AsYa TS - The child in you/COMPLETED PAGE 4

Zoya was sitting in the backyard of Asad's house, well HER house too now. They had gotten married 6 months ago. It had been a simple Nikaah which had been attended by her Aapi and Jiju, and all of Asad's siblings who meant the world to him.

She had been cleaning her closet earlier that day and had ended up sitting down with her childhood album surfing through every picture and recollecting every childhood memory. She had gone through a bunch of pictures of the different Christmas parties she had attended or planned or that her Aapi and Jiju had arranged to surprise her. She had become teary missing the both of them and all the festivals she celebrated with them. Her life with Asad was a celebration every day, what with all the love and care he and even her Phupi (now Ammi )showered on her every moment.

But celebrating festivals were always a rarity. Somehow every occasion in this house had previously been marred by a bad memory, and she never approached the idea of celebrations on any such occasions unless Ammi or Asad planned to themselves.

Suddenly she felt a warm shawl envelope her from behind and saw her handsome husband's face peering at her from above in annoyance.

"Zoya! You've been running the flu all these days, aaj zara se kya theek ho gayi you've come out to sit in the cold and without covering yourself up properly. You're so careless, especially about yourself."

Zoya rolled her eyes at her overprotective husband and wrapped the shawl closer around herself. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and saw him sitting with his arms folded tightly, probably feeling cold himself. She rolled her eyes yet again, unfolded the shawl from around herself and wrapped it around the both of them.

"I can say the same about you too Asad.."

Asad smiled at her gesture and tugged at her pulling her closer in his embrace. Both sat in complete silence, leaning onto each other blissfully.

"Zoya aaj suraj kaha se nikla tha."

"Huh? Ye kaisa ajeeb sawaal hai, jaha se roz nikla tha wahi se nikla Asad.." she wondered at the weird question from her husband. He wasn't one of those to make foolish talk, or ANY talk for that matter.

"Nahi maine socha, Zoya Far..OUCH" Asad yelped as Zoya pinched his arm sharply, and stared at her angrily for the assault.

"Mera surname Farooqui nahi hai, if you've already forgotten Mr Khan."

"Sorry woh.. ek saal se aadat hai na, didn't realise we even managed coming on first name basis already."

"Not like I took all the time to reach there.."

"You're one who did, I at least screamed your name at certain occasions, you never even did that."

Asad smiled at her frown and pulled her closer by her waist,"Acha Sorry Mrs KHAN."

"That's better."

"Mai bas ye keh raha tha, that it seems like a miracle when Mrs Khan is sitting with me and there is so much silence surrounding us. Muddaton baad toh maine raat ki shaanti ko mehsoos kiya hai. Aakhri baar shayad aapke aane se pehle kiya tha."

Zoya's eyes widened at his taunt on her and she fumed with anger, trying to wriggle out of his hold and get out of the shawl. Asad held her with his steel like strong arms leaving her with no option but to surrender to his strength and sit in his hold but not without that pout on her face, sulking over how unfairly he always teased her.

Asad chuckled softly at that adorable expression on her face and pecked her lips. Asad pressed softly on her forehead with his, while Zoya leaned on too, her eyes shut basking in all the love from her Akdu Ahmed Khan.

Asad felt her shudder a little in his hold and realized she was cold, and instantly remembering about her flu he got up and even without warning her picked her in his arms and started to walk towards their room.

"Asad ye kar rahe hai aap? Ammi ne dekh liye toh?"

"Toh? Khush ho jayengi woh, unki bahu ka itna khayal jo rakhta hun."

"Acha? Aur mai nahi rakhti?"

Unki bahu do kadam bina gire chal le utna hi kaafi hai."

"Mr Khan! Aap bahut mean hai, kabse mera mazak uda rahe hai, mai bilkul baat nahi karungi aapse."

"Uss baat ka mujhe darr nahi hai, kyunki woh tum zyaada der tak kar nahi sakti."

"Aap mujhe challenge kar rahe hai ?"

"Nahi challenge nahi kar raha hun, bata raha hun."

"Kyunki aap chahenge bhi na tab bhi bol nahi payengi" Asad laid her down on the bed, pulled the warm covers from beneath her and covered her gently and got into the bed next to her as well.

"Acha? Kaise?"

"Aise.." he said huskily and bend closer kissing her. Taken in by surprise at her suddenly over expressive husband and overtaken by her need for him she pulled him closer kissing him pressing her lips on his...

