OS : TRUE LOVE - ASYA Story !!
Hi All.. Am back after a very long time.. with another OS... It is different in the way I have written it compared to my earlier works... Hope you enjoy reading this one as well...Do key in your comments and do press the like button...
I know QH Show has moved on and also many readers and writers but I am stuck in time with ASYA !!
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I look at myself in the mirror ... Definitely age was catching up.. there were streaks of silver hair peeping out in the front...A smile spread across my face...Life indeed is a best teacher ...I move towards the book rack and run my fingers on them lovingly...My treasure.. Writing has always been my passion...Today is an important day in my life...I had to look back the path I had taken .. what I had lost and what I had gained in this path...
As I sit back on the chair near my study table, my thoughts drift back to the past...
Ten Years Back : Khan Villa
I look nervously at my abbu and then back at my ammi ...Both were not happy with my decision...Rashid Ahmed Khan, a mathematics professor in Bhopal University was a man of few words and very authoritative... He was no doubt called Bull Dog in the campus.. My ammi Dilshad Ahmed Khan a very sweet lady .. she never went against her husband.. and me Asad Ahmed Khan.. has always been a good son and finished my MS in English Literature.. Abbu wanted me to become a professor like himself but becoming a writer has always been my dream... and since yesterday the discussion of applying to the university or not has been the hot topic of our house...
Abbu.. I am sorry but I am not interested in taking up this job...So please don't force me...
Rashid gave a stern look at his son : Why are you being so reckless Asad ?? I understand your passion for writing but you can very well do that as your hobby ... I have managed to build this house for you and a secured job of yours will give me a hope that you will also be fine financially... Writer as a profession is a risk.. Why don't you understand my point of view ?? Dilshad please convince your son to fill up the form and he tossed the form towards Dilshad and walked away...
Asad.. Please give a thought beta for what your abbu is telling... You need to have a regular source of income to take care of your Wife and Children...
Ammi...For god's sake.. I am just 22 Yrs now... And why are you speaking about wife and children ??
Asad.. Please.. You need to plan for your future... Are you not getting married ?? What will you do to feed your wife and children ?? I agree you are good at your work.. but if you need to have another source of income to overcome the future risk which your abbu is warning about ?? He is getting retired in another 3 Yrs and he wants you to settle down before that !!
Ammi.. He has another 3 Yrs.. right ?? So why don't you both give me next 1 year.. If things don't work out my way then I promise I will take up the job as a professor ... !! Please ammi convince abbu on this please...!!
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An year later,
My first book on College life was a huge success and it was selling like hot cakes.. while my next book was due for release...I was quite happy with the media focus which I was getting and also the preparations which were going on for the press meet for the next release... Abbu and Ammi had now accepted that I was adamant about my passion and nothing could change it...but abbu insisted on giving his advice ... I wish you all the best beta.. but always remember that you should invest your earnings into something which can fetch you regular source of income for making your life secure in the future...
It was just fun filled days for me for the next 2 years and unfortunately, on the day of abbu's retirement, abbu and ammi met with an accident and passed away on the spot leaving me alone to fight my own battle...It was a huge blow for me ...I wished I had somebody to share my sorrow.. but none.. and the whole house reminded me of my dear parents and I no longer had the courage to stay in the house and that is when I thought a change of house would do me good...I did not have the heart to sell off Khan Villa since it was constructed with abbu's hard earned money... So with whatever earnings I had during the 3 Yrs, I managed to purchase a small apartment in the outskirts of Bhopal hoping it would give me the peace which I wanted staying away from the central Bhopal City where Khan Villa stood proudly...
It took nearly 6 months for me to start writing again... After all I had to ... else I would run out of money soon and I had no other source of income...Each time I sat down to write, the guilt inside me for not giving happiness to my parents haunted me ...but towards the end of the year I managed to finish writing and media no doubt gave me the much required attention since it was written after a gap of one year but unfortunately it was not accepted by the public... I had to loose more money in paying back to the publishers who had invested...I was determined to try again...but after the 3rd failure to attract public attention, publishers also stopped showing interest... I had to sell away Khan villa to clear all my debts and that was the day when I broke down...I realized what abbu had been telling and I wished Tanveer understood me and waited for me to settle down...
