An Asyalicious first date!
Part 1 (A)
"Zoya beta, Najma and I are going to a relative's house, she is not well so we are going to meet her." Dilshad informed Zoya.
"That means I'll be alone in the house?" She asked.
"Arrey, why will you be alone? Asad is there na." Dilshad said.
"Ya, but he is so boring, he will just stay in his room with a book or his laptop." She pouted.
"Assaadd... Asaaaddd, come out I want to talk to you."
"Yes ammi, what do you want to talk?"
"Najma and I are going to meet fatema aapi. I want you to take Zoya out. She will get bored at home. Look at her, bechari kitni bore ho jati hogi." Dilshad looked at Zoya's puppy dog face.
"Ammi woh bechari nahi hai! And why should..." Asad said but he was cut off by Dilshad.
"I don't want to hear anything Asad, you are taking her out and that's final. Show her around, she has been staying here for so long but she still hasn't seen Bhopal." Dilshad crossed her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow as if challenging him to refuse.
"Okay, fine." He huffed.
"Yippiee! I'll go change." Zoya literally jumped from the couch.
"Don't take much time." He said annoyingly.
"No beta, take as much time as you want, Asad will wait. Have fun you both and Asad do not fight with her." saying this Dilshad and najma left.
"Fun, my ass." He clenched his teeth.
Zoya rummaged through her almirah, trying to find something nice to wear.
was it a date? A date... With that Akdoo ahmed khan? Please.
"Ms faarooquiii, please come fast, I don't have all day." He yelled from the living room.
Sorry Mr Khan but today you have to wait. She grinned and took her own sweet time to get ready.
Asad caressed his head, this girl is never on time, why is she taking so long?
he walked towards her room and banged on the door.
"Ms faarooquiii, are you ready? You do know that when ammi said you can take as much time as you want, she didn't really meant it."
When he didn't get any reply he knocked again. She opened the door just as his hand was raised to bang on it again. His hand stayed where it was. He simply stood there looking at her.
Zoya was wearing a cute long sleeved pink kurti with a sequined loose belt at the waist and narrow-fitting black jeans.
Zoya snapped her fingers to get his attention.
"Mr khan... Mr khan''. Earth to Mr khan, earth to Mr khan." She waved her hands in front of him.
"You are beautiful." He whispered. Zoya's eyes widened, Did he just complemented her?
"The colour pink suits you, it brings out your eyes. You should wear it more often." As soon as the words left his mouth, he mentally smacked himself. Just how much on guard can a person be?
"Um, shall we go?" he said with an intention of changing the topic
The car ride was quiet and Zoya was becoming increasingly restless. She just couldn't handle this boredom.
Isse toh main ghar main hi acchi thi. She thought to herself.
Asad tried very hard to concentrate on the road ahead and not on the woman beside him.
"Asad look at that tree, it's so beautiful. Oh look, a street dog trying to catch it's own tail, he is so funny. Wow, look at that stone, it's shape is so weird." He tried distracting himself with these stupid things, but he ws not interested in them. Of course who would be? He was more interested in Zoya her face, her big brown eyes, her cute pouty lips, her long slender neck''..
"So where are we going?" Zoya's voice brought him out of his ZoyaLand.
"Where do you wanna go?" he asked.
"Surprise me." She said excitedly.
"I was thinking about the museum."
"Museum? You've got to be kidding me?" She narrowed her eyes at him.
Who the hell takes a girl to a museum on a date? Woah, woah, woah Zoya, stop right there. This.Is.Not.A.Date!!!
"Then where do you want to go?"
"There's this fun fair in Bhopal, let's go there." She suggested.
"Fun Fair? Ms Farooqui we are not kids anymore."
"Yeah, I doubt you went to a fun fair when you were a kid. I've always wanted to see an Indian fun fair'. C'mon Mr khan, it'll be fun, trust me." She squealed.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, he wanted peace and silence but now that was impossible.
"Fine!"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
"Mr khan have we reached there?" Zoya looked at Asad.
"You asked me the same question five minutes ago." He said.
"Well, it's not my fault if the fair is held so far. Now if you'll be a good girl, I'll buy you an ice cream when we reach there." He muttered sarcastically.
Zoya was getting bored so she switched on the radio, the song which was playing was,
"Suhana safar aur yeh mausam haseen,
humein darr hai hum kho na jaye kahin..."
