AsYa FF: On the Island CHPT.15 on pg.87-31/3/14-FINAL - Page 20

Part 6

Asad woke the sun scorching his skin. He moved to get up but a hand was strewn over his waist. Zoya. He hung his head as he remembered their intimacy the night before brought on by them both being emotionally strung out. Should it have happened? No. Did he regret it? He sighed. No he didn't. He had been attracted to this crazy loud-mouthed girl since he first saw her. His doubt now was that she would regret it and blame him. He tentatively removed her hand and threw his clothes back on thinking he must have sand in places he shouldn't.

He rose intending on finding them something for breakfast. After much effort he scoured and found two coconuts laden with water and jelly and brought them back to the beach and started to carve the top for drinking. Zoya was still asleep so he went off searching again for more edible food for them to eat.

Zoya woke stretching lazily and sat up staring half-lidded out at the ocean at the waves crashing gently against each other. The sun was almost unbearably hot and she didn't know how much longer they'd survive on this island with hardly anything to eat or drink. She looked around not seeing Asad anywhere and then she remembered. Remembered what happened between them the night before. Shame burned her face as she remembered the brazen way in which she initiated their intimacy. What he must think of her. She dropped her head into her hands sighing heavily. She hadn't meant for that to happen and surely never planned for on it but she couldn't muster up the guilt to really regret it. Seemed inevitable, the more time they spent around each other. She hoped this didn't make them awkward around each other now.

Asad walked around the island his mind flooded with flashes of him and Zoya on the beach. The moonlight on her face, the look in her eyes as she gazed up at him, innocent and vulnerable but still sultry enough to make him feel things he'd never felt before. He dragged a hand through his hair. He couldn't think of this now. The more time they spent on the island was the more likely they would end up making this their finally resting place. He'd never see his mother and sister again. Tears couldn't even fill his eyes. He must be getting dehydrated. Not enough to eat and hardly any drinkable water.

As he walked further and further away from where he left a sleeping Zoya, he stumbled upon a crashed airplane. Looked like it had crashed there a long while now. Could there be other people on the island? And if there were, would they be dead? He swallowed hard that it could be a real possibility that they were and he and Zoya would soon suffer the same fate. The days were scorching and the nights rainy. They couldn't find much to fix a shelter and he was growing more worried as time passed.

His eye caught colour in the wreckage of the plane and he walked to see what it was. It was an orange canvas bag and as he dug further he found a black suitcase. He struggled to pull the bags out of the rubble it was embedded under and he opened it, dusting off the surface.

The smile that lit his face at his find was face-splitting. He dragged the bags back towards the beach to show Zoya. This was a god-send and he felt some relief wash over him for a reprieve in his dooms-day thoughts. When he emerged from the trees, he found Zoya at the water's edge, her hand swishing in the water that the waves pushed ashore. She was totally oblivious to him standing just behind her and he used the opportunity to observe her. From the delicate structure to her face, the deep-set of her big brown eyes and the smoothness of her skin that though tanned looked healthy and glowing. And her hair, whipping in the breeze around her face. Long and dark as a raven's wing and just as glossy and no longer held that straight style he'd seen before. It fell in silky waves down her back, like a waterfall. There was nothing average about her. She looked exotic and exuded innocence and sensuality all at the same time.

His mind flitted back to the aftermath of their emotion-filled encounter. She was shy afterwards even being the one who initiated their intimacy. She turned away from him out of embarrassment he was sure but he didn't want her to feel she did something wrong because even though he wouldn't have imagined it happening under these circumstances, he couldn't lie and say he didn't envision what it would be like to be with her. So he'd turned her back to face him and tucked her close giving her the comfort and reassurance. She hadn't resisted but he felt her hesitancy at first. Soon she'd fallen asleep and he gave himself into restlessness and joined her. Even as much as she annoyed him on the ship he didn't dislike her. It was part of why he was annoyed with her, the fact that even while she drove him mad with anger, he was still very attracted to her.

She turned then and he broke out of his trance. Her eyes met his then fell away and under the blazing heat of the sun he could see her cheeks warming. "Zoya . . . I." She hesitantly looked up at him but he couldn't finish what he was about to say because . . . he couldn't believe it. It was a helicopter. A helicopter was flying over the island. A chance to be rescued. They both jumped up and down waving their arms. "Help, Help!" they shouted over the loud whirring of the helicopter flying above. They yelled and shouted but to no avail. It didn't see them. It was gone. It didn't see them.

Zoya sank to the beach her eyes filling with tears. Gone. It was gone. She sat there staring out at the ocean and seeing nothing but the film of her tears clouding her vision. A hope of being saved . . . gone . . . dashed! They were stuck here. They were going to die here. She'd never see her aapi and jeeju again. Never get married. Nothing. Her breathing got heavy and her tears splashed over her cheeks as sobs wracked her body.

Asad sank down next to her and pulled her into his arms. She got hysterical as the last drone of the helicopter left their ears and sight. So close and now a distant hope. A hope that he was determined to keep alive. Zoya sobbed loudly, soaking through his clothing as her body trembled in his embrace. It had been days and being rescued and the thought of what could happen to them was never off their mind. It was always there. He only hope what he found would cheer her up a bit. They needed to stay strong because surely if one helicopter passed overhead, another one would too. He hoped . . .

"Zoya? Sit up. I found something." He pulled her upright and brushed the tears from her face. "Come on, look at this."

Zoya couldn't believe it. This really made up for the letdown she'd just suffered. A suitcase filled with clothes and toothpaste, soap and other things that she never knew she could miss so much. The red bag was emergency stuff. It was probably from the plane in case of such situations. A first-aid kit, several cans of tin food that didn't need cooking. So many things that could be of aid. They wouldn't last forever but they would do just fine for now. Impulsively she started leaning forward to hug Asad and her cheeks flamed as she remembered what she did the night before and she pulled back muttering a curt thank you.

Did she regret it? Asad looked at her red face. She was blushing to her roots. He saw her lean towards him. He was all ready to welcome her embrace feeling a sense of relief that she didn't regret what they'd done and that things wouldn't be awkward between them now but it seemed he'd been wrong. From the way her eyes looked at everything but him, he could tell she wished it never happened. A huge lump of disappointment clogged his throat and shame flooded him. His emotions were erratic and he didn't understand why she was making him feel so out of control. Making him feel for her.

He stood up and walked away needing the distance and to think. They were stuck here together whether she now hated him or not. Who knows she probably held him responsible. His mind flashed back to the morning after he'd almost felt her up in his sleep during the stormy night.

" . . . Don't dare touch me like that again." She seethed. "I mean I thought you were an uncouth person before but taking advantage of me while I was asleep." Her words played back to him as he walked. He sighed. Maybe unless he had to he should steer clear of her. He'd found things that would make their lives a bit easier on the island. She wouldn't really need him around all the time. He kicked a pebble on the beach. When did he become such a sap? He shook his head. If he did something wrong and she couldn't face him, she was equally as culpable. No he wasn't going to shy away like a puppy that got kicked.

Asad Ahmed Khan was no softie. And he wasn't going to let this woman turn him into one . . .

How was it? 😊