#3 |Akhir Dil Mil Hi Gaye| Chapter 31(Last Chapter), Page 66 Nov 25 - Page 28

Chapter 26

"VODKA!!!"

"Aayan, Again? This boy is never going to change." Armaan laughed at his friend. "By the way Zoya yeh Asad kaha hai?"

Asad. Suddenly a wicked idea popped up in her mind and she smirked.

"Aayan, nothing like last time. Did you get that?" Zoya glared at him and moved towards the kitchen.

Armaan and Riddhima, finding something suspicious decided to followZoya. "Zoya, are you planning something evil in your mind?" Riddhima exclaimed wide eyed when she noticed Zoya patently examining the Vodka.

"Idea toh hai! But I doubt if it's appropriate." Zoya said thoughtfully.

"What is it? Is it by any chance related to Asad?" Armaan piped in.

"Oh My genius friend, yes it is related to Asad by every chances." She winked at Armaan.

"I'm with you Zoe. Tell me what is it?" Riddhima said with excitement.

"I want some moment with Asad. And he doesn't want to give that to me." She pouted sadly. "But I want him to spend some time with me. Be it in fulll sense or no sense at alll." She winked at Armaan and Ridhimma as her voice slurred at the end. "So, you guys will help me na?"

"Yes! I'm..." Riddhima stopped as she noticed Armaan lost in his own thoughts and raised her brow at him.

He shook his head to her and assured Zoya that they are with her. "We are always with you Zoe. But where is Asad. I haven't seen him since we returned."

"Oh yes! Another problem. Wait I will sort it out." Zoya rushed out of the kitchen thinking of how to maneuver Asad to come down and enjoy the party with them. Only then her plan to get him drunk would succeed.

As she left the kitchen, Riddhima turned to Armaan. "What is it?"

"Asad is not going to like this. He is not as carefree as he used to be. And Zoya has no idea about this. I don't think getting Asad drunk will solve the indifferences between them." He said in a serious tone.

"What do you suppose we do then?" Riddhima asked confused.

He looked at her with an evil smirk on his face.

"What now?" She asked her mercurial boyfriend.

"Well, I kinda like drunk Zoya. What say?"

Riddhima looked at him in disbelief. "How is that going to help? Besides, it was Zoya's plan and how can we turn the tables on her? We can't re-plan her plan against her."

"Hmmn. I understand. What If we get both Asad and Zoya drunk? They will be a sight to watch." He winked at her.

"Whattt? Are you mad? Hmnn...Well, I don't think it a bad idea. Let's get them tipsy so that they will remember what transpired between them." Riddhima said thoughtfully with a huge grin on her face.

Back in the hall, Zoya had explained to the rest, what had happened between Asad and her in their absence and was coercing Najma to go and bring him down.

"Zoe. No No No. I am not going. An angry bhaijaan is something I would not like to face right now." Najma exclaimed wide eyed.

"Please Najma. For my sake. Please please." Zoya pleaded yet again.

"Humeira, tujhe toh bhaijaan se daar nahi lagta na. Go and get him down."

"Me? No." Humeira said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Fine. Then even I am not going to be a part of this. I thought the party was for me. But how will I enjoy when Asad is only not here. You guys have fun. Bye. I'm going to my room." Zoya feigned anger and to her astonishment it worked straight away.

"I'm going. No need to pull up any drama." Najma said shaking her head at her friend.

"Thanks sweetheart." Zoya gave her an ear-to-ear grin.

"Remember the favor Ms Zoya Farroqui." Najma pointed her index finger at Zoya.

"Oh yes sweetheart. Big time." She smiled sweetly at a bemused Najma.

" Tamatar. Catch this. Bhaijaan's Pajama. Do make him wear this." Aayan threw the pajama to Najma who was in the middle of the stairs. "Ughh! You guys are so annoying." She huffed and climbed upstairs, toward the terrace as she knew that Asad would be there.

***

"Bhaijaan, aap yaha kya..." She stopped as she saw the condition of the terrace. The flower pots were splayed out, the plants scattered all over, the chairs turned upside down. The terrace was in a huge mess. Her inspection came to a halt as she saw Asad's hand, which was bleeding. "Why are these flower pots scattered all over. And what have you done to the terrace? Bhaijaan? Shit! What happened to your hand? BHAIJAAN!" She shouted at the end as all her questions were followed by a dead silence."

