AsYa FF ~ Mere Jazbaat ~ T#1 ~ Link to T#2 Page 1! - Page 36

Aww thanks! I was hoping you'd read my story =P since I loved your Valentine's Day one :D And again glad you're continuing it <3

I'm actually surprised at how many like it.. since it's only my second FF EVER. :D And yes please doo I love reading people's opinions :D Next update will be in two days, so Tuesday :)

So here is the next update! A little early, yes! I like keeping you all on your toes =P No chappals please :D

Enjoy!

A domestic flight to Delhi, and two international flights later, Zoya had finally arrived back in New York. To say the journey was unpleasant was an understatement of monumental proportions. Between controlling her tears, and thoughts of him running through her mind, she couldn't sit peacefully on the plane. Sleep evaded her as well, as she was afraid of having that same dream from the night at the Taj.

She waited at the baggage claim for her bags, and decided this was a good time to call her aapi and jeeju.

"Salaam Walikum, Jeeju," Zoya greeted him in her most cheerful voice.

"Zoya? Walikum Salaam. Lekin, tum is vakht phone kyun kar rahi ho? Vahan to raat ke ek baj chuke hain. Sab theek to hai?" replied a worried Anwar.

"Arre aap ek dumse ghab rage. Aur vaise bhi, mein jahan hoon, it's exactly the same time as where you are." Zoya hadn't realized how much she had missed them until now. She was always grateful to them for having taken her in.

"Magar kaise? Tum... Ek minute. Kahin tum New York mein to nahi?"

"Jeeju aap kitne slow ho gaye hai. Aapko definitely meri kami thi. Issi liye, jeeju, aap ne theek hi guess kiya. Aapki Zoya is back!" she cooed. Her Jeeju always put her in a good mood. And she definitely needed it right now.

"Lekin tumne mujhe pehle kyun nahi bataya? Mein tumhe pehle lene aata. Kher koi baat nahi. Ek kaam karo. Tum wahan se hil na mat. I'll come soon."

"Uff Jeeju tabhi to meine phone kiya! Ok Jeeju I'll wait for you. Vaise meri bags abtak nahin aay hai, so don't worry. Take your time, Jeeju. Allah Hafiz." replied Zoya.

"Allah Hafiz, beta."

* * * * * * *

Meanwhile in India...

Yes. Asad Ahmed Khan was utterly, irrevocably and hopelessly in love. He had finally admitted it to himself. But, he was still Asad Ahmed Khan. And his insecurities had not disappeared. After all, he had repeatedly hurt Zoya, his Zoya, in the past. Sometimes with his attempts to push her away, and others because he had genuinely not trusted her. He cringed. How could I ever doubt her, or her intentions? She's too pure. She can never harbor an impure thought. All she did was help my family, and me, time after time, and I rewarded with insults and accusations. He sighed.

Every time the thought of the empty guest room across the hall crossed his mind, his eyes brimmed with unshed tears, and he felt a dull ache in his heart.

But, said his mind, taking back the wheel, what if you hurt her again?

He won't, argued his heart.

Asad was confused. His previous resolve to distance himself from her was clearly not working. He was miserable, and so was she. While he was ok with his own pain, he couldn't bare to see her cry, to see her ache, to see her broken by his words. He decided he'd done enough thinking on his own, and now needed a second opinion. His plan had flopped, so now it was time for Plan B. And what that was, he hadn't the slightest clue.

"Ammi?" Asad poked his head in her room.

"Hmm? Asad? Aao. Kya baat hai?" asked a curious Dilshad.

He opened the door a little more. "Ammi, aap, aapko kaise pata tha... ki mein.. Zoya se..." started Asad.

"Mohabaat karte ho?" she completed his thought with a smile.

Asad blushed and looked down as he answered. "Ji." He walked in and sat next to Dilshad on the bed.

"Tumhari aankon mein saaf saaf likha hai, Asad. Mein to kya, puri duniya yeh baat dekh sakti hai. Par tum yeh mujhse kyun pooch rahe ho?" She smiled to herself. Finally... finally he's accepting it.. and opening up to his Ammi. Shurkia Allah miyan.

"Woh... actually..." stuttered Asad with his famous line.

"Asad..." said Dilshad. She put a hand on his shoulder, reassuring him.

He sighed. "Kya aapko lagta hai.. ki woh.. mujhse.. I mean.. Zoya bhi... " he stopped hoping she'd understand what he meant.

She smiled. "Tum yeh jaana chate ho ki kya Zoya bhi tumse mohabaat karti hai, hai na?"

Asad's blush deepened. Dilshad was amused. She didn't know her son could blush so much. He looked at his Ammi, and nodded, waiting for an answer.

"Asad, tumne kabhi yeh socha hai, ki Zoya tumhare liye itna sab kuch kyun karti hai?" She looked in eyes for a hint of understanding. He nodded. "To tum hi socho, koi ladki kisi ladke ke liye itna sab aur kyun karsakti hai?"

He gazed at his ammi intently, and started to think once more. She helped me meet Ayaan. Twice. She helped with me Ammi's shooter. And... she even took care of me. He smiled to himself and looked up to meet Dilshad's eyes. She just closed her eyes in agreement, and looked at him again, a smile on her face.

"Lekin Ammi... meine unne bohot dukh diya. Kya pata mein phir se karoon? Aap khe rahi thi, ki mein aapko aur Najma ko kabhi hurt nahin kar sakta hoon. Lekin Zoya? Usse to... meine kitni baar hurt kiya, uski kitni bezati ki... Aur iss baar to.. meine haad paar kardi... woh... mujhe maaf kaise karegi?"

