AsYa TS- Bike Rides- Part 2- Pg 22- 2nd May'14 - Page 15

BIKE RIDES

PART 2

Her POV

I tried hard but I could not stop my emotions to inhabit my eyes... I am sure that he must have read them... I did not want to meet him again, but it was difficult for me to reject his proposition as he would not be coming over to the grounds for the next few days, until he left... I called him up and asked him to join me for the tournament that was two days later. Till then, we could somehow manage to steal little time together in the nearby cafe.

Yes, I called him, which meant I had shared my phone number with him... It's all going too fast, but I just could not help it!

Next day, I met him at the coffee shop in the evening. It was a quick meet. He said he was busy packing his stuffs. I asked him about his job again and he avoided it once again, saying that he would tell me after the tournament. I knew he would, he didn't seem to be a liar...

His POV

I watched her play Tennis. She was indeed very good at it. She was not only fit, but she was also extremely focused when it came to playing matches... I was very optimistic that she would win and she did. She called me her lucky charm as this was her second time when she played this tournament, the first time being a failure.

As promised, I took her to a nice restaurant and ordered food as per my own choice as she was too confused to choose anything.

"It seems like you have a good taste in food.", she said looking impressed.

"Have to be. That's my work after all." She looked at me shockingly.

"Okay, so Zoya, let me just introduce myself to you properly... I am Asad Ahmed Khan, 26, the Head Chef of Diamond Plaza Hotel in Goa. I am the son of Mr. Rashid Ahmed Khan who owns a chain of Five Star Hotels, two being here in Mumbai itself. And I am likely to take over my father's business once I resign from my job in Goa...", I said with confidence.

Her jaw almost dropped down and reached up to the floor. There were very less people who didn't know about our chain of hotels and Zoya was definitely Not one of them.

"Why are you working in Goa when you have your own hotels here?", she asked me looking bewildered.

"That's because I love that place a lot and I wanted to do something on my own, just the way you want to..."

She did not expect this from me and her baffled face had told me that.

"Close your mouth and start drinking!", I said pointing towards the coffee mug.

"What do you think? I don't know anything about your father, Mr. Gafoor Farooqui? It's him who has constructed all our hotels till now.", I said only to earn another bemused expression from her.

The coffee mug stopped midway before reaching up to her lips. I placed my hand over hers and motioned her to take a sip.

"So when are you leaving? And when will you be coming back?", she asked me in an unanticipated polite tone.

"Someone will be missing me it seems...??", I asked her mischievously.

"It's nothing like that. Just a gathering a bit of General Knowledge you see.", she said trying to justify herself.

"General Knowledge? Seriously Zoya?" I burst out laughing. She joined me too a few seconds later.

"When are you coming back?", she asked me again, this time seriously.

"Not before three months.", I answered honestly.

I saw her dejected face. She was sad after knowing this little piece of information.

"Come back soon, if you can.."

I could see different emotions in her eyes again, the ones I had seen before.

"I will try. But you will be missing me right?", I asked her expecting a positive reply.

"I will be missing our bike rides.", she said while winking at me and concentrating on her just served food.

Her POV

I had lied to him when I had said that I won't be missing him. I am missing him badly... It's already been more than a month since he has left and the emptiness that he has created within me is not explainable with words. I wanted to see him, I wanted to touch him, I wanted to feel him against my body... I wanted to be with him. For a change, I was actually missing him more than his Bike.

I laughed at my indifferent behavior. Though we were in contact, but his absence always diverted my mind to his thoughts. The changes in my behavior were closely observed by my sister, Humeira who's just 2 years younger than me. I didn't tell this before, but I really Love her a lot. She is my only sibling and we have no cousins either. Our parents are the only children of their parents so, it has always been Humeira for me. I kicked her, she kicked me back; I slapped her, she returned my favor delightfully. I took out my frustration on her, she did the same. . I loved her, she loved me back more. She was my best friend and I was hers... I told her everything about Asad the day he had left for Goa.

"What has happened now Sissy? Missing Mr. Bike Man? ", she started teasing me again and I threw a pillow at her which she dodged successfully. This event of teasing was a new addition to our daily fight routines now.

"Just call him and tell him", she suggested me.

