PART 8 :
NOTE : This part has mature content. Strictly 18+
" Hum poori zindagi mohabbat se door bhagte rehte hain, jaane kis cheez ki talaash mein.
Lekin ek pal aata hai, jab hum mohabbat se takraa jaate hain, lekin zindagi kam pad jaati hai"
- Asad Ahmed Khan
Location : Room 1125
St. Martins
Time : 4:00 am
Asad's eyes were fixed at zoya who was lying unconscious on one of the bigger couches in his office. She had fainted after his last sentence to her, " I didn't. I was shot thrice in the heart and I died along with my family." It was a night of revelations, confessions, love and so much more. There was only so much a girl could take in one night. The man of her dreams, the man she loved, the man she trusted said that he died? Then who was the man she kissed?
Hours had passed but he had not tried to wake her up. He knew he needed some time alone before he had to face her again. He was not done yet. There was so much more she had to know about him. Especially now when there was no going back for them.
Sighing heavily, he moved towards her and kneeled on the floor near her couch. He tugged a stray strand of hair behind her ear and touched her lips that were still swollen from his kisses. He was enthralled by the beauty of the woman sleeping in front of him. There was redness around her lips as he had completely smeared her gloss while kissing her, the kohl on her eyes was smudged because of her tears and the marks on her neck and collar bone had turned darker because of his open mouthed kisses. Her naked arms carried his prints from when he had grabbed her in anger and tightened his grip around her. Her tiny hands were clutching her dress and her low neckline was giving him a clear view of the torture signs on her chest. He closed his eyes as he recalled his frantic attack on her breasts and how he feasted on her till his hunger was appeased. Caressing her cheek lovingly, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. His gaze then moved towards her long milky white legs that were stretched on the couch and for the first time he caught a glimpse of some ink on her right ankle. He moved closer to her feet and saw a tattoo lettered around her ankle, " What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." He smiled knowingly but somehow his smile didn't reach his eyes. Bending forward, he placed another kiss on her ankle and then continued placing a trail of kisses up her leg till his mouth reached the hem of her dress. Lost in the moment, he continued kissing her over her dress till his mouth reached her plunging neckline. His tongue tasted and traced the line between her dress and her breasts as he took the dress strap delicately between his teeth and pulled it down freeing her breasts. It was a sight for sore eyes. Hypnotized by her alluring beauty, he leaned into her and kissed the swell of her breasts. His hand moved up her waist and his thumb teased her nipple to elicit a moan from her. But she was still as unconscious as before. He wanted to hear her. Her moaning. The sexiest voice he'd ever heard. His tongue soon replaced his thumb as he circled and sucked her nipples again. Involuntarily, a soft moan escaped from zoya's mouth but she still didn't open her eyes. Instead, she pressed her thighs together as if attempting to suppress a desire flaming deep down in her belly. This one gesture made him go hard with desire and without thinking twice, he stood up from the floor and settled next to zoya on the couch. Placing his leg between hers and snaking his arm around her waist, he turned and pulled her closer to his chest. Asad's warmth was all that was needed for zoya to snuggle into him and breathe into his chest hair.
At 32, Asad was experiencing everything for the first time. A woman's closeness, her warmth, her scent, her touch. His breathing was heavy and his body was betraying him. She was in her slumberland and they still had to talk but her closeness was creating ripples in his heart. Their intimate parts were an inch apart and his body was begging him to close the inch of a distance between them. His growing erection was bothering him and he was dying to ease off the pain he was experiencing in his groin. Looking at zoya's innocent and serene face in his arms, he couldn't hold back anymore. He pressed his lips against her forehead and carried on kissing her all over her face except her lips. Licking the length of her neck, he slowly made his way to the valley between her breasts and planted wet kisses all along her deep cleavage. Shifting zoya in his arms and hovering over her, he moved his hand from her waist to her hips as he pulled her close to his bulge. As soon as the contact was made, he felt a vein exploding in his head. A rush through his blood vessels. And a million sperms racing in anticipation of their destination. The affect she had on him unnerved him. Even drugs were less potent compared to the power of this woman over his senses. Breathing heavily due to the intimate touch, he started rubbing against her slowly to ease off his pain. But he had no idea that his discomfort would only increase with the rubbing and end only when he climaxed. Getting eager to end his misery, he started rubbing aggressively against her, eliciting another seductive moan from her. Instinctively, zoya too rubbed against the hard ridge she felt between her thighs and her hands wrapped around his waist pulling him further into her. She was in her dreamland with her Prof Khan and the feel of him was as real as it could get in her dreams. She continued enjoying her dream as Asad continued to have his way with her. Few more minutes into the act, he realized that he couldn't take it anymore. He had to wake zoya up. Only she could give him what he desired and what he desired was her. Whole of her. He tried waking her up but it seemed like she was lost in her wonderland. With him, as he rightly judged. This was not working for him and his head was going to explode if he didn't do something about his ever-growing erection. He again tried to wake her up but the look of pure pleasure on her face fascinated him. She was clearly imagining more. Much more. The turning and twisting of her neck, her lips parting, her eyes squeezed tightly, her thumping heart. Even a saint who would have given up on worldly pleasures would stop to notice. How can a woman be so inviting? So appealing? So captivating?
