Trust me for once (TS) updt Prt 2 in pg 12 pms l8r - Page 8

A faint smile crept up on his lips at her mere presence but as he looked up the sight that welcomed him quite successfully wiped off that faint traces of smile from his visage. She was looking absolutely morbid and dejected. There was no spark in her enchantingly beautiful eyes, no heart warming smile on her luscious full lips and off course no stupid poetry which were quite uncharacteristic. The absence of her usual gregarious and garrulous self only served to accentuate more the extent of agony she had gone through at his atrocious accusation. A renewed surge of contrition consumed him. Asad looked away, not being able to meet her eyes.

However, the aching listlessness in Zoya's demeanor did not go unnoticed.

Zoya, endeavoring real hard to manage a fake smile, wished everyone: "Good Morning everyone."

Nazma wished her back with a wide grin: "Good Morning Zoya'oops'sorry'bhabhijaan."

However, instead of bringing a smile on her face, a flicker of sadness was all the special term used by Nazma managed to fetch.

Zoya's absence of spirit didn't go unnoticed by Dilshaad, to whom she was more of a daughter than a daughter in law. She frowned at the sight of despondency on the beautiful features of the sprightly girl and that caused an instant surge of concern and an overwhelming urge to protect her in Dilshaad's motherly heart.

An anxious Dilshaad couldn't refrain from asking: "Zoya! What happened? Are you upset about something? Are you not feeling good? Should I call a doctor?"

Zoya beamed at Dilshaad's concern. After Asad's unjust accusation, she felt happy for the first time. She sensed the care, the love, the affection that only a mother could bestow upon her children in Dilshaad's anxiety. She felt wanted and cared for by someone other than her Aapi and jeeju and that filled her heart with an unaccountable rapture.

Zoya : "Don't worry Phoopi. I'm fine. I was just feeling a little low."

Zeenat, who was well aware of the inner turmoil that her beloved sister as well as would be brother in law was going through, turned to look at Asad whose gaze was fixed on Zoya.

Nazma called out to Zoya in her usual chirpy voice: "Zoya! Come here and sit beside Bhaijaan."

Only for a fleeting moment Asad and Zoya's eyes met but Zoya promptly looked away.

Zoya smiled at Nazma but declined her offer all the same: "No Nazma. Today I'll sit between Phoopi and Aapi. (Turning to face Tanveer) Tanveer, why don't you go and settle down beside your best friend? He's always so worried about you and you have also suffered such an ominous accident which was somehow due to my negligence as usual. He will feel good if you remain close to him and just in front of his eyes always."

Asad squeezed his eyes shut as the venom concealed in those polite words was not lost to him. A new surge of agony and contrition threatened to overwhelm him. When he opened his eyes, there was only an intense plea for forgiveness along with the intense contrition. However, the person for whom the plea was meant completely ignored his silent entreaty. Zoya walked to the seat beside Dilshaad and settled down beside her while Tanveer, with an evil smirk playing on her lips, walked up to Asad and settled down beside him.

Zoya could sense Asad's constant gaze on her but she didn't dare meet his eyes for she knew one glance at those mesmerizing eyes would be her undone. She knew she would melt at once as soon as she would meet his gaze and no matter how hurt she was, she would forgive him despite of all reluctance. Why, oh Why? Why couldn't she just stay aloof from him? Why was it so difficult for her to remain nonchalant and ignore his existence? Why couldn't she spit venom just as he did? But that was never her innate nature, was that? She was forgiving by nature, but this time he had crossed a certain line. Even the mere thought that he could think of her so low, that he could even think that she wouldn't deliberately help someone in a life and death situation, hurt like hell. How could he think so low of her? Her mind was buzzing with all these queries. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice when Nazma excused herself went away for a while.

However, Zoya came out of her reverie as Nazma called out to her.

An excited Nazma chirped: "See everyone I have made this for my crafts class in college. Zoya helped me so much. Actually she was the one who had prepared the design for me. Isn't it beautiful?"

Everyone focused their attentions on the thing clutched in a careful grip by Nazma. It was an exquisite translucent red crystal ball with a brass cover on its Zenith. Through the red translucent walls of the ball flickering flames of something was visible

Zoya was really grateful to Nazma for the distraction offered by the latter from the former's disconcerting thoughts.

Zoya squinted her eyes to get a clear vision of what was flickering within the confines of the transparent walls. She frowned as she was unable to get a clearer vision. Rising from the chair, she strolled towards Nazma.

Zoya: "Hey tamatar! What is that flickering inside the ball? I don't recollect suggesting something like that."

Nazma replied excitedly: "Nope! You didn't. I have added that to make it more appealing."

Zoya: "Yeah? Than you have done an awesome job tamatar. It really is looking enchanting. But what's that thing? Is it some bulb?"

Nazma beamed happily: "Nope it isn't. See for yourself. I bet you'll be pleasantly shocked."

