AsYa FF: Only in the darkness can you see the stars THREAD #1 - Page 37

Originally posted by: ...KSGmiAmor...

wow ... such an amazing update

cant wait for more

Originally posted by: SacredLove

Awesome part dear
poor zoe hope asad help her
great work do cont soon

Originally posted by: aashiqua

love to see their comfort level..hope they support each other..take ur tym..all d best for ur xam

Originally posted by: Linsie

Now asya can feel the strange feeling between them

Originally posted by: ranz

What a beautiful story and so well written! Thankyou!

Originally posted by: MisZoobieDoobie

All your updates are amazing (:

Do continue soon

This story is becoming interesting :D

A/N: Hola!

Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 10: Ugly side

"I want to tell you why I came to India, Asad."

Zoya wiped her tears, drank the rest of her water and got up from the floor. As much as she wanted to stay in the warm and comforting embrace of Asad, she also knew that she needed a little space and put herself a little away from him if she wanted him to know the real her; the true reasons for her visit. She sat down on the bed and Asad took that cue to get up from the floor as well and he pulled the chair from the vanity table, drew it closer to her bed and sat down.

"I guess I'll start from the start. I, um, grew up in New York, and you know that already. I have believed that I lived there all my life. Zainub and Aashif Farooqui, my parents'" she scoffed at the word, "were the epitome of social etiquettes and held such high reputation. As much I would like to tell you how my life was roses and unicorns, it is as far from truth as it can be.

"All my childhood was spent believing that it was perfectly normal for your father to belittle you at every chance he gets and to verbally spout venom at you, to grab you and shove you, to make you feel worse about yourself than the scum on earth and all the while your mother just stood there, pretending not to care and turn a deaf ear." She took a deep breath as her anger tried to overpower her.

Asad looked at her with wide eyes, "Zoya" he whispered.

Zoya cleared her throat and began, "So imagine my surprise when I met other children in school who would tell stories about how their moms' would bake cookies for them and how their dads' took them to the zoos and to the parks. It made me come to some conclusions and I truly believed that I did not deserve the love, maybe. If all parents were supposed to love their children, then I must be all that Mr. Aashif Farooqui had always been saying to me.

"I was in high school when I met Anwar and he befriended me. I had always made excuses about not being able to hang out and stuff. I wasn't allowed, you see. But Anwar looked past my faade and called on my crappy excuses. He was the first person who I spilled my life story to. He made me understand how I was not wrong. Anwar became my sanctuary, the person who took all the pain and hurt go away. He also pushed me to go into therapy and that helped me a lot. On his encouragement, I moved out of my parents' house the moment I turned eighteen. Anwar and his wife, Zeenat, they have been my family."

He looked at Zoya in awe. There had been a layer to Zoya's personality; he had always thought that there was some underlying hurt behind her bubbly face. He just did not know how much and what it was. How could a parent to do that to his child? Asad had a hard time controlling his rage towards the man who tormented his Zoya. Wait?! His Zoya?

Zoya continued her story, "I had gone to get some of my old stuff from my parent's one day and I found a letter there." She shuffled and motioned Asad to come over and look at her laptop.

"I found this. A letter from my father." She pushed the pictures of the letter over to him. Asad looked at her in confusion and proceeded to read the letter. His eyes widened as he went through the letter. He finished reading it and looked over to Zoya.

"Wh-what is this? Your father? I..." he could not form a single sentence.

"Exactly my reaction. Shaking and bewildered, I went straight over to Anwar and Zeenat's. I did not know what to make of it but all I knew was that I had to come to Bhopal and find out the truth." She told him.

Asad nodded at her and things got clearer in his head. "So, this is what you have been searching all this time?"

"Yes."

"Did you find anything? Is that why you were crying just now?" he wondered.

"Oh, yes, Asad, I did find something." she grabbed the letter from her mother. "This is why you found me the way you did. I got this in the mail today. There is also a box that apparently has things from my father but I haven't opened it. Didn't get that far, what with all the crying," she let out a humorless laugh.

Asad took the letter from her and read it. His anger peaked again and this time, it grew at the woman he had never met. How can you do that to your own child? He looked at Zoya with pain in his eyes.

"I don't know what to say, Zoya."

