|AsYa & ArShi FF:Classified Love Thread I| (Complete) - Page 48

Hello Beautiful People! I was in a writing kind of a mood, so two updates in a row! WOOT WOOT! It is kind of a parting gift, I AM GOING TO ITALY FOR A WEEKKK! I am so excited, you can't even imagine. I've always wanted a villa on the seaside in Italy where I can eat Italian food, drink white wine and admire the beauty. I am taking my trusted Macbook with me, so I might update, but they'll be few and far in between. SOWWWIE. But I got stores to waste my money on, and beaches calling my nameee.

Prepare yourself for an emotional update. If this was twitter you'd get the #sorrynotsorry tag LOL. I know some people have been wondering why there is a lack of villians and stuff in the story. As interesting as I find stories with villians (i.e QH and IPKKND) I think most of us don't have them in our lives. In my opinion, the biggest villain in our lives is usually ourselves. We fall prey to our own past and insecurities. They hold us back not people out to destroy us. So that is what I am trying to show through the story, the characters fall prey to their own insecurities and past. So here it is. Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 15

Zoya's POV

I sat down on the bench under the eave watching the rain softly hit the terrace floor. Rain, sometimes it makes you happy and you want to dance the night away splashing around in puddles. And then sometimes it depresses you, especially when you are worried and confused.

I had no clue what was going on with my life right now. And it scared me. I always had my life planes out to the T. High school to university to the cover of Forbes magazine. Perfect, simple and thought out. Somewhere along the line I had hoped that the person I would fall in love with would like me enough and I'd marry them. I didn't have high expectations. I have had enough unrequited crushes during my teenage years to realize that they aren't usually two sided. Then when I saw him at the ball he was added to the list, as the sexy mysterious stranger who I'd never meet again. He was gorgeous, he looked like he belonged on the cover of GQ Magazine and probably had a equally stunning girlfriend. Never in a million years did I imagine running into him again, and never did I expect that he'd say he liked me.

For a girl who has always been "one of the boys" it's hard to even decipher how he could like me. But he did for some reason, but would he fall in love with me? Was I enough for that?

I never knew a simple decision to come to India for a project would cause this much turmoil in my life. Never in a million years would I have thought that I'd be hiding from someone to save my life. Never would I have imagined that I would come to India and fall in love. Love. I never thought the feeling would come with so much doubt and despair.

In a perfect world two people fell in love at the same time, came to the realization and admitted it at the same time. But that is not the case. Is it?

I don't even know what I am doing anymore. What is going to happen when I have to leave? Will I be able to leave Asad behind? To leave this people behind, who have become a new family to me in less than a week?

And Asad- I am in love with him...what do I do about that? Do I tell him? Do I not say anything? Will it even amount to anything...it's not like I am going to be here indefinitely...am I? Would I be able to function if he rejected me? If he left me like everyone else left? Does he even feel what I feel? What if this is just a fling to him? What if I tell him that I love him and he pushes me away?

I looked up as I heard a knock on the door to see Ammi standing there with two cups. "Coffee?" She smiled handing me the cup.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"I hope you don't mind me saying this, and don't feel that I am saying this because I feel a sense of charity or pity toward you. But I can't imagine how hard life has been for you, not having a mother to talk to, I know you have your Aapi...but...what I am saying is if you need someone to talk to I am here. I don't know why but you seem troubled beta." she said as she reached up to smooth a bit of hair from my forehead.

My heart filled with immense love for her, she had made me her daughter the first day I met her, and she was always there for me. In one week she'd become more close to me than anyone. I smiled a little as I finally managed to say "I'd like that Ammi ."

"Good. Now you want to tell me why those pretty eyes of yours seem so conflicted?"

"Uhm..."

"I want you to know, I would never betray your confidence. Anything you say to me stays between us. It won't ever make its way to Asad or anyone's ears."

