FAASLE II: QH FF. Links to Threads I and III pg 1 - Page 71

Originally posted by: bheegi

Koi baat nahin...mere liye hamesha 1 st hogi😃

Originally posted by: bheegi

Originally posted by: bheegi

P.S...Annu has been a reader of my ffs for a long time. She is my one genuine critic and keeps me grounded😃 warna aap sab tho mujhey aasmaan par chadha dete ho.

Love ya Annu... keep finding the loopholes in my ff as that helps me fix my mistakes😃

Originally posted by: webuser7

First, awesome sher.👏 Is that your own or borrowed? Zoya ko bhi sikhaeye!! 😆

arey nahin.. it's a famous old ghazal of Imdad Hussain Imdad, sung by Fareeda Khanam.. and also an OST of a paki serial.. you can check the vdo here.. composition sucks btw..

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xze8ip_dil-e-muztar-ost-full-official-title-song-hum-tv-drama-2013_people

aur Zoya apni samajh ke hisaab se ek dam theek shaairi karti hai.. she doesnt need to be someone like Praveen Shakir..😆 warna phir hum aur Aap hi keh utheinge.. HEEIINNN!!! 😆

Reading back what I wrote previously I can understand why you took it the way you did. It was not clearly expressed. I focused more on defining how she is in museebat.

I don't think Zoya is being selfish. What I meant was that she cannot imagine he is in danger or worse that he is dead. There is nothing she can do physically to bring him back. Some may call it being in denial, some may say its her confidence/belief that he is alive. That's her way of dealing with the horrifying news: he will not abandon her (by dying) but will be back to "rescue her". That's my POV or interpretation! Obviously, the author is in the best position to justify Zoya's statement. 😆

but I feel that line would have made more sense if it was her inner thought or had she talked to Najma, Anwar or to someone who knows abt AsYa relationship..

PART 27: DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS

FIVE YEARS LATER:

ZOYA'S HOUSE

"Ammi! Ammi!" A four year old, curly haired boy with big eyes and chubby cheeks ran around in circles with excitement when Zoya walked into the door of the beautiful two storey home. Gone were the days of her jeans and tops. Dressed in an elegant light blue saree and sleeveless blouse, with a coordinated leather bag, she looked ravishing and a thorough professional.

"Hai mera bachcha! How was your day Farhan?" Zoya lifted the boy in her arms and kissed his cheek.

'Ammi! Ammi!" The boy clapped and patted Zoya's face.

"How was the exhibition?" Ayaan, who now sported a beard, looked weary and exhausted- considerably older than his youthful looks five years ago.

"It was wonderful! We had young artists from all over the city. People really appreciated their talent." Zoya's face glowed with pride.

"I am really proud of you Zoya. Tumne in paanch saalon mein hamare art house ki reputation ko char chaand laga diye hain. We are now considered the go to gallery for new artists. I think we must have sold almost 1000 new paintings just in the past month." Ayaan touched her shoulder slightly, "mujhey fakhr hai tum par."

"Thanks Ayaan. Yeh sab aapke aur Rashid uncle ki dua hai warna paanch saal pehle mujhey koi jaanta bhi nahin tha."

Ayaan nodded wryly. He rued the fact that his abbu had excluded Zoya from their illicit business but had not released him yet. Just because Zoya had a relationship with Asad bhaijaan and his family, why was abbu so protective of her and not him? Ayaan had grown up to have a love hate relationship with the elusive Asad bhaijaan and his family. While Rashid was a great father and husband to his mother, Shireen, he treated them more like a responsibility rather than his first love. His addiction to alcohol was his way of punishing himself for abandoning his first family. Perhaps, that's why Ayaan had never tried to meet Asad or Asad's family. He had grown fond of Zoya over the years but that was more to do with Farhan rather than his abbu or Asad.

Meanwhile, Farhan gave Zoya a big hug and kissed her cheek.

Farhan's display of affection was a pleasant surprise for Ayaan.

