This was meant to be a a one shot but since about two readers seemed interested to know how ASYA met, I wrote out chap to address that. I hope you like it. 😊
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Shot 2 - The beginning- That time the boxer fell in love with the baker. The cool breeze of the evening ruffled the hair of the strong man who was seated on one of the concrete benches by the luscious green lawn adjoining the parking lot. Bothered by the strand of hair which fell across his black gaze, the young 28 year old man brushed the hair aside before his thumb passed over the small healing bruise on his cheek. He was quite fit for his age, his biceps were well developed and his physique complemented his profession as a boxer quite admirably.
Every Monday, Wednesdays and Friday, Asad Ahmed Khan would wait on that bench to meet the 20 year old boy, Ayaan Ali, who was his close friend and whom he treated like a brother. The boy's own brother used to be his best friend and had died 2 years ago from an unfortunate accident in the boxing ring after receiving a devastating blow to the head. With his dying breath his friend had asked him to be a guardian to Ayaan and he had promised his friend to do so. While Ayaan's brother had left a small inheritance for him, Asad still provided him with a small allowance every week and even bought clothes, shoes and whatever school materials the young man required. He did not mind at all, in fact, he took great joy in being an older brother to Ayaan for he had lost the only family he knew when his mother died 5 years ago.
"Asad bhaijan!"- the youthful voice bathed in joy and exuberance drifted to his ears and he looked up, a small smile tugging at his lips when he saw the curly haired boy running in his direction- "Yaar you are early today!" - Ayaan exclaimed as he hugged his friend close, Asad touching the back of his hair fondly.
"I finished my training earlier today so I decided to wait here to for you."- Asad replied when they broke the brotherly embrace. Immediately, a hint of sorrow flashed across Ayaan's eyes, one which did not go unnoticed by Asad.
"Oh.. I see." - Ayaan muttered, the joy dimming from his tone. Asad knew the boy wished he would give up boxing after what had happened with his brother but for Asad, it was the only job he knew to do and therefore could not give it up easily- "Hey Asad, you know I heard that they are looking for workers on the docks. Why don't you apply there and see if you get through? It's worth a try right? I heard the pay is good too.."- Ayaan said with a convincingly cheeky smile but Asad averted his gaze from the boy with a heavy sigh, his hand touching the back of his head.
"Not this again Ayaan. Come on now. What do you want to do this evening?"- he said with a hint of dismissiveness in his tone as he ruffled the boy's hair while they proceeding to walk out of the compound- "Bowling? Basketball?"-he questioned, a grin gracing his face while Ayaan tried to swat his hand away from his hair.
"Yaar you always do this!" - Ayaan exclaimed with fake annoyance causing Asad to chuckle at his words- "I am being serious man! Why wouldn't you listen to me for once and just try for that job Asad? You are strong enough for it. Dude, if I had your strength I will try for apply for it myself."
At his words, Asad's expression turned serious and he gripped the boy's shoulder firmly, Ayaan's gaze meeting his stern eyes- "Those kind of jobs are not for you. Do you understand? You will be a successful engineer someday like your brother wished for you to be. You wouldn't have to struggle in a job that demands hard labour. That is not your future so do not say that again."
A soft sigh left Ayaan and he nodded, knowing that in his moment of humourous relief he had overstepped his boundaries and pinched a nerve in Asad- "I was just joking yaar.."- he said with a small smile - "Hey guess what. I topped the class in a surprise test yesterday. Awesome right?"- he continued with a grin, the smile returning to Asad's face at his words.
"Excellent. I'm proud of you, Ayaan." -he said with sincerity, Ayaan beaming at his words. They continued walking for about 15 minutes when they noticed that there were a fair number of people assembled outside and inside the new bakery which had its opening day that day. There was a colourful sign advertising free cupcakes and mocha chillers which shed light as to why the place was crowded in the first place. Once there was free dessert being offered, people will be present.
"Hey let's check it out Asad! Free cupcakes dude! You know I am all for that!" - Ayaan said with excitement and before Asad could protest, he was already running towards the bakery, Asad rolling his eyes at his childish impulses. With a deep sigh, he shook his head slightly and followed the boy, his annoyance already growing when he had to push himself through the small crowd assembled outside in order to enter the bakery.
