Hey people! i hope you like this short story of mine. Its a little long os, and shall end in 3-4 parts. Do lemme know what you think of it.
Recap – The tailor comes home to take measurements for Asad's clothes. Seeing her Phoopi also favour Tanveer's preference in making decisions for Mr Khan, Zoya exits the scene, but not before the display of her jealousy and anger, which wasn't missed by Tanveer, and Dilshaad.
Part 1
The moon had risen in the sky, announcing the arrival of the night. Asad, Tanveer and Dilshaad were settled on the table, with Najma serving them all.
"Er Tamatar" Asad's hesitant voice came.
"Haan Bhai-jaan" she asked, knowing he needed something.
"Woh… actually… woh… Tanu ko juice bhi de do, she's really weak you know" he finished.
The three ladies looked at him in shock as he gazed at them one by one, giving a 'what' expression.
"Asad, I hope you do realize this is no time for juice, how much ever healthy it may be for Tanveer" Dilshaad spoke, correcting her son. "But" she paused after this, giving him a mysterious smile, "I think it's time to call Zoya for dinner, right?"
Asad's face resembled like a cat caught in the lights, as he busied himself with his plate.
"Hey Phoopi, main aa gayi"
As an answer to his unsaid question, Zoya's voice reached them even before they saw her. It was hard to miss the smile that lit up Asad's face, but somehow no one actually noticed it. Everyone's attention rested on Zoya who seemed worked up, the beads of water on her face proving that. Asad could see the glint of victory in her eyes, and that made him shift in his seat. This smile of Miss Farooqui always spelt trouble.
"Kya hua Zoya, you look very happy?" Ammi asked.
"Phoopi, aaj toh maine aisa kaam kiya hai ki aap khush hie ho jayengi. Waise toh main hamesha bhi top class kaam karti hoon, I am so intelligent you see" saying this she snapped her head and settled in the chair next to his, causing Asad's lips to curve on their own accord.
"But aapne kiya kya hai Zoya?" Najma asked in amusement.
"See, the thing is ki maine world ka best music system hamare ghar mein install kiya hai. Now we can have great fun while practicing for the sangeet. It is so cool you know. Isi baat par ek sher arz hai…"
"Cough cough"
Zoya was interrupted in her speech when Asad pretended to cough not so discreetly.
"I think your very intellectual sher can wait until we all finish with our dinner. I am sure you must be hungry, so have your dinner, please" he spoke in an irked tone.
"Oh please Mr Khan, if you keep up this behaviour of yours, I might start believing that you actually care for me" she leaned towards him and whispered. Before he could muster up a suitable reply, she had moved away and started filling up her plate. He offered her the kababs that he knew she really liked, but she only shook her head in the negative as she continued chatting with his Ammi and Najma. Losing his interest in the food, he too shifted his focus on their conversation, and realized that Zoya was having a problem in deciding what to wear. Seeing him eavesdropping, Ammi raised her eye-brows, to which he only shrugged and got back to his food.
"Zoya, I think Asad could help you out, kyun Asad? What do you think Zoya should wear for the sangeet? She has an option between a red saree and the blue lehenga that we bought yesterday" Ammi threw the ball in his court. Asad saw everyone waiting for his answer, an answer that he knew there was no choice for. But before he could form a suitable answer, he heard Zoya speak.
"Areh Phoopi Mr Khan ko itni si baat ke liye kya tang karna. I have already decided that I want to wear the lehenga, I really loved it. So yeah, I am going to wear that" she gave a look to Asad, and dug her face in her plate. Asad knew then, she'd deliberately chosen the lehenga because he was going to choose the saree, and the look that she'd given him, told him just that. He remembered how she'd snapped at Ammi in the evening; and the reason for that as well. Although he liked to see her jealous, but the fact that she was not talking to him, and ignoring him, didn't sit well with him.
Dilshaad had sensed the tension between her son, and his stubborn fiance. To be honest, she knew Zoya's anger wasn't unreasonable, but she also knew that her obstinate son was not going to change a tad bit.
"Asad, you were grumbling about your secretary going on leave right?" she asked him out of the blue.
"Yes Ammi, I have been having problems at work due to the increase in the work load, but I wasn't grumbling" he smiled at her sarcastically.
"Hmm" Dilshaad muttered, lost in a deep thought. "I was wondering why don't you take Zoya with you, as your help" she enlightened them with her idea.
