PART 4 (Finale)
His door ajar, she took the liberty of walking in after he didn't respond to her multiple knocks.
"Mr Khan?" She glanced around, her heart fluttered, wavering between fear and excitement. Zoya wasn't sure how she would react after seeing him after four months. A bigger question was- how would he react? There was only one thing predictable about him- his unpredictability. She stepped on something and was stunned to see papers lying on the floor. They were architectural designs from one of his current projects. That was very unlike Asad; he worshiped his work and would never be so callous about his designs. Her eyes popped with horror when she saw an empty diet coke can in the corner.
"Allah mian! What's wrong with Mr. Khan? Yeh un ko kya ho gaya hai?" For a moment, she though she was in the wrong room, but his guitar in the corner and the collection of books at his bedside was unmistakably his. His shirts were scattered on his bed. She was pleasantly surprised to see the infamous black shirt on top of the pile. "Ya Allah…main bhi kitni pagal thi!" She smacked her forehead as she recalled the incident with the buttons, " kya soch te honge wo mere baare mein?" The chaos in his room gave her a glimmer of hope, "Mr. Khan meri tarah laparwah kab se ho gaye? Kya Mr. Khan sach much mujhey miss kar rahe hain?"
There he was. She spotted his back on the bench in the garden. His crisp white night kurta sparkled under the moonlit sky. Although anxious to walk towards the garden, she paused and retraced her steps to the kitchen instead. There was only one way to break the ice.
A heady cocktail of coffee beans and a familiar fragrance interrupted Asad's solitude. He uncrossed his hands, sat up and turned his head, stunned to see Zoya standing next to him.
"Z-Zo….I mean Ms farooqui….aap?"
"Kya darr gaye mujhey dekhkar Mr Khan?" Her familiar, radiant smile sent a flutter through his heart.
"What are you doing here this late in the night?" He composed himself.
"Tajjub hai. Pehle aapko mere bahar jaane se problem hoti thi, aur ab ghar mein hoon, tho problem ho rahi hai….I need an explanation Mr. Khan! Aap hamesha ki tarah mujhey confuse kar rahe hain."
He wanted to pinch himself. On many occasions, he had imagined her standing next to him, with the same goofy smile and nonstop chatter. Was it his imagination again? The steam emanating from the coffee cup was real, and so was her fragrance. He was not hallucinating.
"Ms Farooqui! Ab aap yahan mehman nahin hain. Aapko apne ghar chale jaana chaahiye." He replied sternly, acting unfazed by her presence.
"I know." She sat down on the bench, a few inches from him, "agar jaana hi hota, tho itni raat gaye, aati hi kyun?" She asked, smiling. He shuffled awkwardly; she was too close for his comfort. He glanced at the cup in her hand and looked at her, "yeh cup?"
"Aapke liye….khaas…just the way you like it….black and bitter." She held the coffee cup close to him but he turned his face away.
"I-I don't drink coffee at night anymore."
"Arre, aisa kyun?" She was surprised as his 'nightcap' had always been a large cup of dark coffee.
"Mujhey coffee peekar neend nahin aati." He stared at the ground.
"Iss liye diet coke peete hain?" She asked cheekily.
"What nonsense?" He growled.
"Waise diet coke mein bhi caffeine bahut hoti hai….that would give you insomnia too…or is it something else?" She teased him, "koi aur wajah hai jiski wajah se aapki raaton ki neend udh gayi hai?"
"I don't know what you are talking about. I don't drink diet coke! And I don't have insomnia!"
Clearing her throat, she sipped the coffee, "you know Mr. Khan, I always thought you are one of the most honest and truthful person in this world. Mujhey apne aap par sharam aati thi ki main aaye din aap se jhooth bolti rehti hoon….kabhie cricket match ki wajah se….kabhie Mariam ko lekar…kabhie Najma ke baal…..you know what I am talking about. But you know one thing Mr. Khan, main sirf jhooth aapse bolti thi, aapne aap se nahin. Magar aaj pata chala ki aap tho doosron se hi nahin, apne aap se bhi jhooth bolte hain."
"Aapka dimaag kharab ho gaya hai." He scorned.
"Waise kabhie theek tha hi kab Mr. Khan?" She winked through the steam from the hot cup.
"Ms Farooqui….I think you need to leave….you are about to get engaged to Ayaan…aapka yahan is tarah raat ko aana jaayaz nahin hai."
