Guys, here's the first chapter of ILL (Ishq, Love aur Lafda) for you. It's a story of four friends- Asad, Immy, Shaheen and Maddy. A mysterious girl called Zoya Farooqui enters into their lives and change them forever.
My imaginary Cast:
Asad - KSG
Zoya - SJ
Immy (Asad's chuddy buddy)- Aditya Roy Kapoor
Shaheen (Asad's ex flame) - Shilpa Anand
Maddy (Asad's friend with a secret crush on Najma) - Arjun Bijlani
To know more about the charaters, you can check the 'Character sketch' in page-1.
Happy reading.
CHAPTER-1
It was a pleasant autumn afternoon in Bhopal. Asad was sipping coffee and casually going through a few files in his cabin. His i-phone played 'deewana hua badal', an old hindi classic which blended beautifully with the windy weather outside. Asad was humming the tune, mentally marveling at the brilliance of yesteryear music composures and lyricists. "They just don't make songs like this anymore", he sighed.
Suddenly the song stopped and the phone buzzed with the familiar ringing tone. Asad picked it up from his desk and checked the number. It was from an unknown caller. Asad frowned slightly and put it to his ear.
"Hello? Asad Khan speaking."
"Hello my handsome hunk. Thinking about me?" a silky, seductive voice was on the other end.
"Sorry?" a befuddled Asad double checked the number. Nope, he had never seen it before.
"Oh dear, you shouldn't apologize for being so mouth wateringly yummy. Remember the wild night on the terrace. Buss tum aur main, akele. Hayee tumhare woh pyaasi honth, woh hot six-packs, woh nasheele aankhein, main ek pal ke liye nehi bhul sakti. Still can't forget the beauty spot on your neck, Love." The mystery woman chuckled softly.
"What night? What the hell are you talking about?" Asad felt a strange tickle in his heart. This woman must have mistaken him for someone else, but it had been ages since he'd heard such naughty things from a woman. Damn! It was titillating him in all the wrong places.
"Awww honey, you break my heart. Kasam tumhare Calvin Klein wale red chuddi ki, tum Mohini ko kaise bhul sakte ho?" the other side was clearly relishing the situation.
Asad's jaw dropped to the floor. How on earth she knows about it, unless...unless...
"Immy, is that you?" Asad buried his face in his other hand. *That crazy bust*d got me for a moment*
"Chi chi chi! Kitni afsos ki baat hai, Asad Miyaan. 28 saal ka ho gaya mera dost, and still now I am the only person to know about your bedroom secrets." Immy sneered "Pata nehi Shaheen tujhe kaise jhelti thi..."
"Immy, yeh fizul ki baatein chodd ke kuch kam ki baat karein? Aaj hum kahan meet karne wale hai?" Asad tried to change the topic. Even after 2 years of their official break-up, he was still not comfortable with the idea of being friend with his ex, specially so since he was not sure anymore whether the break-up was a good idea in the first place.
"Meeting eating chatting sab kuch hoga, tu 5.30 tak 'Palace Ground' mein aa ja. Tonight a band's gonna play Joe Satriani's compositions. I know it's too challenging for your gheesi peeti music sense, but hope you can handle it, bro." Imtiaaz spoke with a fake sympathetic voice. Asad ignored it. So many years with Immy had taught him not to take his banters seriously.
"Is Shaheen coming, too?" Asad asked carefully, trying to pass it off as casual conversation.
"Oh come on, Dude! I mean, grow up man. She is as much a part of our group as you are. You gotta get out of this 'Ex' factor ASAP, or else you will be a lifetime member of the 'Friends-zone' and every other chick out there will start calling you 'Bhai jaan'." Immy sounded exasperated. "Saale aisa chalta raha toh modern Devdas ban jayega tu..."
"Haan haan thik hai thik hai. Galti ho gayi jo tujhse pooch liya." Asad rubbed his forehead. "I will be there by 6 o'clock. Chal abhi kat le. I have a lot of things to do."
"Okay, bye Jaan. Mohini tumhara intezaar karegi." Immy went back to his sultry seductress mode again. Asad cut the phone and sighed "Yeh kabhi nehi sudhrega."
********
It was 5.15 and the palace ground was already bustling with the evening crowd, all waiting to catch a glimpse of the popular band playing for the 'Youth Fest'. An open-air, makeshift stage had been set up at the center of the ground for the ongoing festival. Many groups were scattered across the field, chatting merrily among themselves. Asad spotted a familiar pink kurta in one such group. It's Shaheen.
"There she is." Asad smiled internally as he had always loved the color pink on Shaheen. Immy was sitting beside her, in his usual black tee and torn jeans. "Allah knows when was the last time he washed those jeans. He practically lives in them". Asad shook his head disbelievingly. But his smile faded as soon as he recognized the third member in the group.
