(Credit to my sweetheart Riddhi ! ❤️)
Chapter 7 :Few weeks went by with both Asad and Zoya acting friendly towards each other.
One morning, Asad woke up to find Zoya's side of the bed empty, he frowned, seeing that it was still dawn. As he sat up in bed, he saw Zoya going down for Sajda. She had a scarf wrapped around her head and was praying.
Having been sent over at an early age to a foreign country without any marks, Asad never had been taught much about religion. Admittedly yes, Dilshad had taught him that there is absolutely no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhamad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah. But she had also told him that if someone prays wholeheartedly for something, Allah grants it, but Asad remembers when he did that, begging to go back home to India and here he was today. Moreover, the fact that 9/11 was still fresh in the heart of Americans at that time, he remembered how one of his classmates had been beaten up because he was offering morning prayer on Eid day.
Frowning, he didn't even realize when Zoya folded the prayer mat and came back to bed.
"I'm sorry, did i wake you ? You should go back to sleep, you will have to get up early..." She apologized while getting back under the covers.
As they both lay down, Asad faced her, "Do you have faith in... Him ?"
This time Zoya was the one frowning, "Of course or else i wouldn't waste my time offering Salah (praying) five times a day... It's winter, i have already offered Icha's (night's prayer time) Salah before you come back from office..." Asad looked away because of her obvious confidence while talking about faith made him uncomfortable. As she thought about it, she asked, "Asad, you don't talk much about how you grew up here, how was it like ? I mean, for example, did you get to learn about religion ?"
Asad stiffened at that question and turned away from her, wondering what would happen if she knew that he didn't have faith in Him or that he smoke or drank. Obviously before going to India to get married, he had stocked all his alcohol stock in his study in a locked cupboard for her not to find it. It's not like he drank often, he did it when stressed or upset about something yet the way Zoya was asking him right now, he felt cornered and ashamed of himself.
Asad turned back to face Zoya, "Actually, i still feel tired, i guess i'll just sleep some more...", though he said it looking over her shoulder.
Zoya couldn't hide her disappointment but she just nodded.
***********
As the days passed, Zoya realized how less she knew of Asad. She did find him to be different from other men, yet it was weird, it was like they were living together as roomates and nothing more. She really felt like she barely knew him.
Although she never really talked about her relationship with Asad to Humaira, that day, she couldn't hide her frustration anymore and thought it best to just come out and say it, so she did.
"So what you mean to say is that you have been married to him for 6 weeks, have got to know him 4 months before and you still aren't in love ?" Humaira asked incredulously and Zoya felt her cheeks flushing.
"It's not like we used to talk all the time, when it was day here, it was night there, sometimes he was busy and sometimes i was. I'm sorry but i never did this thing before...having to get to know a stranger to marry him afterwards and that too by phone ? Sorry but that's not my thing..." Zoya defended herself and Humaira put her hand on hers.
"I know but you have to understand that it's the same for him... It's not just because Asad is a guy that he is supposed to take the first step with you... Maybe he's feeling as awkward as you. But that doesn't mean that you are not supposed to take that step. Do you even realize that it has been 6 weeks since your wedding yet you didn't even spend real time together ! Tell him that you want to spend time with him, that you want to really get to know him. Why don't you guys go for a honeymoon ? I mean really, you guys deserve it and to hell with Asad's boss, he makes him work like a damn machine ! It's not like Asad is the only engineer in his company and if it is so, that boss has to stop being a miser and hire another one !" Humaira finished while grumbling like a grumpy old man and Zoya chuckled but agreed.
************
Few days had passed and Zoya never got to tell him that they should go for a honeymoon, always chickening out.
Today, Zoya skyped her family, it was her parents' marriage anniversary. She usually missed them but that day she missed her family more than usual.
As she talked to them, tears sprung to her eyes. She had never lived so long without meeting her family.
"Happy anniversary, Ammi and Abbu !! Aap logon ki bohot yaad aati hai !" She tried not to cry knowing that they would get upset if she did.
Zainab and Ghaffur's eyes moistened but Zainab was the one who couldn't contain her tears and started. As Zoya saw her mother cry, she couldn't stop hers so she abruptly hung up without saying anything and sent a message saying that there was a problem in the connection. The fact that she felt lonely even when Asad was here didn't really arrange things and made her cry more.
Unfortunately, Asad chose that time to come in from the front door so she wiped her tears immediately and headed for the bathroom before he could come into their room and see her crying. She came back out after a few minutes of freshening up.
Asad felt irritated, sure, he loved his job but at times he felt really angry with his boss since he always made him work a lot but Asad felt like he wasn't being given the reward of his efforts and all the time and years he spent for this company. He sighed and sat down on his bed while taking off his shoes.