Asad was no saint. Not at all. She wouldn't have been sleeping on his couch in the first place if his heart wanted to push her away and his body didn't desire her. For asad, it was a battle between right and wrong, a battle between his heart and his mind, a battle between the good wolf and the bad wolf inside him. His mind told him to stop, to show some restraint, to not be selfish and to end his relation with zoya before it was too late, before she was hurt and broken all over again. But his heart wanted her, all of her - her heart, her body and her soul. The bad wolf in him wanted him to be selfish, to give into his desires, to think about himself for once in his life, to make his love his before everything changed again. The bad wolf in him wanted to mark her, wanted to claim her, wanted to write his name on her so that the world knew that she belonged to him. He had never desired a woman or her love in his life before. But with zoya, he saw a whole new side to himself. The side that was selfish, the side that was greedy, the side that was possessive and the side that was jealous. He wanted zoya to be his even if he didn't exist in their equation. They say it right - The more you suppress a urge, the more intense it gets and finally erupts like a volcano at the slightest charge.
Shoving his rational thoughts away and taking the first step towards the dark side, he slowly moved his hands from her nipples to her waist to the hem of her dress and pulled it up. His eyes darkened as he saw a red lacy thong wrapped around her waist and he felt himself harden even more if that was possible. Tracing the outline of her thong, his fingers moved towards the apex of her thighs. He gently slipped his fingers between her thighs and widened them to have a better view of her inner thighs and her womanhood. Caressing her inner thighs, he placed open mouthed kisses there as zoya squirmed in pleasure beneath him. She was enjoying all the sensations he was producing, still dreaming the whole thing. His hand slowly moved towards the forbidden territory and he gently rubbed her core through the lacy material. The soft moans escaping from zoya's mouth encouraged him to go further and he slowly slid his fingers inside her thong to rub her core more intimately. He again took one of her nipples in his mouth and sucked it hard while stroking her core up and down with his dexterous fingers. Blinded by the passionate exchange, he slid his index finger in her as zoya groaned and bucked her hips forward.
Zoya was lost in her wonderland and her dream was as real as it could get. Dressed in a red hot bikini, she was sunbathing on the beach with the devil lying right next to her. A white vest and a pair of cargo shorts had replaced his formal wear and his dark ray ban's completed the look. Not a professor, not a RAW agent, he looked like a male specimen shooting for GQ's swimwear collection. She couldn't have asked for more. She was enjoying the murmur of the ocean, the rustle of palm fronds, the scent of orange blossoms born on the soft breeze and her Mr. Enigmatic's company. Another martini glass appeared and she realized she'd finished her first drink. Sex on the beach sure went down easily. She slid down in her chair, lifted her bare feet to the opposite one, and let the sweet, juicy blend of flavors ease down her throat.
Mr. Enigmatic : " Sex on the beach?", he asked in his soft, husky voice.
Zoya : " That would be nice", she said dreamily. " Ummm... What did you say?", she asked in disbelief as she realized what he'd asked.
Mr. Enigmatic : " Asked how you felt about sex on the beach?", he gave a lazy, infinitely sexy grin.
Zoya : " Umm... you mean the drink?", she stuttered.
Mr. Enigmatic : " Not really, but I'll do for a start", he hustled her.
