Saved by Ammi
Plot: After the Jashn-E-Bahar, Tanveer scratches herself with a knife to get the sympathy from Asad. Everyone is watching as he takes her in his arms and takes her to the hospital. At the hospital, he is told that she has become depressed due to not having a family and her career has also met a dead end due to burning of the building. Asad leaves Tanveer in the hospital and comes back home to see that all the guests have left.
Asad enters the silent house. His Ammi is resting on the couch and Najma and Zoya are cleaning up the place.
"Bhaijaan, what happened to Tanveer? Is she alright?" Najma asked. Dilshaad who was resting with her eyes closed opens and gets up to greet her son "Asad, Did you have to leave Tanveer in the hospital? Did she hurt herself that bad? Ya Allah, what is going on in that girl's head?"
"She is depressed it seems Ammi. Doctor has suggested to make her feel better and everything will be back to normal. She will have to take some anti-depressants. I think I can and should help her. Ammi, please sit down. We have to talk" he gently pushed her towards the couch and Dilshaad sat down listening to him with complete focus.
"Please listen to me calmly Ammi. I had to talk to you about what is going on with Ms.Farooqui and myself. We had to lie to you about the engagement and all other rituals you wanted us to have. We are faking it and we don't have any relation between us." he looked at Dilshaad who had an expression of 'I can't believe you' and she looked at Zoya. It looked as if all the blood had been drained from Zoya's face. Zoya clutched the chair nearby as she was feeling dizzy.
Asad continued.. "You know how Tanveer knows me very well and her Tehzeeb, Tameez everything matches my requirements of how my wife should be. I would like to marry her so that your challenge is fulfilled and she will have a family to live and love for."
"But Bhaijaan, what about Zoya? I thought you two like each other. Please don't do this to her. She is our family." Najma started crying and crashed next to her Ammi hugging her. Asad looked up to stare at Zoya's face. She looked like she had seen a ghost. Tears were threatening to flood her face but she stopped them. "Breathe Zoya, breath!" she thought. She slowly left the chair she was clutching. She came and stood in front of Dilshaad who was crying along with Najma. Zoya sat next to Dilshaad but on the floor. "Phupi, look at me. You are the only one who made me feel I have a mother. A family. Don't cry. I am sorry I lied to you. But Mr.Khan was worried about your health and I played along. I really am Sorry. I betrayed you. But you will be only Ammi I ever will have. I can't remember how my Ammi looked, so you will always be my ammi" The last sentence came almost like a whisper with few tears from Zoya's eyes. Dilshaad hugged her.
Wiping her face, Zoya stood up. "Najma, Phupi, I think you should both rest now. You have a lot to do tomorrow when Mr.Khan brings Tanveer back home. You have to make her feel at home, right?" Zoya wiped Najma's tears "But Zoya, what about you?" Najma sobbed. "Hey Tamatar, I will be fine. I have always been fine and alone. So, don't worry about me. " Zoya turned to Dilshaad and held her hands "Phuppi, you should not worry about me. I am just a guest. You should be happy about your son. Finally, he has found someone who will make him happy, make him laugh, be there for him when he needs her. Take care of his family and love everyone related to him. Isn't that wonderful? It is he who has to live the life with his wife. Be happy that he has found his life partner in Tanveer."
"Seriously, you two should be in bed. I have some stuff to catch up myself, so off you two go to your rooms" Zoya pushed them gently to start climbing the stairs. She turned towards Asad and said "Congratulations Mr.Khan and thank you for making everything clear to Phupi. I appreciate it. Thanks for everything, Good Night" Zoya walked towards her room before Asad could say something. "Say something, anything Asad, you are letting her go in such an awkward way" he thought. But his vocal chords didn't cooperate.
Zoya went to her room and closed the door. She had put the facade very well till now. Everything broke down in her heart and she slid on to the floor. There were no tears and she felt like she was dead. She sat there like that for a good half hour. Slowly got up, changed into her night clothes and went outside to the garden and sat on the bench. She looked up at the dark sky. There were no stars for her to talk to. She thought "Even my Ammi doesn't know what to tell me. So, I can't even see her. Allah Miya, you really don't like me right? You take away everything that I love. It is okay, I will survive. Maybe Mr.Khan needs Tanveer more than me in his life." A steaming mug of coffee came in her view. When she looked up, she saw Asad standing with a cup of coffee on each hand.
Zoya smiled at him. A fake smile he could tell. "Thank you Mr.Khan, but I am sorry I don't want it. I need to get out of this habit of you making me coffee. You see, you won't be there to make it for me whenever I feel low from tomorrow. So, thank you but no thank you".
Asad couldn't believe what he had heard. "From tomorrow? Where are you going Ms.Farooqui? You aren't thinking of leaving for New York are you?" He couldn't take it anymore. He didn't know what to do.
"You got that right Mr.Khan. I am going back to New York, place where I belong. I haven't booked the ticket yet. Thought I will call the agent tomorrow since I want to sight see some places before I go. But I will leave from here tomorrow though" "But, why?" was the reply from Asad.
"Why? You tell me why I should stay here? You assumed that I wanted to stay back in India, so you put the ring on my finger. Tanveer took it off and Phupi made you put it again on my finger and I did warn you at that time that it is not a fake engagement. But no, you kept on saying it was fake, everything is fake" she didn't want to cry, she wouldn't cry she had decided.
