'Zoya. Zoya Farooqui'.
The words spoken by the man she had just met a while ago reverberated wildly in her head. She could not believe what the man was saying, yet for a strange reason she felt a strange happiness. She felt her heart dancing, the butterflies in her stomach begging her to believe him. That smile that now crept on that handsome face of the man in front of her made her heart melt. But how could she believe him? What was he saying? How could this happen? Yes she did have an accident 3 years ago. Yes! she also had a severe head injury. She felt herself touching the scar left by the injury that had taken place. She continued to stare at the man in front of her, unable to form words.
Asad's eyes went wide when he realized what he had just revealed. He saw the myraid of emotions bouncing across her beautiful face. He noticed how the rain drops fell on her temple, making their way down to her beautiful nose and then to her pink, full, lips. He felt a gush of nostalgia take over him.
Oh! how he missed the taste of those lips. As soon as he saw her hand reach out to her head, he was thrown back in the present. He quickly grabbed her hand and moved it away from her head. Fear started gripping his whole body to how she would react to this revelation. He felt his throat go dry. He placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.
'Come, let me walk you to your home'.
He felt Zoya walking beside him staring at him, her eyes moist. He could not tell whether those were tears or the rain drops cascading down her face. He avoided her gaze but knew very well she was no longer aware of her surroundings. He could feel her gaze sharply on his face, which made him gulp noisily.
'W-what do you m-mean?', he heard her stammer in a small voice, her eyes still sharply on him.
He ignored her question and kept his eyes on the road in front of him, his hands still around her shoulders. He knew she needed support walking, he knew what he had revealed would awake a thousand questions in her. He cursed himself for letting his emotions get the better of him.
'Asad?', he heard her small breaking voice.
He knew she was on the verge of tears. Why was she crying? It confused him. He chose to stay quiet, how could he trust himself to speak anymore? Fate had drawn her so near, and he was scared it might drive her away once again. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He thanked the heavens for the rain. Never had he felt this grateful of rain before.
Zoya kept staring at him. She couldn't feel her legs, her whole body had gone numb. Why was he not answering her? Why was he ignoring her? She felt anger seep through her whole body. Who did he think he was? What did he mean? Zoya jerked herself free from Asad's grip.
Asad stopped walking knowing she had stopped too and was a step behind her. He kept his back towards her not trusting himself to face her. He looked towards the heavens sending a silent prayer towards the Almighty to keep everything fine.
'Look at me Asad!', he heard her yell.
Asad had to avoid her, he must avoid her. He couldn't risk her health for this, he just couldn't.
'Zoya, I need to get back home, let me walk you to your home too', Asad said, his hands thrown at his sides, his back still facing Zoya.
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder and in no time at all, Zoya had turned him around to face her. He felt his whole body shudder at the sight of her. Her blood-shot eyes, her face threatening him in every possible way.
Her face beautiful as always but gone was that 100 watt smile he could die for. Why was this affecting her so much? What should he do now?
'TELL ME WHAT YOU MEANT DAMMIT?!'.
Saying he was shocked at her sudden outburst would be an understatement. No, no, she shouldnt be stressing herself like this, no this cannot happen, he thought. This was not good for her health.
'Listen Zoya I'l tell you everything, please let me take you home first', Asad said advancing towards her slowly only making Zoya take steps backwards, her whole body shaking.
He was now sure even rain could not set down this fire he had started. He cursed himself. He extended a hand towards her, only to have her take a step back in such a haste, that it made her stumble, scaring Asad to no limit. Please don't let anything happen to her Allah, please, he found himself begging.
Suddenly Zoya felt the world around her spinning, her vision blurred, her hands shot up to her head trying to keep it steady and to control the spunning.
'I love you, Zoya', she heard a male voice, so sweet, so loving.
'Nobody can stop us from running in the rain', she heard her own voice.
'Zoya do you know how stupid you're looking twirling like that?' again that male voice, a strange amusement in that voice.
What was happening to her? Where were these voices coming from? She could hear her own voice and a male voice, what was happening? She could also hear faint giggling sounds, one which she instantly recognised as her own, the pitter patter of the rain. What was happening to her? She tried to look around, but her vision blurred. Its the rain Zoe, its just the rain, she tried telling herself but even she knew it was not true. It had much more to do with just rain.
'No Zoya, don't do this to me, please. I'm Asad, your Asad! ', she heard that faint male voice again, pleading her. The man seemed to be crying.
'A-Asad?', she said aloud confused.
She felt as if somebody was hammering on her head. She held her head tightly, which was ready to burst any minute now, the pain killing her.
Asad saw her hand shooting upto hold her head. He could see her stumbling and struggling to stand. The faint 'A-Asad' that left from her lips made fear engulf his whole body. This can't be happening, no no. He took a single long stride and reached her and quickly wrapped his arms around her.
'Zoya? Zoya? You alright?', he asked his own voice shaking. 'Don't worry Zoya, everything will be fine, you'l be fine', he said not sure whether he was comforting her or himself.