Zoya : " I think sex on the beach is...", slowly she took another deliberate sip, savored it, let it slide down her throat, then ran the tip of her tongue around her lips, " Mmm.. sweet and slow and addictive", she drawled, " with an underlying edge."
His eyes widened in appreciation and he got up to sit beside her.
Mr. Enigmatic : " May I?", he asked. His lips just a few inches away from her lips.
She nodded and he captured her lips in his, sex on the beach flowing from her mouth to his in the process. He kissed her passionately and carried her to the ocean. Laying her on the wet sands, he captured her lips again as cold waves from the ocean drenched them completely. His fingers teased her nipples through her wet bikini top and she unbuttoned his cargos to free his throbbing erection. He untied her bikini top and licked her breast, tonguing and sucking one of her nipples as the waves continued to wash over them. She gripped his shaft in her hand and massaged it up and down with her thumb rubbing the newly formed bead on the tip. Lacing his fingers in her hair, he pulled the strings of her thong with his other hand and entered her in one swift move. Zoya cried out in pain as he thrusted into her mercilessly, pushing himself deeper and deeper into her. Her wet hair fanned her face and her toes curled in the water as the pleasure went on and on.
As zoya's moans became louder and louder in her dream, his strokes became faster and fiercer. Pulling her thong further down with his other hand, he used his fingers to gently part her moist and heated skin and rubbed his thumb over her c***oris. Zoya shuddered in her sleep and opened her legs wider as the thin line between her dream and reality started to diminish. He once again added three fingers inside her and continued rubbing her c***oris with his other thumb. She groaned and writhed around in her sleep as his fingers felt like his shaft, thrusting in and out of her ruthlessly. He curved his fingers inside her and rubbed her soft spot earning another loud moan from her. Still in her sleep, she clutched his biceps, arching towards the pleasure she knew was inevitable, beginning to shake under his touch. He was relentless in his torture. The sweat beading her forehead and the valley of her cleavage and her dripping wet core radiating heat into his hand was maddening him to no extent. Few seconds later, she came hard, arching against his hand, her hands clawing his back as she let out a long exaggerated moan that reached every corner of his office.
He moved up her body and crushed his lips against hers with his fingers still rubbing the velvety layers of her core. Zoya's dream finally collided with the reality and she kissed him back with equal passion. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. Soon, his exploding bulge replaced his hand and he rubbed and pushed against her wetness, his pants being the only barrier between their intimate parts. He grabbed a handful of her ass-cheek and squeezed it hard as he pushed her higher and higher. Amidst all the ferocious grinding, he turned abruptly to get more of her but instead ended up falling from the couch with zoya in his arms. The fall didn't stop him from fulfilling his desires. He continued with the grinding and zoya wrapped her legs around his waist to increase the friction between her core and his hardness. Her mind was reeling with intense sensations and her heart was fluttering erratically but just then his words from before made a re-entry, " I was shot thrice in the heart". She instantly stopped grinding against him and opened her eyes. " I died along with my family", she shivered remembering the other half of his sentence and shifted her gaze to find him fondling, groping, squeezing and finally sucking her nipples.
She felt frozen. Blank for a couple of minutes. Was this her dream? Was it an illusion? Was she sick?
She willed him to look at her but he continued to lick and suck her senseless. She closed her eyes again to clear her head but nothing made sense. She started recollecting everything that happened the night before. Their first kiss, her love confession, her past, his past, and his last words to her before it went completely dark. She tried hard to remember what happened afterwards but was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a sharp scrape around her nipple. She groaned loudly and grabbed his hair, " AAAH"
He placed a wet kiss on her nipple to soothe it and moved upwards bringing zoya close to his chest with his manhood still pressed against her core. He placed another kiss on her forehead and hugged her tight. He continued feeling her up, his toe tracing the length of her leg and his hand moving over her back and occasionally over her hip. Smiling into her neck, he moved his hand to finally unzip his fly. But due to their closeness, he brushed his fingers against her sore core in the process making her jolt in his arms. He felt her chest heaving rapidly and pulled back to see if she was alright. But what he saw made him want to punch the living daylights out of him. Her eyes were brimming with tears and she looked scared. Very similar to the girl who hid behind her eyes. The girl who was scared, helpless, lonely and scarred. He instantly took her in another hug and stroked her hair to calm her down. He very well knew the reason behind her tears and wanted to comfort her before revealing more about himself.
