FF Nights of confrontations Completed-Epilogue p70 - Page 13

Part 10

Ayaan approached Humeira very casually so that she wasn't suspicious of him, unfortunately he didn't act that well! Just because Asad was stressed and couldn't see through him, doesn't mean that Humeira wouldn't. Besides Humeira already had her doubts – this was just adding fuel.

"Ayaan, what are you up to? You asked me about that musical box, now you're asking me about this photo you found from the storage… what's going on? I've never seen you be so interested in my family before! Are you sure everything is ok?"

Yes, he told her that he found that photo in the storage. He was really lying through his teeth, and to cover one lie he said thousands of other ones. Humeira was concerned about his behaviour – this was the man she loved and he never ever gave her this much attention before. What was this all about?

"Oh, my friend has the same photo in his house, and then today I saw this in the storage… I can't spot my dad and since it's all men, I thought mamujaan would be in here. "

"Oh" She was starting to buy his lie.

"Ok, so you want me to ask him if he's in the picture." She wondered why he cared… so unlike him. But then again, he was behaving very strangely after his return from the pilgrimage.

"Yea, it's my friend's dad's birthday and my friend wants to invite his dad's old friends. So ask him if he's in there, and which one is he." Ayaan was sure this wasn't going so bad.

"Ok, I'll do it – but what do I get for it" Humeira was trying to fool around a bit… after the mischievous Ayaan became serious, she needed to lighten up situations.

"An ice-cream… or whatever you want!"

"I prefer the latter… whatever I want" she chuckled.

"But it's up to me whether I want to give it or not. The final say is mine" He played along, after all he needed her to help him. Moreover, though, she was his best friend.

"That's so not fair! Humph" and she walked off to get his work done.

x-x-x

"Asalam Walekum Abu, yeh lijiye aapki chai"

"Walekum Asalam, shukriya beta"

"Abu, yeh dekhiye! Kya yeh aapi tasveer hai? Hume yeh storage mein mili thi"

"Ji beta, yeh tasveer humaari aur humaare doston ki hai. Iss waqt pe toh humara nikaah aapki aami se bhi nahi hua tha"

"Accha! Itni puraani hai?"

"Haan"

"Aur aap kahan hai iss tasveer mein?"

"Yahan" he pointed at the face that was destroyed – the reason why Zoya couldn't trace her abu. Ayaan knew who Zoya's abu was in that picture, he was waiting for Humeira to confirm that mamujaan is Zoya's abu.

With a frown Humeira pointed "Iss mein toh aapka muun bhi karab hogaya hai. Shayad is hi liye storage mein tha. Anyways abu shukriya, ab hum jaa rahe hain. Khuda Hafiz"

"Allah Hafiz"

x-x-x

Back in Ayaan's room, Humeira entered with a smile hoping that she would get what she will ask for. And Ayaan, little did he know that by giving her what she wanted would ruin his life and hers as well.

"Yeh hain abu" She confirmed Ayaan's doubt. Now he had two sets of proofs to support his claim that mamujaan was indeed Zoya's father.

"Shukriya, shukriya, shukriya! Humeira aap ne mere liye bahaut hi bada kaam kiya hai" She wondered why this was THAT important to him.

"Anyways, ab humari baari… ab hum kuch maangenge!"

"Theek hai, maango"

"Aap hume ek drive par le jayenge aur hum job hi sawal aap se karenge, aap unka jawaab denge, qubool hai?"

"Ji, qubool hai! Aaj sham ko challenge!" This was more than enough for Humeira, she didn't want to sit thinking about Ayaan's weird behaviour. All that mattered was her excitement about their date… unaware that this date would bring a storm in their lives.

"Theek hai, hum tayyar rahenge" She said as she headed out of his room.

x-x-x

"Ayaan think think think!" He told himself.

Ayaan's POV:

So she has a musical box, which Humeira has… which means she's mamujaan's daughter. Then she has a photo of mamujaan since when he wasn't married to mamumijaan. That means she's not mamumijaan's daughter? Else, how would she get a picture of mamujaan from her mother when he wasn't married to mamumijaan yet? WAIT! She was born before mamujaan's and mamumijaan's wedding. Does that mean mamujaan was married previously?

This is getting more and more complicated now.

So she's mamujaan's daughter, and mamumijaan's stepdaughter and humeira's step sister.

That's what I got from Humeira.

Now, Asad Bhaijaan…

Her mom died in a fire mishap – mamumijaan is still alive, despite I wish her dead long back (he chuckled at this thought). So, maamujaan did have another woman, before mamumijaan and she died when Zoya was 3 – around the time of mamu and mamumi's nikaah. Could they have anything to do with this mishap… no, they wouldn't stoop as low to kill somebody.

She was in an orphanage – how did she get there? Oh wait, don't I know mamumijaan and her ways yet? Could she have put her there? She definitely could, but did she? And did mamujaan know about it?