"Tell what?", I asked her, unable to interpret the meaning of her words. She shook her head at my idiocy. "Just tell him that you love him."

I remained stupefied for a moment till the time I registered what she said.

"Wooohooo Sissy... From where did love come into all this? I am just missing him and nothing else. It will be fine in just a few more days." I tried to prove her wrong.

"It will become worse Zoya... Either you just tell him or keep waiting for the day when he'll come back with a beautiful girl from Goa and introduce her to you as his fiancee, get married to her and make beautiful babies with her... And then you might just go and train his kids in Tennis... How amazing will that be??", she said with sarcasm personified in every word of hers.

My eyes shot open on what Humeira had said. I was almost on the verge of thinking that much far if she wouldn't have called me to bring me out of my reverie.

"Are you even listening to me? I am sure you wouldn't want that. So, just tell him."

I knew she was right. I had a strong feeling towards him which was definitely much more than simple friendship and attraction, but I was not sure if that was what people call Love. Not till now... Just the mere thought of losing him to an imaginary non-existent girl shook my senses hard.

"I will tell him Sissy, but not over phone... I want him to be here, in front of me, when I confess to him.", I said while a beam of happiness adorned my not-any-more-confused face.

"And how are you going to do that?", Humeira asked me excitedly.

"Just wait and watch babe!", I said and smiled mischievously at the thought of my full proof plan.

His POV

I am going back to Mumbai. I wasn't supposed to go back that early, but I have to, for Zoya's sake.

----------------------------Flashback starts-------------------------

"Hey Zoya..", I said when I received her call in the morning.

"Hello. Who's this speaking?" I heard an unknown voice at the other end.

"This is Asad here and the number that you are calling from is probably my friend Zoya's..", I said as I was still not sure of anything that was happening.

"May be it is. I am just calling on the last dialed number just to inform you that your friend has met with an accident. She has been admitted to the hospital and she is pretty much serious. Please be here as soon as possible..."

The person hanged up the call just after saying this. I couldn't think rationally. I called up Eijaz and asked him about Zoya. I put a brake to my work, handed over an application for a leave of two weeks and made arrangements for my tickets to Mumbai.

------------------------------Flashback ends------------------------------

Her POV

I knew he would come, he had to... My plan had never been a waste. I knew he would call Eijaz, so I had already included him in this..

My eyes were stuck on my watch, waiting for Asad to be here any moment. It was Eijaz's responsibility to bring him here in time. I checked the arrangements for one last time. I had booked the caf for us where we had mostly spent our lone time in that one week.

I already had a little idea of his taste by now, so I kept the decorations simple yet sober. There was a chocolate cake, and few of his favorite Italian dishes kept on the table, with two chairs across it. I looked at the door as I heard a familiar sound of a bike. It was none other than Eijaz's. I knew Asad was there with him too.

His POV

Eijaz halted his bike at the caf and I looked at him confusedly. He motioned me to enter inside. I opened the door of the cafe and noticed that all the lights were switched off... There was a single spot light on me and I could hear Zoya's voice coming from somewhere...

"Hello Mr. Chef, or Mr. Bike Man, just as my sister calls you... You must be wondering what is all this about. So let me tell you first, that I am absolutely fine... I did not have any accident and it was just my prank to bring you here all the way from Goa. Please please please don't be angry with me. You can definitely save it for later."

I could hear footsteps approaching towards me. It was not too later when a spot light was there on her too. She was there standing right in front of me, wearing a beautiful baby pink Salwar Kameez and her beautiful long hair was left open on her right shoulder, contrary to the other times when it remained neatly tied. Her appearance was so much unlike her... I didn't interrupt and let her continue. She looked into my eyes intently and continued with what she was saying.

"So, Mr. Chef, I really don't know how to do this... I am not an expert in framing words like you, but I want to learn this, only from you... It's true that I love bikes and bike rides too, but I only want to have a ride sitting behind you... . I can gain calories and again work out for many extra hours, but only if you make jalebis' for me... I want you to be my lucky charm in every match that I play... I don't want to miss you, as I want you to be with me always, and forever... I think, no I don't think, but I am sure... Actually I am not sure...I am not unsure either... I don't know... it's just that I... What the hell am I saying? Okay fine!! Asad, you understand what I am trying to say right?", she asked me when she was fumbling badly with her words.

