Hello People,
Please find below Chapter 7 for this story. Hope you like it. Happy Reading.😃
Chapter 7
At dinner Dilshaad noticed how distracted Asad looked. She could read her sons eyes so well and knew the only thing that he was so lost in was Zoya. Dilshaad kept her eyes on him and couldn't help smiling at how restless he looked. She was pleasantly surprised at her son, for someone who had been avoiding meeting any girl, let alone getting married, Asad was acting absolutely out of character.
"Asad, why aren't you eating?"
Asad looked at his plate and only then realized that he had been toying around with the rice on his plate and not a morsel had he eaten. "Ammi I don't feel too hungry." Getting up from his chair he said "I think I will give my dinner a miss tonight." He tried smiling at his mother and started to move towards his room when he heard his mother speak.
"Why don't you call up Zeenat and ask her if SHE is fine?"She said emphasizing on she.
Asad turned around immediately and Dilshaad saw his eyes wide with shock.
"I still am your Ammi Asad and I still can read your eyes" she said with a straight face.
Asad looked down and scratched the back of his neck trying to hide the smile playing on his lips "I don't understand what you're saying Ammi."
Dilshaad walked upto him and tilted her head to get a better view of his smiling face. She held his face between her palms making him look at her. She could see a full smile on his face and knew what she had been thinking was correct. If not love, then Asad had really liked Zoya and was deeply concerned for her. She gently pecked his forehead and nodded, giving him the permission his eyes sought. Soon Asad found himself calling Zeenat.
"Hello. Assalam O Alaikum Aapi. Umm... Aapi... vo...I called... Umm..." he stuttered.
"Wa Alaikum Assalam Asad. I know why you have called." Zeenat said smiling into her phone.
"Huh. I mean Aapi she was... I mean Zoya was crying... Ummm... and I have never... Except for Ammi and Najma... you know..." and he heard Zeenat chuckle at the other end.
"Asad, beta do you want to know about Zoya?" she asked him making it obvious that she knew why he called.
Asad nodded his head as if Zeenat was standing infront of him.
"She is better... but not completely ok..." Zeenat tried to control her tears as she too was breaking down seeing Zoya in this state. "I know she feels hurt, she feels we have been lying to her all her life and..." he heard Zeenat sniffle and he could hear the lump in her voice "and she's not talking to me or her Jiju. She's locked herself in her room and refuses to eat too... I know she will eventually come around but I cannot see her like this..." Zeenat trailed off trying not to breakdown.
Asad closed his eyes remembering how broken Zoya had been in the park. He heard Zeenat cry before he spoke "Aapi... can...can I ta...talk to her? Will it help?" he finally said.
Zeenat agreed as she knew how he had consoled Zoya at the park. She forwarded Zoya's number to him. He stared at it for a few minutes before he pressed the call button and waited for her to answer the call. He let the call ring for sometime and then thought she might have slept and was about to disconnect when he heard the call being answered.
Zoya looked at her phone buzzing on the side table and thought who could be calling her at this hour. Initially she wanted to ignore the call but since it kept buzzing she picked it up "Hello." She said in a shaky voice due to all the crying.
As soon as Asad heard her voice, his grip on the phone tightened and he wanted to be with her that very moment. "Zoya."
He heard her gasp with surprise and he smiled a little as he realized she recognized his voice. Zoya was too shocked to say anything after she heard his voice. Her revelations and her breakdown at the park came rushing back to her and soft sobs escaped her lips. She tried to stifle her sobs but the tears just didn't stop. She remembered how he had provided her with a shoulder to cry on when she needed it the most. Remembering the afternoon Zoya brokedown completely and she cried openly.
Hearing her, Asad couldn't stop a lone tear from rolling down his cheek. He held his phone in a tight grip. Gulping down the lump in his throat he said "Zoya... please...please... don't cry."
As soon as she heard the concern in his voice she felt unknown strings being pulled in her heart and she cried harder. He felt a sharp pain in his heart and in panic he heard himself say "I'm coming over Zoya, please stop crying."
Before she could agree or disagree Asad had disconnected the call and was almost out the door, his car keys in hand when Dilshaad stopped him. "Where are you going at this hour and why are you looking so tensed Asad?"
Asad turned around to see his mother sitting in the lounge with her book in hand and having her last cup of coffee before she retired for bed. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting her schedule and for not contemplating his action. He found himself at a loss of words, looked at his mother with pleading eyes and Dilshaad knew what was happening. "She's still crying?" she asked.
"Ji Ammi." He said in a soft voice and Dilshaad smiled at him.
"You want to go meet her?"
"Ji Ammi."
"You want to be the shoulder she cries on like afternoon?"
"Ji Ammi." He said in a whisper looking everywhere except at Dilshaad. Dilshaad smiled and continued with her questions.
"Do you love her?"
