"Looks like we did it, didn't we dear?" Asad whispered to himself as he smiled wistfully and lovingly stroked the photo in his hand. It showed him and his wife on their wedding day... he, in a white sherwani and she, in a flowing red lehenga. That was the most beautiful, most wonderful day... the day when he married the love of his, his Zoya.
They had met in college... a typical college love story, most would say, yet special in its own way. The kind of love story worthy of telling your children, or even your grandchildren... if you were alive till the time they would understand, that is! He still clearly remembered how they had first met... it was not the clichd love at first sight or hate at first sight like they showed in films, no... but they surely became friends after their first meet...
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He had entered the cafeteria, while absentmindedly arranging the notes in his hand when suddenly, THUUMMPP and THUDDD! And he felt something hot and sticky trickling down his favourite white shirt... freshly laundered too. Coffee, he realised, and just as he looked down to give the culprit a good piece of his mind, the sight before his eyes left him speechless.
There she was, sprawled on the ground with her hair covering her eyes as she rubbed her hurt back. A fallen angel, he thought and then shook his head immediately to clear his strange thoughts. He reached out his hand to help her get up and fortunately for him, she accepted it and helped herself up. He felt a pleasant jolt of current run down his spine as their fingers had touched... but dismissed it. 'Yup, I was right. She most definitely is an angel' Asad thought to himself as her beautiful, flustered face registered in his mind. 'Asad! What are you thinking?! Snap out of it!' he chided himself mentally for letting his thoughts go astray.
"Allah Miyan, what's wrong with you? Can't you see where you're going Mister?" she screamed at him suddenly, bringing him out of his reverie. He stared at her, bewildered, before he answered back. "Look, I wasn't looking where I was going and I bumped into you, making you fall. My bad. But you weren't looking where you were going either and you ended up spilling coffee on my shirt, which is your fault. So technically, we're even" he smirked.
The girl stared at him for a second, registering his logic it seemed, and then she smiled widely. And he noticed it... the cutest dimple form on her left cheek! And it was so similar to his! He smiled too and shook her hand. "Asad. Asad Ahmed Khan. Final year Economics honours." he introduced himself. "I'm Zoya Farooqui. Fresher. And I'm so terribly sorry about your shirt! I didn't see the stain before and that's why I shouted at you. Sorry!" she replied. "Oh no! Your notes!" she gasped as she noticed his papers lying in the ground in a mess. She bent down to pick them up and so did he and their fingers touched again. Asad pulled his hand back and she bundled up the papers to give him. "I'm happy to announce that your notes are positively coffee- proof!" she laughed and he was lost again. Her laugh had the most melodious sound he had heard. And they way her almond shaped eyes twinkled when she laughed... 'Mashallah!' he thought. They chatted normally after that and he also learnt that she was in his sister Najma's class.
After that incident they became fast friends. Zoya visited his house often and became extremely close to his mother and sister. His sister had found her new BFF or Best Friend Forever in her and his ammi loved her like a daughter. Not to mention that she was probably the only girl he had ever known (apart from Najma, of course!) who looked at him normally, like a friend, and did not drool over him pointlessly like the others. He could be himself around her, with no need for pretentions and false smiles. Slowly, his feelings for her increased and by the end of the next two years, he knew that he was hopelessly in love with her.
But he was scared... scared of telling her and ruining the beautiful friendship that they shared. But his friends took no time in figuring out his "heart condition" by the looks of longing that he constantly gave Zoya, to which she was, according to him, completely oblivious to. And after a truck load of persuasion from them, he decided to propose her, no matter what the consequences might be. So one fine evening, when his mother and sister were out, he invited her over to his house. He brought her to the backyard, where he had set up a table for two, complete with candles and roses so that if all went well, they could enjoy a quiet and romantic dinner. Talk about over- planning!
And then he messed it up. Messed it up in the nick of the moment. What did he do? He tripped on the long tablecloth and fell, face- forward on the ground, at her feet. He looked up to see her shocked expression change into one of amusement, and then, laughter. His suit was ruined... but he didn't care. As her sweet laughter filled the atmosphere, he stared at her like a love struck teenager. Deciding that this was probably the best opportunity he could get, he propped himself up on one knee and took her hand in his. Her laughter died immediately and she looked at him, into his eyes which now reflected the immense amount of love that his heart held for her. He looked into her sparkling chocolate brown orbs too, and he was taken aback to find the same love that he held for her, mirroring itself in her eyes.
As a result of which he messed up. Again. He forgot that big, sentimental speech that he had been rehearsing to tell her since the past week, and all that he could blurt out at the spur of the moment was, "Zoya, will you grow old with me?" He slapped his hands over his mouth just as the words rolled out of his tongue. What did he just say?! That had to be THE worst way you could propose to the love of your life in the history of proposals!!! He HAD to mess this up?! Really?!
Asad started to fumble for words. "I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry! God knows what I said just now... Zoya I didn't mean to say that... I mean I meant to say that but... God that came out so wrong! I mean I meant to say that differently... I..." But his stammering was cut short by Zoya's snort and a moment later she was laughing. Yet again.