"Farhan really loves you. Aise tho wo kisi ke paas bhi nahin jaata." Ayaan smiled at last.

"Aakhir khoon ka rishta hai hamara, kyun Farhan?" Zoya rubbed her nose against his little nose.

"Ok, I will see you later. If you need to work, I can take Farhan with me."

"No, let him stay. I will just work in my studio upstairs."

"Your secret Taj Mahal?" Ayaan teased her, "aakhir wahan aisa kya hai? How come no one is allowed there?"

"Abhi aap us laayak nahin bane hain Ayaan! Just Farhan and me are allowed inside my Taj Mahal. Aap jaaiye ab! I thought you had to meet a security company?"

"Yeah Zoya! I am really worried about Farhan. Is country mein yahi problem hai!" His nostrils flared, "Once you become successful, these gundas try to extort money from you, warna bachche ki life ko threaten karte hain! Police kya karti hai yahan? Agar mere bachche ko kuch ho gaya na, tho main saalon ko chodunga nahin! Farhan bechara waise hi handicapped hai, aur yeh log- so frustrating."

"Calm down Ayaan! First of all, Ayaan is really not handicapped. Autistic kids shouldn't be treated as handicaps. Dekho mere saath bilkul theek rehta hai."

"This poor fellow can't even speak. Aaj tak sirf tumhein ammi bola hai. Na jaane kab bolna shuru karega, kab normal hoga?" Ayaan whined.

"Ayaan, you worry too much! Sab theek ho jaayega. He knows I am the most important person in his life," she kissed Farhan, "that's why sirf mujhey ammi bolta hai."

Ayaan sighed and shook his head, "I don't know how you can be optimistic about everything in life."

Zoya became a little serious, "Ayaan, umeed aur yakeen ke saath hi maine zindagi jeeni seekhi hai. Agar main jee sakti hoon, tho aap bhi jee sakte hain, khushi khushi, with a smile and stop being a grouch!"

"Alright, I will leave!"

"Hope you like this security company." You have already rejected a number of them. Filhaal, Farhan is safe with me." She pushed him out of the house and then helped Farhan climb the stairs, "one-two-three-yeah!"

ASAD'S HOUSE:

"Ammi, main aaj late aaungi kaam se."

"Najma! Yeh roz roz late kyun aati hai? Yeh kaisa bank hai? I thought banks close at 5 pm."

"Wo-wo-ammi." Najma lowered her eyes.

"Kisi ladke ka chakkar hai kya?" Dilshaad teased her daughter.

"Wo-wo," Najma blushed, "mere bank mein manager hai."

"OH I SEE!" Dilshaad folded her arms and smiled, "kab milwaa rahi ho? Kya naam hai uska?"

"Wo ammi, aap naaraz tho nahin hogi na?"

"Naaraz kyun hongi main? Agar tumhein pasand hai tho, mujhey bhi pasand hona chaahiye."

"He is a Hindu."

"Hindu?" Dilshaad was a little surprised, "kya naam hai?"

"Karan-Karan Wahi."

"Oh," she lifted an eyebrow, "dekhne mein kaisa hai?"

"He is tall-actually very tall-has curly hair," she blushed, "very handsome."

"I would love to meet him."

"Sach ammi? Aap naaraz nahin hain?"

"Aisa kyun soch thi ho Najma?"

"Phir bhai jaan ki pasand se tho abhi bhi naaraz ho. Paanch saal mein aapne ek baar bhi Zoya ko yaad kiya hai?"

Dilshaad's color faded; her expression became stern, "Najma," her voice cracked, "ab na tho tumhare bhaijaan rahe, na uski pasand. Purani baatein bhool hi jaana behter hai."

"Ammi, I can't forget. Kya aap bhaijaan ko bhool payi hain?

A tearful Dilshaad lost her temper, "NAJMA! PLEASE! ASAD MERA BETA THA!"

"Aur Zoya?"

"Kuch nahin!" She averted her gaze.