Inside the bakery, young 25 year old Zoya Farooqui was placing the freshly baked cupcakes she had prepared onto the platters. With the size of the crowd that had appeared on the opening day, they were currently running low on waiters so she was forced to perform two jobs at once. She had been hired to be one of the primary bakers in the bakery and it was a job she had thanked God a million times for securing. Having grown up an orphan, she had seen many ups and downs in life and now that she managed to secure a stable job, she felt as though her prospects in life were finally improving. It was a new beginning, she told herself, one which would open new doors of opportunities for her. Who knew, she thought, maybe one day she could own her own bakery once she worked hard enough for it. With the excitement pumping through her veins, she glanced at the crowd and with a bright smile she made her way into the sea of people to serve them with the cupcakes laden on the platter.
"Ayaan!"- Asad shouted over the noise in the room, his eyes narrowing when he saw the young man stuffing his face with a chocolate cupcake while trying to speak charmingly to a young woman.
"So what do you say, dinner tomorrow?"- Ayaan was asking the girl he had met only two minutes ago, the young woman trying to use all her self control to not laugh at the icing which stained his cheek- "What's your name again? Nisha? Alisha?"- he continued with a slight frown, the woman rolling her eyes at his words. He was cute, definitely cute but she could see that he was a bit of a player. Before the girl could reply, Asad grabbed onto the hood of Ayaan's hoodie jacket and yanked him away, a string of protest leaving Ayaan's lips as Asad dragged him to the centre to the room.
"Bhaijan! Man I almost got a date there!" Ayaan exclaimed, the frown playing on Asad's brow while he surveyed the young man critically.
"A date really? With this?"- he wiped the icing of Ayaan's cheek, the boy's eyes widening in horror at the realization that he had been speaking to the girl with his face messed up the whole time- "Smooth, yaar. Very smooth."- Asad said mockingly, a soft groan leaving Ayaan as he wiped the rest of icing off his cheeks- "And I told you already. It is not nice to act that way to women. What if one of them actually falls in love with you?"- Asad said with a hint of sternness, Ayaan shrugging with a grin at his words.
"Ah what will I be able to do? They can't help but fall in love with the Ayaan Charmer.."- he said with a wink, the smile immediately leaving his face when Asad whacked him lightly over his head.
"That's enough. Come on let's go. I hate these crowded places."- he turned swiftly around but in that moment, someone crashed into him and he felt something cool pressing against his white vest. With a soft groan of shimmering anger, he glanced down at his vest and saw that it was now littered with icing from the cupcakes that were also pasted to the cloth.
"Ya Allah!" - at the voice, he looked up and was greeted with the sight of a beautiful pair of anxious brown eyes which seemed to calm the annoyance and anger that had ignited in his heart. Zoya took a step away from the man and lowered the now empty platter, pure panic infiltrating her apologetic eyes while she stared at the stranger who was looking at her with a small frown. He was quite handsome and very fit and he wore a black jeans jacket, black jeans and what she could see would have been a white vest if it wasn't for the cupcakes now staining the garment- "Oh I am so so sorry, Sir. I'll.. umm... oh God! Let me help you clean it!"- she quickly picked up a handful of napkins from a nearby table and approached him where she began to hastily swipe at the icing on his vest- "I'm so sorry." -she repeated, Ayaan covering his mouth to hide the laugh that was threatening to escape him at Asad's shocked expression while the girl continued to attempt to clean his vest.
Asad stared at the beautiful face of the young woman, the shock which was registered on his face shielding the contrast of emotion which was dancing in his heart. Even as the woman continued to spew apologies, his eyes lingering on her face, the innocence in her stunning brown eyes, the elegant contours of her face and the rosy colour which touched her lips fueling an attraction for the stranger in his heart.
Realizing that Ayaan might accuse him of staring at the girl, he momentarily averted his gaze before he looked back at her and touched her arms, his action immediately causing her to stop her actions- "Listen it is fine. It was an accident. Just forget about it."- he said with a hint of unintentional annoyance which did not go unnoticed by Zoya.