"Mr. Khan…aap mujhey itna tho jaante hain na…jaayaz aur na jaayaz ka faisla main khud karti hoon. I will do as I please…no one can force me to do anything."
"Of course, how can I forget that?" He mumbled, "aap yahan kyun aayi hain?" His jaw stiffened.
"Apna kuch saaman lene….aur aapka kuch saaman wapas dene." Her voice dropped, her expression solemn and serious.
"Oh….why am I not surprised? He sounded annoyed, "aap apna saaman theek se kahan rakhti hain? Bahut jaldi yaad aa gayi aapko." She didn't miss the sarcasm in his words. A few months ago, such statements ('agar aapko kuch ho jaata tho I would have gone crazy' was one of them) from him would confuse her, but after what Ayaan had mentioned, she tried to decipher what he actually meant.
"Why? Did you miss me Mr. Khan?" She asked, teasing him once again, "Aksar log mujhey miss kiya karte hain. I am sorry, I didn't call or visit you sooner." Zoya's chirpiness was back after a hiatus of four months.
"As if I would care. W-waise….aapka yahan koi saaman nahin hai!" He became stoic once again.
"Saaman mera hai…aapko kaise pata?" He eyes twinkled mischievously.
Asad scratched his forehead and took a deep breath, "I know this house well. I haven't seen anything that belongs to you. By the way, congratulations on your engagement….main jaanta hoon Ayaan aapko hamesha khush rakhega."
"Jaanti hoon….bas ek problem hai."
"Problem?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I can't say the same about myself."
His eyes narrowed with a quizzical expression, "kyun? Aap bhi tho Ayaan ko chaahti hongi?"
"Iss liye tho apna saaman wapas lene aayi hoon." She replied softly.
With his face turning red, he glanced at her face, "kaisa saaman?"
"Apna dil." She mumbled, "jo main aapke paas chhod chuki hoon Mr. Khan. Ayaan ko dene ke liye mere paas sab kuch hai, sirf apna dil nahin hai." As if a weight had lifted from her chest; she felt liberated. At that moment, she didn't care to scan his face for an expectant response. Even if he rejected her, or worse snapped at her after the confession- she had no regrets. She owed it to herself to confess her feelings.
Asad clasped his fingers forcefully and shut his eyes, "Ms Farooqui…aap behki behki si baatein kar rahi hain……you should stop drinking that coffee."
"Ab tho aadat ho gayi hai…black and bitter coffee ki Mr. Khan, this is how like my coffee now." She savored the sips, relieved that he had not reprimanded her.
"You will get an ulcer! Too much of that stuff is not good for you." He gasped. She could sense that he was diverting from the topic.
"Ulcer ke darr se main coffee peena nahin chhod sakti Mr. Khan…waise hi jaise aap dil toot jaane ke darr se pyaar nahin karna chaahte."
He was stunned. His fists clenched, he stood up, trembling with rage, "Ms Farooqui…aap jaisa judgmental person maine aaj tak nahin dekha. Bina jaane samjhe…aap doosron ke baare mein apni raaye banaa leti hain!"
Under normal circumstances, she would have cowed to his angry gestures; instead, she calmly kept her cup aside and stood up. His freshly bruised knuckles caught her attention. He must have punched his fist into something. She connected all the dots-the messy room, missing earring and bruised knuckles. She pulled out the box from her purse.
"Asad," she pulled his hand into her palm gently and placed the open box in his hand. He stared at the earring in disbelief. This was probably the second time she had addressed him by his name. Just like the first time, his name on her lips sent a quiver through his heart, crushed the walls he had forcibly erected around his heart, unchained the high security pad lock on his inner most feelings.
"Mr. Khan, aap apne aap ko kab tak hurt karte rahenge? Kya aapne socha hai, jab bhi aap ko dard hota hai, shayad kisi aur ko kahin zyaada chhot pahunchti ho?" Tears welled in her eyes as her fingers caressed his skinned knuckles. "I know you don't believe in love. Lekin aap khuda ko maante hain, tho phir pyaar se kyun mukar te hain? Allah ka doosra naam hi mohabbat hai. Mohabbat Allah ki sab se haseen naimat hai..aur aap is naimat ko thukraana chaahte hain?"
He couldn't hold his tears any further. Without saying a word, he let her hold his hand; his eyes savored her healing touch. Her earring secure in his palm. She felt moist warmth on her fingertips as his tears dribbled on them. They stood silently in the garden, sobbing softly, hand in hand. Zoya broke their trance, "ek sher sunenge?"