Asad came out of his thoughts. "What is it Najma?" He asked irked at her presence when he wanted to be left alone.

"What? And what did you do to your hand?" She said as she moved carefully to where Asad was standing and held his hand.

"Najma, please. It's just a mere cut."

"Mere cut? Look at your hand and the amount of blood that has been pooled right there. Let's go down. I need to give you first aid."

"I don't want to. Please Najma, Leave me alone." He tried to pull his hand back.

"Baijaan, everyone's waiting for you. And please don't be an odd man out. Do you realize how long it's been since we last partied? Six years Bhaijaan. Since Zoya left, none of us has really enjoyed life. Please Bhaijaan, for the sake of old days. I know you don't want to forgive Zoya yet but..." She was interrupted by Asad's voice.

"I want to forgive her Tamatar. I want to forget everything and give our relationship another chance. I want to be with her because I know that she is the only girl who can give me all the happiness in the world. I want to hold her tightly so that she will not run away. But I'm scared Tamatar. I'm afraid of being hurt again. I'm afraid of being broken, left alone, yet again. I won't be able to recover the turmoil if that happens again Tamatar. I won't be able to." With those last words he kneeled on the floor, letting the cold wind blow away his pain and fear.

"Bhaijaan..." Najma couldn't form a proper coherence of sentence as she was dazed about what her brother just said. It was the first time in the last six years. First time, he voiced out what was going on in his heart and mind. She rested her weight on her knees so that she could be on the same level as that of Asad and held him tightly.

After a while, Asad stood up pulling Najma along with him. "Let's go down. They must be waiting for us. I don't want to be a spoil sport." He gave her a painful smile.

"Will you be okay, bhaijaan? I mean..." Najma no longer wanted to force him.

"I will be alright Tamatar. You Bhaijaan is a strong man. Now come on stop crying." He held her hand and guided her downstairs.

"Oh! Bhaijaan." Najma stopped suddenly.

"Yeah? What happened?"

"Bhaijaan you have to wear this. It's a PJ party." She showed him the pajama she had been holding all along.

"What? No way. You must be kidding me." Asad looked at her to the pajama and back to her.

"It's a compulsion Bhaijaan. Besides, Zayn took two hours to select the pajamas and he might feel bad if we dismiss his plan. Please Bhaijaan?"

"Oh Zayn." He smiled at his little sister. He cursed himself for being too cosseted in his own miseries that he missed the little things around him. One of them being his baby sister who had now turned into a loving woman. "Fine. I will." He said after a while.

"Thank you. Thank you Bhaijaan." She hugged him tightly. "Okay then, I will see you in the hall. Go change and come. You can use Zoya's room." She winked at Asad to which he smiled.

"I'm happy for you and Zayn. He's a good boy and will take good care of you." He said ruffling her hair.

"Bhaijaaan." She whined but then continued. "You know what? The one who breaks your heart is the one who can mend it. And in your case it's Zoya, Bhaijaan. Sometimes you have to stop worrying, wondering and doubting. Have faith in yourself and Zoya Bhaijaan. Things will work out sooner or later. And when they would, you will be the happiest being. Give your love a chance Bhaijaan." She went downstairs leaving behind a discombobulated Asad.

***

Asad entered the hall to find his friends hoarded together around the fireplace, dressed in some cartoon printed Pajamas. They looked cute, and he realized that he really had missed such stuffs, like Najma said earlier. His eyes' sought for Zoya and then found her at the corner, posing for selfies with Riddhima. She wore a Minnie Mouse printed pajamas and as he looked down at his own, he found it to be that of Mickey Mouse. He smiled realizing that Zayn indeed had used some sense while buying the Pajamas. No wonder it took him two hours.

"There, Asad came..." Before Armaan could speak further Riddhima gushed about how cute Asad was looking. "OMG! Asad. You look so so so cute."

"Yeah Asad. You should wear such PJs often." Humeira raved him further. Asad looked at Zoya who winked at him and gave a flying kiss, knowing that he was no longer in his usual bad temper.

Ignoring the girls, he went and sat in the couch, besides Najma and Zayn, who were lost in their own land.

Najma felt the couch sink beside her and noticed her bhaijaan. He gave her a huge smile and that is when she realized that his hand was bleeding earlier.

"Bhaijaan your hand?" She asked him to draw his injured hand out of the pajama pocket.