"Asad! You're too cute when you're nervous you know! And yes, that had to be the worst way to confess your feelings to a girl and propose her in history! Now I want a proper proposal okay? Yes I know that you love me and want to marry me you idiot! I never needed to do a Ph.D. in human psychology and behaviour to figure the meaning behind your constant stares at me! Boy you used to burn a hole in my face, literally! Though I have to admit that I was confused a bit at the beginning... you used to creep me out man!" she laughed while Asad had been shocked out of his wits. "See, you're doing it again! Seriously now what did you think Mr. Asad Ahmed Khan? That you would do such a sweet and romantic arrangement in the backyard of your house and bring me out here, especially on a day when Najma and Phuphi are out, and I wouldn't figure out that you had finally gathered enough courage to confess?! Even a blind person can understand that Asad! And I love you too! Now hurry up and propose to me will you?! Or do you plan on kneeling on one knee and stare at me like I have grown a couple more heads, all evening?! And I'm hungry too okay!" Zoya ranted off like the chatterbox that she was. And she wasn't even embarrassed to reveal her feelings to him or to admit that she was hungry... and there lay the reason why he loved her so much. She was so different... yet she was perfect.
He chuckled and clasped her hands in his and brought them closer to his heart. "Zoya, you know very well that I'm horrible in the "voicing out my feelings" department. But I know one thing for sure... that I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. Will you marry me, Miss Zoya Farooqui, and become my wife? I love you..." He finally managed to say what he wanted to... no fancy words and no stammering.
Zoya had tears in her eyes and she was smiling through them. "Yes Asad, I will marry you and I will spend the rest of my life with you. By the way, that had to be the shortest and sweetest and the best proposal ever!" she gushed. "You know, long and fancy speech- like proposals put me off to sleep! I so don't get how those heroines in those mushy movies and novels stand through those speeches without even yawning, at least for once! Oh, and to answer your previous question, yes Asad, I would be honoured to grow old with you. But it's going to be tough for you now! Are you sure you're up for the challenge, Mr. Khan?" she teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.
"You know that I love challenges, don't you, future Mrs. Khan? We'll do it together" he said, smiling.
"Yes, yes we will."
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And it looks like we did it... thought Asad again, as he put back the picture from their nikaah day back into the album. 38 years had passed... 38 long years since their marriage that year. And they were still going strong.
There had never been any objection to their love marriage... Zoya was an orphan and his mother and sister loved her to bits already. They were only too glad that she wouldn't have to return to her hostel every night and would stay with them... permanently. And Najma had been beyond excited... not all girls get the opportunity to have their BFF as their bhabhi, now did they? Asad smiled to himself again... so many happy memories... and so many years had passed since that beautiful day...
"DAADUU!!" a sudden scream from the doorway jerked Asad back into the present from his short trip down memory lane, and he found himself engulfed in a tight hug by the tiniest arms. Ayesha... he smiled... his tiny five year old granddaughter. She was the cutest doll on earth, he was sure, and he loved her so, so much. He pulled her on to his lap and tickled her, making her break out into giggles.
"Oho! So you abandon me and your lunch and come to play with your dadu? How is that fair now, Ayesha?"
There she stood... hands on her hips and smiling, amused at her granddaughter's antics. Zoya. 60 years old, and still the same. Nothing much had changed about her, he could bet on it. Remove the greying hairs and the wrinkles, and you'd get back the Zoya from 38 years ago... not that he minded her now, taking his own current appearance into consideration! Ayesha whizzed past Zoya, probably to make her mother run behind her now, and possibly eat a part of her lunch in the process. Zoya entered the room and sat beside Asad on the bed.
"So janaab, what were you doing holed up in here all day, if I may ask?"
"Oh nothing much dear... just looking at some old photographs. Refreshing my memory, you know?"
"Ah! Our wedding album, is it? Brings back so many memories... good old days, good old days..." she mused. "Asad what are you doing?! You'll hurt your knees! You are not 24 now!" she screeched as soon as she saw Asad kneeling in front of her, holding her hands in his.
"Look, you know I can't do this for more than 2 minutes so I'll get on with it fast. Zoya, do you remember the first question I asked you the day I confessed?"
"Sure I do! You asked me if I would grow old with you! And it was so funny!" she said and chuckled.
"Correct! And it looks like we completed that challenge together, didn't we?"
"Well, now that you are saying... looks like we did! Boy, we've grown old haven't we?" Zoya smiled widely at the realisation.
"Yes, we have. And today I ask one more thing of you... Zoya, will you be by my side, till death does us apart?"
Zoya gasped as he freed one of her hands from Asad's grip and shut his mouth. "Don't you dare say that again Mister! I'm 60, but I can still land a few punches and kicks, in case you've forgotten! And yes, I will say by your side till we're BOTH alive. I think I made a deal with death... even he can't do us apart!"
Asad laughed at her effervescent childishness and removed her hand from his mouth to kiss her knuckles gently. And that was all Zoya needed to start giggling like a school girl. 40 years had passed since they had first met... and still these little actions of his gave her butterflies in her stomach...
"Ammi! Abbu! Dadu ne Dadi ke haath par kissy di!" came a familiar loud shriek from the door, interrupting the old couple's romantic moment. Zoya blushed crimson and ran behind Ayesha in an attempt to quieten her before she announced this to the whole house.
Asad smiled blissfully... This was his life. His happy family.
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Phew! Now that's what I call a truck-load of pure nonsense! I know this is crap guys but like I said, aisa crap idea mere dimaag mein baohot kam hi aata hai!
Sadey tamatar, jootey, chappal, andey sab accept karti hoon main
But I would love it if I got a few likes and comments too😳😳😳
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