With that said, Nazma lifted the lid of the ball off. However, the sight of the thing extracted entirely different reactions than expected from three people present in the room.

Asad and Zeenat sprang up from their respective chairs just as Zoya's eyes widened and she staggered back, a gasp escaping from her lips. Beads of perspiration formed above her upper lip and on her smooth forehead. No matter how direly she wished to but she just couldn't look away from the flickering flames of the 'fire'. Yes those were the flames of fire which were flickering inside the crystal ball and not any electric bulb. Zoya couldn't move a limb as her perpetual phobia of fire began to close in on her. She stood petrified, gazing unblinkingly at the flames and sweating profusely. Those unwanted noises were there again, buzzing in her mind. She could hear the scream of a child and view the sight of a building bursting on flames. There was fire, fire and only fire everywhere. Flames of fire were encircling and engulfing every thing that had the misfortune of coming within their confines.

Asad sprinted towards Zoya and shook her harshly just as he threw an order in Nazma's direction without even glancing back at her: "Zoya! Zoya! Nazma, put the lid on. Fast."

A flabbergasted Nazma nodded vigorously as she wasted no time in acting upon her brother's order.

However as soon as Nazma put the lid back on and the fire disappeared from view, Zoya collapsed in Asad's arms.

After a few while later when Zoya came around again, she found herself in her room, lying on her bed and was surrounded by concerned faces of her loved ones. She tried to smile and lift herself up in a sitting position when someone's grip on her shoulders prevented her from getting up. She looked up only to meet his agonized gaze. There was worry etched all over his handsome countenance. Somewhere she knew that pain, that concern was for her, just for her. And that began to melt her a little. But just at the moment Tanveer rambled up to her, smiled and enquired about her welfare and when Zoya replied politely, Tanveer kept a hand tentatively on Asad's broad, masculine shoulder and smiled down at him. He too looked up at her. This sickly sweet scene was enough to reignite the untamed fury swirling inside Zoya and also for the green eyed monster to raise its ugly head. She looked away immediately and the next moment snapped off Asad's hands from her shoulders. A bewildered Asad looked down at her, confusion written over his every feature.

Asad whispered in a timid, helpless voice that was audible to Zoya only: "What have I done now?"

Zoya glowered at him as she replied in a similar whispering voice: "you have never done anything wrong, happy? And you don't have to do anything for me. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Asad was about to retaliate but chose to refrain from fuelling up her already flared up temper as these days she was behaving quite out of character. He sighed and reached out to the bedside table for her medicines and poured out a glass of water for her.

He was about to hold them out to her when she spoke in a normal and polite voice: "Nazma! Can you hand me over the medicines and water? Mr.Khan must have some important work. Also Tanveer is not well at all. So you should ask your bhaijaan to take her to her room and see if she is comfortable. "

Asad immediately looked at her, an intense pain flashed through his eyes. He silently rose from the bed and strode away, so that no one could observe the thin film of tears that brimmed in his eyes. Her rejection had hit him real hard.

Zoya looked away and squeezed her eyes tight and a lone tear made its way down her cheek.

A tension hung in the air around the room. Dilshaad gestured Nazma and the latter walked up to Zoya. Zoya smiled genuinely at her. However she frowned on observing the almost palpable tension and contrition etched on Nazma's cute, chubby, childlike features.

Zoya: "Hey tamatar! What's wrong? Why are you so sad? See I'm perfectly fine."

Nazma couldn't refrain herself and a little sob escaped her lips as fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

Zoya was immediately concerned and raised herself to a sitting position as she enquired: "Nazma! Why are you crying? What's wrong?"

Nazma: "I'm so sorry Zoya. Please forgive me. I didn't know you had a phobia from fire or else..."

However, she was interjected by Zoya: "Tamatar! You are just impossible. Mistakes are done unintentionally. Yes, but if you keep repeating them then it's your fault and you deserve a punishment. But I know my tamatar will never repeat this mistake now that she knows. So just chill okay. And come on now give me a hug."

Nazma smiled through tears and hugged the girl who had, in a span of few days, became an inevitable part of their lives ' a best friend and sister to her and a daughter to her mother ' and she was well acquainted with the fact that whether he admitted or not, Zoya had become an inevitable part of her brother's life too.

Dilshaad: "Girls! Don't leave me out okay!"

And she too joined the duo in the hug, oblivious of a pair of eyes watching the beautiful bond they shared with a sense of contentment as well as yearning.

Zeenat smiled through tears and thanked God silently for blessing her sister with such a loving family.

It was none else than Asad who was just outside the threshold of the room, watching the three women of his life with a smile.

However, soon the thought that Zoya didn't even want to see his face wiped off that smile from his visage. He knew pretty well that he was so wrong and that this time he had hurt her too much, but he was determined to set everything right. No, he would never let her shut him off from her life or drift away from him. Whatever it would take him, he would make everything right between them. Even if that meant to be vocal with his inner feelings, which was, given his nature, the most difficult task for him to accomplish. But he would do that, only for her.