Hi All,
Please find below Chapter 4 for this story. Hope you like it. A humble request to all of you to please leave comments below as that is the only encouragement I would get to continue the story.Please hit the like button if you like this chapter.
Chapter 4
Since it was a Sunday afternoon the park was relatively empty. Asad took Zoya to the extreme end of the park and the two sat on the bench. Only then did Zoya realize that Asad was still holding her hand. She gently pulled her hand out of his grip and entwined her fingers on her lap. Asad didn't want to let go of her hand, it had felt so natural holding her hand and walking. He had never done anything like this before but still it felt normal. He immediately craved to hold her hand again. It had fit so well with his, as if two pieces of a big jigsaw puzzle had been put together. Both waited for the other to start the conversation. After a few minutes of complete silence which calmed her down Zoya looked up at Asad to complete what she wanted to tell him at the caf and found him staring at her as if trying to read her mind.
"Asad as I told you, it's been the most difficult decision for me to agree to get married."
He felt a dull pain in his heart at her refusal to get married to him. This was a first for him and he didn't know what to make of these strange feelings. Trying to sound as normal as he could he asked her "Do you love someone else?" Zoya was shocked at his question but then shook her head in denial. He felt relieved at the fact that there was no one else in her life.
"Even if I love someone there is no way anyone will love me with..." she trailed off not able to complete her sentence and looked away.
"Then why Zoya, any girl your age would be dreaming about a perfect wedding." He questioned her wanting to know what was bothering her so much.
Zoya sat there her head bowed down and in a whisper she said "I know. But I'm not any other girl. I'm different and it's going to be difficult for me to fit in. It's going to be difficult for anyone to accept me." Saying that she closed her eyes and let her tears roll down her cheeks. Asad looked at her with confusion in his eyes and then he saw her extend her hand in his direction, he thought she wanted to hold his hand so he had raised his hand to hold hers but stopped mid way when he saw her rolling up the sleeve of her top. He stopped and looked at her hand with absolutely no expression on his face. She looked away not wanting to see disgust in his eyes as that was what she was used to whenever anyone saw her burn marks, and it hurt her.
She waited for him to pull his hand back but she felt no movement next to her. What she felt next stunned her and she shot her head in his direction. She saw him gently graze his fingers across the length of her scar and pull her sleeve down. He looked at her still moist eyes and in a steady tone told her what he felt. He placed his hand over hers and pointing a finger at her scarred hand said "Zoya these scars don't bother me. I am getting married for a reason."
She looked at him with confusion on her face and he smiled at how cute she looked when confused.
"Zoya like your Aapi, my Ammi has been forcing me to get married too. She's now emotionally blackmailed me." Asad chuckled a little "I don't want to marry either but am doing so only for my Ammi. Zoya, she and Najma mean the world to me. I can do anything for their happiness."
"But why me Asad. You can get any girl you want. Am sure you are aware that you are an extremely good-looking man, have a good name and standing in society and have money, then why me?"
Listening to her praise him made his heart skip a beat and he felt his heartbeat increase. He thought that maybe she liked him too. "Yes I can get anybody but I have never had the time nor have I ever given love a chance. There are reasons due to which I had never wanted to get married, but since Ammi has now emotionally blackmailed me I told her that I will marry only for her happiness. See Zoya, Najma will get married sooner or later and then Ammi will be alone. I don't want her to be alone in her old age. That's why when I agreed to marry I told her to look for someone whom she will like and I believe you have won her heart with your simplicity and she wants me to marry you, so here I am."
Zoya looked at him shocked. She was not prepared for an answer like this. She looked away not understanding what to make of his blunt confession. Here she was willing to marry anyone her Aapi selected and on the other hand here was Asad ready to marry her, knowing the kind of flaw she had, only because he wanted to see his Ammi happy. Zoya looked at him but didn't know what to say. She wanted to ask him a million questions about how a marriage will work like this, how will they live a life bound to each other and still not being together. How will they explain so many more things that will be expected out of a husband and wife when in reality they will not be treating each other in that sense? He understood what was going on in her mind and with a small reassuring smile said "We can talk about the rest of the things later. Let's just inform them we are ready for the wedding." He held her hand again and tugged at it gently. She followed his cue, stood up and started following him without any hesitation.
Zoya's POV
"Allahamiyan what's wrong with me? I met him hardly an hour ago, came here to tell him the truth that we cannot get married, that I am not ready for a wedding and never will be but just couldn't say anything. He had a solution to the biggest issue that I have faced all my life. Is that some kind of an indication from him she thought looking up at the sky? What now? I still am not ready for the wedding, I have to do something, say something to stop him too." Zoya stopped walking and Asad felt a sudden pull at his arm. He turned around and saw her standing with her head bowed down and he could see tears streaming down her cheeks again. He immediately left her hand but moved a step closer to her.
"Zoya what's wrong?" he asked her in a soft tone. She looked up at him and saw the concern he had for her.
She looked away. She felt him towering over her standing too close for comfort and she could not put her thoughts together because of his close proximity. She took a step back from him creating some distance between them but saw him taking a step closer. They kept going like this for a few more steps and then out of exasperation she told him to stand in one place. Asad smiled and waited for her to talk.
"Asad do you know everything about me?"
Asad nodded his head to say yes.
"Do you know I was born here but bought up in the USA?"
Asad nodded his head not knowing what was in her mind and where this conversation was headed.
"Do you know that I don't know anything about how a household is run or how to cook? Rather whenever I step into the kitchen it mostly turns out to be a disaster."
Asad was getting confused by the second. All these questions were too generic and there was no way she could be crying because of this. He realized there was much more to it than he thought or could understand. He looked at her, questioning her with his eyes and wanting answers. She looked so disturbed that he couldn't hold on any longer and moved up to her and held her hand. She tried to pull her hand out of his but he gripped it tightly not wanting for her to move away from him. He looked deep into her eyes and said "Whatever is bothering you Zoya you can tell me."
P.S. Please do leave your comments they really encourage me to write and please hit the like button if you liked my story. Edited by LoveOnlyAsYa - 11 years ago
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