"Uhm..." I hesitated a moment before taking a huge breath and letting it all out, if there was one person I felt comfortable talking to here it was Ammi. "I am in love with Asad, and it scares me. It is so weird how someone can take over your heart, mind and soul in such a short time. I...I don't think I'm good enough for him. He is...well, he is gorgeous and perfect. And I am just me, he could do so much better but for some reason he thinks I am good for him, and I don't see why. And he's going to see that one day and he'll...he will leave me. Just like, Allah Miyah, I can't believe I am about to tell you this. But he's going to leave me one day just like my abbu left my mom and me. It is always bothered me, and I know I am being irrational and stupid by placing my fears onto Asad. And I feel stupid for even thinking that far, I don't even know if we'll ever get to that point. A part of me knows he wouldn't do anything like that- but...I don't understand what he sees on me. See how stupid all that sounds? I am just an insecure girl who...I just want to be normal you know, and be that girl that Asad deserves, the girl he can fall in love with and spend his whole life with, but I am not. And he may find that someone, someone who is normal to spend his life with because-"

"ZOYA. STOP." Dilshad finally cut me off. I looked at her to see her eyes tearing up. "Listen to me for a minute okay? You are normal. And I know my son, and I don't know if you notice but he looks at you like you are the only thing in his world. Beta, you can't let your insecurities get in the way of your life. And I don't know why you think you are not good enough for him. You are absolutely beautiful, and intelligent and successful. You are good enough. More than good enough. How many girls your age are this loving? This successful? Just look at the way you've made a home for yourself in everyone's heart here. We all love you because of who you are. I understand that you would feel that way with things that have happened in your life, but you need to let it go. Just because that one relationship didn't work out doesn't mean all of them don't. Just look around you Zoya, some people find true love and stick with it while others don't. But you can't let that stop you from trying beta. And you can't live life in the fear of tomorrow, because you never know if it'll even happen. So stop worrying about it and enjoy the present. And stop putting yourself down, you are amazing and don't let anyone, especially yourself, tell you otherwise, okay? And as for Asad, he cares for you because of the person you already are, he doesn't want anything else. He doesn't need you to be perfect, he likes you for you, the beautiful, amazing person that you are."

"You think so?" I asked looking at her as she shook her head.

"I know so." She smiled pecking my forehead. And some of my doubts vanished, I'd carry on whatever I was doing now and go with the flow. I'll wait to see what happens, I'll give him a chance to do what he wants without telling him about my feelings. I'll see what he says.

"Now how about we go downstairs and see how we can stop Khushi from creating a mountain of jalebis."

"She is making jalebis?" I asked shooting up out of mu seat.

"Something is bothering her too. She came down while I was making coffee."

xxx

Khushi's POV

What do you do when you find a picture of the man that supposedly claims to love you in the arms of another woman? Do you scream, feel jealous or freak out? Or do you accept the fact that love doesn't exist, and feel stupid for believing in it for that little while? Or do you listen to that little part of your heart and your mind that claims that there must be a logical explanation for this, and that he would never do that to you?

Because right now, I am conflicted between the two. A part of me has always known that love doesn't exist, at least not for most people. It is hard to believe in it when you've never had a good example of it. Little girls learn about some knight in shining armor that'll come into their lives and sweep them off their feet. But what if no one teaches you that? You still come to believe it, don't you? And then as you grow up you realize how false that really is. And what if that realization comes to you at the age of four when you watch your own father beat your mother after he gets drunk.

And then you watch the pattern continue for years, and one day you turn six and you think you are old enough to understand and change it. So you take your piggy bank, your favourite teddy bear and your backpack to your mother and tell her that she should leave him, that the both of you can go buy your own house away from him. You do this thinking that your mother will smile but she breaks down crying and hugs you. She says she can't leave him. Then you ask her why and tell her that he is bad man. And then she tells you that he isn't a bad man, that he loves them, he just loses his temper sometimes. And then she says that she loves him too much, that she can't leave him.

A six year old girl pouts and goes back to her room confused. But as that girl watches her mother die a year later she realizes how ugly this 'love' is. If her mother had been strong enough she'd be alive. And now this seven year old, wise beyond her years due to the pain she's been through, goes to a new country where she meets a girl just like her. A girl that's been through a lot but she is bright like the sun, she teaches you how to laugh, how to be happy and lets you play with her dollhouse. And for a while you start believing in that happy world where everyone is a princess and finds her Prince Charming.