Asad quickly changed the channel. The radio stations started playing dumb songs nowadays.
"Pyaar hua, ikraar hua hai,
pyaar se phir kyun darta hai dil..."
Asad and Zoya looked at each other, he stared into her deep brown eyes. He wasn't looking at the road in front of him, he just wanted to drown in those eyes. He remembered what had happened that rainy night, he remembered the dance, he remembered their confession but he never said this to Zoya. He was never going to tell her that he knew. He just wasn't ready to accept the feelings that Zoya invoked in him. Kyun Asad kyun? Akhir kyun pyaar se itna darta hai dil? But he didn't have any answer. Maybe he was afraid of hurting her, maybe it was his big fat ego or maybe it was his pre conceived notion that Zoya was a misfit for his family. He didn't know the answer, after all har kyun ka jawaab nahi hota.
Asad saw a loose tendril of hair on her face, almost as if his hands had a mind of their own, he lifted his hand and moved the lock of hair away from her face, Zoya leaned into his touch instinctively.
"Yeh kya ho raha hai, yeh kya ho raha hai,
Yeh kya ho raha hai, arrey yeh kya ho raha hai,
Kucch nahi, kucch nahi pyaar ho raha hai..."
The loud music interrupted their private moment and brought them back in their senses. Zoya looked out of the window and Asad turned off the volume, he was getting irritated with the damn stereo. Was it really the stereo, or was it his growing feelings towards Zoya? He quickly dismissed the thought.
"Mr khan I'm hungry, are we there yet?" Zoya asked again after some time.
"Almost."
Zoya changed the channel and turned on the volume of the radio again,
"kisi disco main jaye, jaye,
kisi hotel main khaye, khaye,
koi dekh le na hume yahan,
kahin ghum ke aye hum,
chalo ishq ladaye, chalo ishq ladaye,
chalo ishq ladaye sanam."
Asad switched the damn thing off with a loud groan. The song was annoying and to make matters worse Zoya had started singing along. Asad gave Zoya an incredulous look. She simply shrugged and said,
"I don't get to hear retro songs in New York." Asad rolled his eyes to the heaven.
"Aah, we are here... finally!"
"Wow, it's so beautiful and colourful'."
"... and noisy and irritating." Asad finished her sentence.
"Mr Khan for once you should stop being so uptight and enjoy life, live in the moment, relive your childhood memories." Zoya said.
"Ms Farooqui, first, I'm not uptight and second, what makes you think I want to relive my childhood memories? I don't want to relive those horrible memories when Mr Rashid left us. Your childhood would have been colourful and cheery but not mine." He spat.
"Mr Khan if you think that a childhood in an orphanage is colourful and cheery then ya fine, it was. That's why I am asking you to let go all the hurt for one day and enjoy, life is too short to waste it in meaningless anger. Let's go." She took his hand in hers and went inside.
*************
"Mr Khan, look at that Ferris wheel... Wow, which is that ride..." Zoya and Asad roamed around the fair, looking at different rides. Asad looked at Zoya, her eyes were twinkling just like a child in a candy store, she looked so young' younger then she already was. Her excitement over a stupid ride made him smile, she was so innocent and he loved this innocence of hers. He could never understand her, one moment she would behave like a small child and the next moment she would become a mature adult, a mature woman. She intrigued him, no amount of time was long enough with her, whenever he was with her time just flew by. Zoya pointed out various rides to him but he just kept looking at her, nothing could be more interesting than this woman.
_____________________
Teri meri teri meri kahaani
Ek daastan nayi purani
Chori chori yeh kahani chali hai
Theheri thi jo tere aa jaane tak
_______________________
"Wow... barf ka gola... we don't get that in New York. I've never tasted it."
"Bhaiya gola dena." She said to the gola wala.
He immediately made two golas as Zoya looked at him fascinatingly making it. The guy applied syrup of different flavors. It looks so delicious. She thought to herself. The man handed the golas to Asad.
"I don't want it." He said while making a disgusting face.
"Fine, dono mujhe hi de do." She rolled her eyes.
"Ms Farooqui you were raised in New York, don't you have any sense of hygiene? Don't know what type of water they use to make it." He pointed at the gola.
