Part Two: Reliving the Past
Asad stared at the letter in his hands. I'm going back to New York Mr. Khan. The words echoed in his mind. "Zoya's...leaving? NO! That can't happen! She can't leave me and go back! She's just joking. This is probably one of her stupid pranks. Let her come home and when I ignore her then she'll see." Asad kept talking to the empty walls of the Khan Villa, trying to convince them, himself more than anything that Zoya would be back. But even deep inside he knew. Although Zoya was strong, what had happened over the last few days was enough to break her down completely.
As realization slowly hit him, and he began to acknowledge the fact that she was really gone this time, he sat down in the middle of the living room. His eyes red with pain and his arms hugging his knees. Once again he felt all alone.
She's...gone. She really left me... What is God punishing me for? First he took Ammi away from me, then Ayaan, and now Zoya?
He only had one person who managed to demolish the walls he had built and reach his heart. Zoya Farooqui His Musibat Magnet. Asad softly smiled, thinking of how she couldn't even do the smallest things right.
Now in retrospect he realized that destiny made their lives cross paths because only they could support each other. All their lives, they had received pain and nothing but pain. The only difference was how they each dealt with it. Zoya chose to ignore that hurt and live in the moment. Once in a while, her past did come bubbling to he surface but she still managed to fight it with a smile. She wanted to be happy and bring happiness to those around her. Asad, on the other hand, was completely destroyed by his past. That hurt kept haunting him because he kept the memory fresh in his mind. Was it that he didn't want to forget or couldn't? Opposite to Zoya, he kept everyone at a distance; for the fear of hurting them. For the fear of hurting once again.
Zoya came as a tornado in his life and changed his whole world around. She taught him how to be human again. How to love unconditionally. How it felt to be loved. She was special and he loved her for that. Although she had no family of her own, apart from her Aapi and Jeeju, Zoya was the one to teach him about relationships and how to respect them. She was hurt, yes, but she didn't let that get in the way of her life, and she taught Asad to live a little more freely too.
As Asad came to his senses, he headed straight to the airport, without telling anyone and without any planning. "I'll do anything to get you back. Anything. We've been so happy after a long time and I won't let anyone ruin that. This is something we both have to deal with. Together." he mumbled while driving. On his way, he picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Hello police? I want to write a report," Asad's expressions became as hard as stone as he continued, "Against Gaffur Ahmed Siddique and Razia Ahmed Siddique."
***New York***
"How could you just leave him there? Do you know how devastated and alone he is now? Asad only had you left and here you are. In New York. God knows how and where he is. Ya Allah"" Zeenat went on and on but her words never reached a lifeless Zoya's ears.
She sat there, on the couch, replaying whatever had happened in the past few days over and over again in her mind. Emotions waved over her"the feeling of being betrayed, sadness, loneliness, anger, and regret. She closed her eyes as the scenes flashed before her once again;
***Flashback***
After Zoya found out about her father, she would go over to the Siddique Mansion every week.
After an awkward encounter with her now other Phoopi, Shireen, Zoya made her way to Humaira's room. The past few days were hard for everyone but no one suffered as much as the two sisters. They managed to come together and share their pain, rather than hate each other.
She passed by Razia Bi and her dad's room and by chance overheard her own name.
"Suniye ji. Woh Zoya"
Zoya frowned. She knew that Razia hated her and she probably had every right to. Again and again Zoya tried to convince Razia that she did not come to take Humaira's place but to no avail.
"You've accepted as your daughter even though she has a relationship with Dilshaad and her family" Razia continued, her voice filled with disgust.
She sighed and kept walking
Typical Razia Bi. Zoya thought.
"What's going to happen when she finds out about the doll factory? Have you ever thought about that?"
Zoya stopped in her tracks. Everyone knew what had happened there"or at least they thought they did"then why was Razia mentioning it?
Through the corner of her eye, Razia saw Zoya standing outside. For a moment she went speechless while Gaffur thought about what Razia said.
But...if she finds out, then she'll hate the two of us. Yes! That'll be perfect! Her love for her Abbu will prevent her from putting us in jail and she'll finally stay away from my family! Razia thought with a smirk.
She continued in a louder voice. "All she knows is that Rashid unknowingly killed a lady there, but not that lady was her mom
She noticed Zoya's hands fly up to her mouth, her eyes immediately filled with tears.
That's what you get for being so eager to find your Abbu. Razia gleamed with happiness.
She was enjoying her pain and decided to rub more salt in her wounds. "What if she finds out that YOU knew about this all the time and that the two of us killed Zainab? That whatever Rashid did that night was because we told him to?
Her head started spinning all of a sudden and she grabbed the railing next to her.
The lady Rashid killed...
her mom...
gudiya factory...
Zainab...
The two of us killed her
WHAT? What's happening? My own Abbu knew about my Ammi's death? In fact he HELPED Razia Bi kill her? No! That can't be! Appi told me that my Abbu loved me and my Ammi a lot! Then how can he...?
"Zo"Zoya? Tum?" Gaffur exclaimed as he turned around and found his daughter outside. "What happened? Why are you crying?" He understood that she must have heard everything Razia had said, but he hoped that she hadn't.
