Asad came out of the office after few minutes. He had worked a lot for this interview & not only that he had to do the interview himself at the last moment. But he was happy it was done smoothly. He was tired after work of whole day so decided to leave early today as there was already less work.
He was walking to his car when he noticed Zoya who was standing lining on her cars door looking at something on her mobile. He got confused & moved towards her to ask why she is still there.
**************
Few minutes ago when Prasad left Zoya to her car she thanked him & faced her car. Her driver came forward & opened door for her. She settled inside but was unhappy because she could not talk with Asad properly due to so many people around her. She had thought that she would talk with Asad after the interview & get to know him more but it didn't happened as she thought. The driver sit inside & ignitioned the car & as soon as it came alive Zoya got an idea. She asked the driver to stop & came out of the car. When he asked she told him she wanted to go somewhere & will drive herself so he just leave in taxi. He looked puzzled for a minute but left when she insisted.
Standing there with the light evening breeze blowing her dupatta & hair she smirked thinking about her plan. She smiled smelling her shampoo & took out a hair pin from her hair. Bending down she punctured two tyres of right side of her car and giggled like a small spoilt child after getting up. She stand lining to her car & started playing candy rush in her phone. She knew Asad will come any moment because she heard him talk with staff member that he will leave early today.
****************
Asad came in front of her & asked...
-Miss Farooqui aap ab tak yahin hai. Kya hua any problem? Asad enquired.
-Han woh Mr Khan main ja hi rahi thi ke par dekha ki gadi ke dono tyres puncture hain. See! She said acting worried showing the tyres.
-Oh! par aapka driver kahan hai woh yahin tha na? He wondered.
-Woh...Woh actually uske sir main boht dard tha toh maine usse wapas bhej diya tha kehke ki i'll drive on my own. But ab dekhiye Gadi hi kisi kaam ki nahi rahi. Aur koi taxi bhi dikhayi nahi de rahi. She fumbled in start but managed quickly & said acting helpless.
-Dekhiye kuch hi der main andhera hone wala hai aapka yahan akele rukna munasib nahi hoga. Aap ek kaam kijiye mere saath meri gaadi main chaliye main aapko drop kar dunga. He suggested thoughtfully.
-Really!!...I mean Aap kyun taklif kar rahe hain. Main manage kar lungi. She happily shrieked but quickly toned down her voice.
-Ismain taklif ki kya baat hai. Aap yahan waise bhi humare channel ke liye aayi thin toh aapki safety humari responsibility hai. Please i insist main aapko yun akela chod ke nahi ja sakta. Aur waise bhi mausam bhi sahi nahi hai. He said looking at the darkening sky & fast blowing wind.
-Shayad Aap theek keh rahe hain. OK aap itna insist kar rahe hain toh i'll come. She acted along.
After locking her car Both moved toward his SUV. Asad unlocked it & opened passenger door for her. She smiled at his gentleman behaviour. Saying a small thank you she sit inside & Asad too nodded with a smile. He came to the driver side & after taking her address ignited the engine.
****************
Silence in the car was annoying Zoya so she initiated a conversation.
-Thank you so much Mr Khan. Aaj aap nahi hote toh mujhe boht pareshaani hoti. She thanked facing him with a smile.
-Ismain thank you wali konsi baat hai maine kaha na aapki safety meri responsibility hai so maine bas wahi kiya jo sahi tha. Main aapko akela chodke kaise aa jata. I can't leave anyone helpless like that. He said facing her.
-I know...She said dreamily remembering how he saved the pup ...I mean yeh toh aapki generosity hai warna aajkal koi kisi ki madad kahan karta hai.
-Hmmm.
There was silence once again in the car.
-Waise aapne boht ache se Interview liya. With so much of confidence you were really good. She genuinely complimented him.
-Thanks but that was last minute change aapka Interview humare senior presenter Jatin lene wale the lekin achanak unke abbu ki tabiyat bigad gayi so i had 2 refill his place. I m happy everything went well. Actually I am Business head of the channel & that was not my job. He informed.
