Zoya sat behind the veil and looked through it deeply and there he sat, with his cream and blood red sherwani heavily decorated with gold designs out of golden thread and beads, he looked more than handsome, her heart melted in that one moment, everything disappeared all her worries, her pain, everything seemed simple she was happy then reality played in. "Zoya qubool hai? Beti qubool hai? Beti aap qubool hai?" the words sprung out of the imam's mouth, all the emotions rushed back into her, pain, guilt, remorse "kyun Zoya kyun?" she remembered Asad's terrifying words to her the night before, she didn't answer not because she didn't have one, but because she couldn't hurt him anymore, there was a limit and she found out three day before that the limit had been already crossed, Asad Ahmed Khan, Rashid Ahmed Khan, Dilshad Khan and Najma Khan were victims of her father's injustice and cruelty he was a dictator and for seventeen years he dictated everything in their lives, which pained her to her very core, "how can I ? I won't do this to them. Not my family. I will never hurt them like he did." She thought, she looked at the imam and he was about to ask her again but before he began, "Qubool…qubool…qubool hai" Zoya wiped her tears quickly, she smiled deeply and turned it off, her emotions, it was gone, the imam continued as Zoya found every bit of strength left in her as she raised her head she saw his eyes, bridging with tears he looked her way, every inch of his soul pained, his love was no longer his "how could she? Kyun?kyun Zoya?"…Asad thought in his mind as the imam announced "Mr. and Mrs. Ayaan Ahmed Khan mubaracko". Zoya's Aapi brought her out from behind the veil, dressed down in a blood red and cream garara heavily decorated with golden thread and beads, her sirbandi hung sideways on her forehead, her ears hung with heavy earrings gifted to her from him, her hands covered in mehendi that showed her love for him, covered with gold jewellery that glittered all the more with the lighting of the room, as they moved her she walked slowly as the guest complimented her on her beauty, Asad looked at her from head to toe and his heart melted even more, "how beautiful she is, Asad snap out she's your chotey bhai wife" his smiled disappeared Ayaan stood at his bhaijan's left side and awaited his wife, as Zoya passed Asad their eyes met each other's he saw it but he didn't believe it, she smiled heavenly at him and greeted him "asalam wailaikum" "waliaikum salam" choked a confused Asad. Zoya and Ayaan stood closely as she smiled her heart ached for him, he noticed it, her earrings was his gift to her, and her hand there was a "J" inscribed on her palm above the "A" "Mr.Jahapanha Asad smiled slightly to himself as he walked towards his ammi and Najma. He turned around and his heart finally shattered to a million pieces their hands were intertwined, they waved and smiled and greeted all as they congatualated them on their nikaah. Zoya smile was faintish as Phupi Najma and Asad was walking to greet and congratulate them, Zoya now had tears in her eyes the woman whom had loved her without judgment was no longer going to be a part of her life, she was no longer her ammi, she was no longer the bahu of that family nor ever could be her life was sealed or so she thought. Tanveer and her mind tricks, she tried incessantly to destroy Zoya's happiness and it finally worked, that week Tanveer told Zoya that her abhu was alive, who he was and gave her evidence to the contrary, Tanveer and Zoya sat in her room for a while that Tuesday before Zoya n Asad's nikaah and Tanveer told the truth, but that wasn't all, "Zoya you know how much, everyone will hurt if they find out, especially Asad he will never forgive you, muchless look at you, you should end this before he can, the pain will end aswell, and if you do it then it wouldn't hurt to hear it from him"…Zoya nodded politely at tanveer's logic, and she decided to call it off. That same evening fate would have it Zoya and Ayaan ran into each other, a distraught Zoya and a saddened Ayaan, sat for a while and talked "I can't bear to hurt her" I can't hurt him…allah what should we do?" "shaadi, nikaah, lets get married? Paagal much Ayaan? Zoya rolled her eyes at his stupid yet brilliant idea "Mona seriously nuh this way youll be closer to your Abhu and I wouldn't have to hurt Humeira" Zoya thought it over for a while then she thought of Tanveer's bitter words "it will just pain them to their very core if they found out". Okay Robert deal, Friday nikaah. They got