Fury came over Zoya as she realized what that gudiya factory secret did to all their lives. Asad's, Najma's, and even her Shireen Phoopi's. Wiping her tears, Zoya ran downstairs, while Gaffur ran after her.
"Zoya! Wait! Let me explain! Just one time!" After finally catching up to her, Gaffur put his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Beta, whatever you heard was..."
Zoya turned around and took her father's hand off with force. She had just beginning to accept her father and his family even though they were enemies with Asad's family. She tried so hard to unite the two families, to be a part of the Siddiqui family for what? To find out that her dad and stepmother were the ones who killed her mom?
"Whatever I heard was what...? False? Am I hearing things now? When I found out about you being my father I was shocked obviously. But I had always made up my mind that no matter what kind of person you would be, I'd give you a chance. And I did exactly that, to find that YOU were the reason I have been so alone my whole life? If you wanted to live a life with Razia Bi, you should have left me and my Ammi and gone! Not only did you leave, but you made me an orphan! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL HER? WHAT DID SHE DO TO YOU?" Zoya shouted and begin to sob uncontrollably.
Gaffur had been taken aback. Throughout these 17 years, he always thought of that one daughter he had. He always wondered where she was, how she was doing, but never stopped and thought about all the pain he caused her. As Zoya's words kept repeating in his mind, he grabbed on to a chair. "Hey ladki! Control your tongue! Don't you know who you're talking to? If not me, show respect to him!" Razia was infuriated. She always hated Zoya but now she was talking too much. She would have to be taught a lesson.
"Respect is something someone earns through their actions. It can't be forced upon and it's such a thing that takes time to earn but a second to lose. Today the little respect my mind had been building up for Mr. Siddiqui is all lost. As for you, what you've done before tells how much respect you've earned from your own family that lives with you." Zoya paused for a while. She remembered all the harsh words Razia used to say to her about her parents. "All the time you used to reprimand me, my parents, my upbringing while you knew this whole time who my father was. 'Who knows how your family is. Who knows what kind of people her parents are.' And look at that! You were right the whole time. After my Ammi's death, you two are the only family I have left. You are a mother figure to me. If my mother figure and Abbu turn out to be like this, then anyone can tell what a disgusting family I have. You know, now that I think about it, I'd rather lived my life as an orphan, not knowing about my Abbu then to live through this pain." Zoya's voice filled with bitterness as she spat out the next words "I wish I'd never known you Mr. Gaffur Ahmed Siddiqui and Razia Ahmed Siddiqui. You two are a shame to humans everywhere."
Razia raised her hand to slap Zoya right then and there. Rashid stepped forward but couldn't make it in time. Everyone closed their eyes for they knew of Razia's anger. But the sound of the slap never came. Instead Gaffur held Razia's hand and stopped her. "Ji yeh...aap..." she was dumbfounded. "What was wrong in whatever Zoya said Razia? We've destroyed her childhood! And not only hers but also our to-be-son-in-law Asad Ahmed Khan. All these years. The two of us, and us two alone have managed to ruin so many people's lives." Zoya finally made him realize what a grave sin he had committed that day, by supporting his wife. "I should have told everyone the truth right then but I helped you cover it up. And now I'm equally a culprit." He looked down in shame, the family seeing him in tears for the first time.
"I think its time. You should call the police and have these two arrested immediately." Rashid said as he gently put his hand on her head. "As much ad I would like to avenge my mother's death, the fact still remains that he is my father, as well as Humaira's." Zoya replied between sobs. "They would be punished but what would happen to Humaira? She's my little sister and for her and her alone, I won't call the police."
Razia frantically looked around for an escape. She felt stuck in the middle. What she had predicted had happened; Zoya didn't call the police, but along the way, her husband managed to get influenced by that girl. She wouldn't get arrested but she knew that she had lost her husband's support. The whole family had now witnessed what happened. She could feel the eyes of disgust towards her. Razia tried to hide her shame, she ecen tried to feel guilty, but she couldn't. Meanwhile Zoya sat on the ground, crying as hard as she could, and her own daughter, Humaira, went over to comfort her. And this was the moment where her plan backfired. Where karma played its cards and on the mission to send Zoya away from the people she loved the most, Razia ended up losing everyone and everything that was close to her.
Humaira put her arms around her older sister. Both of them cried their hearts out for what Zoya's Ammi had to go through. For realizing that everything they had known to be true about their lives was one big lie. For the types of people Gaffur and Razia really turned out to be. Obstacles and hardships in life were not new to a person like Zoya, who had always struggled so much but this gudiya factory raaz was one thing that had hurt her so deeply that had made her broken beyond repair.
A/N: I know I know I take forever XD Hope it's long enough to make up for it though! That flashback took forever -_- I've officially turned it into a three-shot so one more part after this. Even with all this craziness around in the forum, I still hope whoever found the time to read this enjoyed it. All honest criticism are welcome. Sorry for every and/or any mistakes; I don't proofread. As for PM's for the next part please send me a buddy request. And no matter what changes come and go in QH, I will keep writing, just to keep the feeling and memory of KaBhi/AsYa alive :D Comment and like away!
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
45