Gently he pulled away from her heat and untangled himself from her. He stood up carrying zoya in his arms and took a seat on the couch with zoya curled like a ball in his lap. Her head was pressed between her knees and she was rocking herself out of fear. Understanding the turmoil within her, he pulled her into an embrace and mumbled sweet nothings into her hair. He kissed her temple again and again in the hope that she'll open her eyes and look at him.
Prof Khan : " Please zoya", he finally whispered, still kissing her temple and caressing her back.
Very slowly, she opened her eyes and lifted her gaze to meet his pleading eyes. In order to assure her, he bent forward and kissed her deeply. Pouring all his love in that one kiss. Overwhelmed by his honest kiss, she cupped his face and kissed him back, tears rolling down her face again.
Zoya : " You... you... said...", she stuttered as sobs wrecked her entire body.
Prof Khan : He enveloped her in his arms and answered her unspoken question, " Sshhh... I'm here. I'm here."
It took zoya forever to calm down and he was glad when she finally wiped her tears and buried her face in the crook of his neck. He pulled her thong up and straightened her dress as she snuggled into his warmth. They both were silent for what felt like an eternity. Both dreading the upcoming conversation, the upcoming storm. He was the first to break the silence.
Prof Khan : " Zoya", he caressed her arm urging her to look at him.
She shook her head in a No and hugged him closer. She wasn't ready to hear more. Her heart was racing fast and her breathing was uneven.
Prof Khan : " Zoya, please... look at me." He pulled her face from the crook of his neck and started to speak.
She placed her fingers on his lips in an attempt to stop him again. " Please", she almost whispered as fresh tears pooled into her eyes. He kissed the tears off her face and cupped her face, " Please... just listen to me."
Zoya : " I can't. I... I... don't want to lose you. I... ammi... abbu... I can't...", she was crying inconsolably.
He felt a pang in his heart as he realized how difficult it was going to get for her. He made her lie on the couch again and kissed each and every inch of her face.
Prof Khan : " Sleep", he said in a weak, defeated voice.
She shook her head in a No again and pulled him to lie next to her. She crawled up on his chest and held him close, fearing that he might leave if she closes her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. As soon as her tears subsided, she placed her palm on his heart recalling his words from few hours ago.
Zoya : " It's beating", she said with an innocence of a five year old.
He smiled but there was a hidden sadness in his smile. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand.
Prof Khan : " It's beating, isn't it? So if I tell you the rest of the story while you place your hand on my heart, will you listen?", he asked softly as if talking to a five year old himself.
She gave it a thought and brought her hand back to place it on his heart. It was beating. She sighed and nodded into his chest. He knew there wasn't an easy way to have this conversation with her but she deserved to know everything about him. Giving his decision one last thought, he finally decided to continue.
Prof Khan : " After the attack, I was rushed to the nearest hospital. Two of my informants were following my car before the attack but I had to dodge them for security reasons. My informants knew who to contact when my car went missing. Captain Randhawa had helped me in the toughest of times and I trusted him with my life. As soon as he got to know about everything, he too was on his way to my last traced location. My informants heard the explosion later and found me before I took my last breath.
Captain Randhawa performed CPR on me in the ambulance to preserve intact brain function until further measures were taken in the hospital. But I was not responding. I had lost a lot of blood and the gunpowder from the bullets was spreading in my body. As soon as we reached the hospital, I was immediately taken to the operation theater while Capt. Randhawa stayed outside contacting his seniors for further instruction and additional help. Inside the OT, the doctors worked frantically to remove the three bullets from my heart and gave me continuous CPR to revive my heart. But there was no sign of improvement in my condition. CPR alone was unlikely to restart the heart. Seconds later, I went into cardiac arrest and a drone of flat-lining EKG was heard. Panic ensued and the doctors tried immediate defibrillation since a shockable rhythm was present. They were losing me but they still continued subjecting the electric shock to my heart.
