PART 29 (An early but shorter update)- sorry about the lack of quote marks. IF doesn't show them anymore.
Excuse me maam. I think you are mistaken. Aapko koi galat fehmi huyi hai.
The water splashed all over her back as Asad pushed Zoya away from him. She almost lost her balance but caught hold of the car door.
Tool box please. He ignored her piercing gaze and stooped down to secure the tires.
Madam, aap please car mein baithiye. The chauffeur requested. Fortunately, the dark and rainy night had shielded their awkward moment from him.
Ghar kitni door hai? She asked the driver angrily; her gaze still fixated at the man near the tires.
Madam, actually aage ka raasta bandh hai. Water level bahut high hai. Sadak blocked hai.
Matlab? Zoya frowned. Asad paused for a few seconds and glanced at them.
Abhi Ayaan saheb se baat ki thi. Wo keh rahe hain, paas mein ek guest house hai. Wahan kuch der intezaar kar lete hain. Paani jaise hi kam hoga, nikal padhenge.
A feeling of dj vu shrouded their memories. This sequence of events was oh so familiar. Rain-and-then-forced-to-spend-the-night-at-a-hotel. Asad and Zoya glanced at each other. Swiftly, he averted his gaze and stood up with the toolbox. With a cynical expression, she turned around and sat in the car.
LIAR! She grated her teeth.
GUESTHOUSE:
Sorry sir, we only have one room.
Asad sighed and scratched his forehead. Zoya noticed that familiar gesture and shook her head with a sarcastic smile. Without consulting her, Asad accepted the offer, let madam and the child stay there. The driver will stay in the car and I will wait here in the lobby. Kuch ghanto ki hi tho baat hai.
Zoya overheard their conversation. With Farhan fast asleep in her arms, she walked up to the counter and confronted Asad.
Kuch ghanto ki hi tho baat hai agar, tho kya hum itne ajnabee ho gaye hain ki ek kamre mein baith bhi nahin sakte? She couldnt help asking.
I am sorry maam. That wouldnt be appropriate. Asad replied with a straight face.
Aap chaahe tho bathtub mein bhi reh sakte hain. She chided him, hoping for a response from the pokerfaced bodyguard.
I will take Farhan upstairs. He grabbed the sleepy boy and walked away towards the stairway. Incensed by his detached behavior, she glanced at the receptionist, please send some dry towels to the room. She picked her purse and followed them upstairs. She was sure, it was not a case of amnesia or a long lost twin- he was just trying to hurt her!
After tucking Farhan in bed, Asad turned around to leave. Zoya stood blocking the doorway.
Her saree wrinkled from the water, mud stains on the pretty pink fabric, wet hair down to her shoulders; eyes resolute but sad. To his dismay, that twinkle and mischievous sparkle was no longer there.
Excuse me maam. I will be downstairs. Aapko kuch chaahiye ho tho please let me know. He lowered his eyes to avoid further eye contact.
Asad. She mumbled.
His ears had yearned to hear her address him by his first name. In his dreams, he had imagined pulling her into his arms whenever she would address him as Asad.
Even though his eyes were fixated on the floor, the slight flinch and clenching of fists didnt escape her sharp observation skills.
Jhoonth se sakht nafrat hai na aapko? She taunted.
I am not sure aap kya keh rahi hain maam. Please let me out.
Furious at his stubborn behavior, she folded her arms and stepped aside, as you wish. Main kaun hoti hoon aapko rokne waali.
He hesitated, gave her a fleeting glance and walked out into the hallway.
Astounded and deeply hurt by his indifference, she hollered from behind.
Rukiye! Mr. Khan-sorry- AKA AK!
He stopped.
She took a few steps and stood behind his back. Mujhey aap se kuch nahin chaahiye Mr. Khan. Aapne waise bhi mujhey pehle hi bahut kuch de diya hai. Bas aapka shukriya karna chaahti hoon.
With a quizzical expression, he turned his head, I am not sure what you are talking about.
Dont worry AK. I will not harass you anymore. I am just happy to see you safe and well. Main aapse yeh nahin poonchungi ki aap itne din kahan the. Kyun the? Ho sakta hai mujh se door rehne ke liye aap ki koi nayi excuse ho?
Asad flinched at that comment. How could he explain what he had gone through? The only flicker that had helped him survive the five years of captivity was in the hope of coming back to her.
She continued, Lekin ab main wo 21 saal ki ladki nahin hoon jo aapke peeche peeche bhaagti rahoongi. I just wanted to thank you for introducing me to myself. Jab insaan ko khud se mohabbat ho jaati hai, tho usey kisi cheez ke peeche ya kisi insaan ke peeche bhaagne ki zaroorat nahin padhti. I am happy where I am Mr. Khan. Aapko aapki nayi zindagi, naya kaam aur naya naam mubarak ho. Aur haan, agar aap abhi apni ammi aur Najma se bhi chup rahe hain, tho unko aur saza mat deejiye. Kam se kam unhein apni umeed par yakeen kaayam rahega. At least, they dont deserve to have their faith shattered. Allah aapko khudai ki sari neymatein de aur hamesha khush rakhe. Goodbye Mr.Khan!
Zoya was confident that phoophi and Najma were unaware of Asads reappearance. If they knew about his whereabouts, Rashid uncles trusted bodyguard (Ram Singh, phoophis chauffeur) would have informed them. She didnt know why Asad was being so heartless? Even if he had issues with her, his mother and sister deserved to see him alive and safe.
