FF: Web of Lies - COMPLETED on p80 - Page 4

That was...WOW...😲

AMAZING !!!!! I really loved this Malak guy . And ofcourse , it can be seen that in the future something might brew between him and najma !
Oh and where the hell is tanveer ? I'm not saying that i miss her , but whats a story without a villian ??!!!
Continue soon !

OMG!!!...This Was So Cool...Please PM Me When U Continue...😊

nyc update. wow Asad Miyan is J. Awesome. Oh how I wish 2 c dat in the show 2. Well is this Malak a good character? He actually challenged Asad to take Zoya away from him. Intrstng. Update soon.

CHAPTER TWO

"Good morning, Phupee." Zoya practically sings out the greeting. "What would you like for breakfast? I made halwa, aloo parathas, butter parathas, pancakes, fruit salad and lassi."

Dilshad laughs as she takes her seat at the table. "You certainly have been busy this morning."

"I was too excited to sleep." Zoya brings over coffee. "I can't wait to start my new job!"

Dilshad takes the cup and smiles at her. "When do you start?"

"I'm not sure." Zoya goes back to the counter to get the juice and water jugs. "Malak still has to set up. It's lucky that Mr. Khan agreed to take us to see some of his office spaces. We can set up quickly once Malak and his partner sign a lease agreement."

"Good morning, Ammi, Zoya." Najma comes to the table looking flushed and sleepy-eyed. "Mmm, what smells so good?"

"Parathas, pancakes and halwa!" Zoya trills as she brings the food to the table.

Najma's eyes widen. "Wow, Zoya. When did you have time to make all this?"

"She hasn't slept," Dilshad explains.

Zoya bounces into her usual seat beside Dilshad.

"I was too excited to sleep," she says. "In a few days, I'll actually have a job! I'll make a salary!" She holds up her coffee cup. "Do you realize that next week I can pay for our coffee?"

Dilshad takes the cup from her. "Perhaps you've had enough for today."

Zoya lets her take the drink away and helps herself to breakfast. "I can buy flour and vegetables!" She passes the platter onto Dilshad. "I can even buy our dishes now!"

Dilshad laughs. "Zoya, you know you don't have to spend your hard-earned money on household expenses."

"But Phupee, I want to!" Zoya insists. "I want to contribute to the house, too."

Najma looks up from her breakfast. "Wait a minute. I don't contribute either."

Zoya jumps up from her seat to go around to Najma. "Your contribution is to do well in school and make us proud." She hugs her tightly. "And you're doing a fabulous job at it."

Najma giggles and hugs her back. "Thank you."

"In fact, everyone has a role but me." Zoya goes back to her chair. "You go to school, Phupee does charity work and Mr. Khan runs Dilshad Construction. I'm the only one who doesn't do anything."

Dilshad pats her hand. "Your role is to bring joy to the world."

Zoya makes a face. "Phupee, I'm so skilled at that role that I can spread joy and hold down a job at the same time."

Dilshad and Najma laugh, Zoya's excitement spreading to them as well.

"Oh!" Najma exclaims. "How about we go shopping with your first pay? There's a big shoe sale at the mall next week."

"Shoes!" Zoya's eyes widen. "What a wonderful idea! And while we're there, we can stop at the jeweler's and buy those lovely earrings Phupee tried on last week."

"Yes!" Najma nods enthusiastically. "Ammi, those earrings were made for you."

"Calm down, you two." Dilshad pats Zoya's arm. "Thank you for offering, but I don't need any more jewelry. I have more than enough."

Zoya and Najma stare at each other in confused shock. Then they turn to look at Dilshad.

"Phupee, it's not possible for a girl to have enough jewelry," Zoya protests.

She looks back to Najma and they both dissolve into giggles. Dilshad laughs with them.

"Regardless, I don't want you to spend your salary on me," she insists.