"Ji Ammi." He said. He heard his mother chuckle and realized what he had said. With wide eyes he tried to explain but Dilshaad just dismissed him with a wave of her hand still laughing at his expression. Once she got her laughing fit under control she gave him the permission to go meet Zoya. Asad gave her a tight hug conveying his thankyou and left for Zoya's house. As soon as Dilshaad saw his car take the turn out the gate she called Zeenat up and told her what the progress was with Asad. Both felt relieved that there still was hope. Zeenat quickly went to Zoya's room and tried talking to her. But Zoya was still in no mood to talk to her Aapi and decided to go out to the garden and spend sometime in the cool breeze to calm herself.
Asad reached her house and rang the bell. "Assalam O Alaikum." He greeted Zeenat.
"Wa Alaikum Assalam." She greeted back.
"Actually Aapi... I called Zoya... after you sent her number to me... And she was... she was still crying. I couldn't stop myself from seeing her..." He said looking extremely embarrassed and feeling like a love struck teenager.
Zeenat nodded at him and told him that his mother had already called and given a heads-up about his arrival. Asad looked at her with eyes wide open, praying his mother had not told Zeenat everything. Zeenat smiled at him completely able to understand why his eyes widened and with a slight nod in the direction of the garden told him where Zoya was. Asad looked at her sitting on the swing her head bowed down. He slowly walked upto her and stood behind her swing thinking what to say.
Zoya could feel someone's presence behind her and looked back thinking it must be her Aapi or Jiju. She jumped off the swing as soon as she saw him. She felt a warm feeling engulf her whole being, leaving her body with goosebumps all over. She didn't know why but she wanted to be with him like afternoon and cry her heart out. She thought it was all because he had been with her when she was extremely vulnerable and he had seen her breakdown. He had been there to hold her in his arms, provide her with the emotional support she needed and helped her come to terms with reality. She had very easily told him the truth about her adoption whereas she had not been able to talk to any of her friends about it. He knew exactly what was happening in her life, something not even her closest friends knew. Looking at him, fresh tears rolled down her cheeks which she wiped with the back of her hands and she again saw him takeout his handkerchief and give it to her.
Asad saw her swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks. He wanted to wipe those tears away forever. She was lost in her thoughts standing infront of him and he saw a multitude of expressions cross her face. He saw fresh tears roll down her cheeks and she began using her hands to wipe them, he took out his handkerchief and extended it to her. He saw a small smile on her lips as she remembered the same thing had happened in the afternoon and he smiled with her thanking his lord for the change he could bring in her mood. Zoya took it and wiped her tears with it. Once done she handed it back to him.
"Thank you." She said in a low voice.
"Don't thank me Zoya, thank Allaha." He saw how confused she looked at his remark and said "Thank Allaha that he always sends me to you so I can give you my handkerchief to wipe your tears. As I can see, you never carry yours." He said in a flat tone and a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
She looked at him with wide eyes and then realized he was pulling her leg and she burst out laughing. The sound of her laughter made his heart swell ten times with happiness as he was able to achieve what he had come for. Soon Zoya heard his laughter mingle with hers and the two just couldn't stop. Zeenat saw the whole interaction unfold and looked up to thank the almighty to bring Zoya's laughter back. She went inside with a smile on her face to prepare coffee for the two in the garden.
Once their laughter was under control Zoya looked in his eyes and held his hand "Thankyou Asad. Not just for the handkerchief, but for making me smile again." He gently squeezed her hand
"Why are you doing this to yourself and everyone around you Zoya?" he finally said.
"I don't know, but it really hurts to know that whatever I have treated as mine since childhood was actually never mine."
"Are you not happy with what Allaha has given to you?"
She looked at him with shock on her face "I' am very happy with what I have Asad."
"Then why are you upset? It was just by chance you stumbled upon this information. What if you never got to know? Look at your Aapi n Jiju... They are sad because YOU are sad Zoya. Don't you know you mean everything to them and it must be terrible for them to see you breakdown like this and distance yourself from them. Look at your Aapi Zoya, she has been trying to act normal but your behavior is breaking her from within. Please don't do this to yourself and to them. Do you think it's worth it?"
Zoya was quietly listening to Asad and her eyes brimmed with tears again but before her tears could escape her eyes she launched herself in his arms trying to find the solace she had felt at the park. Asad held her close to himself running a hand on her back to soothe her. Zoya blinked away her tears feeling relief wash over her heart as she found comfort in his arms and after a few minutes pulled away from him, feeling all flushed. She had never been this close to a man but she knew she felt comfortable in his company.
Zoya looked at him with gratitude in her eyes. She smiled at him and thanked him for being there for her when she needed someone the most. He smiled back at her and was surprised when she extended her hand out to him and said "Friends??"
He smiled his widest smile and took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze and said "Friends."
P.S. Requesting all the readers including the silent ones to please hit the like button and leave your comments. They really encourage me to continue.
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