As he finished doing so, he heard Zoya coming out of the bathroom, "Hey, you are back, how was your day ?" She asked casually though he still heard the slight tremor in her voice but when he looked up at her, he saw her busy with her iPad.
He frowned but replied to her nevertheless, "Tiring, what about you ?"
"Well since i get bored staying at home all day, i was looking for some courses and all, i'm thinking about joining one but i don't really know what kind i should do..."
Since Zoya now looked into his eyes and talked normally, he guessed that he imagined the tension he thought there was.
"I guess that's a good thing but then i can't chose for you..." He said going into the bathroom to change his clothes.
"Do you want me to set dinner ?" Zoya asked through the door.
After a 'Yes, please !', she went to the kitchen and served it. They both had dinner while making iddle talks. But after dinner, Asad knew something was wrong when instead of sitting and watch some TV with him, she headed to bed saying that she was tired.
After 5 minutes of not knowing what he should do in this situation if she needed to be alone or comforted. After a moment of thinking, he guessed that she had enough time alone all day and headed to their room after switching of all the lights and locking the front door.
Although, now the problem was he going to comfort her ? He never did that kind of thing before so now he really felt awkward.
As he silently entered the room whose door had been slightly ajar and saw her small frame shaking in the bed, crying. Since she faced away from him, she wasn't aware of his arrival in the room. But when she felt the matress deepen, when Asad sat on the bed, she stiffened.
Before she could do anything, Asad made her turn around and face him. She was crying and he didn't know why those tears bothered him so much but they did. He didn't know what to do to comfort her so he did what he felt like doing.
Asad lay down next to her and pulled her into his arms and she willingly went there, holding him to her tightly as she cried, burying her face in the crook of his neck. While Asad felt useless wondering why she was crying so much, though he could tell that he did the right thing by taking her in his arms so he tightened his grip around her body and caressed her head.
Only when he felt her calm down did he ask, "Kya hua ? Why so upset ?"
She loosened her grip around him but stayed there, lying in his arms, feeling a kind of safety and serenity in his arms.
"I miss my family... Tomorrow is Ammi Abbu's wedding anniversary, there it's already tomorrow so i skyped them earlier and seeing them all made me realize how lonely i feel without them... I never stayed away so long without them..."
Asad tightened his hold around Zoya, nobody knew better than him the feeling of loneliness.
"You are not alone..."
That jolted her so she pulled away, much to Asad's regret, "Really ? You are gone all day, i feel like i'm living with a stranger, we don't even know each other... I mean, seriously, we have been married for a little more than 6 weeks ! We didn't even get to spend time with each other ! You are always working, i get it that you love your job and respect that but that doesn't mean that you neglect the people around you !" She exclaimed while wiping her tears.
Asad felt really dumb at that moment so he asked, "So what should i do ?"
Zoya narrowed her eyes then pointed her index finger to the center of his chest and stated boldly, "I want you to take a leave, so that we can spend time together, call it honeymoon or time off, i don't care but i've had enough of this routine, we have to give a chance to our marriage !"
Asad was stunned at her behaviour but knowing about his demanding boss and being too emotionally challenged, at the moment he could only say, "I'll see what i can do..."
Zoya looked at him incredulously, "Seriously ?!" Then she took a deep breath, "You know what, good night !" She exclaimed angrily while lying back down on the bed, facing away from him.
Asad tried to hide his smile while lying down next to her and pulling her back against his chest. Zoya snatched away his hand that was on her stomach which he used to pull her to him. Although that didn't help since Asad put his arm back around her at the same place but this time tighter when she tried to pull away.
"What are you doing ?!" She asked annoyed.
"I'm going to sleep ?" Asad stated more like a question with all innocence.
"Then go to sleep on your side of the bed !"
"No, you're angry."
"I'm not angry !" Zoya exclaimed angrily and Asad smirked. "Ok maybe i am but this is making me angrier !"
Asad chuckled, "Nope ! This helps when you are upset. I have proof like right now, you just relaxed into my arm !"
She stiffened again, "Leave me !"
"No."
Zoya groaned but since she felt like Asad wasn't going to stop, she gave up and tried to hide her smile. Five minutes ago, she was crying her heart out, then she was annoyed with Asad, she didn't know how he transformed her annoyance into making her smile.
She bit her lip and soon, she dozed off.
After Asad was sure that Zoya was asleep, he tightened his hold on her and then apologized, "I'm sorry for neglecting and avoiding you..."
Asad kissed her forehead before himself dozing off too.
************
A/N : ok guys, keep in mind thqt i wrote this after a lobg day and it's 3:17 AM right now so be indulgent lol, hope u liked it, will be looking forward for ur comments ❤️
Edited by Miss-Appy - 9 years ago
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