Tanveer.. yes my girlfriend... She is actress from the Telly world whom I met during one of the parties ...She was so very impressed with my books and I loved all the love and admiration which she showed me...During abbu and ammi's death, she was out on outdoor shoots and she was not with me but she did come to my apartment after few months and had consoled me... Though she did not come all these months, I know she loves me.. So I thought of surprising her and went to her house...
I was meeting her after nearly an year...I purchased a boquet of red roses and a box of chocolates... neatly dressed in my favourite black shirt and jeans... headed towards her house...The security recognized me and nodded with a smile as I drove my car inside the gate...
What I saw broke my heart...The girl whom I loved was in the arms of some other guy lost in a passionate kiss...I dropped the boquet and chocolate box which disturbed them and made her look up to me...
Ya allah.. Fans these days Imran.. don't even have the decency to take permission before dropping by...She did not even show signs of recognition...She called the security and blasted him for allowing me inside and walked away pulling that guy towards the stairs ...
Tears started dropping from my now red eyes...and it was only when the security guard put his hands on my shoulder I realized how long I was rooted to the spot for a long time...I drove without realizing where I was heading to and the only thing which I remembered was a banging into another car followed by a complete black out...
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I opened my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar surroundings... I try to get up and sit but the nagging pain in my head made me fall back and just as I fall back, I was greeted with a very melodious voice...
Good Morning Mr. Khan... I am so happy you woke up... Doctor should be reaching in few minutes...I found myself looking at a very beautiful young lady in a jeans and top with her hairs tied to a pony tail... She walked up to my bed and sat down... I was wondering if I have forgotten anything ?? I do remember my name... Asad Ahmed Khan.. a writer.. a failure... A failure as a son, as a writer and as a lover...
Looking at me lost in my thoughts.. , she might have got worried... Mr Khan.. Are you ok ?? She placed her right palm on my head ... I felt so much lighter ...and closed my eyes...trying to relax...only to be disturbed by the doctor who walked in...
Mr. Khan.. So how are you feeling ?? and he carried on with with his examination...
Ms. Farooqui...congratulations..your efforts has paid off...
I had to speak up.. who is Ms. Farooqui and what am I doing here ?? Doctor... how did I reach here ?? what happened to me ??
A smile spread across doctor's face... And he looked at the lady whom he was addressing as Ms. Farooqui once before focusing his attention on me...
Mr. Khan.. you met with an horrible accident... It is a miracle that you survived... You were admitted in one of the private hospitals in the city outskirts... You had drifted to coma... Ms. Farooqui got you shifted from that hospital to City Hospital ... We had almost given up on you but she was adamant to continue with your medication and she got you shifted here to her house and your room was under monitoring with a baby monitor.. It has been only her care which has got you out of coma after an year...!!
I was no doubt shocked to know that I was in coma for an year...and how does Ms. Farooqui know me to be so kind enough for me...and taking care of me... ?? I guess the thought was too much on my brain and I felt myself drifting back to sleep...
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I woke up again after 2 hours only to find that angel sitting next to me with my hands in hers with a worried look on her face... The joy was evident on her face when I opened my eyes...
Shukrh hain allah ka.. you woke up in 2 hours.. I thought I had lost you again !!
Ms. Farooqui... Can I have some water please ?? I noticed that all the tubes which were hanging earlier were taken out... and I was feeling so very exhausted and hungry...
She ordered for water and juice in the inter-com and took my hands back in hers...gently running her fingers on mine...
Mr. Khan would you like to get up and walk around in the room as we wait for the water and juice ??
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It was now a week since I had regained my consciousness...and Ms. Farooqui had been taking care of me like a small child helping me with my meals and the short walks in her garden .. Though I was able to manage doing my work, she insisted to have one of her body guards with me to help me in case I needed help.. but I still did not understand why she was doing so much for me and how she knew me ??
As I sat back with the newspaper in my hand on one of the lawn chairs , I saw her walking up to me...
