AsYa SS: The Bitter Truth: Epilogue Pg. 33! - Page 8

Aww thanks! I shall indeed. I know it'll be sad until they meet and he tells her he's innocent.. cause she still doesn't know that he's innocent or that he knows the truth about Tanveer. 😳

N make it ff not TS.

It was awesome.

I hope same thing happens in the show about the truth of tanveer being reveals in front of asad.

Thanx for the pm. Taker care.

Hahaha aww I'd love to extend into a FF but I don't think I can manage two at once. BUT I shall make both the next parts LONG. So don't worry, there will be plenty going on 😆

Thanks for the lovely comment 😃

Thanks pari! I shall 😳

I love you for exposing Tanveer! 😆

But you still made me sad by making Asad cry..

Btw.. I swear this whole thing felt like an episode.. you should be the script writer for the QH team 😃

AWW mishti you're too sweeet! Thanks! I know I know and I'll get chappals for the next chapter too 😆 But the third one will the happy ending that much I can promise 😃

In the orphanage, a few dozen kilometers from the Khan Villa, a restless Zoya was stirring in her sleep. She turned from one side to the other, her forehead decorated with beads of sweat and her eyes twitching, as if she was willing herself to wake up. It was the same dream she always had. A burning building, and poor helpless Zoya screaming for someone to help her, to save her. But this time, there was another person in the fire as well. Asad. Mr. Khan.

Zoya, no longer a little child, was frantically screaming her lungs out, for someone to help her. She spotted Asad a few meters away and cried his name.

"Mr. Khan! Bachao! Aag! Mr. Khan! ASAD!" She continued her bellowing cries for help, as the fire grew in it's intensity and scope and her tears blurred her vision.

Asad looked in her direction, frightened, and confused. Once it dawned on him, that Zoya was calling for him, he ran to her. Zoya's eyes were now more moist with tears of fear, and tears of relief all at once, as she saw him approach her.

"ZOYA! Rukho Zoya! Mein aa raha hoon! You'll be fine! Zoya!" Asad's reassuring words helped her heart calm down. She started to smile between tears, as his blurred figure came closer and closer to her. But as the distance lessened, Asad slowed down. Zoya looked on in confusion. She noticed his gaze shift from her to something behind her.

Curious, Zoya slowly turned around to see what it was. Her face drained of color, she felt the beads of sweat on her skin grow in size, as she registered the sight before her.

Tanveer...

Zoya turned back to look at Asad. The sight broke her heart all over again. Asad was staring at Tanveer, lovingly. He looked at her, they way he used to look at... me, thought Zoya, her head spinning. She watched helplessly, as Asad began approaching Tanveer, and walked right past a wounded and scared Zoya. Her tears grew with each step he took towards Tanveer.

"Mr. Khan... Asad..." called Zoya, helplessly. Asad turned to her, his eyes mirroring his confusion. That confusion soon turned into... indifference. He looked down, turned towards Tanveer again, and closed the distance between them, embracing her in his arms.

"ASAD!"

Zoya woke up with a start, her eyes and cheeks wet. She wiped the tears off her face and looked around. She was in a strange place. Then it dawned on her again. She was alone. She was away from the Khan Villa. Away from her Phoopi, Najma, and... him. All those images of Tanveer flashed before her eyes for the umpteenth time. Zoya once again lay down, numb, and willed herself to go to sleep.

* * * * * * * * *

Asad woke up the next morning at the crack of dawn. Despite knowing of his innocence, sleep was far from him last night. The thought of Tanveer causing Zoya so much pain gripped his heart. And the fact that she was trying to marry him disgusted him. Pushing those thoughts away, he got out of bed, and made his way to the bathroom. Once he was showered and ready, he went and opened his laptop. He sat there for a few minutes, racking his brain. Where could she go? I've been looking for her for a month, aimlessly. Zoya, kaha ho tum, kaha ho, Zoya. Ya Allah, ab aap hi meri madat kar sakht the hai. Please mujhe koi ishara dije, ki meri Zoya kahan hai.

Asad closed his eyes, hoping he would get some sort of answer from Allah. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and sighed. Aise to sirf filmon mein hota, Asad miya. He decided he'd try to drive around the city. He knew his Zoya well enough to know that she wouldn't leave Bhopal. And if she had, she would've gone to New York and informed her Aapi and Jeeju. But even they had no idea where she was. He quickly looked up his favourite picture of Zoya, and emailed the file to himself.

He dashed out of the room, grabbing a jacket and his keys, and drove off, determined to find her. Ab mein bhi, aur Allah bhi jaan the hain, ke mein begunna hoon. Mujhe pura yakeen hai, mein Zoya ko dhundkar wapas laoonga. Yeh mera elaan hai.

* * * * * * * * *

Folding her mat, Zoya thought back to the dream. For the past one month, she'd have the same dream every night. It frightened her, but most of all, it pained her. It was her brain's way of rationalizing why he did that to her. But still she thought, when she would relive it consciously, that it couldn't be. She would confuse herself further everyday, and finally give up. Just like the day before, she went on with her daily chores.

She showered and changed, and began pulling down the clothes from the clothes line. She folded each sheet, while staring off into space, in a robotic and repetitive manner. When she took down the last sheet, she noticed someone standing with their back to her. She heard him whistle. Jaane kyun log pyaar karte hain..., she sang along mentally.

