Asad kicked the nightstand hard, as Zoya fled from the scene, slamming the door shut. He screamed out aloud, unable to control his frustration. He fell to his bed, gripping on to the sides. Sweat dripped down his face. I will be gone. Gone forever. Those words repeated themselves in his mind, continously, like a chant. Asad squeezed his eyes shut. How had everything gone so wrong? He didn't know. The fact that Zoya was leaving him made him scared. Scared out of his mind. You hate her, Asad. Why do you even care?, he asked himself. Asad recalled the incidents from the day before to that moment. Everything had seemed so fine just a couple of days ago, but everything had changed in a matter of seconds. Asad inhaled a deep breath, massaging his temples, trying to focus. You're doing injustice to Zoya, Asad. She has every right to know who her father is, A voice spoke in his head. Asad knew he wasn't right in whatever he was doing with Zoya, but his irrational mind refused to accept it. You're ditching Zoya and she doesn't know why. Leave that, she doesn't even know that her father is alive! You're throwing the burden of your sorrows on that poor girl, when she had no role to play in them, apart from doing the sin of being Gaffur's daughter. The least you can do is give her the explanation she deserves., the voice spoke, again. Asad sighed, in defeat. He decided, "Whether I accept her or not, she needs to know who her father is."
Zoya groaned loudly. "Allah miyan, what's wrong with these airlines? Why can't at least one of them have an early available ticket to New York? I have to wait for at least two weeks to get one single ticket, that's ridiculous!" She'd been checking for several hours on different websites of airlines for booking a ticket but none of them had turned out to be useful, they'd all been fully booked. Tears reformed in her eyes, "Wherever I go, I'm not staying in this house with Mr.Khan for so long. He can't even bear to look at my face, let alone put up with me for the next fourteen days." She sighed and concluded, "Guess I'll have to stay in a hotel for a couple of weeks, then" She decided to book the earliest ticket available at the moment, which was fourteen days away. She sent the confirmation on her iPad, a message popped up, confirming that her reservation had been made. Zoya stared at the screen. Two weeks. That was it and she would be out of the country, thousands of miles away. She would have to live without those she'd learned to love over time; her beloved phuppi who'd been no lesser than a mother and Najma, who was as dear as her sister, to her. And Asad. She couldn't possibly describe in words about how deeply felt for him. She loved him more than anyone else on the planet, he meant everything to her and even just thinking about leaving him made her stomach churn. She had no idea how she could live without Asad, the one man she'd ever loved.
She pressed her temples, everything had happened so quickly that she hadn't even had the time to think over anything, or even try to make things right and now she regretted it. A tear slid down her cheek. "Was I too rash?", she pondered. Maybe she was, but wasn't it Asad who'd destroyed their relationship? She wiped away her tears and fritted her teeth, concluded"No, I wasn't wrong, if there's anyone who was wrong, it was him, not me."
Asad stood outside the Zoya's bedroom, his head hung low. His eyes welled with tears. Two weeks. That's what she'd said. Two weeks and everything was done. He'd listened to every word she'd said. Just tell her what you wanted to and go away, don't get distracted, you're not here to make amends, he told himself. Asad sucked in his breath as he readied himself, "Just do it and get over it."
He knocked on the door. He heard the door click open. Zoya stared at him, her face was mostly emotionless but her eyes were already brimming with tears. "If you came here to find out whether I'm done with my packing, then I'll be done in a few minutes.", she turned on her heels but Asad called back, "Wait." Zoya squeezed her eyes shut, as tears escaped them. "What?", she asked, her voice cracking. "Maybe you were right, I should give you an explanation, after all, you are gonna be leaving. No harm in telling you the truth.", he said, his voice was as cold as ice Zoya stifled a sob, was this even the Asad she knew? She wiped away her tears and turned around."You're really want to know why I did this to you?", Asad asked, bracing himself for the worst. Zoya stared at him, through teary eyes, she nodded, slightly. Asad clenched his fists, he whispered, "Your father is alive." At first, Zoya looked puzzled, but within a matter of seconds, her confusion was replaced by anger. "What kind of a sick joke is this?", she snapped. "I don't need to lie.", he replied. Zoya dabbed at her eyes, as she snapped back, "Maybe, I can understand that you hate me, but that gives you no right to make a joke of my father's life." "I don't need to make a joke of anyone, or anything, let alone your father. He means nothing to me.", he retorted. Zoya stared at him, tears from her eyes, yet again. "How could you?", she whispered. "If you would shut up and hear me out-", he was cut off by Zoya. "I don't need anyone to tell me to shut up, especially you. If you think I'd trust you on a word you say, then you're absolutely wrong. You broke every bit of the trust I had on you, after everything that you said and did to me, you would be a fool, if you'd thought that I would believe you on anything." Asad's insides froze, she didn't trust him. His mind was yelling at him that it didn't matter, anymore, but his heart was saying something else. Asad had never trusted Zoya, but she, she'd trusted him with all her life. And now, here she was, telling him that he'd broken all her trust on him. "Why did you make me see dreams, when there never was any?", her voice choked with tears, as she spoke. Asad's eyes stung with tears, There were dreams, Zoya. Ones that I thought I could live through my life. It was only that none of them could ever come true. He inhaled a deep breath, he bit back, "I'm not here to waste my time, I just came here to tell you the truth." "And I won't listen to any of it, I know they're all lies! Please, just leave me alone! You wanted me to go and I'm doing exactly that. Please, just don't hurt me anymore than you already have. Please." Asad could make out the hurt in her voice. Every single syllable radiated her pain. Asad clenched his fists. "Fine, suit yourself.", Asad snapped. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut, as he left. Zoya crashed down onto the floor. She hugged her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them tightly and wept. She looked up and spoke out into thin air, "Why're you doing this to me? What did I ever do to deserve this?" True enough, there was no fault of Zoya in whatever that had happened. Why, for that matter, she didn't even know what actually happened. Fate had been that cruel with her. It had snatched away everything that she'd loved. First her mother and father and now, Asad-the only man she'd ever loved. She didn't know what destiny had in store for her, but she knew for sure, wherever she was being led to, it wasn't gonna be a bed of roses. There would be thorns. Lots of them.