"Agar kuch nahin thi," Najma's eyes welled up, "tho aapne paanch saal mein ek cup chai ko haath bhi kyun nahin lagaya? Kyun aap bhaijaan ki photo ke saath saath Zoya ki banayi painting ko bhi sehlaati rehti hain?"

"Najma!" Dilshaad shut her eyes, "kis mooh se Zoya ko yaad karoon ab? I hope she is settled somewhere, married with kids. Meri kismat mein na bte ka sukh tha na bahu ka. What's done is done."

"That means you miss her, haina ammi?" Najma held her ammi's shoulder.

"I do Najma. Lekin ab bahut der ho chuki hai. There is no point trying to uncover old wounds."

"Tho aap jaanti hain na ki aapki bone marrow transplant ka saara kharcha Zoya ne kiya tha?"

Dilshaad gave an incredulous glance at Najma, "matlab? Tho wo Asad ki pension ke paise nahin the?"

"I have no proof but two years ago when your cancer relapsed, bone marrow transplant was an expensive option. The Navy didn't help much. Bhaijaan was still shown as missing in action; therefore they couldn't really give us the posthumous benefits. An anonymous donor came form nowhere and paid for the transplant. Aap chaahe maane ya na maane, mujhey pata hai wo check Zoya ka sign kiya hua tha. I recognize her handwriting."

Dilshaad shut her eyes, "Najma, bhaijaan ki khabar ke baad jab Zoya wapas aayi thi, main bahut sharminda thi. I wanted her to stay but I knew she would ruin her life with us. Asad tho chala gaya tha, is liye maine bhi usey jaane diya. She was young and beautiful. I didn't want her to live the life of a widow like I did. Main jaanti thi wo Asad se be inteha pyaar karti thi aur hamari khatir apna sab kuch chod deti. I couldn't do that to her Najma."

Najma was stunned, "ammi? Do you realize how much your words hurt her?"

"Not more than a lifelong journey of pain and desolation. At least I had you and Asad, she just had a few memories with him."

"Can I call her now?" Najma's voice quivered, "ab tho kasam wapas le leejiye ammi."

"Kya faayda Najma?"

"Eid par bhi nahin?"

"Humein tho pata bhi nahin wo ab rehti kahan hai?"

"I am sure she is in Mumbai. The Eid gifts she has sent have always had a local stamp on it."

'Eid gifts?"

"Yaad hai aapko ammi, she had promised to spend every Eid with us? Aapki kasam ki wajah se in paanch saalon mein sirf uske gifts receive karti aayi hoon."

Dilshaad placed her arm around Najma and smiled, "please call her on Eid. I want to meet her. Karan ko bhi bula lena Eid par."

"Thanks ammi," Najma smiled and hugged Dilshaad, "I love you ammi!"

AT THE NAVY DOCK IN MUMBAI:

A bearded young man in uniform and sunglasses walked out of a Navy vessel at the harbor. Two senior officers walked beside him.

They paused outside an official jeep.

"COMMANDER ASAD AHMED KHAN, WELCOME HOME!"

"Thank you sir. I still can't believe that I am a free man. I appreciate the efforts by the Navy to help with my release." Asad removed his sunglasses and thanked his Admiral with his tired, baggy eyes.

"We were lucky to get a tip off from someone in Istanbul."

"Istanbul?"

"Yeah, we are trying to figure that one out."

"I can't forget the harrowing experience in Dubai." Asad sighed, "every soldier knows they could be a prisoner of war at some point in their life but when it actually happens, it tears you apart."

The admiral placed his arm on Asad's shoulder, "You are a brave man Asad! I would like you to go back to your family. Take some time off and return when you are physically and mentally ready."

"I am ready sir."

"Nahin Asad, itni jaldi nahin. You have gone through a lot of trauma."

"Sir, the mission is still incomplete and I want to complete it. Mera sabse achcha dost, Arjun ne apni qurbaani di hai is mission ke liye. I can't let it go waste."

