Chapter 3
What is stronger... than a fragile heart?
His knuckles hurt from holding the steering wheel too tight. Rage boiled and made its way through his body all the way to his fingertips.
How could she? How dare she? There would be no place for calm today. Miss New York better have her answers ready. The door slammed shut with force as he marched his way to her room crunching the lab reports in his hand.
"Yeh kya hai, Mr. Khan" she asked timidly when he threw the papers on the bed, disgusted. His eyes were seething. Her hands shook involuntarily.
"Tanveer ki lab reports" He took a deep breath attempting to calm himself. "What did you do with the box, Zoya" He lost his cool "How could you? Why would you? She's my friend!"
"Wh..at?" Zoya mumbled a little confused and more scared.
"It's animal blood, Miss Faaroqui. Animal. Yahan Tanveer ki tabiyat kharaab hai aur aap" he yelled in repulsion turning away.
"But how could it be? I collected the samples myself Mr. Khan"
"Exactly, you collected the samples. The one person who never does anything right collected the samples"
"Mr. Khan" she whispered hurt but Asad didn't rest.
"Actually, it doesn't even matter if it was a mistake or not, I just want to know how come you can never do anything right. Mariam ko bachaane gayi toh khud musibat main a gayi, you almost blew up our house, Ayaan ki sagai par gai toh...why? Just why do you even attempt anything?"
"ASAD" Dilshad's stern voice boomed in the room and Asad started.
He was truly surprised to see his Ammi, Najma and Tanveer hiding in the bathroom. That halted the anger for a bit. A bit of three long seconds.
"Bolne se pehle socha toh karo." Dilshad looked at Zoya apologetic "We were hiding just so we can see you gift Zoya her saugaat but you...
...anyway, clinic vaalo se koi mixup hua hoga. Go back and check with them"
"I did Ammi, there is NO mixup" He looked at Zoya accusingly "Just a sickening prank in action"
"Mr. Khan?" Why couldn't she keep the hurt out of her voice "Aapko lagta hai main kisi ke saath aisa karungi. How could you think this?"
"How could I think this?" His furious voice sent a chill up her spine "I was there holding some animal's blood reports in my hands, that's how. Just...why are you so irresponsible?!"
Tanveer's voice interrupted him then, before he saw the tears brimming in Zoya's eyes. There were talks of trust and relationships. Fake reassurances of how they shouldn't let her come into their relationship. She fanned the flames and his temper, playing on each and every word that came out her mouth next.
"Rishton main daraar a jaaye toh asaani se mit ti nahi hai Jammy"
"Yeh tum samajh ti ho Tanu. Par kuch logo ke liye har cheez mazaak hai. Shayad, unke liye har rishta bhi mazaak hai"
***
Tumult of heart was great, didn't knowing how to support herself she sat down on the floor. Astonishment increasing every second by the review of what had just happened.
She cried into her blue dupatta scared of how much it hurt. His words slashed her up, opened her heart painfully left, right, centre.
The fat tears soaked into her clothes, but the evidence would be hard to hide tomorrow. The swollen eyes, pale face, everyone would know. Oh, darn it! a part of her said. She was only human, and she was allowed to break down and cry especially when the man you loved...
That thought brought a fresh batch of suffering with it. It was all so loud that his shouts were almost visible in her room. Lingering around, attempting to strangle the life out of her. With each word harsher than one before, she gasped for breath.
2:00 a.m.
Zoya stood upright surprised she'd been crying for so long. It was dark wherever she looked, in every literal way. The only thing that shined was her decked up bride self. Tired of her feelings, she clung to the mattress like a desolate to hope, expecting sleep to envelope her.
The truth of the hour was blinding like the sunshine next morning. She looked at herself in the mirror still dressed up in the lehenga she wore last night. Hair dishevelled, kajal streaking cheeks, she would have laughed at her reflection if she wasn't hurting. There was no recovery from the words that still stung, every memory fresh in her mind.
Two versions of her and she hated this one the most. The quieter, the sadder Zoya. The same one who's been looking back at her the past couple days. The one who let her worries eat her up. The one who pined and begged for family, for love. His love. The Zoya who was so sick of the nightmares, she considered sleeping pills. One who wanted his approval and trust more than anything and anyone.
No, she didn't like this Zoya at all.
Luckily, it only appeared once in a blue moon however she'd been paying visits more often at present.