The fork fell from Asad's hand, as Zoya barely managed to swallow the bite in her mouth. The duo lost the colour of their faces as Dilshaad looked at them brightly.
"Ammi aap…"
"I know I am so intelligent to solve your problem in a snap. You don't need to thank me Asad, I'm your Ammi after all" she spoke before Asad could say anything.
"But Phoopi…" Zoya started, but was silenced by her Phoopi's glare.
"Don't worry Zoya; you need not think about the preparations here. Tanveer hai na, woh meri help karegi sab kaam mein. You just go to the office and help out Asad, and that's my order"
No one spoke after that as dinner was finished in silence, and everyone returned to their rooms.
Zoya was pacing up and down, deep in her thoughts. Tolerating the akdu-angry lion at home itself was a task, in everybody's presence. She didn't dare to imagine what he would do to her once she was relieved from Phoopi's care and protection. Biting her nails to come up with a solution, her heart almost stopped when he called her in a not so subtle voice.
"MISS FAROOQUI"
She heard him shout in a voice that she despised much. He sounded terribly angry, and the thought gave her shudders as she was deciding between hiding in the bathroom and running away from the window. Either way she could imagine his red face when he caught hold of her, and that one image made her run involuntarily towards the direction of his voice.
He stood tall and majestic, as she seemed way too small for his size. His constant angry gaze did nothing to calm her down. Najma and Phoopi stood behind him like his bodyguards with their heads bowed down, while Tanveer rested on the bed, ordered to silence by the great Jahapanah himself.
"What is this Miss Farooqui?" he asked in a surprisingly calm voice. She looked up to confirm if it was he who'd asked the question, but one look at him and she knew that the volcano was bubbling just to burst away. She looked down and saw him holding out a wire that was connected to the tv.
"It's a wire Mr Khan" she regretted her answer as soon as she spoke it, but the damage was done.
"No Miss Farooqui, it's a wire that is attached to the thing that was a tv few minutes ago" he pointed towards the tv who looked a sight with the glass of its screen shattered away to glory. Zoya could see Najma and Dilshaad trying to suppress their giggles, and she lost control over her own as the trio burst into peals of laughter.
"You find this funny Miss Farooqui?" Asad roared, but Zoya was having a hard time trying to control herself.
"Miss Farooqui, I am asking you to stop it" he tried again, but his words had no effect on the ladies.
"ZOYA" he finally shouted, and immediately, pin drop silence clouded the room.
"Explain" he said, and Zoya looked at him surprised. Mr Khan never let her explain, he only looked at things from his point of view and passed his judgement, how much ever it may hurt her. Not wanting to let go of this opportunity, she immediately started speaking.
"Mr Khan I needed a switch that could handle the current load of the music system. All the switches in the house were already occupied. It's like you forgot to provide some extra switches. Architect much" she coughed at the last words, not wanting him to hear her, but she knew he'd heard the whole thing. "So I used Tanveer's tv. I knew she doesn't need it much because you're here to entertain her 24*7" she gave him a sarcastic smile as she went to stand next to Najma and his Ammi.
Crackers of joy burst in Asad's heart as he felt jealousy make her face look red. He wished he could go and give her a tight hug, but controlling himself, he asked her.
"That's not funny Miss Farooqui. What if something had happened to Tanveer? You can see the repercussions of the amount of load you put on that switch. It led to this deteriorating condition of the tv. Don't you care about Tanveer even a bit?" he asked in a serious tone.
"Tanveer meri bhi dost hai Mr Khan, and I care about her, a lot. But the recent incidents have left me nothing to worry about, because I know you are at her beck and call all the time, and she won't be needing me to trouble myself with her thoughts" Zoya said in a serious voice, that made Asad forget whatever he was about to say. All he could see was the pain in her eyes, the pain of being betrayed that arose a guilty feeling within him.
"Zoya…" he started softly, but she wasn't done yet.
"If you can see, the switch still has the wire of the music system, and not the tv in it. I have no idea how it is possible for the tv to blast off when it wasn't even connected. If you are able to sort this out, do let me know. I shall be in my room" saying this, Zoya turned on her heels and left the place. Asad looked at her retreated back, as Najma and Ammi also left the room. But before leaving, Ammi shook her head in negative, to convey how disappointed she was in him, increasing the guilty feeling that churned his stomach exponentially.
****************
-pooja
Shiv Shakti
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
47