Index:
Part 1 Part 11 Part 21
Part 2 Part 12 Part 22
Part 3 Part 13 Part 23
Part 4 Part 14 Part 24
Part 5 Part 15 Part 25
Part 6 Part 16 Part 26
Part 7 Part 17 Part 27
Part 8 Part 18 Part 28
Part 9 Part 19 Thread 2
Part 10 Part 20
Mangalpur Madness: Part 1
"Mangalpur?? Again?!" Asad said in shock, and stared at his ammi incredulously over the dining table during breakfast. Dilshaad simply nodded and then continued sipping her tea calmly. After putting her cup down, she explained further, "Maryam's sister Mehnaaz is getting married, and she specially asked for you and Zoya to come. Of course Najma and I are also invited, but obviously we can't go. Najma's exams are around the corner, and I don't want to leave her all alone here."
Dilshaad watched as her son's frown simply deepened. She sighed audibly and continued, "Don't worry Asad, Dilawar and his people are still in jail, and even Maryam is flying down from Dubai with her bhaijaan. If Maryam is sure of her safety there, what do you and Zoya have to worry about?"
Asad rolled his eyes before shutting them, and his hand immediately found its way to his forehead. He couldn't believe his mother was trying to send him and Zoya to Mangalpur after all that happened there. The sight of Zoya buried alive was still fresh in his mind, and he remembered so clearly how he felt himself die inside when he was unable to find her pulse. Asad broke out of his flashback and opened his eyes again when he heard Zoya's voice.
"That's awesome news Phuphi! Mehnaaz is getting married!! It's so exciting, hai na Mr Khan? When are we leaving?? I ought to start packing!" Zoya exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. She really did love celebration! This time would be better; she had come to a silent understanding with Mr Khan ever since her visa fiasco. He messed up first, by misunderstanding her and booking an earlier flight, but then he worked hard to get her work permit done properly and extending her visa once he realized his mistake. She still acted like she wanted to leave, but the flip of a coin determined her fate and she stayed. Not like she was going to leave even if it wasn't in her favour. He didn't want her to go, and she knew it. And she had stayed back just for him, and he knew it. They never discussed it thereafter, but here they were, sitting together during breakfast two weeks later, and it's all that really mattered to both of them. Zoya had given up hoping that Asad would verbalize his thoughts, and Asad had given up trying. But at least they weren't fighting anymore, so taking a trip to Mangalpur together sounded perfect.
"The mehendi ceremony is tomorrow, and the sangeet is the day after. The nikaah itself is on the third day, so I think you guys should leave tomorrow morning in order to make it in time for mehendi," Dilshaad said, explaining the sequence of events to Zoya. Zoya clasped her hands in glee as the grin on her face broadened and her dimples deepened. She turned towards Asad, waiting for his response. She felt her insides melt a little as he looked at her fondly.
Asad made eye contact with Zoya and smiled a little, watching Zoya get so excited about Mehnaaz's wedding. It was just like her, to get so happy over other people's joys. And that's what he loved about her. Wait a second, love?! What was he thinking?? He looked away from her immediately, and his thoughts floated back to when he pulled a lifeless Zoya out of the ground. His heart had stopped at that point. He found himself clenching his fists subconsciously.
Zoya's face dropped a little when Asad looked away suddenly, breaking their eye contact. And when he turned back to her, she didn't see the fondness from just now. She saw fury in his eyes, lots of it. She sighed and braced herself for heartbreak once again.
"Nahi Miss Farooqui, aap mere saath nahi aayegi! I'll go by myself," Asad announced, putting an unspoken end to the discussion. There was no way in the world he would allow Zoya to go to that hell again; he couldn't risk her safety at all. He didn't want to relive that nightmare again. He decided that he'd go there for Maryam's sake on his own, and after the wedding he'd drive Maryam back to Bhopal with him to meet Zoya.
"Lagta hai aap dono ka jagra kabhi bhi khatam nahi hoga," Dilshaad said unhappily. She looked over at a crestfallen Zoya and put her hand on her head to console her. Tanveer watched smugly as the scene unfolded in front of her. She may have failed at sending Zoya back to New York, but she won't fail at snagging Asad for herself. She had to do something.
"Jammy, humein lagta hai ke aap ko wahan akele nahi jaana chahiye, hai na Khaala?" Tanveer egged Dilshaad on, fingers crossed. To her relief, she found Dilshaad nodding in agreement. "Zoya ke saath tumhe kya problem hai mujhe nahi pata, but you don't have any problem with Tanveer right? Why don't you bring her along?" Dilshaad suggested, oblivious to the fact that Tanveer was smirking away as she spoke.
Asad opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He was at a loss, how was he supposed to get out of this? Saying no to bringing Zoya was easy, everyone would assume it's because they don't get along. Nobody would know that his real reason was because he cared so very deeply for her, that sometimes it even scared him. But how was he going to find an excuse to not bring Tanveer? Whatever he comes up with would just hurt Tanveer's feelings. Before he could formulate his thoughts into words, Tanveer spoke up again.
"Khaala, that sounds like a great idea! So we'll leave tomorrow morning right Jammy? I'll pack my bags today then," Tanveer interjected, as soon as she realized that Asad was finding an excuse not to bring her. She smiled smugly when Asad finally admitted defeat and nodded meekly at her. Twisting Asad's arm into doing what she wants was always a piece of cake.
Asad cringed inwardly as he nodded, staring down at his plate. He looked up again when he heard the sound of a chair scraping the ground. Zoya had gotten up from her chair, pain evidently written on her face. She stared down at Asad boldly, but he could see the first signs of tears forming in her eyes, before she turned away and walked to her room, wordlessly. Asad's hand immediately rose to his forehead again, massaging it. What did he just do?!
XXX
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