Hello my peeps! B)
I have a Board Exam tomorrow, yet I'm writing this like a mutt.
I'm honestly not happy with this. I think it turned out a little crappy. -.- Nevertheless, I wanted to post it!
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Zoya stood by the kitchen island and cut the potatoes. She was making dinner tonight. She honestly didn't even know why she had signed up for it.'Oh come on, Zoe!' her heart chided. 'You want him to pay attention to you again, that's why.'
After a long long time, Zoya Farooqui was upset.
Why?
Well, it was because of one such goody-two-shoe called Tanveer.
Her very name made Zoya cut the vegetables with a little more force than necessary.
Tanveer had moved into the Khan residence, something that absolutely upset Zoya. She knew why, but didn't want to acknowledge it.
She had eventually told Mr.Khan that she intended to prevent him from going for his father's hearing. He was outraged, needless to say. He had shot her one last dirty look and escaped with his car.
He had actually left her stranded in a no-man's land. She had eventually made her way to a bus-stop and caught a bus back to Bhopal. She was of course, extremely late.
She had a window-seat, she always loved those.
And she had liked her beautiful companion. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, was where all the trouble started.
Her bus-mate, Tanveer had told her that she was going back to Bhopal to "reconnect" with an old friend.
'Reconnect, my ass' her heart said. They were literally having eye-sex.
LIKE ALL THE TIME.
It was beginning to frustrate Zoya to no end! It was like God was punishing her for all her mistakes by putting this pretty lady in the Khan residence! Zoya shuddered at all the mental images.
Tanveer and her had had a good time in the bus until when the driver had rammed into a tree.
YUP.
It actually happened. Zoya Farooqui hadn't started the trouble for just once.
Both Tanveer and her had sustained injuries, hers being more serious. Tanveer had immediately made a call to this "friend" of hers. Zoya had decided to wait for the next bus to get back home. Although Tanveer said that her friend would be more than willing to drop her back home, she didn't want to ask for a favor again.
So you could imagine her gob smacked face when after an hour, she saw her Akdu Ahmed Khan running on the road like a Bollywood Hero. She stood there rooted to the spot. She didn't even know how he had found her.
He ran like a man on a mission.
Right. Past. Her.
And into Tanveer Barbie's arms.
By the time Zoya had relived this memory, she had destroyed that poor potato's life.
Here he was lecturing her about morals and public behavior and there he goes hugging her! He was so painfully twisted. She still couldn't believe that he had done that.
And with that single gesture towards Tanveer, Asad Ahmed Khan had broken her heart.
Every time she pictured this scene, she always dreamt that Asad ran towards her instead.
She sighed at how it had all turned out. The car journey back was painfully awkward. She sat in the backseat watching them both eye-sex it up.
She was so jealous. It had taken her almost a couple days to admit the fact that she was jealous.
Jealous of Tanveer. She was a picture perfect doll. She had enough "Tehzeeb" to feed an army! And the worst part, really, was that she was so kind.
Zoya couldn't hate her. Because she had done absolutely nothing wrong to her. She was so considerate, caring yet reserved. She was like a female version of Asad.
'No wonder they were perfect for each other', she thought. She was sure Phoophi was thinking about their nikaah already!
She tossed the vegetables into the stove and started cooking. Asad hadn't even turned her way after Tanveer had arrived. Even the little conversation they had had reduced to the very minimum. Tanveer occupied all his time! Everything was about her! She was sure that Asad had told Tanveer all about her because nowadays, Tanveer looked at her like she was the germ on her windshield. Tanveer also disliked Zoya's messiness. It was Asad all over again.
Difference being, Zoya didn't want to impress Tanveer. She wanted to throttle her.
It was like Zoya was forgotten. Sure, Najma and Phoophi still remembered her. Tanveer didn't seem to have cast her magic spell on them as yet. But on Mr.Khan?
It was just ridiculous. He was so happy with her that it made her heart clench. He looked so much more at ease with her in a second than he looked with her in the weeks that she was here.
In the last few days, Zoya had realized that she had taken advantage of Mr.Khan. She had taken advantage of how much attention he showered on her, how much he took care of her and most importantly, she had taken advantage of the trust he had for her.
So maybe she deserved this? Yeah, maybe.