"Oh no! Isn't that Priyadarshini 'Poo' Sharma?" Asad mentally facepalmed. This friend of Shaheen, Priyadarshini Sharma, who loved to be called 'Poo', had an obsessive compulsive urge to touch Asad whenever he is in her vicinity. She'd hold his hands, pinch his cheek, stroke his hair at every opportunity. *Add to that the horrible, grating sound she makes in the name of laughter and her incessant flirting skills, and you have a perfect recipe for torturing Asad Ahmed Khan to death.*
Shaheen saw him coming, but Asad put his finger to his lips and gestured her to keep quiet. Immy and Poo's backs were turned to him, so they didn't see him coming. Asad thought of taking a hike and come back after that Poo is gone, but Alas! The psycho Immy had somehow sensed his presence.
"Look who's in the house. Janab Asad Ahmed Khan is here." Immy announced, without even turning back.
"Immy, how did you guess?" Shaheen gaped at him "You have eyes at the back of your head or what?"
"When so many girls suddenly turn their gaze in a particular direction and each one of them goes a shade redder in her face, you know it's either SRK or AAK." Immy flashed his 'know-it-all' smile.
"Aaasaaad, mera Sheru!" Priyadarshini 'Poo' Sharma squealed, "Ohh la la! Tum itna hot lagna kab bandh karoge? Not fair, haan!" She fanned herself with her handkerchief. Shaheen poked her secretly, reminding her to tone it down a bit. Her unabashed drooling over Asad had always managed to irk Shaheen, but others seemed to enjoy it to the core.
Shaheen stole a secret glance at Asad and let out a soft sigh. His 6 ft frame in fitted navy blue jeans, crisp white shirt and stylish denim jacket was more than worthy of all the attention he got from the women clan. The soft evening breeze was lightly playing with his hair. His dreamy brown eyes met with her green eyes for a fleeting moment, then both dropped their gaze to the ground.
"Aankhon hi aankhon mein ishaara ho gaya/ Baithe baithe jeene ka sahara ho gaya...hooohooo aankhon hi aankhon mein..." Immy broke into an impromptu song, much to Asad's horror. Things are never easy when you are surrounded by 'kamina' friends waiting for an opportunity to pull your leg. Asad pulled a chair and gingerly sat beside Priyadarshini.
"That's a cool jacket you have there, I love it." Priyadarshini ran her long fingernails on Asad's sleeve and raised her perfectly arched eyebrows in appreciation.
"Poo, give it a break" Shaheen mouthed silently and rolled her eyes.
"Arre, arre bol ne de na usse." Immy had a wicked grin spread across his face, "Haan toh Miss Sharma, you like the jacket only, or you like what's inside the jacket?" He asked Poo with an innocent face.
"Ummm, I guess I like what I see." Poo crossed her legs on the chair, accentuating her already prominent curves in a super tight black leather miniskirt and red halter neck top. Asad shifted awkwardly in his seat, his ears turning pink.
"I bet you will like more what you can't see." Immy winked at Poo, "buss ek choti si problem hai..." Immy leaned closer towards Poo and pretended to speak with a whisper, which was loud enough for everyone to hear "Asad ka...woh...thoda chota size ka hai."
"Immyyy" Shaheen couldn't control herself "What nonsense! What on earth you are talking about?"
"Dimaag...dimaag...What I meant to say is 'Asad ka dimaag thoda chota size ka hai'. Kyon, tujhe kya laga, Miss Dirty mind?" Immy gave Poo a high-five and showed his tongue to Shaheen, who returned a deadly glare in reply.
"Guys, tum logon mein se kissi ko samosa chahiye?" Maddy arrived, balancing a large bottle of coke, a plate full of samosa and a bucket of French fries in both hands. " Arrey Asad, tu kab aaya?" he flashed a smile at Asad.
"Buss abhi abhi" Asad got up and helped Maddy with the plate. "Thanks buddy" Maddy murmered "Khane ke mamle mein sometimes I feel even two hands are not enough." He let out a sigh of relief.
"Mera bhi soch kuch aisa hi hai, Janab, par khane ke mamle mein nehi..." Immy said with a mysterious smirk on his face. For some unknown reason, Poo seemed highly amused, giggling uncontrollably at some inside joke only she and Immy could understand.
Immy grabbed a samosa from the plate and smelled it, closing his eyes. "Mmm, smells heavenly. Maddy, meri jaan, you are a life saver." He was about to take a bite from it when Maddy snatched it out of his hand at the last moment.
"Oye, keep your hands off my samosa. Agar khana hai toh woh corner wali stall se le ke aa. Samjha?" Maddy was clearly unhappy with the prospect of sharing his samosa with anyone.
"Par Maddy, yeh toh kitne saare samose hai! Tu akela itna saara kaise kha sakta hai. It's not good for your health." Shaheen switched to her 'doctorni' mode.
"Okay Shaheen" Maddy gulped "You can take one if you wish", he shrugged and pulled a chair.
"Uh ha ha, aap apna tashreef kahin aur rakhiye, Janab." Immy protested "This seat is reserved for my Spanish Black beauty". He fondly stroked his guitar.
