AsYa SS ~ Vaada ~ Updated on PG 116 ~ 04/08 - Page 36

Asad went back to his room, with both things in his hands. He laid the suit case on his settee, throwing his OCD out the window, and sat down next to it. He stared at the envelope in his hands.

"Asad Ahmed Khan," it read. Nothing more. No nickname, no Mr. Khan, no playful drawings. But he knew. This was from her. This was from his Zoya.

He impatiently ripped the sealed envelope open and quickly unfolded the letter within:

Mr. Khan,

I know that you are waiting for me. I know that you have waited for this day for three months. But... I am not coming back.

I cannot, Mr. Khan. When you left me at Ayaan's house, you pushed me away. You forced me to be away from you. I understand why you thought you were doing it. But see, today Nikhat is happily married. And I...

I am in exactly the same place I was three months ago. I am standing at the door of that house, that house that you so loathe, that house that took away your happiness, and looking back at you, dressed as your bride.

That day, Mr. Khan, it wasn't that house that took away our happiness. It was... you. You and you brother bartered Nikhat's life for my own, and now I cannot see myself marrying you. You took away my choice, my choice to decide my future.

There is more to this than you know. But I don't have the strength to tell you, even in writing. Ask Ayaan. He will tell you everything. As it is, both you brothers seem to enjoy discussing what should happen in my life, without my knowledge. But no more.

I am going, Mr. Khan. I cannot come back. I cannot be your wife, after being your bhabhi. I cannot live in the same house with the man, who gave me away, and shattered my belief in marriage, my belief in it's sanctity. I cannot pretend I have not committed a sin. I cannot pretend, you did not force me to commit that sin. And that it was not in vain. Because all of this is true.

I had told you, over and over again. That a nikaah was a promise to me. It was a lifelong promise, that I could keep and uphold. And you made me break that promise with you, and keep it with someone else. Your brother.

And the saddest part of all this, Mr. Khan? It was all, for nothing.

I have sent back a few items, as I cannot keep these. Not because they don't belong to me. But because the memories they hold within them, I no longer wish to carry with me.

The ring you gave me, with the moon in it. I can no longer keep this ring. This ring belongs to that Zoya, that trusted you blindly. That Zoya that promised to never leave you. That Zoya, that promised to keep this token of your love, and never take it off. But now, that Zoya no longer belongs to you. And that was your decision.

The iPad, you gave me. It holds all the dearest memories I have of us, of Phoopie, of Najma, and of you. I am taking my memories of Phoopi and Najma, and leaving the ones of you behind. It hurts... Mr. Khan. But it hurts more, to live with your memory, when I cannot possibly go back to you.

Mein aapse, mohabbat humesha karoongi, Mr. Khan. Lekin aapne mera ussi mohabbat par, bharosa thoda. Aur mein nahin jaanti, mujhe nahin lagta, ki mujhe mein itni himat hai, ki mein uspe dobara yakeen kar sakoon.

Goodbye, Mr. Khan, goodbye.

Ms. Zoya Farooqui.

Two tears splashed on the ink on the paper, one after the other, as Asad silently cried, reading the last few words of the letter. He read it, again. And again. And again. He was unable to grasp this reality.

She had been through so much hell, in that house. And the reason, was him. He forced her, to stay there. He forced her to sign the nikaahnama. He unceremoniously dragger her out of his own home. Her home.

He had broken her trust.

He had given her away, as if she was an object. His most prized possession. But that was the cruel irony. She was anything but a possession. She was, is, his life. His reason for living. She is his other half.

Only today, only now, only at this very moment, did a broken, remorseful and guilt stricken, Asad Ahmed Khan, realize, that he had made the biggest, most colossal and irrevocable, mistake of his existence.

He let the letter slip from his fingers, and to the ground. Asad looked to his left, and stared blankly at the suitcase in front of him for several minutes. It was the same suit case, in which he had sent her her things, the day after that horrid night.

More tears forming in his eyes, he opened the zipper, and slowly lifted the lid to reveal it's contents. His tears spilled, as his eyes registered what was inside.

Her iPad, in it's pink case. The one she'd left behind when she ran off to Ajmer. The one who's secrets were guarded by the name of none other, than the person whom she loves most, and hates most, in this world.

Him.

He took it out carefully, and placed it on his lap, opening the cover flap, to reveal the screen. Once again, he typed in her password, a tear falling on the screen, as he pressed the last key: Jahapana Six Packs.

Once again, he was greeted with her wallpaper. But the picture was different this time. It was a picture from the Jashn-E-Saugat, when she had fallen into his arms, and they were showered with red rose petals. When her scent had intoxicated so much that he had to close his eyes to compose himself. When her hair had gotten caught in his button. When her duapatta had gotten caught on his sleeve. When he realized that this nikaah, was far from a sham for him.

Asad broke down. He clutched the iPad in his hands fiercely. He held it close to his heart, and looked back at the suitcase. He noticed a smaller, red velvet box, and felt more tears brim in his eyes, as he deduced what was in it.

Setting the iPad down on his lap again, he reached in the bag and pulled the box out. He opened it with his eyes closed, afraid he knew what was inside. He slowly opened his eyes, and once again broke down, as he saw it.

Her ring.

Flashes of the last time she left clouded his mind. Flashes of her promise, of her letter bombarded him, and he got up, the iPad unceremoniously falling to the floor, with a thud. He took a few shaky steps toward his bed, and knelt in front of it, his elbows resting on the mattress, as he clung to the ring, with one hand and the box it came in, with the other.

"Ya Khuda... yeh, yeh meine... kya kardiya..." he cried, broken and defeated. He had lost her. He had pushed her away. And now, she was not only leaving him, but she was leaving behind, his every memory. Asad broke down, for the third time in 10 minutes, and sobbed helpessly, into his duvet.

"Zoya, mujhe mauf kardo, mujhe mauf kardo, Zoya, mujhe mauf-" he repeated, over and over again, until he fell asleep, exhausted from his tears.

Ayaan, who had been watching all this silently, wiped his eyes, as he tried to rid them of the tears they shed. His heart ached for his brother. It ached for Zoya. It ached for Humeira.

"Nahin, mein aisa nahin hone doonga. I won't let them break. Bhaijaan, Zoya aapki aamanat hai. Aur mein apna vaada, nibha ke rahoonga. I will bring Zoya back to you Bhaijaan. I will bring her back to you. I promise. I will correct my mistake. I will correct out mistake," he vowed to himself. Taking one last look at his Bhaijaan, sleeping with a tortured look on his face, he slowly climbed the wall back outside.

A/N:

Ab kya hoga??? 😲

😆

Comments, likes, pretty, pretty, pretty please 😳