Shadows FF Last Chapter & Epilogue (strictly 16+) - Page 37

Chapter 16

"Ammi, seriously there is no space to sit in this house." Ayaan said as he barged into his mother's room.

"I know my beta. There is a wedding taking place here and today is your, I mean Humi's mehendi." Dilshad said taking her eyes off the kurta she was mending.

"Ammi, did you have to invite everyone and their neighbors? I am pretty sure I have not seen half the people sitting downstairs. Who are these people?"

"Ayaan, don't say that. They are our relatives."

There was a knock at the door and Asad walked in. "Ammi, seriously..."

"Please Asad. Ayaan has already said it, you don't have to repeat it." Dilshad said rolling her eyes.

"Well then Ayaan is right, probably for the first time in his life." Asad said "When is everyone leaving?"

"Asad! The wedding hasn't even started yet. Today is the mehendi, tomorrow that is Saturday, the nikaah and the reception at night. So they are here till Sunday, most people are leaving Sunday morning and some in the afternoon. By Sunday night hopefully everyone will be gone. Ayaan and Humaira will also be leaving for Delhi and Zoya will be leaving too to catch her flight for New York. It will get really lonely."

"Actually Ammi I am going to Delhi with Ayaan also. I forgot to tell you." Asad said

"Really?"

"Yes I have a meeting on Monday morning and I thought I'll leave on Sunday with them."

"Well, the house will get very lonely then."

Asad had booked his flight to Delhi a few days ago. He knew Zoya would be leaving on Sunday and he wanted to be in Delhi to see her off. He still wasn't sure what this move would achieve but he wanted to be there, just in case she changed her mind.

Humaira walked in with a cup of tea in a tray.

"Humi beta you didn't have to get the tea here. I was coming downstairs anyway."

"Zoya made tea for everyone. She asked me to give this to you." Humaira said keeping the cup on the side table.

"Where is Zoya?" Asad asked

"She is in the kitchen, tidying up."

"Tell her not to bother. Everyone will be asking for another cup in half an hour anyway." Ayaan said

"And why is she making tea for everyone? Ammi didn't you hire two girls to work in the kitchen during the wedding?" Asad asked

"Bhaijaan they are doing other things." Humaira said

"Like?"

"One of them has been sent to the store to get some kind of cookies and the other one is applying oil on someone's hair."

"What? And Zoya is making tea? Ammi, do you see what your guests are doing?" Asad said, on the verge of losing his temper.

"Yes, yes I am going downstairs. Poor Zoya. Humi, can you check if this kurta is okay for you now?" Dilshad said as she gave the kurta to Humaira.

Humaira put it against herself and said, "Yes, now the length looks fine."

"Of all the trips you have made to the designer, your kurta still didn't come out right?" Ayaan asked

"No, this is the one we got from Delhi, I noticed in the morning that it was a little long and I am going to wear it tonight so I gave it to Zoya to fix it and Ammi took it from her." Humaira said

"Of course, she already had so many things to do. She has not even taken out her own clothes. God knows what she is wearing tonight." Dilshad said as she picked up her tea and made it to the door.

"Both of you" she addressed Asad and Ayaan "be a little patient, bear with the guests. This is only during the day. Asad, I am so glad you have made arrangements for all of them in the guest house for the night."

"I told you it wouldn't be a good idea to have all of them here 24/7, in this house. When we have the guest house why not utilize it. You were thinking they would mind being asked to stay at the guest house while we have this big house but I am sure they will appreciate their space too."

"Okay, I'll admit my beta is always right." Dilshad smiled sweetly and closed the door behind them.

000

"Ammi, please, that...that girl and me? Are you kidding me?"

"I know my beta, The girl's name is Tanveer. She is Razia's sister's daughter, from Allahabad. You know your Razia Mumani. She is always thinking about pairing the boys and girls in the family. She knows you are single and so is Tanveer so she has come up with this plan. It certainly doesn't mean you have to marry the girl." Dilshad said trying to keep her voice down. Razia had just openly hinted to Asad that she had brought her niece with her who she thought would be perfect for him. Asad had immediately gone in search of his mother, repelled at the notion but not wanting to be rude to his Mumani.

"Ammi please this is ridiculous. I don't want to say no to the poor girl. I don't even know her except that this is madness."

"Razia has not told her that she is here to see you. Or that this meeting has anything to do with marriage. Please my good beta. Just go talk to her so Razia is happy that she tried."