"I'm sorry again." -she repeated with some measure of sorrow in her gaze but her eyes widened when she saw her boss was walking in their direction. The man had not seen the accident but she knew if he found out what she had done, he would fire her without explanation- "Allah miya.."- she muttered, her face paling in fear- "I am so fired.."
Asad frowned at her words and followed her eyes, his gaze landing on a 40 something year old man dressed in a black suit. Realizing that the person was probably her boss, understanding soon dawned on him as he glanced down at his messy vest for he deducted that she would be in trouble if her boss found out what had happened. He knew how difficult it was to get a job in that neighbourhood and he could not help but feel sorry for the woman's dilemma. In a spilt second, an idea illuminated in his mind and he quickly grabbed two cupcakes from a waiter that was passing by and slammed the cupcakes into Ayaan's face and his hair. Zoya's jaw dropped at his action, Ayaan shouting in surprise at Asad's odd behaviour.
"Yaar what are you doing!"- he exclaimed in shock but Asad reached for another cupcake and slammed it onto his chest.
"That was for messing up my vest!!"- Asad shouted convincingly, Zoya rendered in a state of disbelief at his antics. Her boss glanced at their direction at the commotion and shook his head slightly, thinking the two young men were just enjoying a mischievous game of fun. At Asad's response, Ayaan's cupcake covered face illuminated with understanding that his friend was trying to divert the attention away from the girl so that her boss would think they had messed up themselves. Using the situation to his advantage, he picked up a cupcake and slammed it onto Asad's hair knowing that he would never have the opportunity to do that ever again. To his great surprise however, Asad only grinned at his participation. After picking up another cupcake and throwing it at him, Ayaan ran out of the store and Asad glanced at Zoya with a small smile before he followed the boy.
Zoya's eyes followed the stranger, a sigh of relief leaving her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips at the kindness that man had shown towards her. Glancing down at the dirty napkin in her hand she wondered if she would ever see that handsome face again so that she could thank him personally for more or less saving her job.
That night, while Asad delivered strong blows to the punching bag in his room, the image of the woman's face was plastered in the forefront of his mind. The sweat trickled down his forehead and onto his brow, his black vest pasting to his skin from the sheen of sweat that decorated his body while he continued to pummel the bag with his strong fists. For a reason which he could not decipher, he simply could not stop seeing her face in his mind. Her beautiful eyes, the enticing curve of her lips, the beautiful allure of her long silky dark brown hair and the kindness and innocence which accentuated the beauty of her voice left him in a state of curiousity and confusion. He had heard about people feeling a magnetic attraction to a person they only met once yet he never thought that would happen to him. Who was this girl that plagued his thoughts? Why couldn't he forget her?
With one final punch at the bag, he straightened up and slicked his damp hair back as he walked to the small table in the living room and picked up the bottle of energy drink. If he were to meet her again, would she be interested in speaking to him, he wondered. Would she spare him a second glance? For someone so pretty, a dark voice nagged him in his mind that she probably already had a boyfriend and would definitely not be interested in him anyway. After all he was a boxer. Most of the times there was some kind of bruise on his face. In his mind the beautiful girl would never consider speaking to him again if he were to see her.
Yet, regardless of these thoughts, he could not prevent himself from visiting the bakery that Saturday. Ayaan was spending the day in the library preparing for his midterms and Asad knew he would remain there for the rest of the day since he lived in a dorm room on campus. With a heavy sigh, he came to a stand in front of the door and unconsciously brushed the front of his t -shirt, a shadow of anxiety creeping onto his body. "Why am I so nervous?"- he mentally chided himself- "I am just going to buy some bread.." Even as the lie left his lips, he knew to himself that the real reason for his impromptu visit to the bakery was to see if the girl who dominated his dreams was still there. With a deep breath he entered the bakery with an air of casual elegance, the bells chiming musically to signal his entry. Immediately his eyes landed to the counter but his heart sank in disappointment when he did not see the pretty girl there. As he made his way to the cashier, he surveyed the inside of the bakery which was moderately crowded with a few tables empty but his heart sank even further when the sight of the woman did not grace his expectant eyes. Maybe she working on a different shift? -he wondered hopefully.
"Welcome to Brenda's bakery." -the cashier said with a bright smile and Asad nodded, now in a dilemma as to what to buy. Truthfully he did not want to eat anything and pastries and cakes were the last thing his diet demanded. After all, as a boxer, he needed to keep the desserts to a minimum.
