AsYa Story-UNRECOGNIZED EMOTIONS-Thread 3- chapters 9 to 13 - Page 55

One week later, Zoya's room

Dear Diary,

I hate him.. Not really... But yes, I hate him for what he is doing now.. How can someone be so annoying? I just asked for one thing but he is not agreeing to it. I am sure that he is doing it intentionally and would eventually agree, but why not now?? Arrrghhh... I am not talking to him until he does..and THAT IS FINAL!!!!

Bye Good Night!!!

2 days later

Asad came and sat beside the love birds who were busy staring at each other, sitting in the farthest corner of the college canteen. Aafreen and Farhaan were forced to come out of their moment when Asad kept his bag on the table with a loud thump.

"Now, What is wrong with you? Did you fight with Zoya again?", asked Aafreen, seeing him in a bad mood yet again.

"Why should I fight with someone who is not even talking to me?"

"Ohhh... So that's the reason. You are pissed off because Zoya isn't talking to you?", Aafreen said dramatically and Asad glared at her. But that was indeed the truth and he would not agree to it by any chance.

"Nothing like that!! I really have other important works to do. I am just worried about our project and nothing else!", said Asad, in a visibly angry tone. Farhaan decided to take over from here.

"C'mon Asad, things will work out for our project, don't worry. But because of that you just can't be staying in a bad mood always. You even shouted at Zoya a couple of days back when it was not her fault at all. She just asked for a little thing from you", Farhaan tried to explain him.

Asad knew that it was not her fault and so he tried to apologize to her, but Zoya being Zoya was neither receiving his calls, nor replying to his messages. Zoya even refused to travel with Asad, but because of Aafreen's insistence, she had to agree but their journeys were the quietest ones so far.

"Whatever...I want to leave soon. Tell me when you both are done", he said and got up from his chair. Just then he saw Najma coming towards them, followed by Zoya. She took a chair for herself and forcefully made Asad and Zoya sit on her either side. Her eyes were filled with anger, her cheeks were red like a 'tamatar' and her expressions indicated that she could slaughter them both anytime.

"What is going on between the two of you?", she asked Asad and Zoya, anger sustaining in her voice.

"Bhaijaan, Zoya just asked you to perform in the welcome party for the freshers this year and you just denied her? I thought dance was your passion"

"It still is, but your friend was just irritating me at that time when I was really worried about something else.", said Asad, looking towards Zoya. Her mouth formed an 'O' shape and was ready to speak when Najma glared at her.

"You could have been polite to her Bhaijaan, there was nothing to shout about..And Zoya...", she turned towards her friend and continued, "You could have been a bit more patient. If Bhaijaan was tensed about something else then you could have waited for some time."

"Listen Najma, I waited for your dear Asad Bhaijaan to say yes, but he didn't. So..."

"So your dear friend Zoya just decided not to talk to me". Zoya was cut off midway by Asad.

"Najma, just tell him that he was the one to shout at me first..."

"Najma, tell her that she was the one who started irritating me at first"

"Allah Miya, what is wrong with you Mr. Khan? I was so kind and polite to you that day, you were the one who weren't making any sense at all!!"

"What is wrong with me? I tried talking to you but you were the one avoiding me!! Now you are asking me what is wrong? Stupid woman!!"

"What did you say??..."

"ENOUGH!!!!! JUST STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!!!!!", yelled Najma at the top of her, who was unable to take any more of their nonsense banter. She hid her face in her palm and tried to control her anger.

"Just shut up both of you and listen to me... Because of you both, the event has been stuck at a really bad point. Bhaijaan, we need to submit the whole event plan by today and here you are, still not sure about your performance. It's your last year bhaijaan, how can you do this? Everyone is expecting you to dance and here, you are saying no to it?"

"And Zoya, just stop it now!! You know very well what mess we are in right now!! How can you behave so insensibly? I know that you were upset with Bhaijaan's behavior but he tried to call you, you should have talked to him. You know we have a meeting with the Cultural Head today and we need to submit all the details of our plan."

Najma tried her best to put some sense in them. It was not like that they weren't aware of all these, but their personal egos had taken over their ability of perception for a while. Najma calmed herself down and spoke again, "Please Bhaijaan, please Zoya, stop being childish right now. It doesn't suit you. It is something that only I have a copyright to".

Everyone sitting at the table chuckled at her words and Asad finally agreed to give his last performance in college. Immediately a bright smile broke into Najma's face and she hugged Asad tightly.