"I bandaged it myself Najma. Don't worry." He tried to reassure his hyper reactive sister and at the same time showing her his bandaged hand.

"Asad what happened?" "Dude? What's that?" "What happened now?" His friends bombarded him with questions as soon as they saw his hand.

He saw Zoya looking at him with guilt knowing that the bandaged hand was the consequence of their conversation earlier. "It's nothing guys. Just a little cut. By the way, what are we supposed to do in this party?" He asked to change the topic.

"There's no rule of partying dude! Let's start with some dance."

"Yeahhh. I'm in. I feel like I haven't danced for ages." Riddhima threw her phone in the couch and stood up, pulling Zoya along with her. Dance was the only thing in the entire world that could uplift her mood.

Armaan went to the iPod dock beside the fireplace and scrolled down the extensive lists of song of Zayns' iPod. He selected some of the party numbers and hit play, turning in the maximum volume.

The song "Abhi toh party suru hui hai" from the movie "Khoobsurat" filled the air.

Zoya and Riddhima pulled Najma and Humeira along and started sashaying to the music. Aayan and Zayn joined them after a while with their Crazy dance steps. Armaan and Asad looked at their friends' enjoying to the fullest. As soon as the song ended, "Sorry for party rocking" by "LMFAO" played. Armaan and Asad looked at each other with a boyish grin in their face. As they stood up, they caught Riddhima looking at them as she knew that the songs by LMFAO were their favorite party numbers back in college. They started doing the famous LMFAO steps while the others stopped dancing and looked at Asad and Armaan wide eyed.

As the night proceeded, so did the number of songs played and the dance. As a romantic number was played, everyone held onto their respective partner leaving behind Asad and Zoya who kept looking at their friends and then at each other not knowing what to do.

Scroll down for the next chapter. Asya-licious on readers demand. 😊

Chapter 27

Putting up a brave face and mustering much courage, Zoya moved towards Asad. She held his right hand on hers and guided the left one towards her waist. She heard sighs' of relief in the hall and smiled on realizing that the friends' who seemed oblivious of their surrounding were anything but that. She put her hand in his shoulder and started moving with her gaze fixed to his.

"You are a great dancer, you know that right." Zoya said to break the silence as they danced.

Asad gazed at her impassively but said nothing.

"You look cute in what you're wearing." She said after a while.

He nodded and gave her a small, indulgent smile.

"Did you see, mine has prints of Minnie Mouse and.."

"Mine has Mickey Mouse." He completed her sentence and Zoya was surprised at the sudden happiness she felt within herself.

"I liked that you did not push me away this time." She smacked herself for vocalizing her thoughts.

"Some things in life are meant to happen." Zoya was confused about what that actually meant.

On the other hand Armaan and Riddhima sneaked into the kitchen making sure no one had noticed them. They arranged everything as per their plan and headed back to the hall with some drinks and pizza boxes.

"Hey! I've got the CDs of some old hindi movies. Which one do you want me to play?" Aayan asked as they sat down.

The girls decided on "Ready" and the guys obliged. Riddhima had deliberately chosen "Ready" since she was well known about Zoya's obsession to Salman Kahan and how oblivious she used to seem of what's going on around her with Salman Khan on the screen.

Sometime during the movie, while Zoya was drooling over Salman Khan's georgeous body, Riddhima handed her a glass of cold drink, which was mixed with vodka. At the same time Armaan managed to make Asad drink the vodka mixed drink .

"Hey dude. Why does this drink tastes so unusual?" Asad said after taking a sip of his drink, to which Armaan panicked sensing his plan being failed.

"Wait let me try." He took a sip from Asad drink and said that it tastes the same, and he's just over reacting.

"No, it tastes alcohol. I'm sure" Asad tried to reason himself.

"Dude, you have developed a kind of fear of alcohol. And you seem to be afraid of drinking cold drinks as well." Armaan came up with a solid excuse because he knew that Asad hadn't touched alcohol since the last time he returned home fully drunk and had to hear quetches from almost everyone in the house. That was three years back. "A little percentage of alcohol is present in almost every drink these days. Even chocolate bars contain alcohol. Does that mean..."

"Okay Okay stop with the lecture." Asad drank the entire glass as he was not in condition of listening to Armaan's useless talks about chocolates and beverages.

Armaan winked at Ridhimma which was returned instantly conveying the message that the mission is accomplished.