-Oh really matlab that was not your job. My God than toh you were excellent bina kisi experience ke you were awesome really. She said with a big smile.
-Thanx.
-Aap yahin Mumbai se hain? Kon kon hai aapki family main? She asked again as she doesn't want their conversation to end.
-No we moved from Bhopal joh Madhya Pradesh main hai but humein yahn shift huye kafi saal ho gaye hain. We were very young when we moved here So you can say we belong from here. And my family is big as we live in joint family.
-Oh that's cool joint families ka bhi apna maza hai. Itne sare log ik saath kaise mil julke rehte hain. That's really sweet. You are very lucky.
-Yes i am. Waise aapki family yahan nahi rehti do you live alone.
-Nahi Nahi meri Aapi Jiju rehte hain mere saath i mean next door to me. Abhi do saal hi hye hain unki shaadi ko & they are really close to me.
-Oh yes i remember aapne interview main unka zikar kiya tha.
-Jee. Zoya got happy knowing he remembered what she said in her interview.
Car was running fine when suddenly it jerked & stopped. Asad tried to start again but it was not helping.
-Shit lagta hai gadi khrab ho gayi. He said hitting the steering wheel.
-Perfect! Zoya said softly doing cartwheels in her head.
-Kuch kaha aapne. Asad said.
-Han..i said yeh gadi ko bhi abhi khrab hona tha ab hum kya karenge. She again acted making a sad face.
-Aap phikar mat kijiye main baahar jake check karta hun. He assured.
He opened his door & after opening the hood started checking it. Zoya was praying inside that car will not get repaired sooner. After two minutes she also came out & saw the road was very silent with no vehicle passing around. There were few houses near the street. The darkness scared her so she fastly came near Asad & asked...
-Kya hua Mr Khan.
-Lagta hai engine garam ho gya hai. Don't worry I have water can in the boot I will fix it in just minutes. Saying this he went to get the water bottle.
-What is this Allah Miyan. Aise bhi koi karta hai bhla abhi khushi di abhi chin bhi li. Kya zaroorat thi itni jadli gaadi theek karne ki. I don't know aap mere evening aise bigaad nahi sakte do some magic I don't know. She said complaining angrily looking at the sky.
As if her Allah Miyan heard her prayers She felt a rain drop on her face. Soon more drops started falling. Asad closed the boot & came to her taking her hand he asked to go inside the farmhouse for shelter.
****************
Both ran through the gates to reach under the canopy in the garden to take shelter. After reaching Asad started shedding water drops from his shirt. After few seconds he saw that Zoya was not with him.
He looked at his back but she was not there than he saw his right side she was standing in the rain with open arms facing the sky getting drenched in the medal of the garden. There was a big smile on her face showing her dimples. She looked like an angel in the white dress making her look innocent & eternal. Asad was mesmerised looking at her beauty & the innocence with which she was playing in the rain. He has never seen anyone look as beautiful as her. He thought what he saw in films was nothing in comparison to what he was seeing in front of his eyes. He moved on his own accord in her direction as if spell bonded. He got drenched himself but he didn't care his eyes were stuck on her only.
When he was just two steps away she tripped on her own feet while taking rounds, Asad quickly moved forward saving her by encircling her waist with his firm hands.
****************
They were running towards the canopy when Zoya felt like getting drenched she was happy now as she was with her handsome stranger. She stopped before reaching under shelter & without any care of the world opened her arms accepting the rain & hugging her Allah Miyan for doing his magic. Rain drops were falling on her skin making her smile the brightest with happiness & gratitude to her Allah Miyan to always listening her prayers. She was taking a round when suddenly her feet got tangled & she was about to fall. She was ready for the pain but instead she felt firm manly hands around her waist. Automatically she wound her arms around his neck when She opened her eyes she got mesmerized in the chocolate orbs of Asad.