Meanwhile, I found myself moving towards the light, literally. I woke up on the other side and found myself on the same spot I was shot. I saw everything happening in slow motion again - I was trying to shield my family from the attackers, there was non-stop firing from their side and I was panicking holding a gun that just had six bullets. Hiding behind a wrecked car, I was desperately looking for an escape route for my family. That's when I heard the shattering of the car's window followed by ammi's scream. She was shot and was hanging on to Abbu for support. Abbu enclosed her in his arms and tried to shield her but due to the haphazard firing, they both got shot and fell unconscious on the ground. I froze on the spot still holding the gun in my hand. More masked men jumped out of their SUV's and the firing continued. I was brought out of my trance when Afreen screamed for help. She was crying inconsolably and was holding on to ammi's kurta. Without thinking twice, I ran towards her and lifted her in my arms while the firing continued. I tried to hide afreen in the depths of the wrecked car while Junaid shielded ammi and abbu behind the car. Suddenly, a smoke bomb was thrown our way and I pulled afreen out of the car and fell backwards. There was an explosion that killed ammi, abbu and Junaid. I was on the ground with Afreen wrapped around me few yards away from the burning car. With great difficulty, I stood up and hid afreen behind me but it was too late to escape. My gun had just 2 bullets left and I shot the first 2 men who approached us. The next shot I heard was from the bullet that pierced through my heart. I fell on my knees as life started to flow out of me. Afreen hugged me from behind, still crying and scared out of her wits. But before I could turn and comfort her, I was shot again and again before I fell unconscious on the ground.
Suddenly everything disappeared and it went completely dark. The next time I woke up, I found myself on the same spot again where I was shot. But this time I didn't see my family or the attackers. There was silence. Nothing moved. I looked around in search of something that'll tell me I wasn't dreaming the whole thing but nothing made sense. I looked down to check my wounds but there was no bleeding, no scars, no signs of attack. I moved forward towards the light again when I heard a familiar voice. It was abbu's voice. I turned to find abbu dressed in a white kurta with a peaceful smile adorning his face. I ran to him and hugged him with all my might. " Abbu... aap theek hai? Aap... Aap... kaise?", I shook him frantically but abbu just smiled at me without uttering a word. Alarmed by his reaction, I shook him harder and hugged him again. But the next second, he fell to the ground and blood started oozing out of him. His white kurta was painted red and he was breathing heavily before he died on me again. I was on my knees with abbu in my arms but before I could get him any help, he disappeared again. I was distraught.
It went dark again and I woke up on the same spot where I was shot. The third time in a row. My head was spinning and I was sure I was losing it. Everything remained the same. The same silence and no movement. This time ammi's voice brought me out of my confusion. She was dressed in white too and her arms were stretched out for me. I rushed in her direction and engulfed her in a protective hug. I felt the sting in my eyes but tears refused to flow. I pulled back and saw her peaceful eyes filled with nothing but love for me. She caressed my face and kissed my forehead but didn't say anything. I shook her softly, willing her to say something but she remained quite. I was panicking, fearing that she might disappear like abbu. But then she fainted in my arms and blood started oozing out of her stomach. I could feel my heart crying but tears refused to leave my eyes. I hugged her lifeless body close to my heart before she disappeared from my lap.
I fell backwards on the ground and the darkness prevailed again. I woke up for the fourth time on the same spot again where I was shot and saw Junaid lying unconscious on the ground. He was wounded badly and was covered in blood from head to toe. I took him in my lap and screamed for help but my screams recoiled back to me. Junaid had lost a lot of blood and his pulse was weakening. I looked around for help once again but when my gaze came back to sit on him, he had already disappeared from my lap. I punched the ground in anger and bawled my eyes out without a single drop of tear escaping my eyes.
The dark clouds hovered again and it all went still for the umpteenth time. I opened my eyes to find myself at the same spot where I was shot. And this time the scene was similar to the first time I opened my eyes after I followed the light. My parents were lying unconscious on the ground, both were painted red with pain written all over their face. At a certain distance, Junaid was lying unconscious in his own blood with a masked man standing over him. I heard an engine start and saw Afreen crying and banging the window of the car for help. I ran as fast as I could but missed the car by a few meters. Completely broken, I fell on my knees cursing my fate but what I saw next left me dumbstruck. I saw my informants and Capt. Randhawa hurriedly carrying me to an ambulance. And that's when it hit me. I was dead. Why else was I seeing everything happen again. Why else did I see abbu and ammi dying on me? Why else did I see Junaid dying on me? And my last memory before I was shot the third time had afreen clinging to me. How was it possible for me to know that they didn't kill her but took her with them? I was dead. Nothing else justified me seeing everything.
