- Are the fathers jerks? Yes they are. Why? Coz they are selfish idiots too wound up in their own selves.
- Is Asad in love with Zoya? Maybe. I am not answering that just yet. But I did give you some clues. I needed to get that out of the way before it becomes obvious that Asad is also playing a game.
- I have been asked about the AsYa scenes. They will come when the time is right. Like the title suggests, this is a game being played out where there will be a final winner. In the game, so far Zoya and Asad are pawns. Are they players too? You will find out. But please do not expect romantic scenes. Their interactions will mostly happen in flashbacks.
- I can't think of anything else anymore.
Chapter 5:
-Same Day-
Somewhere in Bhopal -
Asad had left home and driven around town aimlessly. He had reached Moti Masjid at some point and decided to spend some time there. He prayed and then sat outside, busy in the retrospection of his life and most importantly everything that had happened during and leading up to this particular visit.
Asad's relation with his father had started deteriorating within a couple years of his leaving home. He had started realizing some bitter truths about his father and his life choices but what affected him the most was his father's unrepentant involvement in all sorts of shady business dealings that helped him amass wealth at a faster pace. However, it had gotten worse after he lost his ammi to cancer. Asad had spent that year, the year she was diagnosed, and eventually passed away, at home. It was Ammi's insistence that she would like to spend her last days with her son, a request that Rashid had eventually relented to. The tumor was detected too late and despite abbu's efforts for her treatment, she had not survived. At one point Abbu wanted to take her abroad for treatment, but she was too weak to travel. The thought that his Ammi was paying for the misdeeds of his father had found root in young Asad's mind and that feeling had only got firmer as he saw his mother suffer with the progression of the disease.
---Flashback #3---
-Khan Villa, January, 2005 -
The night before Ammi passed away, she had called Asad to her room. They had spent some time in each other's company talking about everything they could think of.
"Asad, agar main tumse kuch mangu to tum mujhe doge? [Asad, if I ask you for something, will you give it to?]" Ammi asked her, holding his hands in hers.
"Aap jo bhi chahti ho, mangiye. [Ask for whatever you want.]" Asad responded solemly. He did not know why his mother was in such a morose mood today.
"Mein chahti hoon ki tum mujhse ek wada karo. Mere jaane ke baad tum apne Abbu ka saath kabhi nahi chodoge. [I want you to make me a promise. Once I die, don't ever leave your father alone.]"
"Ammi, aap thik ho jayenge. [Ammi, you will get better]Why are you saying these things?" Asad interrupted her.
"Shh. Main jaanti hoon tum unse naraaz ho. Magar yeh ek ma apne bete se khairat maang rahi hai. Mein tumhari narazgi samjhti hoon, lekin bete woh mere shauhar hain aur mujhse jyada unhe aur koi nahi jaanta ya samjahta. Mein yeh yakeen se keh sakti hoon ki woh tumse and mujhse bepanah mohabbat karte hain. Aaj unho ne jo bhi mukaam haasil kiye hain, woh humein ek achi aur nayaab zindagi dene ke liye hi kiye hain. Haan shayad unke tarike galat hain, aur unke kuch faislon se hum dono khafah hain, lekin iska yeh matlab to nahi hai na ki hum unhe tanha karde? [I know you are upset with him. But as your mother, I am asking for this pittance. I can understand you, but he is my husband and no one knows and understands him better than me. I know for sure that he loves us both immensely. All that he has achieved in life, was all for us and to give us a better life. Yes his ways are incorrect and some of his decisions we do not agree with. But it's not right that we isolate him, is it?]" She made her son understand her point of view and also extracted the promise she desired.
---Flashback #3 Ends---
Asad had reluctantly agreed and given his word. His reasoning was that he would explain his point of view to his mother later, but he did not know that this was going to be the last conversation they would ever have. His Ammi never woke up the next morning.
And since that day he had grudgingly stood by his father, but from a distance. His immediately decided to go to London after his board exams in a couple of years. On graduating he wanted to settle down there, but his obligations compelled him to come back. He chose to settle own in Mumbai instead of Bhopal.