"But you can still stay here Ms.Farooqui" to which came the sharp reply -"as what? And why Mr.Khan? To see your wedding happen with Tanveer? I am good, but not that good. I know you think everything is a joke for me, but what did you do Mr.Khan? You turned me into a joke. Oh right, I don't know what relationships are so why have any relation with me right? I don't deserve anybody's relationship right Mr.Khan? Good for me. I don't need to be in a relation with a hypocrite like you" She started walking away from him.
"Anyways, Thank you very much for giving me shelter for many months in your house. I wish I could repay the favor but I'll pass. Good Night Mr.Khan and thank you for the coffee" she walked away. Asad was confused what to do. He didn't want Zoya to leave but he didn't want to tell her that he loved her. "What a mess I am in" he thought and went back to his room.
Early next morning:
Zoya woke up, showered, packed all her things. She had to set things straight. She removed the ring forcibly scraping good amount of her skin on the ring finger. She packed the ring in an envelope. Wrote the name "Mr.Khan" and kept it aside. She took out all the traditional clothes and jewelery that Dilshaad had given her over the past week and placed them neatly in a bag. She labeled that "Phupi". She placed a box of fine bracelet that she had bought in a gift bag and wrote the name "Najma" and another small piece of jewelery for Tanveer as a wedding gift. She went to the kitchen and made breakfast for everyone. She cut fruits, made coffee, took out the pitchers of juices from the refrigerator, made some toast and some egg bhurji (scrambled egg). She even made quick and easy microwave chocolate cake in coffee mugs. By the time she took out the coffee mugs from the microwave, she saw Dilshaad descending the stairs. "Good Morning Phupi. I made breakfast for all of us" Zoya chirped in. Dilshaad gave her a huge smile, a hug and tried going to the kitchen. "You sit Phupi. Everything is done. I will just place them on the table." saying that, Zoya started moving the dishes to the table to be joined by Najma in helping her carry the fruit platter.
Asad walked out of his room in his 3 piece suit. He didn't look like he slept at all. "Good Morning everyone" he said trying to look at Zoya. She was busy bringing the coffee mug for him and placing it next to his plate. He sat down and looked at all the stuff on the table. "Why do we have so much food for breakfast Ammi? Najma's diet will get messed up." "Zoya made the breakfast today Asad" Dilshaad said proudly. "And everything is so yummy Zoya, thank you" said Najma with her mouth full of chocolate cake. "But why?" murmured Asad.
They ate breakfast in silence. For some reason, nobody had anything to talk about that day. Suddenly Dilshaad noticed a band aid on Zoya's finger. "Zoya, what happened to your finger, where is the ring?" Asad's attention was brought to Zoya's fingers. He could see that there is no ring. He felt as if someone stabbed his heart. It was painful to see that she had removed the ring that he had made her wear.
"I had to take it off right Phupi? It meant nothing anymore. Mr.Khan did make it clear that everything was fake and what is the point of keeping the facade anymore. Excuse me for a minute" with that she left for her room to come back with few gift bags. "Najma, this is for you. I hope you like it" a teary eyed Najma took it without knowing what to say. She hated that Zoya was not her to be Bhabhi anymore".
"Mr.Khan, this is yours and the rightful owner will be your real finacee. There is some blood on the ring that I couldn't get rid of. So, you will have to get it cleaned professionally. Sorry about that" she handed him the envelope which fell on the table. Asad was angry, sad, confused and mad. He didn't know what was going on with him. He knew only one thing. He couldn't live without Zoya. "No Ms.Farooqui, I refuse to take it back. You keep it for yourself." Zoya ignored him totally and moved on to her phupi. "Phupi, I am leaving today for Delhi. I will stay there for couple of days and visit Agra and the nearby places. I have my flight next Saturday. Before I go, I had to give you back all the jewelery you had given me this past week. I can't keep them"
She handed the bag to Dilshaad saying "These should go to Tanveer Phupi" .
"No, they don't belong to anyone except you. I didn't say 'Yes' to Asad marrying Tanveer. I was shocked by what you two had to tell me. If I am having a bahu, that will be you. No more arguments on that topic" Dilshaad looked stern. "But Phupi, Mr.Khan did say he wants to marry her"
"Tanveer is his friend. He can help her financially to set up her factory if that is what she wants. For a marriage to work, there should be love. He doesn't love Tanveer. We can find her a suitable groom and get her married. He will not marry Tanveer." Dilshaad's words came out strong.
She added turning towards her son "He doesn't know what he wants. I am sure he said that to drive you away from him. He is scared of relationships. He thinks that he will hurt you the way Rashid hurt me because he loves you. I am sure he has not said anything about marrying Tanveer to Tanveer itself. Am I right Asad?"
"Ammi, Oh actually," came the reply from Asad. "No, I wasn't planning on anything like that. It's just that .."
"Again the same oh actually Mr.Khan? When are you going to grow up? I am not engaged to you Mr.Khan. I don't need to stay in India anymore for any purpose. Either say what exactly you want or watch me go. It is now or never. I walk away and you will never ever see me again. I promise you that much " Zoya was mad. He had lied to her about Tanveer. She knew it was wrong to give him the ultimatum, but nothing else worked on him.
"How dare you say you will leave us and go? How dare you remove the ring I put on you? Don't you know I love you? I cannot live without you and I don't want to live without you. " Dilshaad, Najma and Zoya were gaping with shock. What has gotten into this guy?
Asad marched towards Zoya and held her hand. Placed the ring again on her finger. "Zoya, you do know that I am emotionally challenged, you call me that yourself. Then why don't you accept that I love you. I know that you know it. I don't want you to go. I am sorry that I kept on saying everything is fake. Nothing is fake except the lie I told that it was fake." He went down on his knee "Will you please marry me Zoya Farooqui?"
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