"We are working on it Asad. Now that we know where you were imprisoned, we can get to the bottom of that terrorist attack on our ship."

"I want to do it sir. While I was captive, I did pick on some clues too. Yeh mere liye bahut zaroori hai sir. Apparently, there is a local cell linked with the Bombay Art House. I really want to do it sir."

"Lekin tumhari family? They need you. This could again become a risky mission. You can't be that heartless Asad."

"That's why I want to complete it before I meet them."

"Asad, that's foolish."

Asad sighed as his voice cracked,"They have probably learnt to live without me. I don't want them to mourn for me again. Agar zinda raha, tho hamesha unke paas rahoonga aur agar nahin, tho unse aur zyaada door kaise jaa sakta hoon?"

"Oh well, you are your best judge. Here," the admiral took out an envelope from his pocket, "here are the details on this next operation. Basically, it's for information gathering. You will be an undercover agent for us. There is a man called Ayaan Khan- apparently, he is the number one guy at the art house."

"Ayaan Khan?" Asad scratched his head, "the name sounds familiar."

"Yeah, he wants to hire a security company for his son's protection. I want you to get selected."

"Oh. How old is the son?"

"Four or five. This could give you access to their most private areas. We will provide you with the necessary accessories for tapping and recording their conversations. Just make sure they don't suspect anything."

"Done!" Asad shook the Admiral's hand and took leave.

The Navy chauffeur drove him to an unknown destination. Asad sat quietly with his eyes shut and reminisced all the events of the past five years, events preceding the accident, his ammi, Najma and most of all'.Zoya'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjsnRSGZ62U

Main jahaan rahoon main kahin bhi hoon

teri yaad saaath hai

main jahaan rahoon main kahin bhi hoon

teri yaad saaath hai

kisi se kahoon ke nahi kahoon

ye jo dil ki baat hai

On the way, Asad asked the chauffeur to stop by his house. He was overwhelmed by emotions when he saw his nameplate hanging at the gate. There were two cars parked outside the house- one was his old car with a sleepy driver on the front seat and the other was vacant. He wondered who was visiting them? He was glad that they had hired a driver for home. Surreptitiously, he hid behind a tree and tried to peak through a window overlooking their dining room.

His heart welled up when he saw his ammi, healthy and hearty, smiling and laughing at a joke on the table. Najma sat with a dupatta on her head a tall, handsome young man sat next to her.

"Meri tamatar sach much badi ho gayi hai. Zaroor uska rishta aaya hai." He had tears in his eyes, "Ya Allah!" he glanced skywards, "mujhey mere mission mein zaroor kamyaab karna, apni behen ke nikaah par zaroor usey surprise karna chaahonga."

Hoping against hope, he glanced around everywhere in search of someone. The someone, who he had longed to see when captive, the someone who gave him the strength to fight and come back, the someone who was just in his memories as her only picture had been washed away with Arjun's body, the someone who had promised would wait for him.

"Kyun umeed rakh raha hoon main? Of course she won't be here. Five years is a long time. Zoya tho wapas America chali gayi hogi. Kaun kisi ka intezaar karta hai? Aur kis umeed par?" Although he tried to reason with himself, his heart ached to see her on the empty chair around the dining table. Why did he think she would still be there? Yes, she had promised to wait for him but that was a foolish thought and a foolish expectation on his behalf.

"Zoya, you tried to convince me that we were destined to be together," he smirked, "you were never practical. Always an emotional fool. Na jaane kyun main dil mein umeed le kar aaya tha? Hope you are happy wherever you are. Allah taala tumhein salaamat rakhe aur khush rakhe. Who knows you might even have a kid or two by now."

Reassured that his family was safe and happy, he left with a heavy heart to complete his mission.

Kehne ko saath apne ek duniya chalti hai

per chhup ke is dil mein tanhaai palti hai

bas yaad saath hai

teri yaad saath hai

teri yaad saath hai

teri yaad saath hai

main jahaan rahoon main kahin bhi hoon

teri yaad saaath hai