"But Phupee, I don't want to spend it on anyone other than you." Zoya's eyes suddenly fill with tears. "You and Tamatar have given me so much love and support. I never imagined I'd have anyone as wonderful as you two in my life."

She blinks rapidly and the tears overflow onto her cheeks. Dilshad's eyes also fill as she pulls Zoya close to her. Najma comes around to join in the embrace. Dilshad hugs both girls and kisses their cheeks. They are all teary as they break apart.

"Why don't we go to Dargah for a blessing on your new job?" Dilshad dabs at her eyes with her napkin and smiles. "We should bless your work before we spend your salary."

All three laugh and agree.

"When should we go, Ammi?" Najma asks.

"We can go tomorrow," Dilshad suggests. "Zoya is looking at office space today, you have college and I'm helping out at the orphanage."

"You've been so busy there, Ammi." Najma goes back to her seat. "We barely even see you anymore."

Dilshad smiles. "We're preparing for our annual charity dinner and auction. As patroness, it's my duty to make sure every detail is perfect."

Zoya sucks in her breath. "Phupee, are the rumors true? Is Rohan Saxena really coming back to Bhopal to host the dinner? He was raised at the orphanage, wasn't he?"

"And he's one of the most popular players on the Indian Cricket team." Najma giggles. "Not to mention incredibly handsome."

"Yes, yes!" Zoya bounces in her seat. "Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the best, the best, but he's taken. "Go-On" Rohan is very good-looking and single, too. He'll be a huge draw for your charity dinner, Phupee. You'll have to turn the women away in droves once you confirm Rohan "Sex-on-a-Stick" is hosting!"

"Zoya! Don't use such expressions," Dilshad reprimands her sharply. "And never around Asad."

"Ammi, she didn't make them up," Najma defends her. "Those are his actual nicknames. Have you seen any of his posters? Ooh, which picture of him are you using in the advertising?"

"Do we have tickets for the dinner?" Zoya continues to bounce. "Will we get to meet him?"

"Stop, both of you," Dilshad says firmly. "I haven't said Rohan Saxena will be there or anyone else for that matter. And I don't want either of you to say anything about it."

"But, Ammi," Najma protests, "you can trust us. We won't tell anyone."

"Yes, we can keep your secret," Zoya agrees. "Oh! Oh! Can he introduce us to Mahendra Singh Dhoni? Will you ask him?"

"Please, please, Ammi," Najma pleads. "We just want to meet him!"

"Where will he stay?" Zoya asks. "I bet I can find out. I'll break into the registry records for all the five-star hotels in Bhopal." She looks thoughtful. "It has to be a hotel with very good security. Nothing else would be safe enough. That eliminates some of the locations I'd have to search."

"Zoya, you are not going to search hotels!" Dilshad raises her voice to be heard over them. "Stop that thought right now!"

A door slams. They all look up to see Asad standing in front of his bedroom. His mouth is drawn tight and his eyes are hard.

"Good morning." His voice is icy cold and his dark mood makes it clear his morning is not good. Asad comes to the table. His movements lack his usual grace and he has dark circles under his eyes. He sits at his usual place at the table.

They return his greeting. Zoya goes to the counter and brings his breakfast. Dilshad puts her hand on his arm.

"Asad, you look tired," she says with concern. "Didn't you sleep well?"

He shakes his head. "I had a lot on my mind, Ammi."

Asad is quiet as Zoya pours him coffee. His eyes are very dark as he watches her bring over fresh parathas from the warming rack.

"Thank you," he murmurs.

Zoya nods and goes back to her seat. Najma sighs heavily and Dilshad frowns at her. Asad looks from Zoya's bent head to Najma's pout then to Dilshad's frown.

"What's wrong?" he asks. "What were you discussing?"

"Nothing," Dilshad says, her tone firm.

"It's clearly something." Asad looks at them again. "You're all upset."

Najma opens her mouth to speak but Dilshad overrules her.