"Me neither, Asad."

She took a deep breath and took the box that was lying on the bed and with shaking fingers, she opened it. Zoya did not know what she was expecting to be in the box, but whatever she was expecting, it sure wasn't what actually she found inside.

The box was filled with numerous baby trinkets, letters, notes and a couple of baby pictures which she recognized as her own.

Gingerly, she picked each little thing and with utmost care, she examined everything. Baby bracelets, anklets, amulets and what not. The notes said she had been receiving these gifts every year. She was never made to receive any of these.

Every year! Her father had been celebrating her birthday every year while she had been wishing she was never born.

Fresh sobs tore her body as she read the loving words of her father in the letters; expressing how much he wanted to be a part of her life; how much he loved her and missed her.

Asad held her as she let out the pain of missing out on a lifetime of love and having to live with the pain of a hellhole of her childhood. He rocked her in her arms as if to let her know that it was going to be alright; that he was there for her.

"Asad?" she mumbled, still in his embrace.

"Hmm?"

"When I found the letter, you know what the first thing came to my mind? That perhaps Aashif Farooqui was justified in disliking me. If he was not my father, then he had no duty to love me, or keep me happy. I thought it'd be easy for me to let go of the pain and hate if I found out he was not my real father. But I was wrong. I know that no matter what the truth is, he still was my father for all intents and purposes. He gave me his name. He had a duty towards me. And now I know that while DNA ties you, you can still have bonds that go beyond sharing genetics. I see that with you, Asad.

"Asad, you love Aadil more than your own life when you did not absolutely have to. His is your son, and you are his father in every sense of the word father'. If Aashif Farooqui made me believe all those years that I was his daughter, he also needed to be a father. But he was not. Not one bit."

Asad closed his eyes and tugged her closer. He wished he could take away all her pain. He had no idea how and when, but Zoya had become a very important part of his life. They had not even interacted a lot in the days that she had been here. But her presence and her interaction with his family had warmed his heart.

And now that heart was breaking listening to her crying.

***

Zoya had almost forgotten about the part of her mother's letter that said something about information regarding her father's whereabouts. She looked at the other side of the letter and found a name of a company and an address scribbled on the paper. Together, Asad and Zoya had looked over the details her mother had provided. There was not a phone number or address of a house, but there was the address of a company. Underneath the address, there was little note that said the address belonged to the place where Ghafoor Siddiqui had worked for many years.

Asad accompanied Zoya to the location of the factory. That happened after a lot of persuasion on Asad's part.

"I can't. Asad please, I have to do this on my own." She refused his help.

"Look, Zoya. I know that you want to do this on your own, and I respect that but you have to realize that you are new to this country and you hardly comprehend the dangers you will be exposing yourself to. Let me come with you, please." Asad had tried to make her understand.

"Asad, I can't ask you to do this for me. I can't depend on anyone." her eyes shone with years of abandonment and fear, "I am scared of relying too much, when I can't be a part of your life. My past..."

Asad had cupped her face in his hands and cut her sentence, "I am going with you, Zoya and I have no plans of hurting you. You think you have baggage? We all have pasts, and look at me, I carry mine too."

The sincerity in his eyes had left no doubt in Zoya's mind and she had not been able to say not to him. And hence, now the two of them left for the address provided my Zoya's mother. Asad parked the car outside the building and looked at Zoya; she was sitting in the care, eyes closed and hands joined in prayer. Asad was mesmerized by her and inadvertently prayed that she got everything that we deserved.

After a few minutes, Zoya opened her eyes and smiled at Asad, "I think I am ready to go inside now."

Asad helped her out of her seat and took her hand as they approached the entrance of the building. They went inside and asked to speak to the manager or any senior employee that was present. They had to wait for a few minutes and then a man in his fifties came out to meet them.

"Hello, I am Vishnu Shekhar, the Senior Manager. How can I help you?" he looked at the young couple in front of him inquisitively.

Asad introduced himself and Zoya to the man in front of her. Zoya stepped ahead and said, "Sir, I am looking for a man who used to work here some seventeen years ago and may have worked longer. Do you think you will be able to help me find him? His name is Ghafoor Siddiqui."

