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Why Asad Stopped Zoya
Every epic romance has at least one scene where the hero breaks through all barriers to be with his lady love. Save for Mughal-e-Azam where the barrier happened to be a stone wall in a creepy dungeon, but those were different times.
This is the story of how Asad Ahmed Khan broke ten traffic rules, national security codes, and his own strict commandments of 'tehzeeb' in public to propose to Zoya Farooqui at Bhopal Airport.
You may ask who I am. Well, let's just say I'm a 'Desh ki well-wisher'. No, I'm not Tanveer. Yeah my eyes are a bit glassy from spending so much time on the laptop, silently stalking all things Qubool Hai. But believe me, apart from my country, I'm an 'AsYa' well-wisher too.
It all started with a dream...
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After the fiasco with Mr. Dhurandar Bhuttacorn, whatever his name was, Asad decided he needed an afternoon nap.
One would have thought that after banishing his lady-love back to her homeland, he would have spent the rest of the day crying in his bathroom or reading 'GQ' magazines while surreptitiously sniffing. However, Asad Ahmed Khan being an old-fashioned, macho man dealt with his feelings by sleeping on them.
It was while getting a dose of shut-eye that Zoya appeared to him. She was wearing the same purplish-white salwar kameez she had worn while they had gone to visit her father's grave. It was his favourite look of hers. Yes, Asad actually categorized all of Zoya's various looks into 'rubbish', 'fashionable' and 'favourite' like all us fangirls, but that's a story for another day.
'Shame on you Mr. Khan,' she sniffed.
Asad sighed. 'Ms. Farooqui, what are you doing here?'
'Just because you banished me from India doesn't mean you can send me away from Dreamland too!' she glared, putting her hands on her hips. 'Besides, I'm a figment of your imagination. I'm obviously here because you were thinking about me.'
'Ms. Farooqui look I've already spent an hour consoling Ammi and Najma, I'm not going to explain myself to you okay? I wanted you to stay here, but the way you made a fool out of my family-"
"But Mr. Khan it was just a mistake!' she wailed. 'Why couldn't you see my good intentions behind it? I just wanted to get you and your brother together!"
'Ms. Farooqui, it's not your job to regulate my relationship with Ayaan okay?, ' he said sternly.
'Fine,' she said haughtily. 'I give up! I'm done caring about you Mr. Khan! You think you're so self-sufficient don't you? Well then, I'm going.'
'Yes I know you're going to America,' he sighed.
'No,' she said, 'I'm going-to my father, in heaven!'
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'Zoya no!'
Asad woke up with a start. What a horrible dream that was! He shook his head. His mind was playing tricks with him. She was just going back to America, where her real home was. Surely it didn't mean she was going to die.
Just then his cellphone rang.
'Hello Bhaijaan' Ayaan said wearily, as soon as Asad picked it up.
'Ayaan, thank God you phoned! How is Humeira? Her tabiyat is fine no?'
'The doctors say she is out of danger for now.'
'That's a relief. Look Ayaan I apologize on Ms. Farooqui's behalf. It was incredibly stupid of her to sneak into your house like that.'
'Bhaijaan, don't say that! Zoya only wanted you to be there with me. And she would never do something as disgusting as poisoning someone.'
'It doesn't matter. She's going back to America now.'
'What? Bhaijaan are you crazy? Zoya is completely innocent!'
'But the way Razia talked about Ammi-'
'Bhaijaan, you know how that woman is! She's always hated your family! Even if Zoya had not been there, she would have found some way to link the whole thing to you. You shouldn't have done this to Zoya.'
Now Asad found his guilt intensifying. 'What? Are you trying to say I should have let her stay here and spoil our family name even more?'
'Bhaijaan, it's not just about name. She was your guest, and she's done so much for you! You can't let one mistake negate all the good things she did! Okay listen, I have to go, Humeira seems to be gaining consciousness. But please don't let Zoya go okay?'
Asad rolled his eyes as he hung up. How typical of Ayaan to defend his 'Mona'.
He had decided to go to sleep again when his phone buzzed, except that this time it wasn't Ayaan, it was somebody from the graveyard. Asad felt the hairs on his neck rise. Was it some kind of bad news for Zoya?
'Salaam Aalekum Mr. Khan. We are calling to inform you that the information we gave you about a Mr. Farooqui being buried over here was wrong. His name is actually Mr. Qureshi, but due to a clerical error he was listed as Mr. Farooqui. There is no such person of that name buried over here. We regret any inconvenience caused-
Asad didn't wait to hear the rest of their long-winding apology. He'd already splashed some water on his face, put on his coat and dashed out of the house.
----
All along the way as he narrowly avoided a red light and drove at break-neck speed, he kept thinking about Zoya's tear-stricken face as she would wonder where her father was, her grief on learning that he had died. He couldn't let her go to New York on the basis of such a grave misunderstanding!
Not to mention that horrible haunting dream which had brought a lump to his throat-I'm going to my father in heaven!
He didn't even bother buying a ticket at the airport-he had no patience for the queue. Instead he dashed his way past the security guards, ran down the escalator and finally landed on his knees just as Mr. Dhurandar and Zoya were about to make their way through the departure terminal.
'Zoya,' he screamed, the to-the-point man that he was, 'Will you marry me?'
Zoya turned around and looked at him, stunned. This was not the composed, impeccably styled Mr. Khan that she knew. His face was a sweaty mess, his cheeks were the colors of beetroots, his hair was askance, and he was also on the verge of being attacked by a group of commandos. How ironical that this was the same person who kept lecturing her about family honour! Where was his honour, his shame.
Asad looked at Zoya, and at that moment he knew that he wasn't stopping Zoya so that she could learn the truth about her father but for his own selfish motives: because right there, in the blinding glare of the airport lights, even with the hawkish Mr. Bhuttacorn lurking behind her, she looked like the most angelic being in the world to him. He also knew that he didn't deserve an audience with her, but he just concentrated on those black eyes, somehow willing them to forgive him.
Zoya couldn't resist that look. She'd seen it that rainy night while dancing in his arms, and she'd seen it in the soft glow of the moon when she was confessing her heart's deepest secrets to him. Not to mention, Asad Ahmed Khan was on his knees, for her. What more could a woman want?
'Yes,' she said, and everybody, including the commandos and the previously grumpy Mr. Dhurandar broke into applause.
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And you all melted into a puddle of goo, admit it.
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