"No, it's nothing," Dilshad uses the same firm tone. "Najma, I've already told you not to discuss it further. And don't look at Zoya like that. She will say nothing more, either."

Zoya tries to speak but Dilshad's unyielding expression stops her. Zoya releases her breath on a huff that ruffles her hair. She goes back to her breakfast but her frustration is clear on her face.

Asad has a flashback to his confrontation with Malak from the previous evening.

Malak meets his gaze. "I know Zoya doesn't want to live in your house. That's partly why I chose Bhopal ' to get her away from you."

"What?" Asad takes a step back, as though Malak's words are a physical blow.

Malak glares at him. "I know Zoya is unhappy here. I see it every time we talk. She's a little less enthusiastic and cheerful on each video chat. Seeing her is like watching a balloon deflate. What are you doing to her?"

Asad puts down his coffee cup with a sharp clatter. "No, Ammi, we should discuss this further." His gaze shifts to Zoya. "This is a very important matter. No one should leave their safe, comfortable home to stay in a hotel. That's stupid and irresponsible!"

His face is very red and his hands clench into fists. All three women look at him, amazed by his anger. Zoya is the first to find her voice.

"I'm surprised you even care, Mr. Khan."

Asad just stares at her for a moment. His mouth opens but no words come out. Then he hardens his jaw and gets up from the table.

"Asad, where are you going?" Dilshad asks. "What about your breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry." He crosses to his bedroom with long, heavy steps.

"Don't forget that we're taking Malak to look at office space later this morning," Zoya calls after him.

Asad's step falters but he doesn't break his stride. "Fine."

He enters his room and slams his bedroom door shut. The three ladies exchange confused glances.

"What's wrong with Bhiajaan?" Najma asks.

Zoya stares at Asad's closed door. "And when did Mr. Khan become such a fan of Rohan Saxena?"

***

Later that morning, Asad and Zoya are driving in his SUV. Zoya has regained her usual energy. She is so excited that she is bouncing in her seat, fiddling with the radio, adjusting her seat belt and studying office sites on Asad's laptop.

"Mr. Khan, your wireless is so slow," she complains.

Asad looks at her, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. "My wireless speed is fine. You're hyperactive." He lowers his voice to add, "As usual."

"I heard that, Mr. Khan." Zoya tries to frown but it too excited to maintain her irritation. "Maybe I did have too much coffee this morning. I must have had a whole pot before Phupee stopped me. I couldn't sleep last night."

He gives her a sharp glance. "Have you had second thoughts about your decision?"

"Of course not. Why would I? I couldn't sleep because I was so excited." She turns in her seat to face him. "I cannot wait to start my new job. It will be so much fun to be with Malak again. He's great to work with."

"Except when he's sending you to jail or filling your head with crazy ideas," Asad snaps.

Her eyebrows pull together with her confusion. "What crazy ideas?" Then she gasps. "Wait! You know about the jail thing?"

"Yes." He shifts gears with more force than necessary. "Why did you keep it from me?"

"I wasn't keeping it from you, exactly," she hems. "I just didn't want to bother you with unimportant details."

"Spending the night in jail isn't important?" he demands.

"I didn't spend the night. It was only a few hours. I didn't do anything wrong." She shrugs. "It wasn't that big a deal. My employers had me out and the charges against me dropped in no time. The company's lawyers were with me the whole time so I wasn't worried."

"And this is the idiot you're going to trust with your life," he mutters.

"Not my life, just my job." Zoya frowns. "Why don't you like Malak, Mr. Khan? You didn't say a single kind word to him other than to greet him and you glared at him all through dinner."

Asad's mouth is tight as he pulls into the hotel parking lot. He puts the SUV into park and turns to her.

"About my behavior last night..." he begins, his voice softening.

"Oh, there's Malak," Zoya interrupts him. She leans out the window and waves madly. "Malak! Malak! We're over here!"