"I can ask you the same thing, you were born in India still you have never tasted this? Geez you are so boring." She threw the gola and walked away from him.
"Bhaisaab, bhabhiji toh gussa ho gayi." The golewala said.
"Chup... Tere gole ki wajah se hi gussa hui hai."
Asad went behind Zoya and gave her a chocolate ice cream,
"I'm sure you like chocolate." He smirked.
Zoya smiled and took the ice cream from him.
____________________
Tere aane se maine jaana ke
Tu hi jeenay ka hai bahana
And I dont know why
But I feel good
Tere aane se maine jaana ke
Har safar ho gaya suhana
And I dont know why
But I feel good
_______________________
"Mr khan, look at the teddy bear." Zoya screeched and pointed towards a huge furry teddy bear.
"Yeah, so. Don't tell me you don't get to see a teddy bear in New York."
"I have seen but it's so furry and cute and if I don't have it I'll die." She squealed like a kid.
"Ms faroqui how old are you?"
"Right now I'm five years old."
Asad stared at Zoya and smiled at her childishness and her obsession over a soft toy.
"Mr Khan please get it for me. Pretty please with a cherry on the top. Do you want to see my puppy dog face?" Zoya started walking towards the shop.
"Yeh ladki mujhe pagal kar ke hi rahegi." He shook his head and grinned.
"Bhaiya yeh teddy kitne ka hai?" Zoya asked the guy who was standing in the shop.
"Sorry madam, if you want that toy then you have to play and win this shooting game." He replied in a monotonous bored tone.
"Mr Khan, please win it for me." She flashed her dimples at him and he melted.
"Fine, what do I have to do?" he asked the guy.
"You just have to aim in the middle of the board with this gun. You will get only three trials." He told him the rules and gave him the gun and the bullets.
Asad aimed the gun at the board, Zoya clapped enthusiastically for him but he missed. He tried again and again but he kept on missing the target.
"Give me more bullets." He told the man.
"Mr khan what are you doing? You can't even aim properly." Zoya said.
"Your constant commentary is distracting me."
"Oh ho, naach na jaane, aangan teda. I'm cheering you and you think I'm distracting you."
"Ok mister, enough is enough, tell me your price?" he said to the man.
"I'm sorry but that is not for sale." He replied.
Allah miyan, what's wrong with you Mr khan? Bribing is not called winning. You know what give me the gun." She took the gun from Asad.
"Do you even know how to hold a gun?" he raised his eyebrow.
"Sshh Mr khan, give me the bullets and stand back and watch." She said haughtily.
Zoya aimed at the board and pulled the trigger, she didn't take more then five seconds to aim.
"Bullseye!" Zoya shouted when the bullet hit the target perfectly.
Asad looked at Zoya then at the board then at the man who had gone to get the teddy and then he looked down.
"You can aim?" he said but it sounded more of a question.
"Name one thing that I can't do." She said proudly.
"There you go." The man handed the teddy to Zoya, she hugged it tightly and Asad suddenly felt jealous of that teddy bear. How he wished Zoya could hug him like that. Stop it Asad! A small voice inside his head warned.
_____________________
Har disha rastaa naya
Har kahin raahein nayi nayi
Meri raahein tujhe paake
Tujhpe hi tham gayi
Humsafar thi magar tu hi
Manzil ban gayi
Teri meri teri meri kahaani
Yeh raastein likhte jaaye bas
_________________________
"You got your teddy, you had your ice cream now can we please go home? I have to complete some work." Asad pleaded.
"Ok Mr khan." She replied while caressing the teddy's fur.
They both moved towards their car, Asad saw something unusual and bent down to see that the front tires were punctured.
"What the hell. Now who did this?" Asad asked angrily.
"I did. Mujhe na tyre puncture karna bohot pasand hai." She deadpanned.
"It's not funny Ms Farooqui." He reprimanded.
"Now how will we go home? We won't even get any taxi here." He looked around.
Zoya saw a man standing beside a scooter, he was talking on the phone.
"Mr khan if we can borrow his scooter?" she pointed at the man.
"Ya of course, we'll ask for his scooterand he'll happily give us the keys, you are so smart." He said sarcastically.
"We can at least try. If you don't want to talk then I'll go talk to him."
"Where do you think you are going? This is not New York. What if this man turns out to be a psycho rapist?" he said with concern, concern for her, for her safety.