I could not help but laugh at her antics. I went closer to her and held her hands in mine.

"Will you still feel the same even if I just sell my bike that you love so much?", I asked her as when she hung her head low.

"Huh?" She was unable to interpret my words.

I put my hand inside my pocket and brought out a small velvet box. I bent down on my knees and opened the box and held it in front of her... Saying that she was shocked would be an understatement.

"Answer me Zoya...", I asked her in a heavy voice.

"What?", she asked me, still not believing what she was seeing.

"Just tell me, will you still love me even if I won't own my bike anymore?", I asked her with a grin enhancing my handsome face.

"Of course I will... Now please don't ask me to repeat all that I had just said!", she said, almost having tears in her eyes.

"Then tell me what I want to hear..."

She took the ring from my hands and held it firmly in between her thumb and index finger and looked at it intently. She moved her gaze towards me and said the words with utmost sincerity...

"I love you Asad... I am sure I do and I will keep doing even if you will not own Any bike!", she said the latter half chuckling.

I scooped her up in my arms and went round and round till the time I heard her squeal in joy. I placed her feet back on the floor and cupped her cheeks in my palms.

"I love you so much Zoya! I love you more than what you can imagine!" , I said with sincerity.

My eyes bore into her doe shaped ones... They spoke her unspoken words in volumes... At that moment, our emotions matched with each other's, perfectly, like the missing pieces of a puzzle... I did not hold back myself anymore... I kissed her softly on her lips and let my lips linger on hers for some more time, till she moved back...

"How come you are not angry at all for the prank that I played? And how are you supposed to be here, all ready with a ring?", she asked me. Instead of having flushed cheeks after the moment that we had just shared, I saw her looking completely perplexed.

I looked at her eyes naughtily and she seemed to have read my thoughts.

"Oh freak!! Eijaz had told you everything? I am going to kill him..!!", she almost yelled near my ears.

I laughed hard at her anger.

"You should be thankful to him that he had already let me know about your stupid prank... Otherwise, I would have been shouting at you at the moment and 'this' would not have been so special...", I said, referring to 'this' as the proposal.

She seemed to have agreed with my words and calmed herself down after some time... I took advantage of her quietness and moved my face forward to hers and kissed her full on her mouth. She was shocked at the beginning, but later, matched every move of mine with equal fervour... This was our first real kiss... It was full of love, care, passion and promises...

Her POV

It was just a week later after we got engaged unofficially in the cafe, that Asad was there at my doorsteps with his parents and his only sister, to ask my hand for marriage from my parents...

It was something that was happening really very fast, but Asad was probably much shaken when I had told him what Humeira had said about him having babies with another girl in Goa and me training them... Not that he would do anything like that, but he was not sure of the same with me... He said I was getting sexier each day and it would be absolutely impossible to keep prospective grooms away from my doorstep... I laughed hard at his explanation as I already knew the actual reason--It was getting harder for him to stay away from me!

I told my mother, about it before and it was her department to convince my father, which was not a very difficult job... My father already knew his father very well through business contacts, and it came as a surprise for me when I got to know that he knew Asad as well... He had met him once in one of his business meetings.

Hence, our marriage was fixed 2 years later, but the engagement being held just after another week.. Asad, like a very good husband, wanted me to settle down in my career and I wanted the same for him.

Two years later, we got married which was a grand affair as I was one the leading Tennis players and Asad was a very successful owner of his chain of hotels...

Today, right here, right now, I, Mrs. Zoya Asad Ahmed Khan, am standing with my husband, Mr. Chef Asad Ahmed Khan, on our reception dais, accepting gifts and blessings from our friends and family. We thank them and almighty and mainly Eijaz, who was the sole reason for us to meet...

Though He owned a variety of luxurious cars, we still stole some time during the lazy hours at night to go for a Bike Ride, and have coffee at the cafe from where our journey had started...

A/N: Please do leave your likes and comments. I won't lie, but I was a little disappointed with the likes that i got in the previous update.

Please guys, Do hit the like button and leave your valuable comments..

It is the only thing that motivates me. Will eagerly wait to hear from you all. Silent readers, for you even Likes will do. 😛