Asad chuckled through his tears, "d-do you think I have a choice?"
Sniffing, she chuckled back:
Aapki Yaad Ne Mujko Beqarar Kar Dia
Aapki Yaad Ne Mujko Beqarar Kar Dia
Tanha Jeena Mera Dushwar Kar Dia
Socha Aaj Apko Hum Yaad Na Kare
Kambakht Dil Ne Dhadkne Se Inkar Kar Dia….
(Found it on the net. Don't know the shayar)
"You are incorrigible Zoya," he intertwined his fingers with hers, "waise aapki shayari ka standard better ho gaya hai…shayad Ayaan ki company ka asar hai."
"Wrong Mr. Kh-," he placed his finger on her lips before she could say his name, "aaj ke baad mujhey Mr. Khan nahin bolengi aap." Her lips quivered behind his finger, as she felt the blood rush into her veins, her throat parched and heartbeats raced against her chest. Time froze for them at that moment. He circled his arm around her thin waist and drew her closer, "you know I am an architect, and I can't stand asymmetry."
She rested her palms on his chest and gave him a quizzical look. He drew her closer, tossing her senses into a vortex of heady emotions. As she felt his breath get closer, she shut her eyes, overwhelmed by his proximity. He touched her earlobe gently and placed the missing earring back where it belonged, "thanks for returning my saaman," he whispered into her ear, "lekin aapka saaman aapko kabhie wapas nahin milega." Gasping, she felt a tingle as he roused a familiar feeling in her body. She had felt it before, whenever they had been close, but now there was no doubt in her mind that she was crazily and totally in love with her black and bitter Mr. Khan.
They held each other in a snug embrace; the warmth of the full moon graced the two anguished lovers.
Suddenly, Asad pulled back and stepped away, "aap yahan se chale jaaiye ab!"
Shocked and breathless, Zoya was aghast, "Asad…a…aap…yeh kya keh rahe hain?"
He flashed a smile, his dimples dug deep into his jaws, making him look more handsome than she could ever recall, "ab aap yahan tabhi aayengi jab aapke naam ka yahan permanent name plate lag jaayega….kya apko yeh proposal qubool hai?"
She flashed her dimples back, "mujhey qubool hai," and lowered her eyelids shyly. He gazed at her beautiful face, imagining her as his coy bride. He had witnessed her in a bridal outfit many a time, but this time he knew it would be forever and for his eyes only.
Applause interrupted the silence between the lovers. Dilshaad and Najma walked towards them, "Mubarak ho Zoya! Aakhir mere bte ko pyaar karna sikha hi diya tumne." Dilshaad came forward and hugged her future daughter in law. "Main jaanti thi agar koi mere Asad ko badal sakta hai, tho wo sirf meri Zoya hai," she kissed her forehead.
A shy Zoya hid her face in her phoophi's shoulder.
"Bhaijaan….abki baar eid par mujhey aapse double eidi chaahiye." Najma teased her brother.
"Wo kyun tamatar?" He smacked her forehead gently.
"Aapke kamre mein aaj ek chor aaya tha na?" She giggled.
"Oh…tho wo chorni tum thi tamatar?" He gave her a big hug, "shukr hai Zoya ki company mein tumney jhooth bolna hi nahin, chori karni bhi seekh lia hai."
"Abhi Zoya ko meri bhabhi ban ne do bhaijaan…tab dekhna hum dono aapka kaise band bajaate hain."
"Mujhey yeh bhi qubool hai." He winked at Zoya as she circled her arms around Dilshaad's neck.
Dilshaad drew her three favorite people into a family hug, "ab kal mujhey Siddiqui sahib se is rishte ki baat karni padhegi."
Zoya pulled back, "yeh kaam main karoongi phoophi…aakhir yeh meri zindagi ka sawaal hai."
"Agar unhein hey rishta qubool na ho tho?" Asad asked; a bit worried.
"Aap Zoya ko underestimate kar rahe hain bhaijaan," Najma crossed her arms and smiled.
He bowed his head and clasped his palms, "my fault….I know I should never do that….Zoya sab kuch kar sakti hai. Agar wo apne nikaah se bhaag sakti hai, tho wo apna nikaah fix bhi kar sakti hain."
"I am glad we agree on some things." Chuckling, Zoya picked her bag and wished everyone a Good night. Asad and Zoya couldn't wait to see the sunrise next morning. If the moon were witness to their confession, the sun would herald the beginning of a new life for both of them.
THE END
Fan Fictions
Anupamaa
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