"Par yahan mujhe koi khali chair dikh nehi raha hai." Maddy shrugged, exasperated.
"Maddy, tu Immy ko explanation kyon de raha hai?" Shaheen snapped "Just take the chair and sit."
"You are right, Shaheen. Immy, tere liye main jyada important hoon ya guitar?" Maddy grabbed the chair again.
"Thik hai, rakh le chair. By the way, Kal Njma mujhse pooch rahi thi, iss saal 'Raksha Bandhan' ke din tu free hai ke nahi? I said you are totally free. Raksha Bandhan is in two weeks, right Asad?"
"Haan yaar." Asad nodded "Immy, Maddy, both of you have to come this year. Last year Maddy missed Ammi ke hath ka Biriyani. This year she wants both of you to be present."
"Haan, woh, main...who..." Maddy fumbled for words "Pichle saal meri tabiyat achanak kharab ho gayi thi..toh...don't worry main iss sal zaroor aaunga."
Laughter bubbled inside Immy as he stole a quick glance at Maddy's sad-puppy face. "Yaar, jahan tak mujhe yaad hai, last to last year bhi tera tabiyat kharab tha Raksha Bandhan ke din, hai na?" He probed further.
"Nehi, nehi...uss saal toh mere Dilli wali Pammi aunty hospitalized thi..." Maddy's red face had started to resemble a 'tamatar' now.
"Usse pichle wala saal mein..." Immy was unstoppable.
"Chodd na yaar, itni purani baatein mujhe yaad bhi nehi aa raha...jaane de" Maddy pleaded.
"Arre tu khada kyon hai? Baith na, ab toh yeh chair tera hai! Baith jaa mere laal" Immy urged Maddy, a deliciously wicked smile playing in his lips.
"Rehne de yaar. Waise dekha jaaye toh sangeet hum sab se jyada important hai...I have great respect for musical instruments..." Maddy wiped the sweat away from his forehead. "I will find myself another chair."
The crowd inside the auditorium suddenly erupted with loud cheering and whistles. The performers were on stage. "Ladies & Gentlemen, the sensational 'HellBoyz' from Mumbai are here to rock us with their tribute to Joe Satriani." The announcer's animated voice boomed in the amplifiers "...So Bhopal, are you ready for the BIG BANG..."
"Yaaayyeee" the crowd roared in response.
An over enthusiastic member of the band broke into a 2-minute long warm-up jamming session, giving a small demonstration of what's in store for the rest of the night. To Asad's ears, it sounded like a frog was being strangulated to death by a snake.
"Oyetteri, aj toh Joe Satriani ke maa-behn ek kar denge yeh log. Kya ghatiya baja raha hai, yaar!" Immy crinkled his nose in disgust. "Isse toh mera 'Chaos' sau guna behtar hai. To hell with the 'HellBoyzzz'! He shook his head disapprovingly.
"Excuse me, aap logo mein se Imtiaaz Rehman kaun hai?" an unfamiliar voice from behind startled them. All of them turned round to see who it was.
A young girl, barely in her mid-twenties, was standing there. A pair of faded blue jeans and full sleeved floral print top adorned her tall, slender frame. Her long, straight hair was parted sideways, cascading down her shoulders and reaching her mid-back. The red hues of the evening sky had added a mysterious aura to her stunning appearance. However, one look at her face and anybody could tell that something was not right with the pretty lass. The smudged kohl on her eyes, the dried-up tears on her cheeks clearly spoke of a troubled soul.
"Imtiaaz Rehman?" The girl spoke again with an edgy voice.
Immy promptly pointed his fingers to Asad. Before Asad could open his mouth, the girl crossed the distance between them in a swift movement and...
'SLAAAP' the sound her hand made when it whacked Asad's face was so loud that it reverberated in the furthest corner of the ground. Suddenly everyone around them went silent. Every pair of eyes was fixated on this group and the new 'tamasha' seemed to garner more interest than the musical event inside.
Asad stood up slowly from his chair, his one hand caressing his cheek. His mind refused to register the fact that he had just been slapped by a girl whom he's never met before in his life, that too in front of a crowd of strangers. In the past 28 years of his life, Asad Ahmed Khan had never been humiliated like this in public.
A vein in his forehead pulsated with suppressed fury. His face was slowly contorting with anger. He looked up and stared into her hazel eyes, which were blazing with equal contempt.
"Dobara aisi koi harkat karne se pehle yeh naam zaroor yaad kar lena. Zoya. Zoya Farooqui." The girl almost spat those words out on Asad's face, her finger pointing threateningly to his chest. She gave him one final scorching glare and walked off like a wounded tigress.
P.S Please don't forget to put down a few words as your feedback. Believe me, your feedbac matters a lot as they help me to understand whether the story is moving in the correct direction or not.
Teddy ❤️
Edited by teddy25 - 12 years ago
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