That seven year old girl grows into a twelve year old when her bua comes home with a man, a man she claims to love. She goes to their wedding and watches the happy smiles on their faces, she starts believing in love again only to have her hopes crushed when she turns fourteen and the man cheats on her bua and leaves his pregnant wife behind. She watches the only family she has fall into depression, she loses the cousin she's dreamed of meeting and she stops believing in love all together. Then a boy comes along and she likes him, he claims to be in love with her but a month later she finds out that the boys in her school had a bet going, who would be the one to deflower Khushi Gupta? And she cries and tells her best friend who hugs her and tells her everything will be all right.

The next day when she goes to school she sees the guy has a black eye and a broken nose. She realizes how close she had been to making the grave mistake and promises to herself that she'll only give herself to one person, and that'll be the person that makes her believe in love again, if it ever happens. She grows up and kisses a few frogs.

And then she thinks she found Prince Charming, and she is sure that he does love her. The way he looks at her makes her feel cherished, feel loved and noticed. She feels like she could share everything with him, he is the only one apart from her best friend that learns about her tragic childhood. He holds her as she cries, promises her that everything will be all right and takes her up to the terrace to introduce himself to his mother.

He introduces her to his family, tells them he is going to marry her one day and she starts believing it. She thinks she could fall in love with him, that he's the man for her. She starts imagining her life with him, with his family and it all seems so perfect. And then you learn that it all may be a lie, but a part of you doesn't believe it, because you trust him. But that rational part of you wants to believe what you saw and read so bad. It makes you wonder if you are more than one of those girls in the pictures or somewhere down the road another girl will be looking of a picture of you with him.

"Khushi...stop." Zoya whispered from somewhere behind me as she turned off the stove. She turned me around to face her and shook her head. "Stop thinking. We'll talk to Arnav when he gets home. Stop jumping to conclusions. Go work on your designs and clear you head."

I smiled at her, she always knew what was wrong and what I needed. I needed to work, to distract myself from my thoughts, to immerse myself in something.

"Zoya. Thank you." I said hugging her tightly. I pulled away and noticed her slightly puffy eyes. "You want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later." She smiled pushing me into the room. "I am going to go downstairs."

xxx

Zoya's POV

It was 10:00 pm when Asad and Arnav got home. Arnav went straight to Khushi when he saw that huge heap of jalebis knowing that something was wrong with her. And all my worries about what I saw earlier disappeared the moment worry crossed his face. It was so clear to me that he loved her, and that he wouldn't cheat on her or lead her on if he already had a girlfriend. And I knew how tabloids were, they probably took the fact that he was in Delhi and added a spin on it. However the picture didn't make any sense, but I knew Arnav well enough to that there was a logical explanation for it. He loved Khushi, if only I could read Asad as easily.

I didn't even notice when he came to sit down beside me. But suddenly his arms were around my shoulder and my head was resting against it as I inhaled his scent.

"I missed you." I whispered not knowing what else to say even as my heart screamed out 'I love you.'

"I missed you too." He said pulling me even closer.

"So..." I asked referring to what had happened with the case.

"You and Khushi can give your statements privately to the judge, they'll record it to play in the court and blur out your faces. Your identities will be kept confidential." Asad said.

"That is good right?" I asked noticing the tension in his voice.

"Yeah, we go to Delhi the day after Holi, and then you can leave for New York over the weekend." He whispered as my heart clenched.

"Oh..." I whispered. We were going back in two weeks. That was all the time I had left with Asad, two weeks to create memories that'll last me a lifetime. Two weeks for him to make or break me, he'd either ask me to stay or I'll leave, forever. I buried my head into his chest as the thought as we sat there, lost in our own worlds. I would have given anything to know what was going on in his brain at the moment.

"What's wrong? Aren't you glad to be going home? Away from all this craziness?" Asad asked.