The manager recalled and thought for a few moments before his eyes widened at recognition and then glistened at the name. "Siddiqui? I remember him, oh so well. Why are you looking for him? And yes, he used to work here; did for many years. He left this factory some ten years ago."

Zoya looked at Asad and then towards the man with hope in her eyes.

"Mr. Shekhar. Can you give me some information about him? I need to find him, please. H-he is my father." Tears welled in her eyes.

Mr. Shekhar's eyes widened at her statement, "Daughter? You are his daughter? You are Zoya?"

Zoya and Asad looked at him with confused eyes.

"Yes, I am but how did you know that, how did you know my name?"

Shekhar waved them towards him and asked them to follow him. He led to a room which was obviously a storage room and it held a lot of files and cabinets.

"We keep all the old papers and records here. Now we have the computerized system, but back then, it was all on papers. Here, give me a minute, I'll look him up." He explained and then looked at Zoya with a sad smile.

"Ghafoor used to talk about his little Zoya all the time. He would have such a smile on his face while talking about his daughter. But then, your parents got divorced and I heard that your mother had gotten your custody. It was very hard time for your father. I take it you never reconciled with him again?" He opened an old file and looked for details.

She shook her head and tears flew shamelessly down Zoya's cheeks. Asad wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him; offering the little comfort that he could.

A few minutes of search later, Shekhar returned to where Asad and Zoya were standing and gave them a piece of paper.

"This is dated ten years back; his information and contact details that we had when he worked here. I do not have any recent information. But you can try this number and address. He worked here for some many years. In those many years, you form a sort of bond with all your co-workers. Maybe this can be of any help. I hope you will be able to find what you are looking for, dear child." He blessed her.

***

Upon Zoya's permission, Asad had had gathered his parents and siblings and told the rest of the family about Zoya's real reason for her visit to India in the hopes that his father's connections may be of any help to Zoya. He had however, left out the part of her childhood and Aashif Farooqui. If he ever saw that man! That Farooqui better be prepared for Asad Ahmed Khan.

Dilshad and Rashid took in a warm hug.

"You will find him, Zoya. I know that you will. Allah will help you, he has to. He cannot keep a child away from her father." Dilshad pecked her forehead.

Aadil did not realized what was going on but he could tell that Ms. Zoya was sad about something. He snuck out of the room and returned with his favorite Tarzan stuffed toy.

"Here, Ms. Zoya. Tarzan is the best; he always takes the sad makes it happy. You can have him!" he smiled his infectious grin and Zoya followed, hugging him close to her. The rest of the family smiled at the exchange. Kids had that power over you.

It had been a couple of days since they had visited the place of Ghafoor Siddiqui's work and Zoya had been procrastinating doing the inevitable. She would look at the address and the phone number written on the piece of paper for long durations of time, but she never had the courage to actually do anything about it.

The past few days, on the other hand, had been very interesting for Asad and Zoya. Najma had very proudly told the entire family about how cozy Asad and Zoya had been in her room, hugging on the floor. Regardless of the context of the hug, she had been relentless and teased the two of them whenever she found a chance. Aadil, being his Phuppi's little partner in crime that he was, also joined in making his father and Ms. Zoya blush.

Dilshad's eyes had however sparkled with entirely different reasons. Her motherly senses tingled in the prospect of her first born finding some much needed and deserved happiness in his life.

Zoya had been hiding in her room whenever Najma was in the proximity and could hardly face Asad. Allah Miyan! What is wrong with me? Since when do I behave like a blushing teenager? She chided herself. She was a grown women, she had no reason to hide and be embarrassed.

Asad was annoyed with his sister. Because of that meddling Tamatar, Zoya was hiding from him. He had had enough of the peek-a-boo and decided to take control of the situation. Now, with a firm resolution, Asad knocked on Zoya's room and entered.

"Zoya, are you free? I want to talk to you for a moment."

"Yes, Asad? Is everything alright?" she wondered.

Asad took a deep breath and bluntly said, "I like you, Zoya and I think that is obvious. Will go out on a date with me?"

I'm able to breathe a sweet relief
Now that you're here for me
A northern degree dove into me
Now I'm recovering

- Ugly Side, by Blue October

A/N: How was it?

I hope you all liked it. Please leave a comment! :)