OS: Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna

"Ms. Farooqui, do you have to? I hate the smell." Complained Asad.

"Allah Miyah, what's wrong with you Mr. Khan! Yeh ek rasam hain. How can I not. Or apko itna farak kyun pad tah hain huh?"

"Woh-w- aap humesha mere aas paas rehti hain. And I really can't stand the smell."said Asad with a small voice.

"So? You want me to skip a rasam kyun ki aap mehndi ka smell nahi stand kar sak te. Oh god please!" said Zoya turning away.

"Hey-Ms. Farooqui, could you wear the suit I gave you." Asad spoke out. Since Zoya's confession about her scar, Asad felt their relationship had moved on to a new level.

Zoya turned back and looked down. She stepped closer to Asad and said, "Mr. Khan, I am not so comfortable wearing that around everyone. Y-you are different, I mean I was not afraid to show you anything Mr. Khan. But everyone, I don't think I can do that. "

"Ms. Farooqui, you have nothing to hide. You are as beautiful as you were. Nothing can change that." Said Asad trying to catch her eyes.

Zoya lifted lashes and flashed a smile at Asad whose heart felt like it was about to burst. "In that case Mr. Khan, how about I wear it and cat walk in it for you at night" said Zoya with a wink.

Asad turned red and replied, "Ms. Farooqui apki tameez kaha gayi?"

"Ghaas khane gayi hain Mr. Khan, apke dimaag ke saat!" Zoya shouted and stuck her tongue out at him, immediately turning at her heels and running to her room.

The mehndi ceremony had started and Zoya was ready. She walked down the stairs with her heavy lengha and cast her eyes down. She felt so self-conscious and shy. This just wasn't her but she couldn't help it. All eyes were on her and she felt like each step down the stairs was taking ages. Her eyes looked around for Asad, but she was disappointed when she saw only women in the hall. She couldn't help but frown that Asad hadn't even bothered to come look at her.

Asad on the other hand, was trying hard to not smile at the beauty of his gorgeous wife, no fiance. She looked heavenly but there was a confusion on her face and he knew her eyes were longing for him. He stepped away from the pillar and came in full view. Zoya immediately found him and a smile adorned her face. She looked away and was satisfied that at least Asad had come to see how she looked.

Once Zoya sat down at her designated spot, she was swarmed with giggling and loud women. Asad was nowhere to be seen and she herself was distracted by the ladies pulling at her hand and starting to apply the mehndi after endless arguments to which design to put on and where to start.

Zoya was lost in her thoughts when she heard a voice. "Huh?" she answered.

"I asked, do you want me to write his name in here?" the lady asked, her cone suspending in the air above her hands.

"Yes" responded Zoya.

"Okay, so what's his name?" asked the lady, getting slightly impatient.

"Mr. Kh-, oh wait I mean Asad" whispered Zoya.

"Asad" she said louder this time, noticing the lady nodding, ndicating that she heard it the first time but the word was so sweet rolling of Zoya's lips. It was like an addiction. It's like she tasted it once and she couldn't stop saying it more so she kept repeating it in her head like a mantra. Getting high and lost in the thoughts of Asad.

After an hour when her mehndi was done, all Zoya wanted to do was stand and stretch. She stood up slowly and walked towards the kitchen, away from the view of most the guests who were enjoying the night.

Zoya slowly raised her hands in the air and tiptoed, stretching and yawning at the same time. Her duppatta slipped of her neck and she groaned in frustration. She bent down trying to grab it in both her elbows but that simply popped the back hook in her blouse. "Allay Miyah, what's wrong with you?" Zoya cried in exasperation.

As she turned to call Najma for help, Zoya crashed into a hard body and she moved her hands out of the way as she yelped. "Can't you see and walk, meri mehndi khrab ho jati toh?" she screamed but she shut up when she noticed it was no other than Mr. Khan.

She turned around, feeling extremely embarrassed because her dupatta wasn't with her and her midriff was bare. She breathed heavily and cursed under her breath. Asad slowly picked her dupatta and gently pushed Zoya beside the refrigerator so they would be out of everyone's view. He brought his shaky fingers to Zoya's bare back and he fiddled with the hook that was being absolutely adamant. He internally groaned as his fingers brushed Zoya's back and she flinched under his touch, a small, silent moan escaping her lips. Asad finally managed to hook her blouse and turned her around, holding her shoulder. He wrapped the dupatta around her neck and his fingers lingered, trying to memorize her soft touch. He traced her collar bone and Zoya turned her face away, the feeling of his touch was mesmerizing her.

A shout in the background made both of them step away and a blush crept on both their faces. Their eyes looked here and there and Zoya finally broke the awkwardness by raising her hands to Asad's face.

"Mr. Khan! I have a game for you!" she said cheerfully. "Find your name in my hand!"

Asad wrinkled his nose and stared at both of Zoya's hand with his brows furrowed.

Zoya who was getting impatient put down the hand which did not have his name and shoved the right one in his face. "Okay, at least find it in this hand."

Asad still had the same look on his face and Zoya simply lost it, "Are you blind Mr. Khan, can't you see it here?" she said pointing it out with her finger.

"Where?" Asad replied.

"Allay Miyah! Mr. Khan! Here, A-S-A-D. ASAD!" she screamed and gasped as she realized she had called him with his real name for the first time.

"What did you say Ms. Farooqui?" Asad asked pulling her into him by her arms and cocked his head.

"I-I nothing" said Zoya trying to free herself from Asad's grasp without ruining her mehndi.

"I want to hear it again" Asad said with a serious look on his face and his arms running on Zoya's bare back.

Zoya could not help herself as a small "Asad" escaped her lips and she heard Asad groan and shut his eyes. He pulled her closer and said, "Again."

"Asad" she repeated, whispering softly.

This time Asad could not help but trace her lips and caress the origin of the place such a gorgeous sound was coming.

"One last time" he said, moving his lips closers to hers.

Zoya's heart was beating erratically and her breaths were heavy and short but she said it once more, "Asad" and as soon as she had finished she felt Asad's soft lips on hers, taking her by surprise. After what felt ages, they finally broke apart and rested their foreheads on each other, trying to catch their breath.

"Ms. Farooqui, you better come to my room at night wearing that suit. I'll put up a ramp" said Asad winking and leaving a confused but content Zoya behind. Both walked their separate ways with a grin on their face and a heart that would simply not go back to its normal pace.

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Do read Raabta, my short story! :)

<3 Ruchika

Asad turned red and replied, "Ms. Farooqui apki tameez kaha gayi?"

"Ghaas khane gayi hain Mr. Khan, apke dimaag ke saat!" Zoya shouted