He turned around, and there in front of her was her Mr. Khan. He gave her one of his rare half smiles, as he reached out for her left hand. He caressed the finger with the ring on it with his thumb, and looked her in the eyes again. She looked at him, her eyes brimming with tears. She closed her eyes, a few tears falling, unable to understand what was happening. She felt his other hand on her cheek, wiping away her tears. Zoya leaned into his hand, and opened her eyes slowly.

He was gone. It had all been a dream. An illusion of her imagination. Despite her constant attempts at shunning him out of her thoughts, and keeping herself from caring about him, she would see him everywhere. Her tears, however, were very real. She quickly wiped them away, lest she let anyone else notice she'd been crying, and quietly carried on with her work.

After folding the laundry, she went into the kitchen to make food for the kids breakfast. Zoya took out all the ingredients she needed and got to work. Once she was done, she set the table and called the kids to come inside for their food. They all ate, and laughed together. All except Zoya, who sat in the corner, nibbling a piece of a paratha.

The kids finished their meals and Zoya proceeded to do the dishes, as she did every day for the past month. She wiped her hands with the rag, and as she fixed her dupatta, she noticed a turquoise cup with steaming, milky coffee in front of her. She instantly knew who it was. She turned to her left, and saw her Jahapana, with a small smile on his lips. She just looked on. He placed the cup on the counter, and turned her to face him. They looked into each other's eyes.

"Zoya..." he said, with a knowing, longing look in his eyes. She looked at him, as her eyes welled up once again. He held her hands, and kissed each one. Asad looked her in the eyes, and gently shook his head. Zoya threw herself onto his hard chest, sobbing like there was no tomorrow. She felt his arms envelop her. She felt safe. She felt loved.

But a second later, she felt nothing. Zoya almost fell over, but gripped the counter in time. Yet again, she was imagining him. She chided herself one more time, for allowing him to intrude not only her thoughts, but her grasp on reality as well. She wiped her tears, and with a heavy heart, continued with her daily chores, just as she had many times before.

* * * * * * * * *

Asad searched high and low. He showed her picture on his phone to every person he passed. He would find her today. He was sure. He wouldn't rest until he did. He looked for her near the dargah, where he had first seen her. He drove to the Masjid. He went to the place where she had gone for answers about her abbu. He went to the farmhouse they spent the night at. To the graveyard. To the marketplace. The place where she'd taken them to the holi party for. The mall they bumped into each other in.

He was losing hope. He'd been everywhere. And then he thought of one last place. The meteor shower. It was a long shot. And he knew it. But maybe, maybe she had gone today. Maybe Allah took some pity on him.

Asad drove at the speed of a bullet train. He got out of the car and spotted a slender woman, with a white dupatta around her head. Zoya? His heart started beating wildly. He sprinted towards her and slowed when he was just a few steps behind her.

"Zoya?"

The woman turned around. Asad's face fell. His heart sank. It wasn't his Zoya. It was someone else. Asad sighed.

"Mauf kije, mujhe laga aap koi aur hain. Allah Hafiz." He turned away, defeated. He took a step towards the car, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Rukiye. Aapka Zoya se kya taluk hai?" asked the woman, her voice full of curiosity.

Asad froze. Zoya... she knows her? Kahin... yeh jaante to nahin... ki Zoya kahan hai?

"Aap, jee aap une jaante hain? Woh kahan hain? Kya woh theek hai?" He fired all his questions at once.

The woman smiled sadly. "Jee. Lekin, kya aapke paas unki photo hai? Kahin galati se aapko jhooti humeed na de bhete."

Asad took out his cellphone and showed her the picture, his favorite picture of Zoya. In it, she was dressed in light blue, the day of the Jashn-e-Saugat, her hair all curled and blowing with the wind, around her almond, kohl-lined eyes. Those eyes, that held a glimmer, a spark, a hint of mischief in them.

The woman looked at the picture, and Asad noticed that she once again smiled sadly at it. "Jee, yahi woh ladki hai, jinee mein jaanti hoon. Lekin, sahab, aapka unse kya taluk hai?"

The words rang in his ears. He returned her smile, with one of his own. Sad.

"Hamara nikaah hone wala tha. Lekin..." started Asad. But he couldn't finish. The thought alone of Tanveer's low and despicable acts cause his free hand to ball into a fist, and his eyes to dart in anger, left and right.

The woman understood. Clearly, someone tried to sabotage their marriage. Or something went astray. But she could tell by the concern in his eyes, and his distraught state, that he cared for her deeply.

"Koi baat nahin. Hum tumhe unke paas lekar jaate hain. Shayad tum usse iss haal se nikaal sakht the ho." The woman's brows furrowed, as she recalled the way Zoya was living her life. If you can even call that living.

"I'm sorry, lekin, aap kehna kya chati hain? Zoya ko kuch hua?" He started to panic. What had happened to Zoya? What state was the woman talking about?

"Aap hamare saath aaiye. Aap khudi samaj jayenge." And with that he led her to his car, as she gave him directions to the madaras where Zoya had been hiding for the last four weeks.

* * * * * * * * *

Unknown to both of them, there was a third person who was looking for Zoya. That's right. Tanveer had seen Asad get frantic about finding Zoya again, and realized she needed to move fast. Before Asad had a chance to reach his car, she quietly hid herself in the spacious trunk of the 4x4. And in her hand, was enough kerosene to burn down a factory.

Sooo this is the second part! It's a bit of a filler, I know. But it was necessary to set the stage for the last part. Thank you all for your encouraging and sweet comments 😃

Let me know what you think!

😆 I went for the CV's slightly illogical way of portraying how she could find Zoya before him. Or at the same time. LOL. Does this mean you didn't like it 😛