"He doesn't look like a psycho rapist." She looked at the man. He was a little short heighted and fat.
"Oh so you are a criminologist? You've done research on criminal behavior?" he crossed his arms across his chest and tapped his foot.
"No, I'm not a criminologist I just think that he is not dangerous."
"Fine... Go, but if he is a psycho rapist then I won't come to save you." He warned her.
"Oh please, if anything happens to me then you'll be the first to come to my rescue, just like a knight in shining armor." Saying this she started walking towards the man leaving behind a shocked Asad. He was sometimes scared of her honest replies, she was right, he wouldn't let anything happen to her.
He watched as Zoya made her way towards the man. He was talking on the phone and his back faced Zoya. Zoya suddenly stopped and leaned as if trying to hear his phone conversation. Ya Allah, doesn't she understand the meaning of privacy? Why does she have to interfere in everything. She was surely going to land in trouble.
Zoya looked at Asad then at the man and then again at Asad. She smiled mischievously as she came back and stood in front of Asad.
"On second thoughts, what if he does turn out to be a psycho rapist and you actually don't come to help me. Why don't you go and talk to him." She said sweetly.
Asad narrowed his eyes, kucch toh gadbad hai. He sighed and went to talk to the man.
"Wait Mr khan, remove your jacket."
"Why?" he asked.
"Because you look very hot without it." She bit her tongue as she said that.
"WHAT?" he stared at her.
"No, I was just kidding. Actually it has started getting chilly. I'm cold." She rubbed her hands and faked a shiver.
"It's 38 degree Celsius and you are cold?" he looked at her skeptically.
"Did you want to become a police? Why are you questioning me so much? Just give me the jacket and go talk to him before he goes away."
Asad removed his jacket and gave it to Zoya.
Zoya watched as Asad tapped on the man's shoulder. The man turned to look at Asad, he studied him from head to toe almost as if he was checking him out.
"Excuse me, our car broke down and we have to reach home urgently so I was thinking if we could borrow your scooter, we will return it of course." Asad explained the situation to him. The man was wearing a light blue shirt and black pants.
He kept a hand on Asad's shoulder and said, "Of course you'll return it, I trust you."
Asad's eyes widened with horror. Everything about the man, his voice, his tone, his stance screamed 'GAYYY'
"My oh my seems like you work out a lot." He said while touching his biceps. Asad cringed away from the touch.
He was too shocked to reply, he heard Zoya's boisterous laugh and looked at her. so this was why she didn't want to talk to the man herself, this was why she was suddenly feeling cold. He narrowed his eyes at her and she stopped laughing.
"I'm Amit, what's your name?" Amit asked him.
"M-m-my name is Asad Ahmed Khan." He stuttered. He just wanted to run away from here.
"Wow such powerful name." Amit turned to look at Zoya who had started laughing again on seeing Asad's face.
"Who is she?" he pointed at her.
Zoya saw the point at her and she knew he must be asking about her. she stopped laughing and ran towards them.
"Bhaijaannn, did you get a ride?" she asked Asad. He looked at her with eyes wide open while his mouth formed an 'O'.
"Bhaijaan?" Amit asked Asad.
"Yes, he is my bhaijaan and I'm his cute little sister." She smiled brightly.
"Oh'' yes dear, he arranged a ride. Here are the keys and here is my address you'll need it to return the scooter." He smiled at Asad and walked away. Only when he was completely out of sight did Asad heaved a sigh of relief.
"Ms Faa-roo-quiii! You knew it, didn't you?" he looked at her angrily.
"Mr khan aren't we getting late? Let's go. Give me the keys." She tried to change the topic.
"What makes you think you are driving?"
"Really? You want to drive this?" she pointed at the pink scooter.
Asad shuddered, "you're right I don't. I'll give you the keys on one condition, you will never ever, ever call me bhaijaan again."
Zoya nodded and he gave the keys to her.
Asad sat behind Zoya, he clutched his collar and said,
"Geez I feel so used, another minute with him and he would've raped me."
Zoya giggled and said, "Don't worry Mr Khan just how you'll save me from all the psycho rapists even I will save you from all the psycho rapists in the world, my knight in distress." And she started the scooter.
INDEX-
part 1 A - pg 1
part 1 B - scroll down
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