Asad stormed towards the dining table. He poured himself a glass of water and gulped it down. He pinched the bridge of his nose, frustratedly. He yanked one of the chairs behind and flopped onto it. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to refrain his tears. Sensing a presence behind him, he looked back. And there she was, wheeling out her suitcase. He watched as her pained eyes finally looked up into his own. She briskly wiped away her tears and spoke up, "I'm leaving. " Asad turned away, clenching his fists. Asad's eyes filled up with tears of anger. He didn't know who he was angry with, or what for, but at that moment, he detested everything and everyone around him. He hated himself.
Zoya stared at him through a curtain of salty tears. Her face crumpled up, like paper, a soft sob escaped her lips and it didn't go unnoticed by Asad. He winced as he heard her soft cry. Zoya managed to regain some composure, she said, "But before I leave, I need to talk to phuppi. I'll tell her that I'm leaving and go." She turned towards the staircase, but Asad's cold voice stopped her in her tracks, "There's no need for that. I will explain to ammi later, you can leave." "There is a need, Mr. Khan. I can't do this to phuppi. She deserves a proper explanation.", she replied, stoically. "Oh really? If in case you've forgotten, let me remind you, you've left the house before, without bothering to inform anyone... even me.", his voice towards as he uttered the last few words. "Excuse me, Mr. Khan!", he heard Zoya retort, "You told me to leave, if in case you've forgotten. And I did just that, I left. And from does the question of me leaving without an explanation, come up?" Asad stared at her, at a loss of words. "And you're doing the same thing again, just like that day.", she whispered, as her voice cracked with every syllable. A huge lump formed in Asad's throat. "Just leave.", Asad felt like someone had punched him in his gut, as those words left his mouth. Zoya looked on at him, unable to say anything. She slowly nodded, "Good bye, Mr. Khan."
Kise poochu..
Hai aisa kyu?
Bejubaan saa ye jahaan hai
Khushi ke pal
Kahaan dhoondu?
Benishaan sa waqt bhi yahaan hai
Zoya made her way towards the door, with tears in her eyes. Asad watched her unlatch the door. Every moment that he'd spent with Zoya flashed in front of his eyes, as he watched Zoya slip away.
Jaane kitne labon pe gile hain
Zindagi se kayi faasle hain
Paseejte hai sapne kyun aankhon mein
Lakeere jab chhoote inn haathon se yun bewajah
Zoya looked like a broken porcelain doll. Asad remembered the first that he'd met Zoya, at the Mazaar. Her eyes had held so much pain and fear in them. Asad had felt a strange attraction towards her, an attraction that he'd never felt for any woman before. And then, she'd somehow landed up in his house and over time, they fell in love. Everything had seemed like a fairy tale, a dream, so perfect that it was too good to be true. A dream that had come crashing down.
Jo bheji thi dua
Woh jaake aasmaan se yun takra gayi
Ki aa gayi hai laut ke sadaa
Saanson ne kahaan rukh mod liya
Koi raah nazar mein naa aaye
Dhadkan ne kahaan dil chhod diya
Kahaan chhode in jismon ne saaye
Asad felt like an integral part of him, was bejng ripped away from his body, in an excruciatingly painful way. Zoya turned and looked back at him one last time. She saw something in his eyes, that she'd never seen before. It was far beyond than just pain and hurt. He looked even more devastated than he'd looked in Mangalpur, when Zoya had buried into the mud. His eyes had been so full of terror and fear that he might lose Zoya, but what she was seeing in his eyes at that moment was a feeling much more powerful, it couldn't be described by words.