"Okay fine where is she? Let's get this over with. I am doing this just for you."

"Thank you my beta. Razia has sent her to the terrace. Please go and talk to her for five minutes."

"Fine but I can't believe I am doing this." Asad said, irritated and made his way to the terrace.

When he stepped into the terrace he saw a girl standing near the edge of the low wall. He went and stood next to her.

She turned towards him and said, "Listen, who where you are. I am not marrying you or anybody else that Razia khala chooses. Get it?"

Asad was taken aback

"I already have someone that I am in love with. He is also from Allahabad and he is in his last year of medical college. As soon as he is done with his exams we will tell our parents that we want to get married. So buzz off."

Asad started laughing.

"What are you laughing about?" Tanveer asked with her hands on her hips

"Just that I don't want to marry you either."

"Oh great!" Tanveer said, looking relieved.

"So you knew why you were coming here in Bhopal?"

"Of course, Razia khala asked Ammi to send me to Chanderi as soon as possible and then she drags me to Bhopal to some stranger's wedding and here I am. I think everyone knows why I am here, I don't know who Razia khala is hiding it from."

"Were you there at Najma's wedding?"

"No, Abbu and Ammi went, my younger sister had her exams so I stayed back with her. So now the bigger question is why you don't want to marry me? Am I ugly or something?"

"No, nothing like that."

"Are you in love with someone too?" Tanveer asked excitedly

"NO" Asad denied vehemently.

"Then why? You think I am ugly, don't you? Or wait, are you gay?"

"NO, I think you watch too many movies."

"Then why would you say no."

Asad thought about it and then decided to say "Well there is someone..."

"So you do like someone?"

"I am not sure if she likes me. Sometimes I think she does but sometimes I think she doesn't. I don't know."

"What kind of a problem is this? Ask her."

"It's not that simple."

"Why not, okay I'll ask her for you. Is she coming to the mehendi tonight or the wedding tomorrow?"

"Of course, she is here right now. She is the bride's sister, Zoya."

"Ohhh Zoya, the pretty, American girl who hardly smiles."

"That's her"

"Hmmm ya, you can't ask her. She doesn't look the kind who has ever given a straight answer in her life."

"Heyyy don't say that about her."

"Have you gotten a straight answer from her, ever?"

"Well, uh...no but that's because she's is an American and she is also a lawyer." He emphasized on the last part proudly.

"Okay fine she is a paragon of virtue, happy?"

"Yes, that's my Zoya."

Tanveer rolled her eyes, these new people in love.

"If you need my help, let me know. Maybe you can make her jealous, that will tell you if she is interested or not. Or you can ask her sister. That's what I did. You see Adnan's sister is my best friend since we were together in class two. So she asked Adnan if he likes me and he said yes, and here we are, six years later, still in love."

"Yes yes all that is very romantic. Thank you but I think these are very juvenile ideas and I think I'll figure something out myself."

"Okay if that's what you want but let me tell you my ideas have helped a lot of my friends. This is years of experience talking."

"Yes, yes Tanveer, thank you. Now let's go downstairs otherwise they'll think we are interested in getting married."

"No no we can't have that, let's go."

They came down the stairs together. Razia smiled and said to Zoya sitting next to her. "Don't they make a great pair? Just look at them."

Zoya gave a half smile, mumbled something and left the room.

Asad had heard Razia Mumani's comment. He noted that Zoya was not particularly happy about it. He looked at Tanveer and wondered if her ideas, the ones he had dismissed a few minutes ago were worth looking into.

000

Zoya stole a few moments and entered her room. All of a sudden she was feeling ill, she could feel a headache coming on. She knew what the reason was but she didn't want to admit it. The awful feeling had started as soon as she had seen Asad smiling and coming down the stairs with the pretty girl and his aunt admiring their pairing.

She took a few moments to compose her herself before opening her laptop. She had to check her emails, to make sure the papers she had faxed were in order and try to get her mind off Asad and the girl.

She saw her colleague, Bill's email thanking her for her efforts and informing her that the papers have already been submitted to the court. But it was the next email that caught her eyes. It was from the Prison & Correctional Facility. She clicked on it. She scanned the contents briefly and it was the last line that hit her. She immediately closed the laptop and tried to stop her violently shaking hands. The memories which she had carefully buried inside her came flooding back. There was a great roaring in her ears, she thought she was going to faint but instead her stomach felt queasy. She ran to the bathroom and threw up the lunch she had had a couple of hours ago.

000