In Love and War ll_Pt 17, Pg 115_Link to #3 (15/04/14) - Page 42

Part 15:

Once Dilshad was calmed down, she took Zoya's hand. "Is it true, Zoya... this was all a lie?" she asked softly. Zoya shook her head. "It was, but not anymore... Ammi. Mr Khan is upset, but I will... I will explain and I will make him understand" she reassured her worried mother-in-law. Dilshad smiled and closed her eyes.

Zoya motioned for Najma to walk with her as they left her room. "Uhm, Najma... please don't... don't tell Karan any of this. Please?" she asked as she clasped Najma's hand in hers and tears welled in her eyes.

Najma shook her head, her own eyes filled with tears. "I won't... but you'll be ok, right?" she asked softly.

Zoya smiled bravely. "WE will be alright" she said in a tone much more confident than how she felt about the situation right now.

She went to check on Razia who was asleep as well, and then made her way to Asad's bedroom to change into her pyjamas.

**********

She took down all the decorations once she'd changed and saw Asad's phone on the floor still. She picked it up and read the message. "That b*stard..." she cursed.

Getting her own phone out of her bag, she saw several missed calls and finally a few messages from the same number. It was Shria Naidu. She told Zoya about the call she'd received and how she'd refused to do a piece about it.

Her rational mind clouded by anger, Zoya furiously typed out a message and hit send.

"You maniacal b*stard! Stay away from me, stay away from my husband, or I will make you pay! MRS ZOYA ASAD AHMED KHAN"

*********

Feeling much better after sending the text, Zoya sighed. All of this could've been avoided. This was all her fault. She couldn't wait for Asad to come home so she could explain to him.

She would sit in his lap and wrap her arms around his neck. She would kiss him all over his face as she explained what he thought he saw... what he thought he knew.

She would make it all better.

**********
Lying down on Asad's bed, Zoya wondered where Tanveer was and how she was doing. She knew she had played a role in forcing Tanveer's hand in doing something like this, but how many times had Asad assured her that even if it wasn't her, then it still wouldn't be Tanveer.

Still, she was sympathetic to the girl.

A horrifying thought clouded Zoya's mind. What if... what if Asad was so angry and upset with her... what if now that Tanveer tried to leave, he realised that he'd made a huge mistake in choosing her. What if all of this made him realise that Zoya wasn't the one for him after all?

She curled herself into the foetal position and cried herself to sleep.

**********

Ritesh read Zoya's text and laughed to himself. "Bingo" he smiled to himself. "Now see what I do to your precious Mr Khan, Zoya. You're the one that will pay for what you both have done to me..." he sneered.

**********

Asad and Ayaan ran into the airport. Asad stopped Ayaan as he caught sight of Tanveer sitting down surrounded by luggage. "You wait here. I'll go get her" Asad said. He walked to her stealthily. "Tanu?" he called softly.

Her head whipped up to face him. His eyes softened at seeing her red and puffy ones. She looked down again. "What are you doing here, Asad?" she said in a quiet voice. He ignored her question and sat down next to her, after moving some of her luggage out of the way.

"Tanu, what are you doing? How could you leave like that? Do you even understand what state Ammi is in?" he asked. Tanveer started crying. "I just can't... Asad. I can't bear to see you two together. It's breaking my heart. Don't you get that?!" she cried.

He felt helpless. What was he to say to that? "Just let me go. I can't live there in your house... Zoya is where I should be" she said bitterly. Asad's eyes hardened at her words.

"Tanveer, she is my wife now. And you... you're part of our family. Don't do this" he whispered.

Her heart constricted at Asad calling Zoya his wife. "I have to go, Asad" she countered. He nodded. "Ok. But not now, and not like this... Come. We're going home now" he said firmly.

Tanveer thought of Dilshad. Asad was right.Despite how she was feeling, how could she have taken such a step without even telling her beloved Dilshad Aunty about it?

She stood up and let Asad and Ayaan who'd approached them, take her bags. Asad put his arm around her and she sank into his arms, crying as he walked her to the car.

*********
Ayaan left to go home as soon as he'd dropped them off. Tanveer walked robotically to her bedroom, not sparing Asad another glance. Asad watched her walk away and then went to his check on his mother. He sat on the edge of her bed and smoothed the frown lines away with feather light touches of his fingers. She opened her eyes.