Good Evening Mr. Khan.. .. Am so sorry could not reach early to join your evening walk today.. To make it up for you, are you ready to come out with me .. you will get to see what you have been missing ...
Ms. Farooqui...Why are you so kind to me ?? I am a looser in life...
She did not allow me to speak further.. She placed her fingers on my mouth... Please Mr. Khan.. you don't realize what your value is ...I want you to see what you are ...Now come on ... and she dragged me to the room where I was staying... She opened the cupboard next to the one from which I was picking up the dresses which I had been wearing for the last one week... I was surprised to find a couple of business suits along with casual wear in the one which she opened.. She pulled out white shirt and blue jeans and also a black leather jacket...
Now get ready Mr. Khan.. I will wait for you...and I give you only 10 minutes...and true to her words, she was back in 10 minutes wearing white shirt and blue jeans ...That is great Mr. Khan.. and she took out black aviators from one of the drawers and handed it over to me...
I was wondering where she was taking me but preferred to be quiet... We got down in a mall.. she gently entwined her hands in mine and told me not to take off my aviators while she covered her head and face in a scarf letting only her eyes visible... We walked over to a book store in the mall and what I saw made me believe in miracles all over again.. The stories which I had written but were left in my apartment without publishers and also the one which had to be completed were published and adored the front rack of the stores... My earlier works were also seen along with them and right in front of my eyes I saw people asking for my books in particular... I picked up the latest one which somebody had completed for me ... when I heard a cry out right behind me...
Oh no..there goes the last copy.. I am not sure when I will get to read it.. ..Hey mister you are so lucky to get it.. I heard that it was limited in publication.. I have to now go in search of it in other stores and you know what ?? it is a brilliant story.. I did read the preview on net... Lucky guy.. !!
I walked towards the counter only to realize that I had to borrow money from Ms. Farooqui... My right hand was still entwined in hers... She smiled at me and gave a gentle squeeze before taking her hand out to pay for the book...
I was just walking around with her like a robot .. and her next stop was at the music stores... She took out an album and gave it to me... Phela Nasha... .Musical album by Miss Zoya Farooqui... My eyes grew wide ... She just smiled flashing her dimples finding my shocked face amusing... and placed it back in the rack and guided me towards the exit...
I was filled with lots of questions now and I decided that I need to talk to her as soon as we get back to home...but there was more shocking things awaiting me...As we got down, I noticed the surroundings to be familiar and was taken aback when I found us standing in front of Khan Villa...bright and beautiful as it had been...
My legs trembled a little as she guided me towards it...A middle aged lady answered the bell and wished Ms.Farooqui and guided us inside.. I was no doubt shocked to see ammi and abbu's huge photograph which adored one of the walls in the drawing room.. I moved towards it and unknowingly tears flowed freely from my eyes...She allowed me to cry for few minutes... but came back soon with a glass of water...
Mr. Khan...please.. too much of stress is not good for you...!!
Ms. Farooqui.. Do you mind telling me what is all this ?? I mean my books.. this house... and who are you ??
She smiled showing off her dimples again which made my heart do a somersault but Tanveer crossed my mind and I looked away ...
Mr. Khan.. please and she forced me to drink water ...She informed the middle aged lady whom I guessed was the maid in this house to not to disturb us .. and we settled down in a couch...
Mr. Khan... I was your classmate during both your degree and MS day... My abbu and your abbu were colleagues and good buddies... Your abbu was no doubt a very strict and disciplined man but he loved you a lot and was worried a lot about your future... My abbu was also worried a lot about my future.. and I guess that the only topic which those two would speak about... My bhaijaan Haider.. would always fight for my happiness and he was my support...He is a Software Engineer.. and currently in US ... Abbu and Ammi are with him right now... They will be back by next week...since Haider Bhaijaan is getting married to his childhood friend and sweetheart... Heena...!!
After my MS.. I did get an offer to take up lecturer's job but music is my passion and I wanted to make a career out of it.. By allah's grace... I have made a name for myself...!! Considering Abbu and Rashid uncle's advice, I have opened a music school as well which is doing good...