"Ms. Farooqui, control yourself." Asad takes her elbow and guides her back into the seat. "Well-behaved ladies don't wave their arms around and scream like they're directing traffic."

Zoya settles back with an irritated huff. "Mr. Khan, Malak is my friend. He knows how I am. He wouldn't recognize me if I started acting like a puppet on strings."

"So showing some decorum means you turn into a puppet?"

She scowls at him. "If you're going to tell me what to do and when to do it, I might as well become one."

"Do you ever listen to me?"

"No, but that's not the point."

He rubs his forehead. "Then what is the point?"

"The point is that I'm not weak. You don't have to keep me wrapped in cotton and freak out whenever anyone comes near me."

"Oh, really?"

"Really!"

"Fine." He crosses his arms. "Lift my laptop with your left hand only."

She looks down at the computer in her lap. "Why?"

"Show me you can do it."

"Mr. Khan, you know my arm isn't strong enough yet to do that."

"Exactly." He turns back to face front, a muscle twitching in his locked jaw. His hands, still bearing the scars from the beatings in Guspind, curl into white-knuckled fists around the wheel.

"Fine, I'll do it!"

Zoya picks up the laptop with her left hand. Her healing arm trembles from the effort and the laptop starts to slip. He snatches the computer from her.

"Stop being childish!" he orders. "You'll hurt yourself. If you can't do it yet, you can't do it."

She opens her mouth to reply but is stopped when the back door opens. She looks over to see Malak toss his briefcase onto the seat.

"Is everything okay?" he asks. "I heard yelling."

She looks over at Asad and sniffs. "Mr. Khan was being a caveman."

Asad glares at her but doesn't return her taunt. He puts the computer down gently in her lap. "Be careful."

"Zoya has a Computer Engineering degree," Malak snaps. "She knows how to take care of a laptop."

Asad turns in his seat to confront Malak but Zoya speaks up.

"Were you able to sleep, Malak?" she asks. "I remember my first week in India. I was a zombie until I adjusted to the time zone."

Malak reaches forward and ruffles her hair. "No, I'm good. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow."

Zoya smoothes her hair back. "So you're ready to look at offices? I went through all of Mr. Khan's available locations and eliminated the ones I knew won't work. Still the list is pretty long. There are pictures of all the places on the Dilshad Construction website."

Zoya shifts the laptop and Asad immediately takes it from her. He places it on the center console so Malak can see the webpage. Malak's eyes narrow as he looks from Zoya to Asad.

"Relax. She's not going to break your precious laptop," he snaps at Asad then turns to Zoya. "Why are you lugging around a laptop, anyway? What happened to your tablet?"

"I lent it to Najma. She's preparing for exams and it helps her to use it as extra monitor at college."

Malak maneuvers around the site and whistles. "Zoya, this is amazing. You built in trap graphics, embedded locks and accelerated links. How long did it take you to set this up?"

"Three weeks." Zoya's face flushes with pleasure. "Thank you for noticing. I worked hard on it."

Asad frowns and tries to look over the laptop lid. "What's so special about it? It looks like a normal web page to me."

Zoya's glow dims but Asad doesn't notice. Malak, however, does. He glares at Asad before smiling warmly at Zoya.

"You have a real talent working for you, Asad." he says. "Your website has government-grade encryption. Zoya set it up so that even a Zoya-level hacker would have trouble breaking into your site."

Zoya grins. "It's even better than government-grade. I built a spider web over it."

Malak's mouth drops open. "You built a spider web? When did you learn to do that?"

Again, Asad tries to see the screen. "What's a spider web?"

"It's a website that can trap a hacker and suck all the information out of his computer if he tries to attack your site." Malak stares at Zoya in amazement. "I can hardly believe you built that and I know what you can do."

Zoya's glow returns full force but she shrugs modestly. "I had free time so I just fiddled around until I got it right."

Asad turns the laptop and studies the Dilshad Construction website. "I don't see it."