"Yeah, I would like to have.. um..."- he glanced at the glass casing with a frown, his eyes looking over the many delicious cupcakes, muffins, tarts, and cakes there.
"Vanilla cupcakes are done."-At the familiar voice, he glanced up, pure joy invading his gaze when he saw the person whom his eyes had been craving to see exiting the door from the kitchens. Zoya's eyes met his with slight surprise and she paused, the shock evident on her face, the words sticking in her throat. He was back? - she thought. She really wanted to thank him for his gesture the day before but she knew she could not speak about it openly before her boss overhead her.
Unconsciously a smile graced Asad's face as the woman approached the counter and placed the freshly prepared cupcakes into the glass casing.
"Umm vanilla cupcakes are done.."- she repeated to her friend, Shivani, the cashier, who nodded at her but could not help but notice that Zoya and the stranger seemed to know each other. Was he the guy Zoya had told her about who helped her the day before? As Zoya stepped away from the counter, her eyes lingered on Asad's smiling gaze before she averted her gaze, the blush unwillingly colouring her cheeks- "I will bring the chocolate and strawberry ones soon." -she said with a smile at Shivani before she made her way back to the kitchens.
Asad's eyes followed her and when she disappeared behind the door, he looked back at the cashier- "I will have a vanilla cupcake and a bottle of water." -he said, Shivani bowing her head with a knowing smile as she punched the order in. After he had paid for the snack, he retreated to one of the tables where he could observe the door to the kitchen while he ate the cupcake slowly and in silence. A greater part of him prayed and hoped the woman would grace his sight once more and soon enough, she exited the kitchen, this time holding a tray filled with chocolate and strawberry cupcakes. His eyes lingered on her while she placed the trays into the glass casing and when she straightened up, a hint of surprise flickered across her face at the realization that he was still there.
"Er excuse!"- Asad called out when she moved to turn away and she immediately whirled around to see his hand partially raised- "May I have one of the strawberry cupcakes please?"
At his request Zoya glanced around for one of the waiters but seeing that they were preoccupied, she quickly stuffed a small notepad and pen in her apron pocket before she placed a cupcake on a plastic plate and carried it over to the man.
"Thank you..."- Asad said politely when she placed the cupcake on the table.
"Do you need anything else?"- Zoya questioned kindly while she removed the small rectangular notepad and pen.
"Your name..."- Asad replied with a small smile, his words causing Zoya's eyes to widen momentarily- "If you wish to give it that is.." -he continued quickly, noticing the surprise that tinted her beautiful gaze. Zoya gave him a small smile and brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear unconsciously, an action which Asad wished he was privileged to do. He craved to feel her hair flowing between his fingers, if only God will bless him with the opportunity to be with her.
"My name is Zoya.."- she said after a moment, his eyes lighting up in silent joy at her response- "I wanted to thank you for what you did yesterday. It meant a lot to me, truly."- she glanced back and after confirming her boss wasn't around she looked back at Asad and lowered her voice- "If you had not done what you did then I would have lost my job. So thank you again... umm... I don't know your name." -she said with an innocent smile which warmed Asad's heart with comfort.
"Asad.."- he replied with a soft smile -"My name is Asad Ahmed Khan."
"It's nice to meet you Asad.."- Zoya said with a small smile, her eyes lingering on Asad who held her gaze. A few seconds ticked by in silence, the both of them feeling an invisible attraction tugging at each other's heart strings which they could not explain.
"Did you bake these cupcakes?"- Asad enquired after a while when he realized he was slowly losing himself in the enchanting depths of her beautiful brown eyes. At her question, Zoya momentarily averted her gaze and gulped slightly at the increasing beats of her heart which was thumping with greater strength against her chest. There was just something about Asad which made her feel comfortable to speak to him.
"Yes. I am a baker here."- she said while she gestured distractedly to the kitchen area.
"These cupcakes are delicious. I don't normally eat a lot of these sweet things but I can't help myself with these particular cupcakes. It looks like you have some magic in your hands."- he said with a grin but the sincerity in his tone was palpable.