The darkness prevailed again and for the first time I prayed to God to end my misery. I couldn't take it anymore. The sight of my parents dying, the sight of Junaid dying, the sight of Afreen slipping away from my fingers. It was torturous. But once again, I woke up on the same spot where I was first shot. I walked some distance to be stopped by a familiar voice again. I turned and saw Ammi, Abbu and Junaid standing behind me, all dressed in white. This time I knew why they were at peace with everything. They were dead. We were dead. I took small steps till I reached them. I knew they won't say anything like before. But I was surprised when Abbu addressed me by my name, " Asad." Unable to control my happiness, I closed the distance between us and hugged him.
Abbu : " There isn't enough time, asad. You need to go back. For us, for yourself, for Afreen."
Asad : " Abbu... what do you mean? It's over, abbu. Everything is over."
Abbu : " Everything is over for us, Asad. But you still have a chance. Go back son! Go! Before it's too late."
Asad : " I don't understand. I'm dead, abbu. We all are. And afreen?", I looked around but she was not there.
Abbu : " She needs you, Asad. Please go back. Try to breathe, Asad. Try to breathe."
I stood there. Speechless. Was it possible? I was shot thrice in the heart and there was no way I had a way back.
Ammi : " The doctors are trying asad. They are trying to pull you back. You just have to push from your side. Go beta! None of us will rest in peace if Afreen lives a life that is worse than death."
Back in the real world, a faint pulse had showed up on the monitor. The surgeons shocked me but I flatlined again. They had arranged for a working heart from a recently diseased organ donor and implanted it in my body. But due to the damage suffered by certain arteries, they were not in a position to remove my heart. After removing the bullets, my heart was left inside me to support the donor heart. It was a rare procedure and the post-operation survival period was very less in my case. It was a controversial solution but they did it anyway to save my life. They continued working on me in the hope that my body will accept the new organ and they'll be able to save my life.
I was still standing in front of Ammi and Abbu when I heard Afreen's voice, " Bhaijaan." I turned to see her standing in a dark alley, far away from us. The only darkness amidst the vast brightness. The significance of the strip of darkness amidst the brightness suddenly dawned on me. It was her life with dark clouds hovering over her. It signified her dark future without us. She was wearing her pink dress and was continuously wiping her tears with her knuckles. I remembered how she was banging the window of the car for help. I wasn't sure if I was happy about the fact that she was alive or pained because she may have to live a life worse than death. Having been a part of the Indian Intelligence, I knew the kind of torture, violence and harassment she'd have to suffer if she was not rescued in time. She was still a little girl who didn't understand what was happening to her. Pampered all her life, she was going through the worst phase of her life. She had always been scared of darkness. She never used to sleep with the lights off, scared that the ghosts from her storybooks will find her in the dark room. Her plight made me shiver to my bones. She was sobbing and she had her little arms wrapped around her. She was scared once again. She needed me more than anything. Abbu and Ammi were right. None of us can ever accept brightness if Afreen was pushed into the darkness for the rest of her life. Without uttering another word to abbu and ammi, I started walking towards the dark alley. I had to save her. Even if it meant fighting for my life. Fighting with the darkness. Fighting with him.
Literally stuck halfway between life and death, and with increasing clarity as to where I belonged, I made a mad dash towards the alley, towards Afreen, towards life.
The next time I opened my eyes, I didn't find myself on the spot I was shot the first time. Instead I was in a hospital room, with multiple IV lines connected to my chest, dressings and a oxygen mask covering my face. It was all foggy initially but as the scene in front of me became clear, I saw Capt Randhawa standing near the edge of the bed. I was glad to find someone I could trust after everything I went through. He filled me in with everything that happened post the attack and how my parents and brother didn't survive the attack. I knew it before he told me so it didn't come as a shock. One of my informants told me that Afreen was still missing and those people had set my house on fire to destroy any evidence that could get them in trouble. I was devastated. The next news they gave me was not comforting either. Even though the heart transplant was successful, my body was not accepting the donor heart completely and the traces of gunpowder in my heart and arteries was creating further complications. They were happy to see me alive but were worried that it might not be for long. The gunpowder in my body was like slow poison that would have killed me slowly.