"Njama, you seriously look as red as a 'tamatar' when you are angry. Like, this is really something new", said Asad, lightening her mood.

"Bhaijaan!!!" Najma said, half angry and half smiling.

"Okay, but I am only doing this for you and nobody else, remember that", he said the latter part concentrating on Zoya, who was equally infuriated at the moment. Najma could only let out a sigh knowing pretty well that Asad and Zoya were in no mood to end their fight right now. She gave up trying as she knew that there was nothing more that she could do.

"So when do we start with the rehearsals?"

"We have a meeting to attend now where everything will be finalized, so let's start tomorrow? What say?", said Najma, back to her gleeful manner.

Everyone agreed to it and thus it was decided that they would start their rehearsals from the next day, just after college.

At night, Zoya's room

Dear Diary,

Asad has finally agreed. But now, he is the one not talking to me. I wished him good night but he did not reply. I think he is still angry with me. But it was not my fault totally, still I would apologize to him tomorrow. I miss talking to him.

Bye, good night... :(

Next day, at rehearsals

All the participants sat together and decided over the songs. Each performance was given a specific time slot. Zoya finalized their choices of songs and asked them to start with their rehearsals. Najma being a trained dancer helped them out whereas Zoya was again called for a meeting by the Cultural Head.

When she came back, she found most of the juniors to have gone. Najma was almost on the verge of tiring out completely with all the exhaustion that came in a day. In one corner of the hall, she found Asad shuffling the discs and discarding them one by one. 'Mr. Perfectionist must be searching for a perfect song!', thought Zoya, very well knowing Asad's antics.

After a lot of scrutinization it was ascertained that at first Asad would do a solo, followed by another solo of Najma. Then the final performance which would mark as the end of the event would be a group act by Asad, Najma and Aafreen. They decided that the solos will be prepared by themselves so the group act was what needed to be prepared together.. Farhaan took the responsibility of mixing the songs and Zoya was as usual extremely busy with the overall management.

During this whole discussion, Asad and Zoya always stole glances at each other when they both thought that the either wasn't looking. The music was started, and Asad being the most energetic one, started deciding on the steps for the group act first. It was first a romantic number of Asad and Najma, followed by a trio act with Aafreen.

Najma was by now habituated with Asad's ways and this time it wasn't as difficult as before. They started swaying on Contemporary dance form on a romantic number 'Tum Mile', which was suggested by Zoya herself when she saw Asad rejecting every song that the others proposed.

The day was already very hectic for all of them. Najma being completely exhausted by the whole dancing work out, decided to call it a day. Aafreen and Farhaan had planned a dinner for themselves, hence left early. Zoya decided to stay back a little more and arrange the CD's and the music system before leaving. Asad, being a gentleman, stayed back with her. He helped her with her work, making sure not to involve himself in any conversation with her.

Asad, whose gaze still involuntarily fell on Zoya, failed to notice the remote that was muddled up on the floor with the plastic disc covers. He kept his foot on it, and loud music echoed in the room immediately. The CD player proudly played the song 'Badtameez Dil' shocking both of them.

Asad picked up the remote and changed the song and both burst out laughing.

Zoya's laugh and the soft music filled the room with a tranquilizing melody. Her laugh almost matched the rhythm of the song that was playing. Asad, for a moment forgot about all his anger and moved forward towards Zoya.

Zoya realized Asad's advancement towards her a little later when her giggles came to a stop. Asad still took small steps towards her. She looked at him with questioning eyes and arched brows, but could only see mischief in his eyes. She moved back a little when she found him nearing towards her, until her back hit the wall behind. He stopped before her and stretched his hand towards her, asking her for a dance.

Zoya was at first unable to understand what was happening, but later, her hand decided to follow her heart which urged her to step in to the new feeling that she felt. It was different, something that she had never felt like before.

Ek din kabhi jo khud ko taraashe

Meri nazar se tu zara

Haaye re..

Aankhon se teri kya kya chhupa hai

Tujhko dikhaaoon main zara

Haaye re..

Ek ankahi si daastaan daastaan Kehne lagega aaina..

Subhan Allah

Jo ho raha hai pehli dafa hai

Wallah aisa hua

Subhanallah

Jo ho raha hai pehli dafa hai

Wallah, aisa hua..

With her right hand in his left, his right hand gently placed on her waist and her left hand resting on his shoulders, they started swaying to the music in rhythmical movements from backwards to forwards and from side to side, not losing their eye contact for once.

