Winding down with Zoya - pt23 updt pg 60 - Page 5

Chapter 7

Asad froze with fright when saw bright red on the comforter. He was there beside her to check if Zoya was in pain. She was sleeping, " may be she has not felt any pain yet but the blood stain sent a chill down his spine.

He grabbed a set of fresh clothes for Zoya, sat beside her and woke her up gently. She woke with a smile as always, only it wrenched his heart this morning. He pointed to the stain and registered her shock. He tried to stay calm and asked her if she was in pain. "No Asad" she repeated. "Let's get Dr.Chaaya to see you anyways" he said helping her up. He kissed her forehead told he he was sure everything was fine. Zoya pulled on her clothes cleaned up and was out right away. He picked her up, drove to the clinic and thanked his stars that there was little traffic on the roads this time of the day and could barely breathe. He looked at Zoya she strangely seemed composed. He found it impossible to let go of her hand. He quickly called Dr.Chaaya. Harish told him that his mother was down with a wheezing attack and added that he should go to the clinic anyways and that he would call ahead and make sure that Dr.Arif was there. "Asad we are good right"? she asked when he set her down on the exam table. The nurse asked him to wait at the lobby while she attended to Zoya.

Dr.Arif ?? NOT him thought Asad, and looked at Zoya. She wanted to go see Arif after all Dr.Chaaya had recommended him. At the lobby he waited on tenter hooks for the door to open and to be beside her. He was called in. Dr.Arif was smiling at Zoya as he helped her get off the exam table. " Remember no gymnastics tonight" he said Zoya was glad Asad did not understand that comment, he would have fumed even more if he had! Dr. Arif motioned for Asad to sit, to which did not react and anxiously looked at Zoya. "She is fine Mr.Khan. around 20% of pregnant women spot during the first trimester"."Spot!! the stain he saw was large" he said. " Well don't worry she is fine and your little tyke is good too" he said."You did the right thing though to bring her in". Zoya bit her lower lip when she saw relief wash over Asad. She held his hands and walked to the car while Asad looked like he was finally getting the bleakness out.

"Asad" said Zoya while she kissed his palm "I'm making this hard for you right"? "We are doing this together Zoya" he said." But yeah I want the next 3 weeks out soon". He put her belt on and gave her a tight hug. Zoya could almost touch his fear. She knew he loathed uncertainty and this stress was surely chipping him away. She would think about what she could do to make life a little easier for him. All along she has been so obsessed with her body, her emotions, her demands, her idiosyncrasies and did not even spare a thought for him. He was also a first time dad wasn''t he?? Her heart started beating to a crazy rhythm as she fell in love with this man who was getting into the seat next to her. She twisted in her seat leaned across and ran her fingers on his forehead licked the tip of his nose. Her smile vanished like a dew drop in the sun; she reached for her sickness bag and cursed his deodarant. Asad looked at her, gave her a lopsided grin as he wiped her mouth , handed her a bottle of water and promised to bin the offensive deodarant after he gets home.

He saw Ammi praying when they got home. She was already briefed and she knew that these things happened. Resolved to pray more and stay calm. She hugged Zoya insisted she eat something. " Eat more often Zoya and don't worry when you get sick, there is always something in your tummy for the baby". Simple wise words thought Zoya and nodded thankfully.

Asad came down changed for work. He made sure that Zoya was okay asked her if she wanted to go up. Zoya shook out a no, she would shower downstairs and and go up only when he returns. "Asad my Ipad please" she begged..."here" he fished from the pile he had already brought down. He gave her a slurpy kiss and grabbed a sandwich and dashed out. "Ammi" (who was at the kitchen sink) he called out "please call me if you" and looked pointedly at Zoya "if you need anything". She blew a kiss at him and nodded briskly. "Don't worry" she mouthed.

She shrieked "Hi Appi" into the Ipad when Appi came online. She chatted with her. Appi and Jeeju thanked Ammi for her care and for Najma. "We don't miss Zoya now" they added generously. Ahaha..thought Zoya just before signing off Zoya turned her dimples on, pouted, made a puppy dog face, made sure that Ammi was out of ear shot and whispered " I miss you guys" she breathed into the camera.

Asad was home in the afternoon when she was napping on the couch. Thankfully she had slept through the door bell. She did look like a flower he thought when he drew the curtains at the far end to darken their living room. He got a couple of guys from work and by the time she woke up their guest bedroom was transformed into his home office. He was going to work out of here for the next 3 weeks at least -except for client meetings and site visits. Ammi was happy with the change although she wasn't sure if he would get any work done with Zoya a few feet away.