Asad and Zoya were in a fairly squiffy state by the time the movie came to an end. Zoya started exclaiming that Salman Khan has been working out even more and has got promoted to eight packs. She then started to shamelessly ogle the actor.

"Why is he so hot and sexy and strong? I want to run my fingers through the body of that fine specimen. Allah, please, at least fulfill this wish of mine."

"Don't you have manners Zoya. What nonsense are you talking in front of your boyfriend?" Asad interposed out of blue.

"Boyfriend? You are my boyfriend Asad?" Zoya asked crawling towards him on her knees.

"Yes, I am. Any doubt you've got?" He followed her actions from earlier until they were a mere inches apart.

"But boyfriends kiss their girlfriends. And you haven't kissed me since the time I returned back." She pointed out.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" Asad asked innocently as if asking a three-years-old little girl if she wants a candy.

"Yes. Very much. Will you?"

"What if I get slapped by that brother of yours?" He pointed at Zayn as if he was a teenager scared of his girlfriend's brother.

"He won't. And if things were in his hand, he won't even think before locking us in a room." She giggled.

The others who were listening to the couple looked at Zayn and laughed at what Zoya thought about him. After the laughter died, they noticed that Asad and Zoya were still lost in their own little conversation. They then decided to leave the couples alone and give them some space.

"Are you going to kiss me or not. If not say it. I will go and kiss Salman Khan. You know what? He has even got eight packs recently." Zoya whispered the last part dreamily.

"You will ditch me again?" Asad said sadly, tears threatening to spill out.

"No, no no baby. You are my permanent lover na? How can I ditch you?" She moved a little closer to him.

"Will you always stay with me? You won't run like you did the last time na?" He asked in a shaky voice. A drop of tear rolled down his eyes which Zoya kissed away. "Don't let them fall, they are precious. Like pearls." She kissed his eyes then planted a chaste kiss on his left cheek. "And I won't run away. Not now. Not any time in the future." She kissed his right cheek.

He looked at her, not knowing what to say. He was feeling light as if all the worries, anxieties and tensions had been lifted off his shoulders. He wanted to freeze the moment. He didn't know what was going on, where he was. All he knew was that Zoya was right in front of him, and he needed nothing else.

He moved a little closer, so that there was no space left between their bodies. Before she knew it, he had cupped the back of her head and leaned forward, capturing her lips in his. She was taken aback by his action that she didn't know what she was supposed to do. Only after he bit her lower lip did she follow him. The kiss was slow and sensuous. It was a make up for all those years they spent away from each other, craving for the other. He nibbled her lower lips and she did the same with his upper lips. As he applied a slight pressure, she moaned into his mouth giving his tongue an opening. He took full advantage, his tongue exploring her mouth. Her tongue tentatively stroked his and joined his in a slow erotic dance which was all about touch and sensation. They pulled away after a while as they felt short of breath.

"I.Missed.You" He murmured, each word a staccato.

"I.Missed.You.Too" She said in a similar tone to which he cupped her face and pecked her lips.

Zoya felt the bandage against her cheeks and held his hand on hers. "Does it hurt?" She asked, her voice laced with concern.

"A little."

She planted kisses from one end of his hand to the other, around the bandage. "It will get healed sooner now." She gave him a warm smile and he laughed at her silliness.

"It hurts here as well. I don't remember the reason though. Kiss the pain away. Please." He said pointing at his heart.

She looked at him for a while and placed her hand in his chest. She lowered her head to the level of his chest and kissed at where his heart laid, beneath the layers of his T-shirt and muscles.

"Is it okay?" She asked looking at his eyes.

"Beyond okay." He smiled at her.

They held the quilt closer and snuggled into each other at one end of the couch talking randomly. Zoya was partially sitting on his lap and playing with his fingers as they talked.

"Have you ever been butterfly kissed?" Zoya asked suddenly.

"Butterfly kissed?" He asked confused.

"Yeah, I read it in a book and wanted to try it since long."

"Why did you wait? You could have...you know?" He teased her.

She glared at him then pushed him on the couch as she straddled him. She sat above his hip bone and lowered her head so that their eyes were at the same level. Asad closed his eyes in an impulse as their eyelashes made contact with each other. "Don't close your eyes." Zoya whispered, her breath hitting his lips.

"You are not supposed to close your eyes." She said yet again as he looked confused. He nodded his head and she repeated the moves yet again. Asad did not close his eyes this time.