up shook hands and left. Zoya walked in and her eyes automatically met his, "this is it, it has to end and it now or never Zoya" she thought as she saw him standing with folded arms steering at her, "it now or never Asad, just tell her how you feel dam it" he thought as he paced towards and she moved slowly towards him "Mr. Khan this nikaah cannot happen, atleast not with the both of us, you didn't want this from the beginning and im giving you an out, a definite out" "ms.Farooqui what are you saying?" "ji Mr.Khan there is still time u have four days till the promise if over, and amm..phupi can organize anything now for now, I know this is what you wanted and im giving you it please Phupi will be okay im sure she has you and Najma" "what about aappi and jijaju and their feelings Ms.Farooqui,?" "Mr.Khan I am getting married just not to you?" the words came out of her mouth sent a shocking sensation through his body Asad couldn't believe his ears, "what did you say?" "I am getting Married to Ayaan Ahmed Khan" Asad's face was red as blood, "ZOYA"!! Asad yelled at that moment everyone gathered "tell everyone what you just said repeat it dam it"terrified to death Zoya struggled to get the words that was so easy to blurt out few seconds ago to come out again but she did she looked down in guilt and said "aap nikaah Ayan Ahmed Khan, everyone stood in horror as the words echoed throughout the Khan house. Dilshad Najma and Aapi stood and questioned Zoya as Asad turned away and slammed his door in anger. Zoya answered shortly, and she finally stood for herself "this is what I want and that's final I am sorry and I hope one day you all will forgive me goodnight" and with tears she ran away to her room locked the door and fell to the ground crying her heart out, Zoya just broke everything that meant the world to her, but Tanveer's words ached her heart more, she just couldn't hurt them any longer. Asad and Zoya distanced themselves after that night it was the night before that they talked since Tuesday Asad couldn't sleep, he couldn't believe what was going on still, Ayaan was taking hius fianc as his wife in a few hours, she was leaving and she was going to be living with the people whom ruined his ammi's life how could she, how could they hurt Humeira even? All these questions played on an on repeatedly in Asad's mind, he turned and twisted and finally got up to get some water, as he walked towards his door he saw her, the moonlight brightened everything about her, she looked just heavenly and perfect. He couldn't take his eyes off her then her heard the sobs "Is she crying?" "Allah miya I know, but what can I do? Theres no other way out, I know that a lot of people re hurting and its my fault but Allah I can't marry him, you know what I feel but I can't hurt them because of wht I feel for him, mere abhu have hurt them so much and me I just can't" as Zoya opened her eyes she saw her blue teacup right infront of her she turned away slightly wiped her tears quickly and reached for the mug "Aaapppi you didn't hav…Mr.Khan tum?" Shukriya Mr Khan Zoya slide around giving Asad space to sit "I tried to make it the way you like" "its good Mr. Khan thank you" then the awkward silence neither of them spoke for a bit they just looked at the stars, "Zoya, kyun nikaah Ayaan?" Zoya looked at him bewildered as though she couldn't believe that he asked her that, she fumbled how to answer "Mr. Khan we are childhood friends nuh, best buddies" and she joked it off, she got up to leave because she couldn't answer any more questions she didn't have the strength any longer, it was a tough few days hardly anyone spoke or asked her anything, all the preparations were done through workers and if something was wrong they would ask her not anyone else, everything had changed and it felt as though she was slowly dying but she knew that the pain would be over soon just a couple more hours and there pain would end because Zoya knew if she married him , when he find out the pain will be with him for his entire life and she couldn't she wouldn't do that she didn't give him a choice because she decided her fate as well as his in those few moments. He got up quickly and grabbed her hand, "kyun Zoya kyun?" Zoya pulled away her hand in frustration and she ran off, she left him there and his eyes filled with tears his body pained as though all his bones were being broken over and over, the ground beneath him was ripped away and it felt as though he had fallen into the darkest place he had ever been in his entire life. Zoya was no