Dragging her hand across her face, she prepped herself to get ready for the morning.
No, she won't be humiliated like this. Something had been played with and a mistake had been made. She was going to find out how and throw it in his face. His unpardonable pride and shameless slighting – she wouldn't be the girl who swallowed it silent.
***
"Jab bhi main sochta hoon main unhe jaan gaya hoon, who kuch na kuch ulta kar deti hai" she heard him say. The door to his room was open, whole family inside, it sounded like they were deciding her fate.
Don't you dare angry cry in there Zoya Faaroqui!
She entered armed with her pride, iPad and proof. She saw Najma's face light up when she announced the same.
"I told you, I didn't do it" she told Asad "The picture clarified everything already" There was a...someone...holding the animal in question. Zoya and Asad smiled at the camera while the culprit lurked in the background. The face wasn't clear, but a stone eye made an appearance.
"How strange" Dilshad said "Par chalo yeh toh pata chalgaya, my Zoya did nothing wrong. Tumne yun hi bechari ko pareshaan kiya" Duffer! Idiot! she wanted to add. Did he want to get married or stay kunwara his whole life. Allah.
Zoya stared at the most bizarre thing she'd seen, though that didn't matter currently. She thought it would make her happy once she saw some contrition on his face for doubting her.
She didn't.
The night hadn't been easy on him. Sleep stayed away, while the anger was close in tow. He had been hurt too; he'd cried a little too. Was it out of frustration or love, he didn't know?
Although now that he realized his faults, sleep followed, guilt surrounded. His head was unbelievably heavy.
What was he going to say?
He stared at the crinkled pieces of paper in the bin. He didn't want to sound too romantic, but...well...it wasn't a lie, was it? She did look amazing in the saree –extraordinarily beautiful– he was just telling her the facts. It was a simple compliment. One that explained the thought behind his gift.
Taking out a new paper, he wrote in clear handwriting, 'Maine aapko ek baar saree pehne huye dekha tha. Aap bahut khubsurat lag rahi thi'
Yes, this one was perfect. Simple. Concise. He closed the box quickly, lest he change his mind and made his way to her.
The door to her room ajar, she sat on the bed talking to herself. Classic Miss Faaroqui.
Asad knocked softly, string of apologies ready on his tongue.
She fired up as soon as she saw him. That body builder, empty brain, only good for yelling brat!
"Unless you are here to apologize, I do not want to..."
"I am sorry" he interrupted. When she didn't say anything, he repeated "I am sorry" He must have only said it twice, but he meant it way more times than that. "Do you accept my apology?"
Zoya laughed a cynic laugh. Asad flinched internally.
"How fascinating! Aap insult toh sabke saamne karte hai aur maafi aise akele main maangte hai. And you expect me to accept your apologies without blinking. Do you even hear the things you say to me? I am a human woman Mr. Khan. I feel things. It hurts and pains." She hated that her voice broke and she hated that her tears were back. She didn't want to feel weak. She wasn't weak.
He would have dug his nails into his flesh if his hands weren't holding the gift. There was something terrible in the tremor of her voice; raw ache behind it. Asad waited for the pain he'd caused to tumble out. Maybe that was the best way he could fix this.
"How could you blame me for something so despicable?" she cried turning away from him. Hot tears graced her cheeks now. The dam slowly broke.
"You are wrong, Mr. Khan. Aisa nahi hai ki jab bhi aapko lagta hai aap mujhe jaan gaye hai, main aapko wrong prove kar deti hoon" Uh-oh! Why did she have to hear that too...?
She turned to face him.
"It's just... you don't know a thing about me"
He breathed in real slow. Those words wounded his heart like nothing else did.
"Anyway, it's not like we are actually getting married" She heard him flinch "So, I guess apology accepted. Whatever... just whatever"
Saying so she left the room without sparing him another glance. Asad was left looking at the gift in his hands and wondering what to do with it. He decided on leaving it on her bed. It was unlikely but maybe she could come to forgive him after seeing it. After all, she always did forgive him.
*******
Ta da! this one is is epi 138/9.
The amount of brain cells that were destroyed pretending murgi ko kisne maara could be a true possibility is unbelievable. But since its dairy-style, I went with it. Tried to make it as convincing as possible. Some of the scenes i didn't elaborate on much since i want to focus more on asya than the billi drama.
Hope you'all like it !
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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