After a few seconds, their long eyelashes started fluttering in their own accord. Asad's eyes turned wide at this and this further enhanced the fluttering. After a while, Zoya brought her head back, not before kissing the dimples that were starting to form in his cheeks.

"How was it?" Zoya asked feeling proud of her discovery. A weird but beautiful form of kiss.

"I...I can't explain how beautiful that was." He said honestly.

"Sacchi?" She asked kissing the corner of his mouth.

"Yeppp." He said popping out the 'p'. "By the way, is it a kiss day? I am being showered with kisses all night." Asad gave her a quick wink.

"Is it?" She scratched her head, trying to remember the date.

"I don't know. And I don't care as long as I have your heavy weight on my stomach" He teased her.

"Asaddd!" She whined.

"What?" He feigned innocence.

"Kuch nahi." She tried to get off him but Asad wrapped his arms around her waist. She folded her hands against her chest and turned the other way. She had been thinking that Asad would say sorry for pulling her leg but no apologies came his way. After a while she looked in Asad direction to find him sleeping soundly. He was a cute sight to behold. She ran her index finger from the side of his forehead to his cheeks, his dimples to his mouth then to his chin slightly pushing it upward so as to close his mouth that was opened a bit. She made her head lie on his chest and drifted into a slumber wrapping her arms around him.

Next morning Rashid and Zehan went to the Orphanage with a hope of finding clues that would lead them to their daughter. They went to the orphanage heads and said that the date they had given them earlier was wrong and they needed to know if there's an entry on the new date Razia had given them. The head asked one of the archivists to bring the files from the given time.

"Haan, there is an entry from the date you have given. The child admitted to the orphanage on that date is under the name of Humeira Farroqui." The archivist informed them.

Rashid and Zehan were shocked at the revelation. "Humeira Farroqui?"

"Under the description, it is written that, the child was found in the porch of the orphanage in an extremely poor condition with a small paper written "Farroqui" and a cross sign on it. She was later named Humeira Farroqui. But we are sorry to say that, the child could not survive for more than a year." The archivist read it out.

"What?" Both Rashid and Zehan exclaimed.

"But we have someone named Humeira Farooqui, who spent eighteen years of her life in this orphanage. How is that possible?" Zehan asked shocked.

"How is that even possible?"Asked the confused archivist.

They turned towards the director for explanations. The director shrugged as he was new to the orphanage and had no idea about the past records.

"Let me call Mrs. Sharma. She has been a part of this orphanage since last twenty years. She might be able to help you." The director rang the alarm on his desk and within a few second an old lady entered the room.

"Yes Mr. Singh?" Mrs. Sharma addressed the director as she came in.

"Mrs. Sharma, we need your help since you are one of the oldest members of this place. What do you know about Humeira Farooqui?"

"Humeira Farooqui? Why suddenly?" She asked a little shocked at the mention of one of her favorite child from the orphanage.

"Mrs. Sharma, we are family to her. But the records are a little confusing. They say that Humeira farooqui did not survive for more than a year, but we have someone with the same name, staying at our house, who spent her childhood as well as teenage life in this orphanage . How is that possible?" Rashid explained the matter to Mrs. Sharma

"Humeira is at your place? How? And how is she? Since how long do you know her?"

"She is a friend to our children and has been staying with us since the last seven years. Please can you clarify the matter first?" Zehan asked exasperated.

"As she's been staying with you since long, I don't think I have the right to hide the truth from you. Yes, the child was found in the porch of the orphanage in an extremely poor condition with a small paper written "Farroqui" and a cross sign on it and was later named Humeira Farroqui as mentioned in the description. But...she did not survive for more than a year since her health was extremely poor and we could do nothing. And the day she died, Mr. Dutta, our ex-Director brought an infant to the orphanage saying that he found her in the railway station earlier that day. Humeira was a lovely child and in the short duration of her life had made a special place in everyone's heart. And In her memory we named the child, Humeira Farooqui. I guess she is the one staying at your house. She is a bright child and wanted to do something in her life. And hence we allowed her to step outside the confines of the orphanage." Mrs. Sharma explained her part of the story.

Zehan and Rashid were shocked at what they had just heard.

I have no idea how this turned out. I'm waiting for your feedbacks. In any forms. Please, leave behind the reviews.

Love

Anee