"That's the beauty of a spider web, Mr. Khan." Zoya tugs on the laptop and Asad places it back in her lap. "It's too late for the fly to escape the web once he realizes he's trapped. Then my code, or spider, copies the registry of the computer that was used to hack and its IP address."

Asad's mouth opens and closes several times as he tries to digest the new information. "What are the codes for?"

"Put simply, codes are the instructions necessary to hack a site," Zoya explains. "No human being can run steps as often and as fast as necessary to break a site so we write code that can do it in a fraction of the time."

"Or you have people like Zoya who know how to fool computers into thinking that there are no invalid attempts made," Malak adds. "Her codes are more precious than gold. With them, she can break into anything."

Asad stares at Zoya, as though seeing her for the first time. Zoya sees his dumbfounded expression and gives him a sweet smile.

"And you thought I was just a pretty face, didn't you?"

Again, it takes Asad a few seconds to regroup. "You put all this security into the Dilshad Construction servers? Are you saying my company is hack-proof?"

"There's no such thing as hack-proof, Mr. Khan. Hackers think of new technology every day." She smiles at him again. "But don't worry. As long as I keep updating it, it'll take a swarm to bring you down."

He shakes his head, clearly confused by the conversation. "What's a swarm?"

"A swarm is a group of hackers who hit a site at the same time." Zoya clicks keys on the laptop. "They try to overwhelm the site's security by force. Again, it's nothing to worry about. I've built in a fail-safe that will take your servers offline when triggered. Dilshad Construction will fall off the web at the first sign of attack."

Asad's expression is caught between dazed and amazed. Zoya tilts her head and her smile softens. Malak looks between them and narrows his eyes again, his mouth tightening at the warmth and electricity between them.

"How much did you charge Asad for this, Zoya?" he asks, breaking their moment. "I have no idea how to price a service like this."

It takes Zoya a few seconds to look away from Asad. Finally she blinks and turns to Malak. "Don't be silly. I don't charge Mr. Khan for any of the work I do for him. I live in his home."

Malak looks at Asad but Asad is still focused on Zoya. She sees Asad still staring at her and blushes.

"Asad, you're robbing her blind," Malak says. "This technology is so cutting-edge Zoya can name her own price."

"Ms. Farooqui doesn't care about material wealth," Asad says coolly. "She doesn't have a price."

"Not this time, Mr. Khan." Zoya smiles slyly at Malak. "I do have a price in mind. Now that Malak has seen my work, I'm confident I'll get it."

Malak groans. "You're going to bleed me with this contract, aren't you?"

"That's how good I am," Zoya says with smug satisfaction. "Even an experienced hacker like you, who knows what's coming, got caught in my web."

***

"This isn't the right location for your business," Asad says.

"Why not?" Malak stands in the center of the room. He turns in a complete circle, taking in the wall of windows, the doors for private offices and the pristine white worker's cubicles. "It looks right to me."

Asad crosses his arms. "It's too far from downtown, the windows make it difficult to see computer screens, and the area is so new there are no additional businesses here or nearby."

"No, this will work." Malak makes another circle and nods with satisfaction. "I wanted to be away from the noise and congestion, we'll put shades on the windows and the neighborhood will grow with us." He looks over to Zoya for confirmation.

Zoya looks out the windows. "It's a pretty area with all these trees and vegetation."

Asad comes to stand beside her. "That's about all that's here. The other two floors are empty and the site scheduled across the yard hasn't broken ground yet."

She holds her hand to her forehead to shade her eyes against the late morning sun. "Then why did you build here?"

"My research shows this area will become extremely valuable as the population continues to grow and move out of Bhopal," Asad explains. "I wanted to buy and build here while the land prices were still reasonable. This is only the first in a multi-building complex."

"Is it safe?" Malak asks, suspicion sharp in his voice.

Asad turns to him. "What do you mean?"

"I read so many stories about building collapses in India," Malak says. "What guarantees do I have that your buildings are up to code, if there are any codes here?"