But all those things amounted to going away from him. And my heart wanted to scream no. But I said what a logical person in my situation would. "Of course."

"Why do you sound so sad?" He whispered.

Because you don't sound sad about me leaving.

"Nothing really. I am just going to miss this." I said my voice strained. I am going to miss you.

"It'll be okay." He said kissing the top of my head.

Those weren't the words I needed to hear right then. I needed to know if he was as affected as I was for the thought of me leaving. If he wanted me to stay, if this meant as much to him as it did to me. If he'd even think about leaving his job...

But I chose not to say anything. I would make the most of these two weeks with him and get to it when we got there. Two weeks was a long time right? 14 days, 336 hours, 20 160 minutes. But why did it seem so short?

"I-I should go check on Khushi." I said getting up and avoiding eye contact with him, I couldn't let him see my tears, he'd know something was wrong.

xxx

Meanwhile...

"Hey." Arnav said leaning on Khushi's door as he watched her frantically sketch something. Khushi looked up at him and then back to her work, not saying a word.

Arnav was a bit surprised but decided to try again. "I came to see if you are all right, I saw the heap of jalebis. You okay?"

"Yes." Khushi said curtly wishing he'd leave.

"Khushi? Talk to me, what's wrong?" He asked walking into the room.

"Why do you care?" She snapped back.

"What the hell Khushi? If you have to ask me why I care I don't even know what to do anymore. I have lost count of how many times I've begged you to let me in. Talk to me damn it." Arnav said angrily.

"How dare you waltz in here and have the nerve to ask me anything after what you did?" Khushi yelled back.

"And what exactly have I done? I wasn't even here Khushi." Arnav said exasperated.

"You should know."

"What the- I am not a frikin mind reader here, talk to me. Tell me what I did so we can fix it."

"Why don't you go back to your girlfriend and she can tell you how to fix it?"

"What the f- is that supposed to mean?" Arnav asked.

Khushi got up from the bed and grabbed Zoya's iPad opening it to the article and handed it to him. "That's what it f***ing means."

Arnav's eyes grew wide as he read the article. He looked at Khushi who was staring at him.

"And you believed it?" Arnav whispered his eyes full of pain. "You actually think I would do that to you...after."

Khushi's resolve weakened as she looked at him, his eyes full of pain.

"I- I..." Khushi tried.

"Look at the picture Khushi. Is that what my hair looks like right now? Did I grow this much stubble in the span of hours?" He asked pointing to his face. "It is an old picture. Lavanya doesn't even live in India anymore." He explained.

Khushi's eyes grew wide as his words sunk in. His hair was longer than it was in the picture and he did have more stubble, whereas in the picture he was clean shaven. She hadn't even taken the time to think these details through...

"I- I am sorry." Khushi whispered. "It's just that I saw all these pictures of you...with all these girls and then the article...I-"

Arnav looked down to the iPad and switched to the other open tab. "The first five pictures are of me and my cousin Sonia. The girl in the red is a business associate. The one in white is Di's friend that I dropped off. This girl works in my office." He said looking through the pictures. "I may have went on a date with a few of them but most of them are just acquaintances." He sounded so dejected that Khushi's heart clenched painfully.

"I am so sorry...I just..." Khushi said tears streaming down her face.

"How is this supposed to go anywhere if you can't even trust me? You, you thought I would do that to you...after everything I've - I told you that I f**king love you, that I plan on marrying you one day and you think I would..." He whispered walking towards her until he was standing right in front of her.

"It's not that I don't trust you...it's just who I am-"

"That's f**king bullshit and you know it." He exclaimed, his hands clenched around Khushi's arms.

Arnav Singh Raizada felt completely vulnerable at that moment. He didn't know what to do. He wanted her to trust him, to believe him and he wanted to hold on to the idea that she may fall in love with him one day.

But she said nothing. Arnav backed away dropping his hands from her arms. "I can't do this. I can't keep putting myself out there if you won't believe in me or us." He whispered walking away closing the door behind him as Khushi fell to floor and let out a sob.