Time stood still as both of them were lost in each other's eyes. Both were in each others arms & their eyes locked. It looked like they were giving a Romantic pose of a Bollywood movie. Rain kept falling drenching both of them in the first rain of the season. Zoya felt like millions of butterflies were moving inside her belly. She thought He looked more handsome as more close she goes to him. His arms wrapped around her waist ran shivers down her body. But heart felt at peace as if it had found his heaven his home in the arms of the Man she was in. She could feel his heart biting fast & her won heart was running marathon. She wanted to close her eyes due to shyness & the position she was in but Asad's soulful eyes didn't let her move her eyes off of his. She felt hypnotized by his eyes. Her body was not ready to listen to her & wanted to just remain in his arms.
Not only Zoya even Asad was effected by their close proximity. He knew being a man he should move back but he couldn't. He got lost in her doe shaped eyes which held so many emotions which he couldn't decipher at the moment. He was absolutely spell bounded with the eternal beauty in his arms. Her long hairs were sticking around her round face making her look cute. Her white suit complimented her complexion & with the rain & greenery around She was the only one who held his sight. He could feel her breadth on his face & her hand who securely wounded around his neck & he was happy knowing she trust him to have her held like that in such close proximity.
Mother Nature was pouring heavy rains from the sky drenching two souls who were lost in themselves without any care of the world. A strong blow of the wind came flying Zoya's dupatta in the air covering their faces with it. But they were in their own world to care about it.
-Kon hai wahan??
The sound of a man bring them out of their trance. Both quickly straitened themselves getting embarrassed with what happened before. Avoiding to look at each other they looked at the side of the sound.
A middle aged man was standing at the porch of farmhouse with a lantern in hand. He was watchman who took care of the farmhouse in the absence of owners. He saw them through the window few minutes ago. He tried to see Asad and Zoya but the heavy rain was disturbing his vision so came out asking who are they & why they came there.
Asad & Zoya were embarrassed as the man saw them in each other's arms yet they went towards him under the shelter to talk to him. As soon as the man saw them near he asked again...
-Kon ho tum dono aur yahan kya kar rahe ho? He said looking at both of them.
He eyed both of them critically & when his eyes stayed to Zoya for a little longer than it should Asad came in front of her covering her completely. Zoya was touched seeing his protectiveness & a sweet smile played on her lips.
-Salam Walekum Sir. I m Asad & she's...my friend. Actually hum idhar se gujar rahe the ki Gaadi khraab ho gayi aur phir Achanak yeh baarish hone lagi so we came to take shelter. He hesitated in the start to introduce Zoya so said she's his friend.
-Oh yeh baat hai. Tum dono chaho toh kuch der andar aa jao jab tak baarish nahi rukti.
-No it's ok thank you. We are fine.
-Oh koi baat nahi beta ji. Tum dono buri tarah se bheeg gaye ho aur is baarish ka toh koi pta nahi ruk jaye toh abhi ruk jaye warna jane kab tak lagi rahe. Jab tak yeh tham nahi jati aap andar intzaar kar lijiye aap bheeg gaye hain sardi lag jayegi aur aapke saath aapki dost bhi hai. Aap bhrosa kijiye mera please aa jayie andar. He insisted both of them good maturely.
Asad & Zoya looked at each other & seeing their wet cloths they decided to go inside. The watchman's name was Bhim Singh. He was a good man who lived alone there & liked to meet people. He was very helpful & good at heart. Asad who hesitated before soon warmed up to him & Bhim singh started telling them tales of his Jawani. He made tea for them which all loved & praised him too. When he found out Zoya is an actress he excitedly asked to click picture with her which he'll sent to his grandchildren in village. Zoya gladly agreed knowing who sweet man he is & Asad took their pictures but got a bit cranky too when they were not stopping with the poses.
They didn't realized when an hour passed with them talking enjoying each other's company. When they saw outside heavy rain has stopped & it was light drizzling now. Asad & Zoya decided to leave & thanked Bhim Singh's for his help. He blessed them both & came to see them off to their car. He was holding an umbrella on Zoya's head to save from the drizzling & she was touched with his gesture. Soon both left hugging the old man one last time & promising to soon visit again...
XX-------------------XX
Kumkum Bhagya
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Shiv Shakti
124