Yehi baar baar sochta hoon tanha main yahaan
Mere saath-saath chal raha hai yaadon ka dhuaan
Jo bheji thi duaa
Woh jaake aasmaan se yun takra gayi
Ki aa gayi hai laut ke sadaa.
Zoya turned away from him, squeezing her eyes shut, as tears cascaded down her face. She walked out of the house, slowly, leaving a heart broken Asad, behind. She whispered into thin air, "I love you, Mr. Khan."
Dilshaad walked into Asad's room, without warning, carrying several boxes in her hands. She shoved the heap on top of his bed and dusted her hands. She spoke as she arranged the boxes, accordingly, "Asad, since you refused to come out for shopping, I bought you some sherwanis, myself. Pick anyone you like for tomorrow's sangeet and mehendi. If there are any others that you like, keep that for the nikaah, or we can buy something else..." She looked around the room and there he was, sitting on the floor, in a corner of the room, staring into emptiness. His eyes were bloodshot. Dilshaad rushed over to him, worriedly. She caressed his face. "Asad, what happened?", she questioned. "Zoya left.", he said. Dilshaad's forehead creased in confusion, "What?" "She left the house." Dilshaad swallowed nervously. "What are you trying to say?", she asked. "Zoya left this house. Forever.", Asad's voice was completely empty. As heart broken as he was, tears refused to leave his eyes. "And why?", she asked, gritting her teeth, trying to keep the anger out of her voice. "Her father is alive.", he stated bluntly. Dilshaad gasped, "But then-" "It was a set up by that Tanveer and that..." Asad took a deep breath, "And Siddiqui sahab's wife." "What? Why would they do that?", Dilshaad asked, unable to grasp anything that Asad had said. "Zoya is Ghafoor's Ahmed Siddiqui's daughter."
A wave of shock passed over Dilshaad, her eyes filled with tears, she didn't know what to make of it. Asad had shoved the truth into her face like it was the most casual thing on the planet. "Asad, what are you saying? How can Zoya be...what are you even saying?!" "Zoya is the daughter of Siddiqui sahab's first wife. She died in a fire accident." Dilshaad clasped her mouth with her palms, "Ya Allah!" Dilshaad asked him, "Where is Zoya, now?" "I don't know.", came his reply. Dilshaad voice broke, as she whispered, "And you told her to leave the house...phir se."
Asad looked up into Dilshaad tear filled eyes, "What else could I have done? Her father, the very reason we suffered for so many years. How can I possibly even think about the marrying the daughter of that man? She was just a mistake in my life." A resounding slap echoed throughout the room. "And you told her to get out for a mistake, she didn't even do. What kind of a creature are you? Do you even have a heart?! Leave all that, does she even know who her father is?" Asad hung his head in shame, tears trickled down his cheeks, "I tried telling her, but she said that she didn't trust me, anymore." "Why would she?! You ditched her when you're nikaah was supposed to happen in just two days! Did you even care to think about her feelings, once?!" "Ammi, are you trying to say that her father never did anything to our family? Why, he was the reason you lost your husband to another woman." "I never said that. He was the reason that our family shattered because of, but that doesn't give you any right to make Zoya bear the brunt of the sins that her father committed. She doesn't even know that her father is alive and under what right did you tell Zoya to leave?!" Asad stared at Dilshaad, unable to answer her. "But-" "Enough Asad! Today, for the first time, I'm ashamed to call you my son. Now listen to what I'm saying, carefully. I don't what you'll do or where you'll go. You're bringing Zoya back to this house, within a week. And if you don't...", Dilshaad wiped the tears off her face, Asad looked on at her, waiting for her to finish the sentence. Dilshaad finally whispered, "I will disown you."
~-~-~-~-~Precap: Dilshaad sighed in defeat, she slumped down on the bed , just before something caught her eyes. She picked up the scrunched piece of paper up from the floor and stretched it out. Dilshaad's eyes widened, "Asad, look at this."
~-~-~-~-~
Ok ok! I know it was crap, I literally had to push myself to ri8 this chapter, I was that bored while typing it up. N yeah, I know, the song popped in out of the blue. I really wanted to include the song n I cudnt think of any other way. By the way, the name of the song is Duaa, is from Shanghai, the song has been used b4 in the show 2, when zoya found out her father was dead; the grave scene. Love that sequence . If u havent listened to the song b4 then I strongly recommend that u give it a try coz its a beautiful song, I absolutely love it.
N coming to that I'd posted a week or so back, what I decided is that this ff can stay on the forum coz i've barely got like 5 chapters to complete this story. Later on, if I write any ffs, I'll post those in the ff forum but I'll send PMs to all those on my buddy list. :)
Book Talk
Shiv Shakti
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