Zoya bowed her head with a small smile at his compliment before she looked back at him with beaming eyes, his heart leaping in joy that he had brought some level elation upon her- "Thank you. No one ever complimented my baking before."
"Then we are living in a world full of fools then if no one has ever complimented your work before."- Asad said without apology, Zoya arching a brow at his teasing words. She simply smiled at his words before she continued speaking.
"I have to return to work now, do enjoy your treat."- she said and Asad nodded, his eyes following her once more before she disappeared from his line of sight. The moment his eyes lost her, he felt as though his vision had become poor once more without her beautiful form in front of him. When he left the bakery, after purchasing a great number of the cupcakes she baked, there was only one thought running through his mind.
"I want to write my name on her heart..."
For three days a week he continued to visit the bakery and his small conversations with Zoya flowed more easily with each visit. Everytime he left the bakery after speaking to her, his mind, body and soul was filled with only pure unhindered joy. With each visit he knew he was quickly falling more and more in love with her until one night he finally admitted to himself that he was crazy about her. He was truly and completely crazy about this woman who had entered his life so suddenly and now dominated his every thought.
On the fourth week of his visit to the bakery, he looked on with gentle eyes, pure affection dancing in his soft gaze as she placed another muffin in front of him and refilled his cup of coffee.
"Did you enjoy the muffins today?"- she asked with a friendly smile and he nodded wordlessly, his eyes lingering on her face. When she looked at him, he met her gaze with a soft smile, Zoya feeling the heat rising in her neck at his expression. For a few days she noticed the way he looked at her had changed but she did not want to foster false hope in her heart that he felt something for her. After all he was very handsome and regardless of the healing bruise to his cheek, she surmised that there were other girls who were interested in him, whom he would prefer to be with rather than with her, the simple baker girl in the small bakery.
"It tasted different today.."- he said truthfully, Zoya staring at him in silence, a bolt of shock travelling up her spine at his sincere confession- "I don't know how to explain it but, it didn't taste like yours." -At her silence he averted his gaze, mentally cursing himself for his blunder- "I don't mean to offend you Zoya." -he said quickly, his eyes meeting hers once more- "It still tastes really well.."
A soft sigh left her and she shook her head with a smile- "I didn't bake the muffins you had, Asad. That is why it probably tasted different." -she said with a knowingly gleam in her eyes, a sigh of relief leaving Asad at her words- "But I am touched that you can pick up on the difference. I didn't think you would say it tasted different."
"I know something was missing... "- he said with a wink, Zoya grinning at his playful gesture. He stared at her, while she picked up the empty plate before he mustered the courage to speak the words he had spent hours practicing the night before- "So how many of these muffins and cupcakes am I going to have to eat before it is safe for me to ask you out on a date?"
The plate slipped from Zoya's hand and onto the table, the small clank mirroring the crash that occurred in her heart at his question. She looked at him in shock and he brushed his brow with his thumb, a small smile tugging at his lips at the nervousness he was trying to shield from his expression. During his visits to the bakery he had noticed that no guy ever came to visit her so he deducted and hoped that she was probably single. If however, she proved him wrong, he knew his heart was going to suffer a devastatingly painful blow.
At the prolonged silence, he stared into her eyes and gulped slightly, hoping that she would answer him soon- "Please don't tell me you are seeing someone else."- he muttered, voicing his thoughts out loud.
"I'm not.."- she said quickly, a sigh of relief leaving Asad at her confirmation- "It's just that... I've never dated anyone before."- she admitted truthfully, the blush colouring her cheeks while she averted her gaze from him. Her words only increased Asad's joy and he leaned forward on the table, his eyes searching her pretty face until her gaze met his once more.
"That actually makes me really happy.." -he said with a grin, Zoya staring at him in disbelief- "I haven't done this dating thing before either but... why don't we take the chance together? Hmm?"- he questioned hopefully, his dark gaze holding hers while she deliberated in silence. If she was honest with herself, she knew that a greater part of her hoped that he was interested in her and now that her hope was becoming a reality, it seemed almost surreal to her. After a few seconds of silence ticked by, she uttered the words which would change their lives forever.
"Ok... I will go on a date with you."
Edited by Asgard_Nim - 10 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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