And that's how Zoya found her a few minutes later. "Khushi! What happened?" She asked sitting on the floor and pulling her into a hug.

"I- I messed up...it was -it was an old picture..." Khushi got out between her sobs.

"Shhh." Zoya said rubbing her back. "Tell me what's wrong."

"He says he's tired of putting himself out there for me when I don't even trust him...he's right. I am so-"

"Khushi." Zoya said holding Khushi's face between her hands. "Then put yourself out there for him, he loves you. A lot. All he wants is for you to meet him halfway. And you won't admit it but you love him too Khushi. Don't let him go." She whispered. "Go talk to him."

Khushi wiped away her tears and nodded as Zoya helped her up and pushed her towards the door. Khushi took a deep breath and knocked on the door. To her surprise Asad opened the door.

"Arnav?" Khushi asked.

"Uh...I think he is on the terrace." Asad replied. "Are you okay Khushi?" He asked noticing her puffy eyes as she nodded.

"Thanks." She said walking down the hall towards the door that led to the terrace. It was dark and raining heavily as she stepped out the door. Khushi noticed that Arnav was standing in front of the railing, his back to her, his black shirt completely wet and clinging to him. Khushi took a deep breath stepping out into the rain and getting soaked within seconds. She slowly walked up to him but he didn't notice her presence.

Khushi sobbed as she threw her arms around him, her hand digging into his shirt around his chest and her front pressed to his back as he froze then relaxed.

"I am so sorry." She cried. "Please don't leave me. I- you know everything about my life...and how I feel about love. It's just that everything is so...perfect. I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop and for this world to come crumbling down because that's all I've ever known. A part of me knew you couldn't do that to me, but the irrational voices won out. I do trust you, more than I've ever trusted anyone. I just- I need time to sort myself out. But don't- just stay with me okay?"

Arnav unhooked her hands from his shirt and turned around pulling her close. "That's all I want, for you to trust me, to believe in us. To ask me to stay."

"Arnav." Khushi whispered. "I think I am falling in love with you." She said causing Arnav to smile.

"I love you Khushi. And I am glad you are falling with me you slow poke. I promise you will never fall as long as you trust me to catch you." He vowed looking deeply into her eyes.

"I do." she smiled wrapping her arms around him tightly as they swayed together underneath the pouring rain.

Asad walked into Zoya's room to see her curled up on the bed with her iPad, her eyebrows in a crease. She looked so sad that he couldn't help but go sit down next to her.

"What happened today?" He asked.

"Huh?" Zoya asked confused.

"You and Khushi both seem so sad. Is something wrong? Did someone say something to you?" He asked worried.

"No. It's just that...uh, we miss home. Yeah. We miss home." Zoya lied not wanting him to dig into the subject more. She looked up to him and gave him a little smile as she put her head on his chest and relaxed. She wanted to take full advantage of this comfort, because she knew it may not last.

Within minutes Asad's steady heartbeat put her to sleep. She felt him pull away but refused to let him go. She smiled as she felt him lay down next to her, she unconsciously threw her arm across his torso, with her head still on his chest, he was trapped. But there was nowhere else he wanted to be. He moved her hair away from her face as he watched her sleep with a slight smile on his face.

A moment later Khushi walked into the room, soaking wet and stopped short at the sight that awaited her.

"Is she ok?" Khushi whispered to Asad.

"I think so...she seemed a little sad. Uh- she's not letting me go." He said explaining his predicament as Khushi smiled noticing that her friend had literally trapped Asad.

"No worries, I'll go next door." Khushi smiled as she walked into the bathroom to change. She noticed Asad was humming softly in Zoya's ear when she came out and smiled.

"You take good care of her Asad. I like that." She whispered walking out of the room closing the door behind her.

"I do too." He said softly as he went to sleep.

Chapter 16: Page 86

TADAAA! Let me know what you think my lovelies! And and and TODAY'S EPISODEEE GUYSSS! It was so fantabulous apart from Tanveer's face lol. The QH magic is back againnn. Sorry, I had to fangirl a bit lol😳