She had become attached to him, like a moth to a flame. She didn't even know when she had started becoming dependant on him, had started falling for him. But it had happened, and here she was facing the consequences by cooking some ridiculous meal to get out of depression.
She was snapped out of her reverie when the lights in the kitchen went off.
"Damn power cuts!" she muttered and carefully continued cooking.
And there it was.
That feeling she got nowadays when Mr.Khan was anywhere around her. It was like some new awareness that spread within her.
She hated herself.
So much.
For falling for someone who would never ever reciprocate that feeling.
'It's only a crush, Zoya!' her mind said. 'Chill out! You'll forget it!'
If only it were so easy.
A small mutter from the hall brought her out of her senses. Mr.Khan had come home. She knew it.
She didn't even need to be near him nowadays to feel the tingles on her skin that spread like fire.
He walked into the kitchen with a smile. Zoya's breath caught in her throat. It had been so long since he had smiled at her.
He said, "Tanveer, give me some water."
Zoya froze.
Her chest tightened and that uneasy feeling spread through her stomach. No wonder he had walked in smiling, it wasn't even meant for her. It was meant for his Barbie, Tanveer.
She suddenly felt like Tanveer had become her replacement.
No, she was probably Tanveer's replacement for all along. Tanveer was the one who belonged here.
She breathed and tried to push the tears back.
Yet, she still felt like a complete utter fool.
She looked up and said, "This is Zoya."
He was fidgeting with something and he immediately looked up and said, "Oh. Miss Farooqui, may I please have a glass of water?"
She glanced at him surprised. She fetched him a glass and said, "So what's with all the formality? You were fine a second before!"
She was trying too hard to be bubbly, she knew that. But she didn't want him to know that his unintended action had affected her.
He put his glass down and said, "I'm always formal when it comes to strangers. You should know that." and he walked off.
She felt so stupid.
She had totally asked for that one, but still calling her a stranger?
She wasn't his family, she wasn't his friend.
She didn't even mind being his enemy for all she cared.
But watching the man she was falling for call her a stranger still hurt.
"ZOYA!" she heard Phoophi's voice exclaim.
She put the stove on sim and replied, "Ji, Phoophi?"
"Come to the hall, beta! Don't cook without lights!" Phoophi's voice was closer now.
"I'm almost done, Phoophi!" she said and right at that second, Phoophi entered the room.
"Come to the hall after you're done? Everybody else is there!" she said enthusiastically.
Zoya did not want to go and watch both of those love-birds go all over each other so she politely muttered, "No thanks, Phoophi."
Besides, she couldn't really face Asad until when she had composed herself.
"ZOYA! Stop it, beta! You're looking so dull nowadays! Come to the hall and sit, no?" Phoophi asked with a smile.
Zoya relented, just for her sake and she said she would come.
Armed with the kitchen cloth, she cleaned up the kitchen. She didn't want any more snide comments about her cooking. She drank a cup of water and told herself, "You've got this."
She walked to the hall to see them all huddled in the hall. Phoophi had just lit up all the candles.
"There's a storm coming!" Najma said excitedly. "We don't know when the lights are coming back!"
"It'll all be okay." Mr.Khan said with a small smile.
"So I have an idea!" Phoophi said.
We all turned towards her in an instant.
"We should make use of this time. It's a god-sent opportunity to unwind! So instead of sitting on your phones-"she looked pointedly at Asad, "or cooking-" she said looking at Zoya, "we'll do something here!"
"What?" Tanveer asked strolling into the room. She had just taken a shower and she looked positively resplendent in her white dress.
Asad and her exchanged small smiles. You know? The whole creepy koochy-koo love smile.
Meanwhile, Zoya was trying to think of Ian Somerhalder as a power-puff girl.
ANYTHING to distract her from this.
She cleared her throat, "What's the plan, Phoophi?"
Asad and Barbie snapped out of it and looked at Phoophi expectantly.
Lighting a candle, Phoophi murmured, "Ghost stories."
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Reading and reviewing is a must. :D
Please let me know if you find any typo's! I haven't proof-read it.
Love ;)
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:
INDEX:
PART 1 - PAGE 1
Seher Hone Ko Hai
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Current Affairs
Indian Mythology
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