"Asad, did you find her?" Dilshad asked, clutching his hand tightly. "She's here, she's fine Ammi" he answered tiredly. She tried getting up to go to Tanveer, but he stopped her.

"You can speak to her tomorrow" he said, getting up. She held his hand again. "What happened tonight, Asad?" she asked softly and noticed his jaw set stubbornly.

"I don't need to know... but Asad, you brought Zoya here into this house. I don't know the reasons you've made up in your head to be able to do that, but I am your mother and I know the real reason. Whatever has happened... well, what happened tonight should never have. And I can tell that you are to blame. You go and make things right, right now!" Dilshad scolded.

Asad sighed. He knew his mother was right. He nodded and made his way downstairs to his room, opening the door softly. His heart melted at seeing a sleeping Zoya sprawled across his bed in baby blue cotton pyjamas.

He walked in softly and knelt by the side of the bed. Tears stung his eyes as he noticed her tear-stained cheeks. His eyes snagged upon his phone on the bedside table and in a second, all his fury was back.

He got up and walked out of the bedroom.

**********

Zoya fluttered her eyes open. "Asad?" she called into the dead of night. Nothing. No one was there with her. Hugging herself tighter, she cried herself to sleep for the second time that night.

*********

Asad knocked on Tanveer's door. She was sitting in her bed. "Are you ok?" he asked. She didn't answer. He went to sit next to her and put a tentative arm around her. Her dam broke once again as she sobbed in the arms of the man she loved, who didn't love her back.

"It's too much... first she got you... then she gets the Women's league. It's not fair Asad... it's not fair" she chanted over and over again. Asad repeatedly stroked her hair to calm her down.

Eventually, her sobs subsided into sniffles and then finally, there was silence. He removed her hands from his collar and slid off the bed.

Sitting on the floor of Tanveer's room, he put his head in his hands and finally cried.

Tonight was not supposed to be like this.

*********

Zoya woke up rubbing her tired and sore eyes being assaulted by the early morning sun. She looked around the room. She didn't know why she did. She knew Asad wouldn't have been in here, but still... she had hoped.

She got up then and walked to the door. The house was in silence. She decided to go look for Asad. Maybe he was in the lounge on the couch or something. But as she opened her door, she came face to face with Asad... stepping out of the bedroom across the passage.

Zoya eyes widened and then she smiled at him uncertainly... until she heard a voice from inside. "Thanks for last night, Asad..." Tanveer's voice wafted out. Asad looked at Zoya, completely startled. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him.

He was about to say something, but Zoya stepped back into his room and shut the door, falling to floor and crying; her worst fear from last night come true.

*********

Asad stood outside his bedroom door, eyes shut. He could hear her crying again... that sound had haunted him all night. He had wanted to go to her, talk to her, but his stubbornness wouldn't allow him to. How the hell he'd fell asleep on Tanveer's bedroom floor was beyond him as well.

But what Zoya heard... that could be misconstrued so badly right now. And despite everything, he had promised her that that would never happen... that he would never do to her what that scoundrel did to her...

They couldn't carry on like this. They needed to talk and be clear about what they both expected of this relationship.

He didn't want Zoya near that a**hole... and now he guessed that she would want Tanveer gone too.

And those conditions would only come after a whole lot more was said, he guessed.

**********

Zoya showered and changed, determined to see this awful morning through. She couldn't have anything that happened get back to her parents. They would be devastated.

She dressed in a simple anarkali suit and made her way to the kitchen. Najma was there already with Razia and so was Tanveer. Zoya threw Tanveer a death glare as Razia and Najma went up to her to ask her if she was alright. "I will be. Can I help with breakfast?" she asked, eyeing the discarded newspaper on the counter. She'd wanted to groan. No doubt there was some article or pictures inside that no one wanted her to see this morning.

"I've already started it, Zoya" Tanveer said sweetly. Zoya went up to her. "It's my first morning as bahu of this home, Tanveer. So please, do allow me this. After all, you have already snatched a very important part of married life from me" she hissed the last part.

Tanveer didn't know what she meant, but grimaced uncertainly and moved away from the stove.

Asad and Dilshad walked into the kitchen then. Zoya kept her head down, even though she somehow felt that Asad was staring at her. "Everything ok, Zoya?" Dilshad asked. Zoya nodded slightly.

Dilshad's heart ached for her. What game were these two playing?

She so badly wanted to ask Asad what had happened last night, but she knew he would confide in her only when he was ready. And she also didn't feel right involving herself in the couple's business. She was never, and hopefully would never, be one of those mothers-in-law.