He took no time and quickly swept her off the ground. He knew rain had nothing to do with the streams that were flowing down his face. He could not bear it all again, he couldn't go through it all again. He looked at her petite form in his arms, her own hands holding her head tightly, her face wavy brows, her low moans giving away the pain she was going through. His heart bled uncontrollably, his throat creating a huge lump which refused to go down. He took long steps and practically ran towards her house. He wouldn't let anything happen to her, not again, he won't be able to forgive himself if anything ever happened to her again.
**
'Aray bhae, wait, i'm coming', said Zeenat when she heard a thunder like knock on the door. She shook her head in disbelief, people these days are so immature, she thought.
As soon as she opened the door, the sight in front of her made the ground beneath her feet shake.
'Z-Zoya???!', she screamed looking at her baby sister's state.
Her eyes wouldn't leave the face of her sister.
'Aappi, where's her room?', she heard a male voice.
That was when she lifted her gaze and realised her daughter was in the arms of a man. Her sister's man. Her eyes welled up looking at Asad, the same man which had been her sister's life.
'As-Asad?', she said stammering? Her eyes full of love.
'Aappi, please, Zoya's room?'. The urgency in his voice brought Zeenat back to earth and she quickly led him to Zoya's room.
He gently laid her on the bed and pulled up the comforter on top of her shivering body. He knelt beside her bed and held her hand in his, freeing it from her head.
'Aapi, pain killers!', he started only to realise Zeenat was already holding them.
He quickly took the glass of water and the tablets from her hand and helped Zoya gulp them down. The pain killers must have done their work instantly as her brows started to relax, her other hand freed her head and her body started to relax. Her eyes opened and closed as if she was struggling to stay awake. But finally she fell asleep and Zeenat and Asad finally sighed with relief.
Asad who was kneeling on his knees besides her, threw his face in his hands and let the tears fall, started emptying his heart which he had kept shut since three years. He had come so near his heart once again but now once again his love, his Zoya was in this state. Why did he let his emotions get the better of him? Why?
Zeenat who was sitting on the bed besides Zoya couldn't see the man of her sister's dreams cry like that. She had always been aware of the the love between Zoya and him. Ever since that fateful day when Zoya had refused to recognise Asad in the hospital, she had never seen him again. She didn't even try bringing him back knowing it was of no use and it would only hurt him more. But she had always in her heart worried about him knowing he had loved her truly.
She kept a hand on Asad's head lovingly, smoothing his hair, trying to calm him down. Asad looked up to see Zeenat trying to soothe him out of his pain, her eyes full of love and warmth. In no time at all, he threw his head on her lap and cried freely, cried like there was no tomorrow. Cried for his love, cried for all this time he had loved her. He knew he had to go before Zoya woke up and started demanding answers. He knew he had lost his only chance. He knew he had lost his love forever.
His eyes drifted to the window nearby. He watched as the rain fell, so carelessly. He wanted to be like the raindrops. Free. He wanted to feel refreshing. He had no idea why looking at the rain made him feel much lighter. After what felt like forever, he stood up from the ground and wiped away his tears. He carefully bent towards Zoya and planted a soft kiss on her forehead which spoke for his love for her itself.
Zeenat smiled at the sweet gesture and knew he had never stopped loving her. She was happy for her baby sister that somewhere there was a man who loved her so dearly. One day fate would definitely bring them together. They were meant to be.
Once out of Zoya's room, Asad began.
'Aappi, whatever I have been hoping to happen since the day I left the hospital with a heavy heart three years ago, happened today', his voice giving away the lump in his throat. 'I met her, we talked, I fell in love with her all over again. But then, then i spoke of my love to her. Spilled out that she was the one who had my heart, i spilled out everything Aapi', he finished throwing his head back trying to keep the pain away.
Zeenat looked onto his face and knew what he felt. But she also knew, that this was one man who may have lost the battle, but will surely win the war one day. Maybe another rainy day.
'I have to go before she wakes up. Aapi just tell her whatever she heard, she saw, everything was just a dream. Make her believe it wasn't real', Asad spoke, his voice breaking with every word.
Zeenat smiled. She knew even God will never do the mistake to keep these two away for long.
'I'l be going. Please take care of her. I-I love her', he said while leaving, not wanting to wait for Zeenat's response.
As soon as he stepped in the rain again, he felt the rain fall on him as if trying to wash away his pain, as if trying to soothe him. He instantly felt a fresh wave go through his whole body. He looked back towards Zoya's bedroom window and whispered in the rain,
'I may have lost the battle, but I promise to win the war. For her, for me, for US', he said smiling, walking away towards his car.
The rain continued to fall all over Bhopal, In attempt to wash away everyone's pain, in an attempt to create new beginnings, create new hopes. And the rain sure had given a new hope, a new beginning to a man named Asad Ahmed Khan. Who knows which rain fantasies would turn into beautiful realities?
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