Meri khaamoshi se baatein chun lena

Unki dori se taarifein bun lena Haan..

Meri khaamoshi se baatein chun lena

Unki dori se taareefein bun lena

Asad twirled Zoya twice holding her hand by his. Her hands rested on his chest when she again matched her steps with his.

Kal nahi thi jo

aaj lagti hoon

Taareef meri hai khaamakhaan

Tohfa hai tera meri adaa

This time she sang along with the words of the female singer. Her beautiful voice complimented their dance.

Ek din kabhi jo khud ko pukaare

Meri zubaan se tu zara Haaye re..

Tujh mein chhupi si jo shayari hai

Tujhko sunaaoon main zara Haaye re..

Ye do dilon ka vaasta vaasta..

Khul ke bataaya jaaye na

Subhan Allah..

Jo ho raha hai pehli dafa hai

Wallah aisa hua

Wallah aisa hua

Wallah aisa hua

Wallah aisa hua

They swirled and twirled, smiled and danced together for the first time, keeping aside all their anger for a moment. Hand in hand, steps matching steps, eyes fixed on each other, a shy smile adorning their faces, they completed their dance with Zoya's right hand around his neck, his hands holding her petite waist and their bodies bending a little.

When the song stopped, complete silence prevailed in the room. Only their heaving breaths could be heard. Zoya was the first to come out of her trance which seemed like a dreamland to her. She wriggled under his hold and just then Asad came back to reality. He helped in straightening themselves. He quickly took the remote again and switched off the CD player before it could play any other song.

Eyes that looked intently at each other, refused to meet each other's gaze now. Hands that held each other till now started fidgeting through nervousness. Both unsure of what happened just a moment back decided to brush away their thoughts.

"Ummm... I think, I...We... should go back home now... It's already quite late", said Zoya, after gathering a lot of courage.

"Ye..ah... yeah.. we should leave", Asad answered, still not looking at her.

They locked the rehearsal room and Zoya took the keys with her and went to hand them over to the guards. She came back and found Asad waiting for her, standing beside his car, with his back towards her.

"You didn't leave?", Zoya asked him. Asad turned back towards her hearing her soft trembling voice.

"I usually don't leave without you", he said, looking into her eyes. He immediately moved his gaze from her and cursed himself mentally for saying out what he just said. "I mean, we all go home together, so I thought of waiting for you, like everyday", Asad tried reasoning his action.

Zoya smiled at his effort and simply nodded. Asad took out his car keys and opened the door for her, when Zoya muttered a 'Sorry'. Asad looked at her, a bit shocked. "Sorry? For what?", he asked, still not able to discern the reason for her apology.

" For today, for yesterday, for the day before and for all the days when I lost my temper on you. I should have been more patient when I knew that you were tensed because your project wasn't working out", she said, all in one go, keeping her eyes down.

Asad let out a laugh which made Zoya look back at him.

"It's okay Zoya. It was not your fault only. I should have also not shouted on you. I should have agreed before because, anyway, I would have agreed later."

"But I was the one who stopped answering your calls. I shouldn't have done that!"

"I should have tried talking to you again, but I didn't do that!"

" I behaved so rudely with you yesterday in the canteen!"

"And I wasn't polite either. Even I didn't reply to you last night!"

"But I didn't try talking to you today. I should have tried once!"

"You were busy today Zoya, and you know that. So it's fine."

"Allah Miya, what is wrong with you Asad? Why are you defending me when I am clearly at fault?"

"What is wrong with you? When I am saying that it was my mistake then why aren't you accepting that?", Asad said, a bit louder, this time.

Zoya was ready to snap back at him when realization dawned upon her and her voice roared with laughter. Asad could also not hold back his giggles and spontaneously let them out.it was not the first time that they were fighting, but definitely the first time when they fought for each other.

Both said "Sorry" in unison and hopped into the car for their journey back home. The rest of the journey was a silent one, where both of them were recalling the events of the last few days. 'Something Has Changed', and this was all that they could decipher.

A/N: Phew!! This was a long one!!!!

Please leave your feedback. I love reading them. I hope you did not find this part boring. If you did, then please do let me know. 😳

Thanks a lot to my dear buddies, Aishwarya (treasure11), Maha(maha2012), Shreya(shreya11mehra), Sania(AAKSG) for helping me out with the songs. 😳🤗

I really wanted to add another thing in this part itself, but it already became too long. So that would go into the next part.

Please leave your likes and comments. Would love to hear from silent readers too. 😛