Looking at Tanveer, she allowed herself a little victory smile. She'd finally knocked some sense into her earlier this morning. She'd agreed to go back to London with Razia in a few days.

Zoya was finally done and placed all the dishes at the table. "Excuse me. I want to call my mother" she smiled at Dilshad. "Zoya, eat first beta" Dilshad said. "I'm really not that hungry, Ammi" she said and walked out.

Asad's heart beat faster in spite of himself at hearing Zoya call his mother "Ammi". He got up abruptly. "I... I need to-" he started explaining but then walked out of the kitchen abruptly.

Tanveer followed close behind. "Not now, Tanu" he said distractedly, looking at his closed bedroom door. "I just want to tell you what Zoya said to me now" she tried again. "It can wait, I need to speak to her" he said and started walking forward.

"That's what I'm trying to say! She told me I snatched away a very important part of her married life, Asad. I don't know what she's talking about, but she looked very angry at me" Tanveer said warily.

Asad turned back to her. "It's me she's angry with..." he said dejectedly, before walking to stand outside his room door. Tanveer walked back to the kitchen. She had warned him, she could do no more than that.

**********

Zoya locked the door and slumped back into bed, bawling her eyes out. She couldn't believe that Asad did that to her... she didn't want to believe it. But she hadn't seen or heard wrong.

He'd spent the night in Tanveer's room... not his room... where his bride had been sleeping; waiting for him to come home to straighten the mess out.

And Tanveer's voice drifting from her room, thanking him for last night also wasn't imagined.

Asad stood by his door and knocked. No answer. He could hear Zoya sobbing inconsolably inside. He tried the knob. "Damn..." he cursed. She'd locked it.

"Zoya... open up. We need to talk" he asked softly. He flinched away from the door as something hit it from inside. "Zoyaaa!" he hissed. She threw something else.

How did the tables get turned like this? He was the one that had been hard done by, and now she was acting all uppity because she presumed wrong and thought he'd spent the night with Tanveer.

How could she...?

He shook his head. They needed to sort this out.

Thinking of something, he walked away from his bedroom door and went outside. Zoya heard his footsteps retreat and cried harder.

**********

Asad looked into his bedroom from the window and wanted to slap himself. Zoya was still crying uncontrollably. He'd let his anger come in the way of the promises he'd made and he'd ruined their first night as man and wife together.

Not thinking any further, he pulled the slightly open window wider and climbed in silently. Zoya heard some movement behind her but refused to turn around.

Asad walked to the bed and knelt down in front of her. Her crying stopped for a second, her eyes widening. She closed her eyes. "Just go..." she whimpered. Asad reached out to touch her face, but she turned away.

"Please, Ms Farooqui..." he whispered, his voice full of the anguish he felt right then. Zoya inhaled deeply. She had had enough of this rubbish.

She shot up and glared at him.

"Maybe you forgot last night... but I haven't ok? I am no longer Ms Farooqui!" she screamed. He reached out again and she slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me. I remember you telling me that too, last night" she said, hiccupping from all the tears she's cried.

"Zoya, listen... what you thought..." he started. "F*** you, Mr Khan!" she hissed, and his eyes widened at what she'd said. "Last night when I tried to explain what you think you saw, you didn't give me a chance. So you believe what you want to about me, ok? You actually think I was meeting him? HIM? How could you even...?" she said, pointing at his chest with her index finger.

Asad tried holding her by her shoulders to calm her down. She shrugged him off. "And there's no way you can explain away spending OUR suhaagraat with Tanveer!" she continued, bursting into tears again.

Asad felt helpless. He had done this... he had ruined everything. Deep down, he knew she couldn't have been meeting with Ritesh but seeing it in front of him... had made him blind with rage.

Now he couldn't undo a damn thing.

"Zoya, please..." he begged. She stopped crying and looked at him. "After the rally tomorrow, I want to go home, to my parents. I know this is important, but you..." she sobbed some more, unable to finish what she wanted to say.

"We were going to be ok... I didn't tell you so we could've had one day of happiness... I tried to protect you from him" she cried. She shook her head at him.

"I can't be with someone who can't trust me, and then... tries to avenge what he thinks he knows by doing something awful to get back at me!" she said, wiping away her tears.

She needed to calm down; she was all cried out over this man.

