AsYa FF Something Changed Thread#1 (Updated Chp 23 Pg 107) - Page 8

Chapter 8

With few sly glances at each other, followed by turning away instantly when they were caught, the drive back home seemed more exciting than the drive coming. The drive back home was hushed yet complacent. Almost as if they had now learned to breathe. Zoya wondered what was going on in that big hard head of Asad while he wished that Zoya could not read his mind. Both seemed preoccupied and well engrossed in thoughts and secretly hoped they were thinking about each other. On reaching home, Asad and Zoya met with Dilshad who was astounded with Zoya's coy behavior and Asad overly polite manner. They bade each other goodnight and after taking one last glance of each other, went to their rooms.

That night Zoya lay in bed with a smile. After such a long day of twists and turns, she sought the softness and warmth of her bed as she was caught up in her thoughts. Asad may have treated her with no care at all and utter harshness in the past but today he made up for it. When she needed someone the most, to understand her, to be there with her, he was the one who came to her. They may have fought and she couldn't deny that she was upset with the way he would judge her but today she felt something different. She witnessed something different. She saw a sneak peek of the real Asad Ahmed Khan that had been lost while trying to live and make a home for his Ammi and Najma. She had known he had his family problems with his Abu but today she could understand him more. After all, she too had lost her Abu. She remembered his apology and his sincere eyes full of regret. She could still feel his fingertips slightly touching her forehead as he moved the lock of hair from her eye. His touch seemed to soothe her soul and make her body tingle. She had to admit she loved getting all this attention from him. Thinking about him had her at peace and she felt warm inside. She recollected how exposed she felt under his gaze. His eyes were so damn expressive. Care, concern, fear and guilt could be vividly seen, in them along with something else which she hoped was the same as there was in her eyes for him. She was stirred and contented that she could bring out this side of him. She also remembered him thanking her to teaching him and his family to live again and making her feel welcomed to stay as long as she wants to. Her heart pounded as she remembered his slip of the tongue, To lov.. . She knew after the whole garden incident that she was starting to feel something different for Jahanpana six packs but she had denied ignored it. Probably she always did but that night in the garden awakened those feelings. However now it could not be denied. She herself knew that she was drawn to him. Now they were friends, how would that work out? What did that mean? She couldn't even imagine a civil conversation between them, much less for being friends. Maybe with friendship she would get to learn more about him and this thought appealed to her since she felt the need to know everything about him. Why in the whole world do I have to feel this way for such a complicated person! She cursed herself but then smiled once more before closing her eyes, in hope of seeing him again in a place where there were no complications, no bad things, no emotional issues from the past. Just sweet dreams.

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Asad could not fall asleep. He moved around agitatedly. His attempts in getting rest were futile and he eventually surrendered, giving way for his mind to occupy him with thoughts he was trying to push away. Zoya. Just one name had been running through his mind. He still remembered the first time he saw Zoya at the dargah. She was truly beautiful. He was stunned by her beauty but encounters with her and living with her made him change his mind thinking, that she was just beautiful on the outside. Her habits and ways were different from his. Yet now, he couldn't imagine a day without her silly tricks or shayari. Her coming to their house changed a lot of things he had to admit and he wasn't sure he regretted it as much as he used to. When he almost lost her in Mangalpur, he realized that she meant something to him. She was important to him and if she weren't there he would be lost. And that night in the garden, when he saw her in tears and comforted her, he knew he could not bear to see her in pain. Now, after this day, he did not know what to feel. Why would he not be able to carry on without her forgiveness? Why was he so attached to her? As far as he could remember they were always fighting, even after the Mangalpur incident and in the garden. Even earlier today they had fought. He remembered how much he regretted his words that seemed like a slap in the face to her and the way he felt when she called him by his father's name. The immense hurt and guilt he felt for hurting her so badly, and also his pain that she could think of him like that. . The memory of her in his arms dwelled in his mind. He could still feel her soft smooth silky skin.He remembered his contentment on seeing her being affected by him. She was really starting to have an effect on him and this time he didn't know if he could shake it off this easily They were friends now. Did that mean she would stop doing the things that irritated him? D id that mean that he had to accept her ways and comply to them? He had no idea. What did he feel for her? Was it mere attraction or infatuation? Or was it something more deep? Whatever it was he was afraid. He knew that Zoya told him he was nothing like his dad but he kept on seeing glimpses of Zoya in tears and pain because of him. He was scared he would hurt her again.

In that moment, he knew. Why did she stir him? Why was he so afraid to see her in pain? Why was he always the one to save her? Why did his actions and reactions change around her? He questioned himself and found only one answer. It was not just attraction or infatuation, it was something else. Something else? He didn't know what that something else was and decided that he did not want to find out just yet. He sighed once before resigning to bed once more.

Who knew that everything would change as the morning came. Whether they tried to forget or give in to their feelings for each other or just not give it the name of love, destiny had already decided something for them.

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Next part : Chapter 9