Chapter 10
"I'm crazy." He scoffed. "You know I always suspected something was wrong up there," He pointed his temple. "But now I know it's true. You are totally impossible!"
"Oh really?" Zoya was up in his face now. She probably didn't even realize how close she came to him while ranting away but he definitely noticed and wished he didn't notice everything about her so closely. "Mr. Khan, you've always been like this. Since we first met remember. Is there nothing you can do without shouting? At me?"
Asad sighed heavily, "Ms Farooqui, I don't have time for this. Najma and Ammi are waiting. I rather not keep them waiting much longer." He turned away and started walking in the direction of his car and his family.
Zoya gasped, "He walked away from me. Oh Mr. Khan I won't let you get the last word. This isn't over."
Zoya followed him back to the car visibly fuming. She controlled her expression at the last minute schooled her expression into a smile so Phoopie wouldn't worry. She was completely silent on the way home. Unusual for her. Najma shot her sideways glances wondering why she was so silent.
"Wonder what's wrong with Zoya." Najma sighed and thought to herself and shot a look at her brother. "Bhaijaan must have said something. I'm sure."
When they arrived, Zoya went straight to her room and didn't speak to anyone.
"What's wrong with Zoya?" Phoopie asked aloud looking at Asad.
"Ammi, why are you looking at me?" he asked taken aback that his mother automatically sought him out as the cause of Ms. Farooqui's unease.
"You fight so much and she was with you right before she came into the car and was unnaturally silent so . . ." she shrugged. "I just assumed . . ."
"Well it's not true. I have no idea why she's behaving that way." He walked away to his room and muttered under his breath. "I don't care either."
~*~*~*~*~
Zoya sat on her bed and video chatted with her Jeeju and Aapi. In the back of her mind she was recalling her spat with Mr. Khan. He was really impossible. He'd gotten the last word but she wasn't done yet. They still needed to hash out the hostility that always came out between them. It wasn't as if she didn't know he was capable of kindness. Mangalpur reminded her enough, She snapped back to the present.
"I miss you all a lot." She said wistfully. "You miss me too right?"
"Of course we do. We wish you'd come back." Zeenat sighed unhappily. "I know Zoya. I know how important it is to find your Abbu but you haven't found anything right. You've been there so long."
"It's only been two weeks, Aapi." Zoya tried to pacify her.
"So it has but you've never been away from us for so long. Promise me you'll think about it. Coming back?" Zeenat implored.
"I promise. I'll be back in the US so soon you'll never remember that I was gone. I love you. Allah Hafiz."
"Allah Hafiz, Zoya."
~*~*~*~*~
Asad couldn't stop himself. Zoya was fuming with anger when they left the wedding so why was she so quiet and why didn't she come to dinner?
He approached her room, the door was gaping open and he caught the tail end of a conversation and wished he hadn't.
"I promise. I'll be back in the US so soon you'll never remember that I was gone. I love you. Allah Hafiz." Zoya said to who had to be either her Jeeju or Aapi or both.
Back to the US? Was she leaving? Is that why she was so withdrawn and quiet? Was it because he shouted at her, maybe she decided that she couldn't live in the same house with him any longer.
"Yes, Mr. Khan?" Ms. Farooqui asked standing in front of him. He hadn't even realized he'd stepped into her room and without knocking too. What was going on with him? He was too in his head these days.
"You're going back to the US?" He appalled himself at his boldness. He hadn't meant to ask that.
She shot him a narrow eyed look, "You were listening . . . to my conversation?" She scoffed. "What's wrong with you Mr. Khan?"
"I . . . I didn't mean to I happened to overhear your conversation as I was coming to call you to see if you wanted dinner. Ammi was worried." He said.
"Oh . . . I'll be right there." She answered.
She turned away from him and he realized she didn't answer his question. He pushed the issue. "So are you?"
"Am I what?" she faced him again.
He cleared his throat, "Going back to the US. I know your VISA had only a month more."
"Why do you care Mr. Khan?" she asked staring at him intently. "What difference would it make if I was going back?"
Well wasn't that a loaded question. Did he care?
Well she asked and he should answer, right? Well he told her whether it was what she wanted to hear or not, it definitely had an impact. He needed to get out of here now!
He turned and walked out of the room and left a gaping Zoya staring at him with wide-eyes and an open mouth.
<TO BE CONTINUED>
I bet you want to know what Asad said to Zoya right. No worries, I'll get to that in the next chapter. Please share your thoughts. It's always nice to get feedback from your peers. I love to write so this is fun for me.
Edited by cclove - 12 years ago
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