"I'm sorry... please, Zoya..." he whispered, trying to reach out for her again. "Leave me alone, Mr Khan. You can live happily ever after with her when I leave. Just... go" she said dejectedly.

"Please hear me out, Zoya. You can't leave me!" he shouted; the thought of her not being with him suddenly caused his chest to constrict painfully.

Zoya smiled at him sadly. "You left before I did, Mr Khan"

Hearing the defeat and heartbreak in her voice just about undid him. His tears stung as he walked to the door. He stopped before opening it. "Nothing happened last night. You have to believe me" he said softly.

Zoya just stared ahead, the tears not stopping. She swiped at them furiously. Asad stood by the door. He could take no more and stalked up to her. All he wanted was to reach out and touch her; tell her that he was sorry, he wasn't thinking clearly, and that the thought of her going away would kill him. But she flinched, her eyes hardening at his proximity.

"Fine. You won't leave? I will then" she said, pushing past him and running out of the room.

Asad followed close behind, but she went into Najma's room and shut the door. Najma held her arms out to Zoya, who gladly took the solace being given to her and cried in her sister-in-law's comforting embrace.

Asad punched the wall.

***********

"I need to know what happened. I'm not able to do my job if I'm not kept in the loop!" Ayaan said frustratedly, running his hand through his hair as he paced Asad's bedroom. "Sit down, it's a long story" Asad sighed.

***********

"You mean to tell me... Kapoor sent you that picture and you immediately assumed Zoya had been meeting him? What is wrong with you, Asad?" Ayaan asked exasperated at his friend.

"I saw red. I wasn't thinking at all" he sighed. "Damn right about that. I honestly don't know what to tell you... I don't know how you'll make this right" Ayaan said.

"I don't know either. Especially when you hear what happened this morning... things just got worse, Ayaan" he said, looking at his best friend as if he was about to burst into tears.

He embarrassingly went on to tell Ayaan about what happened when he stepped out of Tanveer's room this morning. Ayaan slapped a hand over his eyes. "You're right. You weren't thinking at all" he muttered, shaking his head in disappointment.

Asad hung his head in shame. Everyone was upset with him and truth be told, he deserved it all and a whole lot worse. He knew he wouldn't forgive himself for how he'd treated Zoya last night.

"Where are you going?" Asad asked Ayaan when he was leaving his room. "I need to think about how to help...this situation" he said, walking out. Asad lay back on his bed.

"Nothing can help now..." he said.

*********

His eye fell on Zoya's phone and his, side by side on the console. He picked up his phone and looked at the picture again. This time, he noticed the look of fear on Zoya's face... her little frown... Kapoor's smug look.

He clenched his jaw as he realised that Kapoor looked like he was about to touch her to make a point. He put his head in his hands. Why didn't he just give her a chance to explain?

Suddenly he remembered the state she'd been in the other day when she'd come back from lunch.

"Oh God..." he said out loud. Had that moron done something to her? He would kill Kapoor if he had dared to touch a hair on his Zoya's head. He buried his face in his hands. "I'm the world's biggest idiot..." he whispered to himself.

********

"But Zoya... that can't... can't be true" Najma said. Zoya shifted away from her then. "I know... it's hard to believe that your brother... I mean, I know the kind of person he is. And I know he's your brother, so I shouldn't even be-" Zoya said.

"No no, Zoya. That's not what I mean at all. You can share anything with me. You know, I've always wanted a big sister" Najma smiled. Zoya smiled back uncertainly. "What I meant, is that Bhaijaan treated Tanveer and I the same... if you know what I mean?" Najma continued.

Zoya shook her head. It hurt so badly after all the crying she'd done.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Najma?" Zoya said. "Well, we grew up as siblings... Asad's never changed his view that Tanveer was like a sister to him. It was her feelings that changed, not his. And so I just can't believe that..." Najma trailed off.

"I know, Najma. I really want to believe that nothing happened... but I can't ignore what I saw or heard" she whispered. Najma noticed her clutching her head and scrunching her eyes.

"Headache?" she asked. Zoya nodded. "I'll go get you some painkillers" Najma said, using it as an alibi.

*********

Tanveer looked up startled when Najma burst into her room. They'd never gotten along well in all the time she was staying with the Khans. Tanveer had always tried to take Asad's attention away from her, and even though she now knew it was such a childish thing to be upset about... it still made her mad.

And hearing what had happened this morning had just riled her up even further.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Tanveer?" Najma shouted. "I'm not sure what you mean?" Tanveer said, wondering what had gotten into this family.

