AsYa SS: T.L.C. Chap 16, pg 100 - Page 60

awesome! cant wait for next part! plz hurry

nice one.
Thanx 4 d pm.
T.c.

awesome story...pliz do continue...waiting patiently for your updates...cheers!

Y dont u continue pls sweetheart cont. It...???

I love this ss!! N the fact that I am awake till 3 in the morning reading this is the testimony to that!!!
Ayaan was a jerk but because of him Asya met n now fell in love...
Pm me if you do that...

I love this story❤️

Originally posted by: adeeti10

Will update soon! 😊

Originally posted by: adeeti10

Will update soon!😊

Yay! Finally 🥳

Chapter 16: A discovery

Asad woke up to a ringing phone... an unknown number. Too tired to answer, he muted the ring and tucked his head under a pillow. The phone buzzed again and this time, he couldn't ignore it.

"Hello, this is Asad," he said, trying to stifle a yawn.

"Asad Bhai... it's me Faizal," said the voice at the other end.

Asad shot up and sat on this bed, fully awake. "Yeah Faizal... do you have an update for me?"

"I do. Those addresses you gave me, I checked them out and during that time, only one of those houses was occupied. Irfan Qureshi owned the house but his younger brother Afzal and family also lived with him," Faizal responded.

"I also went through some Missing Profiles from the dates you'd mentioned at the police station near the Old Market. One seems to have intentionally been suppressed... I mean it wasn't shared with other locations, at least it seems like that," Faizal spoke softly, for fear of being overheard.

Asad's ears pricked up, and he gulped. Who would have wanted the report suppressed? Who would have wanted her to out of the family? "Hmm..." was all he could manage, as he thought about the cruelty of it all. A child abandoned... a parent or guardian desperately looking for her...

"Asad bhai... I think we should meet. I may have found a match for the description and details you shared," Faizal's voice at the other end brought him back to the real world.

"Yes, we should. See you at my office in an hour?" Asad responded, cutting the call after Faizal had confirmed the plan.

***

Zoya was in the kitchen when Asad returned around lunchtime.

"Hey... what a surprise! I was just getting ready to eat alone and so not looking forward to it," she said, smiling at him.

Asad nodded and settled into a chair.

"Why the long face Mister?" Zoya joked when she noticed his somber expression.

Asad looked at her and smiled."I'm hungry...that's all."

Lunch was a quiet affair as Asad sat there preoccupied with his thoughts and Zoya looked at him, confused about his monosyllabic responses to her questions about his day so far.

"You okay, love?" she asked him gently when her question went unanswered.

Asad looked at her, his eyes reflecting the pain he was clearly in.

Zoya rushed to him, and hugged him tight. "What happened? You look like someone just died."

He hugged her back, the comfort of her arms being just the relief his pained heart sought.

"Zoya, I was hoping I would be able to share some news that might make you happy..." he began, his voice hesitant, edgy. "But I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Zoya sighed. "Bring it on Asad. This year has been crazy..."

Asad pulled her closer, into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She was strong, his Zoya was brave... but this was going to be tough.

Zoya relaxed in his embrace, and then looked up at him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Zo... remember we talked about your father sometime back?" he said softly. He felt her tense under his touch.

"I got a private investigator, who was a former cop, on the job. Someone I know and trust. And we located the bungalow and traced its residents during the time you were in Bhopal..." his voice faltered.

"And?" she whispered.

"Irfan Qureshi, your uncle, lived in the bungalow. And your dad was his younger brother Afzal. We believe this because Afzal filed a Missing Persons report for his wife and daughter around the time of the hotel fire," Asad said gently.

"Was? Meaning he is no more?" Zoya broke down. She had come all this way hoping to reconnect, to find her roots.

"Faizal who probed the matter believes Irfan's family moved away from the bungalow in the eighties after the brothers died in a car crash," Asad explained.

He felt the tremors in Zoya's body as she sobbed, and hugged her tight hoping it would make a difference. He knew loss of a parent, but his situation had been different. It had been his choice to sever ties. Poor girl, she didn't even have that.

She cried all afternoon. He lay her down on the bed and snuggled next to her after calling work to cancel his appointments.

Dilshad peeped in at 5 pm and found the two of them fast asleep. Zoya's tear stained cheeks were evidence that something was not right. But she'd have to wait for answers until either of the two woke up.

***

Asad woke up to a knock on the door. It was Najma with a supper tray in hand.

"Bhai jaan... y'all must be hungry?" she spoke softly, careful not to wake Zoya. She hovered but wasn't sure she should stay.

"Thanks Najma. Could you tell Ammi I'll be down in a bit?" Asad whispered.

She nodded and as she began to walk out, Asad called out to her again. "Have you both eaten?"

She nodded in the affirmative. "It's just you two now. I'll go tell Ammi and in case you want to freshen up, I could sit with Zoya?"

"That would be great," he said as he looked at Zoya' sleeping form. Yes, it was just the two of them now. Zoya needed him and this family more than ever. They were her home away from home.