Zoya was delighted to see the change when she woke up. " Awww Asad" she squealed he had now grown into liking these expressions especially " awww" and " muaaah". He shook his head and got back to arranging his files. Zoya hugged him from behind and kissed his other ear when he was winding up his phone call. "Come and have lunch with us" said Zoya. Asad changed and joined them. The ladies were at the table when he sat down. The spread was all that Zoya liked. She ate like a horse, asked Asad if he wanted the last roti emptied the stir fried vegetables on to her plate and washed it all down with tender coconut water. Asad and Ammi shared a knowing smile. Asad because this was the first meal she finished without getting sick in weeks and Ammi because she noticed that Zoya did not wait for Asad's answer before she loaded the roti and vegetables on her plate. Instinct made Ammi ask if Zoya would like some more, but logic stopped her. She did not want Zoya to get conscious and knew she would ask if she felt like more.

The last 2 days Zoya spent her time Asad watching. He was working from his make shift office secure that he was at hand should Zoya or Ammi need him. He focussed better and drew more. He had someone come over from his office couple times a day to deliver and fetch what needed to be sent. He also came out for mini breaks - for a meal, or a kiss and a cuddle or just a quick glimpse of the sleeping Zoya. A cup of coffee was all that Asad was missing in his picture perfect life right now!

The Khan household a beehive of activity the following morning. It was 3 days since Zoya's skype call to her Aapi. The drivers were running back and forth to the office and on other errands. The maali was helping the tidy up rooms as the maid was busy helping Ammi roll things out of the kitchen. She was cooking a feast. Asad saw Zoya bent over her laptop with a set of external hardrives and the iPad next to her, a pencil tucked into her ponytail Asad would have forgiven anyone who would have thought that she was in another planet. She was busy writing down something ,scartching, writing again and doing a celebratory jig every now and then.. just like she would when Dhoni hit a 6 he thought. He would have run up to snoop in on her if he didn't have so much to get out of his way the next hour or so.

Zoya looked up at the laid out table. She walked around it a couple of times hoping that Ammi and Asad would come for lunch. But she was surprised to see that she not the object of focus today. She was still wondering why when she heard the door bell. Aapi and jeeju burst through the door jeeju hi fived her and asked Aapi if she was not too fragile to hug. He followed suit when he saw Appi throw her arms around Zoya. Jeeju she squealed into his ear. Asad and Jeeju shook hands for the first time in their lives. The guests were shown in Asad apologised to them for having to put them up in Najma's room." Think nothing of that" Aapi dismissed. They gathered for lunch. Asad was tickled pink to see Zoya this happy. There was so much happiness around the table. Aapi and Jeeju were genuinely happy for Asad and Zoya. Asad was thoughtful he wondered why there was a sense of loss in Aapi's face. Then it dawned on him the after all these years Zoya and Asad's baby would be the first grandchild in the Farooqi family. Life was a great leveler sometimes thought Asad.

Later that evening after Appi and Jeeju had rested a bit the Appi Jeeju and Ammi threesome was heading out to watch a play. Asad was home from his meetings and insisted that Ammi go with them and not worry about Zoya or the dinner. He would take care of it.

He saw them off and came back and saw Zoya still doubled up on her laptop. This time he went over to her pushed her hair away from her neck and kissed her there. Zoya turned to look at him with a mysterious smile. Wait a minute he thought " did you get them here??" ..yes she said "so that I could let you off the hook..I never asked them to come though". she winked. Asad smiled a knowing smile.

This was the bedrock of their marriage. Addressing each other's unspoken needs. Asad picked Zoya off the chair " my sugar" he said while he gave her a breath sucking kiss.

She ran her fingers over his forehead. She licked his nose again. Asad teared up, he never thought there could be someone as caring as Zoya was. She did the same thing when they were in the car after the morning scare recollected Asad. She read his thoughts. " you have taught me how be observant Asad" she said. Asad held her gaze before he shut his eyes and hugged Zoya and thought " Gosh! I do have all that any human being could ever need. Anything that life offered him from here would make him an incredibly lucky human being. He felt a surge of energy through his veins. He would be there always for Zoya no matter how this pregnancy went. And till date they had absolutely nothing to worry about.

Zoya hoped that today she helped put something back in Asad that the Tanveer saga had taken out of him - faith in relationships. Loving relationships did not take trouble out of our lives.They just gave us the courage to face them and good memories to tide over traumatic ones.