"I mean, what are you trying to do, coming between Bhaijaan and Zoya? His WIFE, damn it!" Najma answered. "I didn't do anything..." Tanveer defended herself.

Najma explained what happened this morning, and asked her if she'd planned it. "Of course not, Najma! So that's what she meant this morning then...?" Tanveer realised out loud. "What do you mean?" Najma asked. Tanveer told her what Zoya said.

Najma shook her head. "You've played your part in turning this whole situation upside down, knowingly or unknowingly, I don't care. What I do care about is that you go and make it right" Najma said.

"Najma, I don't like what you implied. I would never... I mean, he's married now, and even though I lo-" Najma put her hand up to stop Tanveer's hogwash. "Just shut up and go and do something good for once" Najma grit out angrily and stalked off from Tanveer's room.

She stopped in the hall and took a deep breath. She was so glad Tanveer was leaving.

*********

Asad paced his room like a caged lion. He had tried calming himself down. It wasn't working. He grabbed his keys and rushed out of the house.

He was going to kill Ritesh Kapoor.

*********

Zoya was laying down in Najma's room. Thankfully, Ayaan had called to tell her that he'd managed to cancel the press conference. She presumed that he knew what had happened. He did say the rally was going ahead as planned tomorrow.

Zoya opened up her eyes as there was a knock at the door. She rolled them inwardly when she saw that it was Tanveer on the door. "Can I help you? Any more revelations for me, Tanveer?" Zoya said tiredly.

"Zoya, I'm really sorry. For everything... And, I know what you think happened... nothing like that... it didn't. Asad wouldn't do that to you" she said softly. Zoya looked at her.

"I know... I know you know my husband better than I do. I know you're in love with him, ok? There's no need to pretend. I also know what you did that day at the college we went to. Yes, don't look shocked. Mr Khan told me everything. And most of all, I know he wouldn't touch you, ok? So, though you may know him so well, I know a thing or two about him too, and I know that!" she ranted, faking the confidence she felt at what she was saying.

Exhausted just by speaking to Tanveer, she lay back down. "Just get out, Tanveer. I don't want to hear anything else you have to say, and I have nothing to say to you" she said. "He does love you, y'know?" Tanveer said as she turned to leave. "You're the last person in the world that I need to hear that from. Just. Get. Out" Zoya said.

***********

Asad stood outside Ritesh's office, waiting for him to come out. It was nearly lunch time... that was his usual time to get out and harass unsuspecting women - like his wife. Asad sighed. The shame of what he'd done wouldn't leave him. He had to make it up to her... He had to do something. But this... he needed to do this first.

He spotted Ritesh walking out of the office block. Asad made his way to him and towered over him. But before he could say anything, the b*stard smirked. That set Asad off. He threw a hard punch to Ritesh's face, knocking him to the ground. "What the f***, Khan?!" he shouted, trying to tamp down the blood flow from his nose.

Asad looked like a man possessed. "Stay away from my wife, you a**hole!" he said in a low voice, standing over Ritesh.

Ritesh still had the gall to laugh. "Funny. She said the same thing. I guess you both forget who she was with first" he goaded Asad. Asad bent down and picked Ritesh up off the floor. "Stay away from my wife... If I see you anywhere near her, or even hear of you going anywhere near her, I. WILL. KILL. YOU!" he shouted, throwing Ritesh back on the pavement forcefully and then walking away.

Ritesh laughed as some guys helped him up. "Khan... you have no idea what you are in for" he thought to himself as he smiled slyly at Asad's retreating figure.

**********

Zoya went down to the kitchen at some point in the afternoon. She needed some coffee and something to eat, but when she walked in her gaze fell upon the newspaper on the counter. She got herself some coffee and looking around to make sure no one saw her, she grabbed it and headed back to Najma's room.

Najma had sweetly offered Zoya use of her room. She brought all Zoya's things from Asad's bedroom and told her she would share with her mother. "Thank you, Najma" Zoya had whispered, hugging her tightly.

Once she got in and locked the door, she paged through the papers until she found what she was looking for. She traced the picture lovingly with her finger. She almost smiled at it.

Whoever the person was that took the picture seemed to have captured a perfect moment between Asad and her. She remembered the moment well; they had been talking about getting out of there and finally going back to "their" home.

How had things gone so wrong in a matter of seconds? And... would they ever be alright again?