Footsteps. Final part page 17 - Page 4

Wowww !!! This is tooo good !! :D

Thanks for liking the first part. Hope part 2 is ok. As always please forgive any typos, inconsistiencies, veering from the original script and all that jazz 😃

Tanveer's mind raced at the question posed by Dishad.

"I am almost eight weeks." She lied and looked pointedly at Asad. Imploring him to step in as he normally did and deflect Dilshad's line of questioning. Asad didn't see her. Once again he turned towards the terrace and shook his head. He seemed to hear footsteps everywhere. He craned his neck looking beyond the terrace into the dark night his eyes searching for the owner of the steps that were beginning to torture him this night. Dilshad gave him the dry clothes, not for one moment taking her eyes off Tanveer.

"There was no way that Tanveer was almost eight weeks gone. That bump indicated something else." With a growing realisation she looked at Asad and her heart wanted to weep for him. She had scolded him so badly, slapped him even and he had stood there and taken all the insults, her accusations without saying a word. Dumbstruck and ashamed he did not, could not say one word in his defence. Tears pricked the back of her eyes and she quickly blinked them away. If her suspicions were correct then that baby growing in Tanveer's belly did not belong to Asad. The little wh**e had cast her net for him and was drawing him in bit by bit and in such a way that he was fast becoming alienated from his family.

Dilshad stopped herself from asking Tanveer any more questions. Things were beginning to fall into place. All Zoya's claims and hysterics, as Asad had described them, pointed to the true face of Tanveer. In fact Asad had sided with Tanveer on all points and reduced Zoya's position in his eyes. This very action by him had emboldened Tanveer. If Dilshad was to unmask this snake then she had to be wary that neither she nor her loved ones would fall prey to her poison. She chose not to confront her for now. As much as her stomach churned to be civil to her she would have to bear it.

"I think you should go and dry off." She told her. Tanveer looked surprised but nonetheless left the room quickly.

Shutting the door behind her Tanveer offered up a prayer of thanks.

"Thank you Allah for protecting me." She said, picking up a towel and drying herself off. As she changed she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. "Tannu." She said to herself. "You need to up the ante." The longer the delay in becoming Mrs Asad Ahmed Khan the worse it will be. After all I don't want to look pregnant when I marry." If she was not careful she would be left with nothing. She removed the lens from her glass eye and stared at her reflection in the mirror. "By hook or by crook my child will have its father's name. I guarantee it."

Zoya danced happily in the rain. Her laughter resonated through the night air, she had no care that she was drenched right through. Asad picked up a towel and went to her arms outstretched, ready to envelope her in the huge towel and in his arms. His arms made contact with nothing. The dancing apparition had gone.

"Mr Khan why are you moping around like it is the end of the world? I expected better of you. After all, it isn't as if you love me or anything like that." Asad smiled bitterly and turned towards the voice.

"Ah but Miss Farooqui can you honestly say that you don't love me?" He was greeted by silence, Asad sighed knowing that his mind continued to play tricks with him. He lay down holding his pillow close to his chest, imagining it to be Zoya and fell into a fitful sleep.

Dawn heralded the promise of a sunny morning and a start to another day. Asad sat at the dining table and turned the fork in his hand. Appetite was a thing of the past. He ate only to function. He looked up as Dilshad appeared and he saw the effect that this was having on her too. Whilst he missed Zoya like mad he was only too aware that he and only he was her sinner but his mother? Did she deserve to go through such pain, too?

"I'm sorry." He whispered. Dilshad's heart melted. She sat next to him. "She shook her head.

"Don't be." She told him. "If anything I am the one who should be apologising. I lashed out at you and did not give you a chance. I accused you of being like your father when in actual fact you are nothing like him."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Call it a mother's intuition. These past few days I can see how much Zoya means to you. You have been such a fool denying the obvious. You were made for each other." She took his hand in hers. "Why don't you find her? She loves you just as much. She is hurting at the moment and it will take time to get back what you had but I am sure that it is possible."

"Do you honestly think ..?" Dilshad laughed.

"Why are you so hesitant? Be strong, be the lion that you are. I want you to pull yourself together. You cannot wallow in self-pity. Go and bring my daughter-in-law back."

He pondered for a moment.

"What about Tannu?" Dilshad looked at him with a no nonsense look.

"Now for that I really should slap you. Don't worry about Tanveer. I will see to her. She will understand."

Asad jumped up from the table, the few encouraging words from his mother gave him the hope and strength to face the task ahead and to accept nothing short of success.

Appearing moments later, washed and shaved he took her blessing and left.

"It won't be easy." Dilshad whispered. "But don't give up."

As the door slammed shut behind him Tanveer appeared.

"Has Jammy gone?" She asked. "Where did he go? I was hoping to go with him." Dilshad smiled.

"Tanveer you are not joined at the hip just yet." She snapped. "Once the nikkah is done then he is all yours." Tanveer allowed herself a sly smile.

"Yes he will be mine." She thought, happy that Dilshad had grudgingly accepted the fact that Tannu would be Asad's wife and not Zoya. She reached for the dry toast, morning sickness was a bind. She thought that she would be over it now that she had passed the first trimester.

Dilshad took a deep breath.

"Tanveer I was thinking. It is not right for a prospective bride to stay in the same house as the bridegroom. If we are going to do this properly then you will need to stay elsewhere, at least until the nikkah. Give my son the chance to woo you with all the customs? The next time you will enter this house, you will enter as his wife." Tanveer stared at Dilshad.

"But Zoya stayed at the house …" She began.

"And look how that turned out." Dilshad dismissed her. "However, don't think that I am doing this for you. I only want what's best for the child that you are carrying."

"What guarantee can you give that Asad will marry me? I am not going to leave. How do I know that if I leave that you will stick to your word?" Dilshad looked pointedly at Tanveer's belly.

"I think that is guarantee enough that the nikkah will go ahead. I don't want any child of Asad's growing up without a father."

Tanveer could not contain the feeling of smugness and victory. Her good eye literally danced with joy and it was all she could do to stop the other one popping out. Satisfied yet at the same time nauseous, she excused herself from the table.

In the confines of her room she caressed her growing baby bump.

"Soon little one, soon. Dilshad has agreed. Pretty soon I shall enter this place as the rightful wife of Asad Ahmed Khan. After that no one can deny your parentage." She laughed

Meanwhile, Dilshad placed the dirty dishes in the sink and smiled to herself.

"Two can play you at that game." She said to no one in particular.

Dee

pari