"Are you accusing me of shoddy workmanship?" Asad strides over to him. "Not only are my buildings up to code, but they exceed them."

Malak puts his hands up. "I'm just asking. After all, Zoya will work here. You want Zoya to be safe, don't you?"

Asad doesn't miss the hard, mocking edge in Malak's voice. Asad's mouth flattens into a thin line. He climbs up on a cubicle desk and punches the foam ceiling tile.

"Mr. Khan, what are you doing?" Zoya hurries over to them.

Asad shifts the tile aside so that the two-foot wide steel beams are exposed. He gestures towards the beams.

"Reinforced steel," he says. "The entire building, every floor, is built on a steel cage." He replaces the tile and bounces down with the easy grace of a jungle cat. "This building is graded to withstand an earthquake."

"I can vouch for the quality of the beams. I met the gentleman who builds them for Mr. Khan." Zoya tucks her left arm close to her body, as though it still pains her.

"Don't talk about that!" Asad's voice is sharp and tight, remembered anxiety darkening his eyes.

He reaches out to Zoya but Malak steps forward.

"Why isn't Zoya allowed to talk?" he demands. "She has a right to voice her opinions. And I have a right to know about the quality of the office space I'm leasing. I need to know this building won't crash down on my team."

"That will never happen." Zoya slips between them. "Mr. Khan is a very principled man. His buildings are always to the highest standards." She puts her hand on Asad's arm. "Trust me. He would never jeopardize his reputation or our safety by cutting corners. He's not that kind of person."

Zoya looks at Asad. He gives her a small, tight smile and nods. She turns back to Malak who is staring at her holding Asad's arm. Zoya quickly removes her hand.

"So, have you decided on this location?" she prompts Malak.

He looks around again and nods. "Yes, this will do."

"Finally!" She claps. "Can we go for lunch now? I'm starving."

She laughs when Malak gives her an exaggerated bow and gestures for her to lead him out of the building. Asad is annoyed by their antics but stays silent as he follows them out of the office space. He uses his cell phone to snap pictures of the elevator, lobby and front door.

"Mr. Khan, what are you doing?" Zoya asks. "This location already has pictures on your website."

"I'm noting places for security updates," he explains.

"What kind of updates?" Malak asks sharply.

Asad unlocks the SUV. "I want to install cameras, remote locks, and secondary backup power. You should also hire a guard to monitor the doors during business hours."

"Why would I need all that extra security?" Malak demands. "This seems like a safe area."

Asad gives him a hard glare as he pulls out of the parking area. "This area is practically deserted. Unless you plan to lock your team in the office, you'll want additional security. After all, you do want to keep them safe, don't you?" He deliberately uses the same mocking tone Malak used on him earlier.

Zoya twists in her seat to look between them. "Am I missing something?"

"No." Malak smiles easily. "We're just negotiating the lease contract, that's all. So, where should we go for lunch? My treat!"

"We should celebrate." Zoya adjusts the air conditioning. "Maybe something cold."

"How about ice cream?" Malak suggests.

"Ice cream? You want to celebrate with ice cream?" Asad rolls his eyes. "Only children celebrate by eating ice cream."

"Ohh, that's a great idea! Please, Mr. Khan?" Zoya pouts and flutters her eyelashes at him. "I'll just melt if I don't have ice cream."

Asad gives her a sideways glace. He sighs heavily, but nevertheless pulls up to an ice cream shop.

"Asad, you don't have to go in with us." Malak slams his door as he gets out of the SUV. "You can stay here and be a mature adult while Zoya and I have our ice cream."

He opens the passenger door for her. She giggles and bounces out of the car, pausing only long enough to smile back at Asad.

"We'll only be a few minutes!"

Asad opens his mouth to reply but she's already gone. He watches Malak lead her into the shop. Asad rolls his eyes and pulls out his cell phone. He's about to dial when he has another flashback to his confrontation with Malak the previous night.