**

Asad woke up in the middle of the night and found Zoya missing from his bedside. Worried for her, he looked around for her sleepy eyed. Not finding her in the room he walked out to see her sitting in the hall. She was sitting on the couch with a big box in front of her, spreading the things that were placed in it on the table in front of her, touching them lovingly and smiling. Asad went closer to find her eyes a little teary. He sat on the perch of the couch and leaned closer to press a kiss on her head. Zoya looked up in shock, surprised to find him awake.

"Did I disturb you Asad?"

"No of course not, but you look disturbed, what happened Zoya?" Asad asked his voice laced with concern.

She smiled slightly and shook her head to assure him,"Nothing, I wasn't getting sleep so I sat down with all these memories to my childhood and just got lost in it, waqt ka pata hi nahi chala."

Asad saw her caress a few gifts in her hands, he sat down asking her to shift a little and made her sit in his lap.

"That's not fair, why should you have the honour of visiting the beautiful memories all alone, you've got to take your husband along wherever you go Mrs Khan, remember that." Asad pecked her head lovingly, urging her to share her heart with him and make him a part of her little world she rarely ever encroached on.

Zoya smiled, touched by his love and nodded. One by one she showed him all her gifts from childhood, from her birthdays, the ones Aapi and Jiju gave her on her doing well in exams and then the most special. The ones she found magically in a pair of stockings every Christmas, which she earlier thought were a gift by Santa. She chuckled telling him all the fun she had on Christmas each year.

"Pata hai Mr Khan, mai har Christmas wish karti thi ki shayad Santa aake mujhe taufe mai mere Abu se mulakat kara denge. Par jaise jaise saal guzarte gaye aur mai badi ho gayi, I realized how Santa was just a figment of my imagination aur woh umeed bhi marr gayi."

Asad caressed her cheeks softly, holding her face in his palms, trying to find a way to take her pain away and give her everything she had ever wished for. Zoya kept her hands on his hand on her cheek and kissed his palm turning her face towards it.

"Par phir aap meri zindagi mai aaye, and I realised Santa wasn't so much an imagination after all. I had my personal santa. Jisne mere maange se pehle meri har wish poori kardi " Zoya winked naughtily at him but smiled at him thankfully.

Asad laughed slightly, bringing her closer whispered," But Santa without the bloated paunch?"

"Santa with six packs?" Zoya giggled.

"Mr Khan?" she whispered after some silence.

"Hmm?"

"Aap kabhi apne bachpan ke baare mai nahi batate. I mean Diwali, Christmas, your birthdays?"

The smile on Asad's voice faded, replaced with a slight look of dismay.

Zoya realised he had stiffened beneath her and felt guilty for asking a questioned that triggered bad memories for him. But it seemed Asad didn't want to hide that part of him under a mask anymore. She felt proud knowing she had earned that trust in his life for him to share his worst fears and memories with her.

"Zoya! We did not have very elaborate celebrations for years. Aisa nahi tha ki hum khushiyan manana nahi chahte the, but we never had enough money to afford those happy moments. Afsos ki aaj ke waqt mai khushiyon ki bhi keemat hoti hai. But Ami taught us otherwise, she taught us how our being together through the best and worst was a reason to celebrate in itself. Woh birthdays pe humare liye sheera ka cake banati thi. I mean sheera bana ke she'd shape it like a cake, light a candle and feed us three with it. Christmas par waise toh normally hum kuch nahi karte the, but just so that we never felt left out in all the discussions in school about the gifts in the stockings, she'd buy us one little gift and place it beneath our pillows on the eve. Christmas or any festival for me is the sign of every struggle my mother has gone through Zoya, so that she could earn us a smile, protect and shield us from every storm she had to face."

Zoya looked at Asad a little teary on hearing him, and felt horrible for him, Ammi and Najma who had to go through so many ordeals to have a normal life. So many years of struggle had snatched the most beautiful years of their life and billion such chances of living a happy life. She pulled him to her and hugged him close, trying to pull him down on her lap. He chose to rest his head on her bosom and she caressed his head softly.

"Let's go sleep Santa six packs."

Asad chuckled at her endearment, and nodded at her, picking her in his arms yet again, took her in their room. Afterplacing her on the bed he shifted his head on her chest again, pulling her hand on his hand silently asking her for to massage it. She followed his command and thought to herself she would do everything it took to make him celebrate a Christmas he had missed out on.

Asad thought how he hadn't been able to look beyond the smile Zoya plastered on her face to hide her innocent desires. She hadn't asked for anything from him, but he knew the only thing she ever desired in her life was a complete family and a secure life. He knew that she couldn't meet her Abu again which had been her only wish, but he would make sure she at least lived her childhood again.