"Dekho Asad, mein maan thi hoon ki jo bhi tumne kiya ya kaha, woh galat tha. Lekin yeh bhi sach hai, ki Zoya bohot hi samajdar ladki hai. Aur agar tum koshish nahi karoge... to woh tumme maaf kaise karegi?" She took his face into her hands and made him look her. "Tum samaj rahe ho na, jo mein kehne ki koshish kar rahi hoon?" she asked him.

Asad's eyes yet again brimmed with tears. His ammi was right, as always. He had to at least try, or he would live with this regret, this guilt and this feeling that a part of him is missing for the rest of his life. Yes, Zoya was his other half, and he could chide himself endlessly for not realizing it sooner, or do something about it.

Dilshad could see the newly formed resolve in his eyes. "Lekin Asad, woh tumhe itni asaani se maaf nahi karne wali. Magar tum himaat mat haarna. Ek na ek din, woh maanjaigi." She smiled at her son.

"Aapk theek khe rahi hain ammi. Aap fikar mat kije. Mein Zoya ko zarur manounga, aur mein usse wapas..." he paused. Ya Allah, lekin Zoya ka visa... Mr. Bhatawdekhar... mein usse wapas kaise lekar aoonga?

"Kya hua, Asad? Tum beech baat kyun ruk gaye?"

"Ammi, ek problem hai... Jab mein Zoya ko rok ne gaya tha... " he winced at the memory of her cold words, "Un ke saath..." he stopped.

"Kaun tha Zoya ke saath?" Dilshad was now worried. Kaun ho saktha hai?

"Woh... Mr. Bhatawdekhar..." He looked at his Ammi for a reaction.

Understanding dawned on Dilshad's face. "Iska maatlab, Zoya ka visa... woh wapas nahin aasakti? Ya Allah! Lekin kaise? Unne pata kaise chala!" Nahin, yeh nahin ho sakhta...

"Woh, actually..." he sighed. Yet another thing to add to the list of ways he hurt her. "Ammi Zoya ne unne bataya. Ki sagaai wali baat jhooti thi." Another pang of guilt stabbed his heart. Lekin woh jhooti kabhi thi hi nahi..., he thought to himself.

Dilshad kept quiet for a minute and processed this new development. "Asad," she said finally, "Tum iss par dihaan mat do. Tumme abhi itna sochna ki tum Zoya ko manaoge kaise. Bas. Baki sab baadmein dekhenge. Jao Asad. Apne pyaar ka izhaar karo." She looked at her son, with a big smile on her lips.

Asad just smiled back at his Ammi.

Brace yourself, Ms. Farooqui. Aapka Jahapana aa raha hai.

* * * * * * *

Back in New York...

A 45 minute car ride and countless probing questions later, Zoya reached home. She looked around her Aapi and Jeeju's apartment, happy to be... home? She already missed the blue sky and clouded wallpaper in her old room. She missed the garden. Garden... All those images of Mr. Khan and coffee cups resurfaced. She pushed them away, painfully.

"Zoya!" yelled a happy Zeenat. "I missed you so much! Tum jaanti nahi! Tumare jeeju mujhe kitna satate the tumhare jaane ke baad." She pouted and playfully punched Anwar, who smiled mischievously.

Zoya snapped out of her thoughts of Mr. Khan. "Aapi woh issi liye, kyun ki meine unne yeh khaas kaam diya tha. Taki aap mujhe itna bhi miss na karo." She smirked. Oh she had missed bugging her Aapi.

Zeenat feigned indignity. "Acha, to yeh baat hai. Chalo mein tum dono ko dikhati hoon."

All three laughed.

"Zoya tum bohot tak gayi hogi, tum jao apne kamre mein. Zeenat tumhare liye kuch khana ne le liye banaygi. Theek hai?" said Anwar, as he kissed her forehead.

She agreed and made her way to her room. Once the door was closed, and her stereo was blasting music, Zoya's fake smile was gone. And once again, her tears spilled out. She missed his house. Yes, despite how much I felt at home, he's made it clear it's not. She missed her Phoopi. She missed her friend and sister, Najma. And she hated herself for admitting this. But she missed... him. She missed her Jahanpana, Akdu Ahmed Khan.

* * * * * * *

Next morning in New York...

Zoya was her regular self in front of her Aapi and Jeeju. Reciting her famous shayari's bugging her Aapi and reveling in her pouting with her Jeeju. Picture perfect. Except it wasn't genuine. At least not from Zoya. She loved them, of course, and she had missed them too. But she was merely trying to hide her sadness, as she always did. And ironically, the one person who could see through her facade, was the one causing her the very grief she was so skillfully trying to hide.

Little did she know, that there was one other person, who could see pain in her eyes, but had decided to find the right time to talk to her. Anwar could tell the minute he saw her at the airport, that something was wrong. But he also knew Zoya, and he knew that she didn't like talking about the things that bothered her. So he decided to give her some time, before he probed her with questions.

All were seated at the table, having breakfast, when the doorbell rang.

"Who's here so early in the morning?" asked a confused Zeenat. "Zoya, dekho to kaun hai." Zoya nodded, and got up to open the door. She opened the latch and undid the bolt. As she swung the door open, tears started forming in her eyes.

"Aap...?"

I know I know I had said in the precap... but hey! something to look forward to =P There will be Asya scenes soon I PROMISE :D Please please please comment :D

haha aww I haven't written it all yet.. but the next one will be drama packed I promise :)