"You know nothing about her life here. I protect her. She relies on me."

"She relies on you because she has no one else," Malak insists. "That's going to change now that I'm here."

"No," Asad mutters. "It isn't going to change, Malak. You don't know how things work in India. She may laugh with you now but I'm the one she turns to when she has a problem. I'm the one who takes care of her. Ice cream and boasting aren't enough to take Zoya from me."

His thoughts are interrupted when Zoya comes out, holding two cups piled high with ice cream, fruit and whipped cream. She walks over to his door and offers one to him.

Asad rolls down his window. "What's this?"

"It's ice cream, Mr. Khan." She dips the cup so he can see the contents. "Strawberry, your favorite."

"How do you know my favorite ice cream?"

"You think Phupee hasn't told me all about how you used to sneak into the ice box when you were little and gorge yourself? Then you'd try to deny it was you, even though your face would be dripping with strawberry ice cream." She rotates her left shoulder. "Take it, Mr. Khan. These cups are heavy."

Asad reaches for the ice cream then pulls his hand back. "Ms. Farooqui, I'm an adult. Adults don't eat ice cream."

The ice cream cup dips in Zoya's hand. She gasps and draws her left arm close to her body. Instantly, Asad opens the car door and gets out. He takes both cups from her.

"What's wrong? Does your arm hurt?" he asks anxiously.

Calmly she reaches into her bag for spoons and napkins. "Not right now but thank you for asking." She offers him a spoon.

He expels his breath on a sharp hiss. "You did that on purpose."

"Did what, Mr. Khan?"

She gives him her brightest smile, the one that reveals her dimple. Asad is transfixed. Zoya's smile falters at the intensity of his stare. They look at each other, suddenly oblivious to their surroundings. Their eye-lock is broken when Malak speaks from behind Zoya.

"Impressive," he says. "How did you get Mr. Prim-and-Proper to eat ice cream?"

Zoya jerks around to look at Malak. It takes her a second to collect her thoughts. "Umm, I know what he likes."

Malak blinks. Asad reaches around Zoya to hold out her ice cream, effectively curling her into his side. He gives Malak a hard, taunting smile.

"Yes," Asad says with smug satisfaction, "she does."

Author's Notes: As always, all mistakes are mine and made accidentally. This story is not intended to hurt anyone's feelings, culture or beliefs. HUGE thanks go out to my wonderful beta readers ' I ashamed to admit I forgot to thank them in the first chapter!

Also, thank you to everyone who posted replies, sent me buddy request and wrote private messages. I am overwhelmed by the wonderful response! I hope I've added everyone who wants PM's to my buddy list. Please feel free to join if you would like me to let you know when new chapters are posted. It's the only way I know to send out a group message.

This story is the setup for the next few mysteries so keep these details in mind! Here is the link to my summaries if you would like to understand how WEB OF LIES fits into my overall story arch:

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/qubool-hai/3510217/ff-palygirls-upcoming-mysteries-updated

I hope you're enjoying my story! Thank you for reading.

Paly

Chapter 3: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/84918806

Beautiful!! Love the side of Jealous Asad!! Please continue soon =)

This is the most amazing story! I want to be an expert hacker like Zoya! How to u know so much about hacking? I hope u are not a hacker!! Hahahah... Pls continue! I love how it is long! Pm me when u do pls

superb..i mst say u r a computer student...lots of internet /computer info...mujhe todhi kam samjh ayi...sorry..i m not so good wd this comp/interent/hacking...

totally enjoyed it...

Omgoshhh I looove it! Asad and Malak are at each others throats and Zoya is all giggly and oblivious- she's too cute! I love how Asad and Malak are protective in their own ways, they each have their own opinion of what's right for her, and it'll get stronger later. BUT I LOVE LOVE LOVED THE ENDING. AHHH Asad and Zoya knowing each other, like too perfect man. Amazing job!