different, every particle of her body shook in horror of what was taking place, she couldn't face him, she loved him and she knew it yet she knew if she had answered she would have ended up hurting him more than how he's hurting at the moment, Zoya knew she had to be strong, if not for her but for him, he was getting married the day after her to Tanveer, and she was happy that he wouldn't be alone that's all she wanted now, was for him to never be alone. It was time the papers were ready to be signed, and Raziya walked in "bas, stop this non sense now. Ayaan miya what are you doing? How can you hurt my daughter like this marrying this lardki, she has no values, she knows nothing of respect nor family, she tainted just like her mother was" everyone stood in shock as Zoya tears brimmed her eyes and fell down her face, "you witch how dear you try to take what is my daughters, you are just like your mother, she tried to take what was mine seventeen years ago and she paid for it with her life, and tum no different" Raziya walked up to her and raised her hand and slapped Zoya, the sound resonated throughout the hall everyone looked on in horror as Raziya kept on hurling nasty accusations against Zoya she raised her hand one more time and Asad stepped in along with Phupi who stopped Raziya's hand and gave her a tight slap across her face, Raziya was shocked beyond belief "how dare you touch mere beti with your filthy hands Raziya bi," "your bacha" Raziya laughed eveily as the words played out of her mouth "ji mere bacha" "she can never be your bacha dilshad, she's and illegitimate child, she's not even pure or worthy enough to be called your child, I despise you so much yet I would never say that's your child" Zoya looked at her in horror "what are you saying" she thought whispers started all over "get out everyone get out now" Asad yelled as the crowd left the hall. "yes dilshad she's illegitimate she has no family bonds , she has nothing, "bas, stop this non sense Raziya STOP! Asad yelled she has a family our family, Asad grabbed Zoya and he grabbed the papers and a pen, you want to see her family Raziya? Asad signed his name and gave the pen to her, "sign them? Zoya?" Zoya looked at them the people she only knew for a while was sacrificing everything for her and she took the pen and she signed. This is her family understand and don't you dare say another word about her, Ayaan smiled cause he knew how much she loved his brother yet she couldn't admit it, Raziya stepped in, mubarcko Asad miya on becoming part of the family, "Raziya tum paagal ho na" "nahi Asad miya ask your wife? Rather let me tell you Zoya Farooqui is Gaffur Siddiquis illegitmate daughter," the blood that runs in her veins are the same that runs in the man that destroyed your family, at the same time Gaffur and Humeira had entered and they heard Raziya "this witch couldn't die, locked her in that building yet she survived now she came to ruin my beti happiness to claim what is not hers, khabi nahi khabi nahi" Gaffur heard enough he walked up to Raziya and slapped her so hard her entire body shifted "ammi how could you? I hate you" Raziya reached for Humeira but she moved away "bas nahi do not touch me" Humeria walked towards a distraught Zoya and Asad and hugged her muhje marv kar deje? Zoya hugged her tightly as tears flowed down her face, the police arrived shortly after and took them away. Three weeks had passed by Zoya was hurriedly packing, as she was finished she joined everyone in the kitchen "all done" with a broad smile, she watched her dhost and her ammi hug as her husband sat awaiting her arrival, she looked at her bahin and smiled whole heartedly then at Najma. When the truth came out, Zoya was shocked for days but it was soon over, Asad stood by her throughout it all, Rashid was cleared from any wrong doing, and he finally left Shireen and moved in with the Khan's. Tanveer had left after the marriage as Asad had told her to leave and never come back. Asad accepted his abhu after Zoya insisted it upon him, "abhu, ammi, Najma, Humeira we are leaving around 11 okay" tears of joy showed on rashid's face as his son, had finally called him abhu since so many years. Ayaan and humeitra were to get married after Zoya and Asad's honeymoon, which would end in two weeks. Zoya looked after Humeira as her Appi looked after her, Zoya showered Humeira with so much love that all was reciprocated by humeria she loved Zoya more than anything and she was happy, everyone was finally happy..
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