After a few consultations with the surgeons, another surgery was performed on me and a distilling strip was planted to reduce the affects of the poisonous gunpowder. This was enough to buy me some time, some more months. Enough for me to save Afreen and to make sure that those bas***ds rot in hell for the rest of their lives. It took me 2 weeks to get back to normal but in those 2 weeks my informants had gathered enough details about the traitors working for the Indian Intelligence, that patriotic politician, those militants and YOU.
Capt. Randhawa insisted that I stay dead on papers for possibly the last mission of my life. I couldn't afford to lose! It was the only reason I fought with death and struggled to live. The loopholes in Indian Intelligence would have created hurdles in my mission again and this time I couldn't let that happen. I knew some names but I was sure that more names were involved. I had to find Afreen at any cost but I had no idea where she was and who could lead me to her. So the first step was to unmask the people involved with the help of strong evidence and then get them to lead me to those militants and Afreen. I stayed with Capt. Randhawa for a few days and thought about the right way to contact you. According to the information I had received, you weren't the easiest person to deal with and I wanted you to help me in a mission that would put your life in danger too. The easiest way was to join your college and have you in front of my eyes for 16*7 if not 24*7.
But who knew...", he paused recollecting everything that happened between him and zoya. How he fell in love with her. How she loved him back. How he wanted the time to stop. How he wanted to live a life with her. How he wanted it to work. How he would not only travel miles, cross oceans, climb mountains but fight death again to be in her arms. If only he had a chance.
He looked at zoya who was still crawled up on his chest with her palm still pressed against his heart. He lifted his head to have a better look at her face but what he saw broke his heart into a million pieces all over again. Her eyes were swollen and her lashes were laced with tears. The kohl from her eyes had flowed to her cheeks with her tears. She was stunned into silence. He knew it wasn't going to be easy for her but he owed her the truth about his life and the number of breaths left in his life. He owed it to the girl he was in love with. He sat up with zoya in his lap and hugged her close to his chest. He finally lifted her chin to see a reaction but her face was as expressionless as before. Her fears had come true. He was going to leave her too. She was destined to be alone. Destined to be unloved. Destined to be miserable. If just the thought of losing him was so painful, what would happen when he finally leaves? When he... Will she be able to take it again? Will she be able to live with a dead heart again? She was brought out of her thoughts when he shook her for a reaction.
Prof Khan : " Zoya... please say something. Please zoya."
She looked into his pleading eyes and for the first time saw unconditional love in them. The love she had always craved for. The love only a few fortunate ones got in their lifetime. But she didn't know what to say. If she let him get any closer, she won't be able to bear the separation when he leaves. If it was hurting so much after just a few hours with him, she'd be completely destroyed when he walks away to never come back again. She remembered her state after her mother's death and a shiver ran down her spine. Will she be able to deal with the darkness again? Will she want to die? Again? She continued to stare at him without saying anything. He wiped her tears and again coaxed her to say something but she was as lost as before. He was getting angrier with each passing minute. Her silence was killing him. He grabbed her arms in anger, his nails digging into her skin and smacked his lips on hers. He kissed her like nobody would have ever kissed anybody. A kiss that would awake the dead, a kiss that would cause the flowers to bloom in the fall, a kiss that would melt the ice in the oceans, a kiss that would make it rain in the desert, a kiss that would make zoya his. For Forever.
He pulled back to finally say the three words he never thought he'd say to anyone.
ASAD AHMED KHAN : " I love you", he confessed as a tear escaped his eye.
PS : Humans! Lovers! They often forget that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. That in love, the number of days you spend with your partner doesn't matter. What matters is how much life you live in those number of days 😃
PPS : KEEP CALM AND READ THIS SS 😆
Coming up! Asad will continue to be a Professor! Zoya will try to distance herself from him! But will the tension between the two let them stay away from each other for long? Cracking of the code for the pen drive and other related things coming up! Keep reading! 😆
Question time! Why is there an age gap of almost 20 years between asad and afreen? Re-read if you have doubts on asad's character 😆
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