He hated his father. He hated his father for everything that had happened to him and now he hated him even more. His games were sickening and the empty threats of disinheriting him were just that, a game. He knew that his father would do no such thing and had it not been for the promise to his dying mother, he would have happily left his father behind a long time ago.
During this rough year in his life, Zoya had been his pillar of support. They had attended the same school, and being seen together there was risqu, but their secret meetings had continued. The day his mother had died, he had felt robbed of his only relative. Abbu was too broken to offer him any comfort and he had turned to Zoya at this time. He had spent the entire day at the pier waiting for her to come. When she did eventually show up, she had immediately been the support he sought. She had stayed with him late that night, even snuck some food out from the kitchen at the risk of being caught. That one day had cemented their relationship more than their numerous other meetings from before.
- August 4th -
-Khan Villa -
"You were supposed to get back to me last night." Rashid barged into Asad's room early in the morning.
"I don't think so. It is my life and I can take as much time as I wish." Asad retorted.
"So have you considered my proposal?" Rashid asked his son.
"I have given it a thought. I am not in agreement with your ideas, but like you said, Zoya is a good girl who went astray. I personally do not have anything against her and I don't see the harm in marrying her. Wait, before you get all excited, let me finish. I do not mind marrying her provided, she is a willing party. From what little I know of her, she is a very head strong girl and will not easily give in. I will not let you play games with her, she is an innocent in this feud that you have with her father. And I will not let you use her in order to get your means the way you use me. I know if I disagree, you will look for an alliance for me in another family and honestly I am indifferent to it. So it might as well be Zoya who I sort of know." Asad explained, laying down his conditions.
"Great that's perfect. So how about this? You join me for the Iftari party tomorrow and I will personally go and make sure they attend too. You will have your chance to talk to Zoya and I will talk to Siddique. I don't see why he would say no, no other man would accept his daughter into his family. I will be doing him a favor in fact." Rashid left his son's room a happy man.
"Wait...have you considered how are you going to explain to the world your sudden cordial relationship with the Siddiques and this sudden engagement when Zoya's elopement is known to the entire world?" Asad called out to his father's retreating back. He knew his words had registered when his father's steps faltered a bit.
He knew that with the way his father was rushing things, which was obvious from his single minded pursuit of his final goal, he had not thought through the entire situation.
"Ek bhaagi hui ladki ko apne ghar ki bahu banane se Siddique sahab ki izzat bach jayegi, lekin aapki izzat ka kya hoga? Iss bare mein socha hai aapne? [Getting your son married to a girl who had eloped will help restore Siddique's standing in the society, but have you considered what will happen to your name?] Asad questioned his father's back, which went from stiff to slump as the words sunk in. He grabbed the chair by the door and sat there with a thump.
"Don't look so hassled. This is exactly why I took so long to get back to you. I have been thinking about this since the time you proposed this ridiculous scheme to me. Anyways, I finally found the solution last night. It is pretty simple actually. Bas yeh baat batadi jaaye ki Zoya driver ke saath nahi bhagi thi, balki uski madad leke, Mumbai aa rahi thi, mere paas. Poori duniya jaanti hai ki aap aur Siddique sahab mein dosti nahin hai. Aur ab uske is kadam se aap dono ke paas hamara nikah padhwane ke alawa koi aur rasta nahi bachta. Itna hi sab logon ki tajassus ke liye kaafi hoga. [We just have to get the word out that Zoya was not eloping with the driver, but instead was running away to join me in Mumbai. The driver was only helping her out. The entire world knows that you and her father don't see eye to eye. And now that she has taken this step, there is no other option but to get us married. This will more than satisfy the curiosity of the world.]" Asad stared hard at his father's face as the understanding sank in.
"Yes. Yes. Yes this would work. No it would be perfect. Today you have proven to be my son. Bilkul meri tarah apne dimaag ka istamal kiya hai. [You used your brains just like me.]" Rashid sprang up from the chair and exited with his spirits high.
Kya karoon Abbu, aapke saath reh reh kar aap hi ki tarah sochne laga hoon. Magar mein yeh bilkul nahi chahata. Nahi kabhi chahta tha and nahi hi kabhi chahunga. [What to do Abbu, living with you, I have to think like you. But I don't want to. I never wanted to and I will never want to.]
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