole scenario that had taken place. He told her not to worry and said that Zoya should've been given something very light and easy to digest such as soup.

"Thank you, doctor," Dilshad said ending the call. She turned to the pale Zoya who looked just about ready to lose consciousness.

"Zoya, please stay awake. Let me get you some soup," Dilshad said warmly. Zoya groaned in pain and denial.

"I don't want to eat," she said.

"You have to, beta. I can't let you sleep on an empty stomach," Dilshad said.

"Najma, take care of her while I go make her soup," Dilshad said leaving the room.

The whole story that Zoya had told her was making no sense. As she put a saucepan on the stove, Dilshad couldn't help but wonder whether or not it would suffice to take Asad's view on the situation. But she didn't have to wonder long for the door to his room opened and out walked her son, looking gloomy and surly.

"Ammi, I'll head to the office now," Asad said upon spotting her.

"Okay," Dilshad responded.

He stopped in his tracks when the delicious aroma of chicken corn soup filled his nostrils. Asad took a few seconds to appreciate his mother's cooking as his mouth started to water.

"Soup?" Asad asked intrigued.

"Yes, Zoya vomited when she had the toast. I called the doctor and he told me she should've eaten something easy to digest rather than toast. That's why," Dilshad said as she added a pinch of salt to the pan, failing to notice how her son had gone still when she had mentioned about Zoya's decline in health.

"Ammi," Asad said quietly. Dilshad looked up from her task.

"Is she okay?" He asked hoarsely. Dilshad's smile faltered and she let out a deep sigh. That one sigh snapped him back to reality and Asad straightened up again.

"She's fine. But Asad," Dilshad said as he made a move to leave, "talk to her. Some of the biggest issues can be solved with talking."

"Not this one," he said darkly before leaving.