She has a phobia of fire due to witnessing the fire mishap, which means whoever dropped her at the orphanage knew about this mishap. If it was mamu and mamumi, then they would have some fire mishap in the past…

**And then the gudiya factory came to his mind.**

No, how has that got to do with anything with this. Oh. Wait. The fire mishap could have been there. But abu put that fire on… does that mean that the lady who died in that fire was Zoya's mom? But I'm sure abu didn't do it, if abu did kill that lady – he wouldn't know about Zoya either and she would have been dead too or he would have taken her to the orphanage. Well only abu can answer that.

x-x-x

It was just after lunch and he had already achieved so much. He was so close to his destination. And somehow knowing all this may help him prevent his wedding to Humeira. He had started being hopeful.

x-x-x

In the other house, everybody was hustling and bustling as the mehendi ceremony was going to start soon. The bride had to get her mehendi done with before the ceremony so that she could get ready and enjoy the party as well – this is the way Zoya preferred it. She couldn't sit still in a party; it would be so unlike her. Actually she couldn't sit still at anytime, but for Asad… she was doing it this time.

So while Zoya was still getting her mehendi done on her hands and feet, she knew exactly where to hide Asad's name on it so that it would take him forever to search it. She whispered it to the henna designer and asked her to keep it confidential. She intended to tease Asad with it. He would have to find his name to be able to kiss her and beyond. No sex till he found his name. Zoya thought this would be fun!

While devilish ideas went on in Zoya's mind, Asad stood by the corridor on the first floor watching her put mehendi. They weren't allowed to meet, but they could look at each other with no restrictions. He admired her smile, her reactions and her expression. And then he saw that look.

Asad's POV:

Ya Allah what is she up to now? I've seen that expression so many times now, and each time it puts me in a difficult situation. This time, it better be worth it.

He was definitely right about her, slowly but steadily as his prejudices and stereotyping towards her reduced, he started reading her expressions and knew her intentions weren't wrong. Despite all that, this girl was unpredictable with what would happen next. Both of them eagerly looked forward to the wedding, which was tomorrow.

Although it was just past lunch time and the ceremony was to start in 6 hours, there was still lot to do… for Zoya of course. It was a totally chilled day for Asad on the other hand. He could do whatever he liked. He decided to catch up on some work – until the function started, then he would spy.

"Love definitely makes a monkey out of man" he thought to himself.

x-x-x

Ayaan headed to his father's room, grateful his mom left for shopping.

"Abu, I wanted to talk to you"

"Yea Ayaan"

"I know this is unexpected, but could you please tell me about the gudiya factory fire? When you saw that lady, was she fully burnt? And did she have a child with her?"

"This was quite unexpected, why do you ask?"

"Well, god forbid, but if there is a next time to what happened few months back with you going to jail etc. I want to know everything so that I can help. I want to be prepared." He definitely knew how he paid for being unprepared, his future nikaah to Humeira was the price.

His abu understood this and was glad to see how much his son had matured, unfortunately he also knew it was all the wrong things that had caused this change.

"So, that night I got a call from Razia to burn the factory. When I put it on fire, there was no one, but when I came out I heard a child cry "mere ammi ko bachao". I ran into the building – which was now entirely on fire – but I saw no child. I did see the lady though but she was completely burnt." And Rashid continued with the story.

Ayaan heard it all. He gathered all the information he needed. He was walking towards his room with thoughts in his head.

Ayaan's POV:

Ammi ko bachao, that's what Zoya said as well. That child could be Zoya. She was taken away before abu came. Mamumi knew about the fire, and Zoya.

So far I've got that Zoya is mamujaan's daughter. Zoya's ammi COULD have died because of mamumi, but Zoya was definitely put in the orphanage by mamumi – so that everybody gave her the respect of being the first wife (the type my ammi never got), but if that was the motive, then killing Zoya's mom could have been part of it.

I have to talk to Zoya about this. But if this is true, it would destroy Humeira's life! Her parents would be people she wouldn't want to see and her and my relationship is also a compromise. This means she would have no one to count on. I shouldn't tell her.

Ayaan decided to call Zoya

*tring tring*

"Hello"

"Mona, mujhe aap se kuch zaroori baat karni hai"

"Haan Rabarrt bolo" she was about to start getting ready, but decided it could wait… Rabarrt was never this serious. Anyways she didn't take much time getting ready either.

"Agar hum kis ki parva karein, aur hume kuch unke bare mein kuch paata chal tha hai jo unki zindagi mein tufaan khada kar de, kya hume unhe yeh batana chahiya ya chupana chahiye"

"Rabarrt, Asad kehte hai ki jooth ke paair nahi hote. The truth must come out one day. If you really are worried about that person, you must tell them. Because if they find out and know that you knew, they'd be even more hurt. And if the truth is about them, they have the right to know. If you're telling someone you care about somebody else, then it's better to keep it confidential and not tell them."

"hmmm. Thanks Mona"

"Is everything ok Rabarrt?"

"Ji, Mona may I come visit you tomorrow?" He needed to tell her the truth, he just asked her help for Humeira, but her answer made him realize that he had to tell both of them. Rather he had to confirm his story with their stories.

let me know how you guys found it :)