A smile spread across my face as she revealed her details but I also felt a sort of suffocation... How blind I was to know what abbu had been telling.. but the next minute I felt bad about myself.. Had abbu requested Ms. Farooqui's family to take care of me ??The way she had taken care of me and this house ??
Ms. Farooqui.. This house ?? and my books ??
Mr. Khan... You have never changed right ?? Always restless... !! Fine ... Let me tell you ...I read about your accident in the Newspaper... and that is when I reached you and got you shifted to City Hospital over here...and after few days, got you shifted to our house... No.. don't worry .. abbu , ammi and Haider Bhaijaan know about this and in fact they were very happy to find out safe... We all had got worried when you shifted to outskirts of Bhopal...
This house ??
Patience.. Mr. Khan.. This house now belongs to you... and she took out the keys and handed it over to me... Mr. Khan.. The registration needs to be transferred to your name...When you sold this house, it was Haider bhaijaan who purchased it.. but we knew that it was just matter of time.. and that you would definitely make it big in life... Now that your books are a huge success, there was sufficient money for you to buy it back...and yes regarding your books... sorry... I got your keys in the hospital and I got everything shifted to our house...Your work are no doubt master pieces...but how to present it to the public was all that mattered... After your accident people thought that you would never write... and I read your book Crime in Mumbai... And I knew that next release had to be that... Got it published but only a limited edition so that people went crazy for that... And it worked...!!
Oh yes.. the latest one... "Love - A reality check ?? " .. Sorry again.. took the liberty to complete it in your name.. It was just last 4 or 5 chapters which had to be completed... I guess I changed the ending...remember I am also a MS graduate in English.. That helped me a little here.. !!
I will hand over all your bank pass books and legal papers...!!
I felt very happy to know that my work was getting appreciated but there was still the nagging feeling inside me to understand why she and her family was so very helpful and caring for me ?? The only answer which kept ringing was for abbu... !!
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I did meet entire Farooqui family later and was part of Haider's marriage... And later moved to Khan Villa...I was glad that I was in Khan Villa close to abbu and ammi... and Ms. Farooqui... would drop in frequently in my house and life spreading happiness and light.. I was so very grateful to her and her family ...
A year passed by and I did write few more books which earned the same success and fame and yes Ms. Farooqui and her advice was always taken for her review and release...
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I came out of my thoughts from the past when my 4 Years old daughter Adya came running and hoped on my lap ...
Abbu... get ready ... ammi has given only 10 minutes... for you...
A smile spread on my face... She and her 10 minutes... !!
As I walked in to our room along with Adya, she was ready in her black saree... looking gorgeous as ever...
So there you are... !! Mr. Khan.. don't you realize it is an important day in our life ?? Where were you ??
My heart filled with pride looking at her..."Behind every successful man there is a woman..." And how true it was in my life...
Not again .. Mr. Khan.. get ready and she handed over the black business suit to me to get ready...
Come on Adya... let your abbu get ready...and mind you... Only 10 minutes... !!
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As I got ready, my thoughts again drifted back to the past...
It was one year after I had moved back to Khan Villa...I was no doubt happy with my success and all the material things which I had gained but there was an emptiness in me which kept haunting me and it was one such evening when Ms. Farooqui walked in...
She had come over with my favourite garlic bread sticks from Dominos along with a hot cup of black coffee...
Come on Mr. Khan.. let us enjoy the evening with your favourite garlic bread... and hot coffee... it will start raining any moment.. and it would be good to enjoy the rain with these...
Ms. Farooqui.. please... I am no longer the bed ridden Asad... Why are you doing so much for me..for God's sake enough of your pity... I will die with the suffocation which I feel with the increasing pity which you keep showing... I am tired.. I very well know what will happen to my life... once a book flops...
She was no doubt shocked with my outburst...It hurt to see tears which had formed in her big brown eyes...She kept looking at me for few seconds.. expecting me to continue... and not making any attempt to wipe away the tears which had started flowing drown from her eyes...