She walked back to the room and slammed the door shut. It felt like a crushing hammer on his heart. As tears rolled down his face, his body was on fire. He ran downstairs and instead of waiting in the lobby, headed outside to cool himself in the rain.
Instead of soothing his pain, the rain released his deep-rooted wounds like a raging inferno. Years of captivity, torture, isolation and loss of loved ones poured from his eyes, nostrils and mouth as he fell on his knees, crying his heart out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYJQXW7RhGM
To Phir Aaooo
Mujhko Satao
To Phir Aaooo
Mujhko Rulaaw
Dil Badal Baneee
Aankhen Bhene Lagee
Aaheein Aise Uthe
Jaise Aandhi Chalee
A few hours later, he saw them leave. Ayaan had arrived with a big rescue truck. With Farhan in his arms, he helped Zoya into the passenger seat.
Driver! Ayaan called for their chauffeur, tum aur AK apne aap ghar chale jaana. These guys are safe with me.
Jee sir.
Asads heart ripped into a million pieces as he saw the three of them leave- the family of three. He ran his fingers through his wet hair and wiped his face with his palms. As he tried to add two and two together, he kicked himself for the Eid gift he had given her five years ago. Wasnt he the one who gave her that invitation to the Bombay Art house?
FLASHBACK:
"Nahin. Aap apni marzi se India aayi hain, ab New York bhi apni marzi se hi jaayengi. Main kaun hota hoon aapko wapas bhejne waala." He had a faint smile, "this is a gift that will make you happy and maybe even change your life one day."
FLASHFORWARD:
That life changing opportunity? Who knew that it would change both their lives forever? Inadvertently, he had thrown her into a world of crime and illegal activities. If she was happy with Ayaan, that was her prerogative but if there was anyway he could save her from the clutches of the underworld, he would sacrifice his life if necessary. His ammi couldnt save Mr. Rashid Ahmed Khan from sliding down on that slippery slope but he had saved Zoya innumerable times; this time he would save her from drowning in these murky waters. Mr. Rashid Ahmed Khan would have to pay dearly for swaying Zoya into his dirty business. He would be ruthless and was in no mood to forgive his estranged father.
He gathered his jacket and helmet. There was only one place in this world that could give him some solace after the heart wrenching night in the rain.
Asad headed home. Ammi and Najma deserved to see him. Zoya was right. They had gone through hell. Even if he could give them few moments of happiness and reaffirm faith in their hope, it would all be worth it. He had been selfish in avoiding them.
As dawn descended on his favorite city; he rode back through some of the drier areas of Mumbai. He reminisced his time with Zoya on the Victoria ride. She had changed so much. Not only in the way she dressed and carried herself, her way of thinking and maturity was commendable. What had not changed was her feistiness and stubbornness. He wouldnt want it another way. The girl had matured into a beautiful young woman. Alas, she belonged to someone else now. Fate had played a cruel game with him but if he were destined to be her savior and not lover, he would fulfill his duty to the fullest.
I am sorry Arjun. I will never be able to fulfill my promise to you. I will never be able to confess my love for her. He recalled his last conversation with Arjun- his dear friend who had died in that blast.
OUTSIDE ASADS HOME
It was still early in the morning. He wasnt sure if anyone would be awake yet. He parked his bike and tiptoed through the front gate. Asad caressed the plants and trees in the front yard. They had all grown taller and fuller. Gently, he walked around the house and inspected the exteriors. One of the walls still had faded marks from where he and Najma had drawn figures as children. The paint had chipped on places.
Ammi ne paint bhi nahin karwaya. Sab kuch waisa hi hai. He felt nostalgic as his fingers ran over every brick and wall.
Sir! Lagta hai koi ajnabi ghar ke bahar hai. Rashids trusted bodyguard, who spent his nights in the car outside Dilshaads home, was on full alert when he saw a man walk around the premises.
Ram Singh, mujhey photographs bhejo. Yeh itni subah kaun ho sakta hai wahan? Aur zaroorat padhe tho vaar karne se nahin chookna. Rashid sat up in bed, worried after he received the phone call. Ram Singh had been appointed for this job years ago; never before had he reported any suspicious activity. Rashid knew Razia well. As he had reduced his interactions and business deals with her, he knew she would strike any moment now. Razia knew Rashids weakness. Any threat on Dilshaad was enough to get him back into his trap.
Yes sir! Ram Singh hung up and stepped out of his car. He hid behind a bush and clicked a few photographs of Asad with his phone camera.
CLICK! CLICK!
Asads trained ears heard the click. He was on guard and hid behind a wall. Cautiously, he drew his head forward and saw some movement around the bushes. It was not the wind. The rain had stopped. He was sure someone was following him.
Pitted against a trained officer, Ram Singh was no match for Commander Asad Ahmed Khan.
Asad grabbed Ram Singh from behind and yanked his phone out of his hand.
Ram Singh pulled out his gun. Asads anger had no bounds. His family under threat, Asad showed no mercy on the intruder with a gun and camera.
With his full force and agility, Asad pulled the gun away from Ram Singhs hand and threw him on the grass. All his pent up anger and emotions found an outlet in Ram Singh. Asad beat the living daylights out of the tall and muscular bodyguard. As he punched him repeatedly, with blood spewing all over the front yard, a number of neighbors gathered around the house.
ASAD! A shocked Dilshaad walked out of the front door.
to be contd.
Edited by bheegi - 12 years ago
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
Bindi