The shock turned to anger in her eyes... She dropped the coffee mug which was in her glass and without caring to give a look at it, she moved towards me...pointing her finger towards me...
Do you ever care for other's feelings ?? Never .. you are the same old selfish Asad Ahmed Khan.. thinking only about yourself... your dream... your life.. your wish... Your happiness and Your sorrows...You never cared about others nor you ever will do it... I was with you since your college days... always waiting for one look from you... but no you were always in your own world of books ...What did you say... ?? Pity ?? Damn it.. do you see pity in my eyes all these days ?? Mr. Asad Ahmed Khan...I should be the one deserving pity for loving you and waiting for you all these years !! and what do I get in return ??
She left her words incomplete and walked away in the rain ...leaving me to myself ...trying to digest whatever she had told...
Days passed and it was nearly15 days since that evening...She had neither called nor come ... I had realized her un-conditional love for me ...but what had I done to deserve it ?? I had to speak to her...I got ready with a new found enthusiasm... It was her strict instructions to keep a driver with me ... A smile spread across my face as my car took me towards her house...
As I walked towards her room, I saw her standing in the balcony looking outside...the sadness on her face made me feel the pain which she might have gone through during the past 15 days...I stood next to her hoping to gain her attention...but I was not...I cleared my throat which also proved to be a failed attempt...I took lot of courage...and kept telling myself that it would be fine...and called out her name...
ZOYA...!! I am sorry...I am sorry for being a fool for not realizing your love...I have been a loser in my life...You have turned the loser in me to be a winner... to achieve many things in my life...will you be kind enough to fill my life with more happiness ??
She stood still without reacting...but I could see tears from her eyes dropping down...which hurt me more...
Zoya... I know that I am the reason for all the pain you are going through...I did believe in love...and I wanted to marry Tanveer...but she broke my heart...just because I had turned out to be a failure in life without money and property...I found her with somebody else...and that was the day I met with the horrible accident...but I have now realized what True love is ...!! I feel blessed for the love that you have towards me ...I do have lot of respect for you but I was scared for all the love and affection fearing when it would be snatched away from me...but now I have realized your love..and I love you more for being there for me always...!!
I could not bear any more when she did not react...
I am sorry Zoya... I think you have decided to never forgive me... That is fine... But don't worry I will no longer be a loser... Your love and that feeling is enough for me to go on in life...and I will wait for you...and I know that one fine day you will...
I moved towards the door with tears in my eyes...only to be stopped by her... She hugged me from behind...
Asad... Sorry ...for making you go through this... I love you.. I love you so very much .. !!
We stood there in her room in each other's arms for a long time...
Mr. Khan.. It was always you.. since college days... I knew you are Rashid uncle's son... I loved the articles which you wrote in college magazine..and I have been your fan since then...but you never looked at me...but I kept waiting for you... Abbu and ammi knew about my love...and Haider bhaijaan convinced them ... and Abbu did approach Rashid uncle on their retirement day.. but unfortunately things took a different turn after that...Abbu was equally upset then and so he went with Haider bhaijaan to spend few days and since then it has been few months here and few months over there...I did get to know about your affair with Tanveer and after your accident about the possible break up...I did not want you to become a nobody... I was determined to get you back and the world to know your value...!! I love you Asad for fighting back and proving to the world what you are...!!
Thank you so much Zoya for loving me and being there for me...!!
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A knock on my door rather banging sound made me come back to the present...
Come on Abbu... Why are you taking so much time ??
Yes princess...will join you in 2 minutes...
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As WE - myself, my singer wife and our princess Adya Asad Ahmed khan walked in , we got a standing ovation from the crowd gathered...after all I was being facilitated for the best writer in the Fiction category and my latest work TRUE LOVE was the reason for this ... which now also won a contract with a film producer !! My wife Zoya Asad Ahmed Khan had recently won the famous Screen award for one of her songs ... and it was a very proud moment for me and my family...!!
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First time readers, If you are interested to read any of my earlier works -
Here is the link - MY ASYA WORLD
Kumkum Bhagya
Tu Dhadkan Main Dil
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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