CHAPTER 5
No Need to be Afraid
ASAD's POV:
I clutched my pendant tightly and again raised my eyes to look at the picture. it was of a small girl with curly hair, chubby face and a cute smile adorned her face. she was sitting with a girl who was likely to be her age and there was another girl standing behind both the younger girls. she looked much elder than the two girls for atleast about 10 years and she was standing with a elderly woman by her side. the woman looked like the girl with curly hair. i could make out some matchings between the woman and the girl.eventhough the photo was old and was starting to have some patches too, but i could still clealy see the content in the picture. i felt an array of emotions stand erect in me. i dint know what that was. it was of restlessness and some yearning and some other feelings too. my eyes began to concentrate only on that curly haired girl. i felt as if i knew her for very long. i couldnt get my eyes to move anywhere except the girl in the photo. i closed my eyes not knowing what to do.suddenly warmth settled over me. i slowly opened my eyes to look at the girl. when i looked at the picture i felt as if i was engulfed in a warm embrace. the atmosphere around me changed and all i felt was warmth, love and care. i dint feel any loneliness now. and the suddenly out of nowhere i blurted out " zoya" looking at the girl in the photo. i smiled hearing her name from my mouth.
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Narrater's POV:
* 8 days later*
Nearly two weeks have passed by and all that zoya was hearing from morning to evening was the squeals of exictement from the triple Ns and tanveer. she, humeira, zeenat and anwar were silent prisoners to their list of lists for 'the paris settling programme' as they called it. T being the supermodel wanted to shop and that was what they have been doing past three days. they visited some more friends and teachers and enjoyed their life in india to the fullest. ayaan was always dragged by humeira, who had grown a great liking to the 'monkey man' like humeira called him. ayaan too liked her and soon they were good friends but still argued over petty things like children. all of them had a gala time in their home that is india. anwar was making all the arrangements for their departure from india and arrival to paris. zeenat being over protective and worried was making everyone to do all their packing in front of her eyes, so that they wouldnt miss out anything and wouldnt do any masti with that. zoya was lucky enought to hear the name 'asad' sometimes when they had their friends time. she always smiled whenever they used to talk nonstop about the epic story of their bhaijaan.she started to develop a feeling of warmth around her whenever she heard that particular name. she noticed the growing liking of ayaan towards humeira everytime he looked at her. she couldnt understand anything as she herself was just a teenager. eventhough ayaan was very much elder to them, he dint have a problem with them calling him by his name. she was loving this love and care shared by her friends and her only laadli humeira.
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*Paris*
Asad had been very busy preparing for his world tour. he had informed ayaan about it and was now facing the wrath of his siblings. they were very disappointed with him and ayaan was the only one who understood asad's problem as he himself was a world traveller because of his career.
Asad was on his way in the airport to check in and board, while talking to ayaan on the phone.
AY: hey bhaijaan!! have you reached the airport
A: uhh... yeah.
AY: come on bhai dont be so sad. you are coming to india. after a long time you are coming back to you home town.
A: yeah i know that ayaan but why should it be this time, the time when you all are coming to paris.
AY: mmm... but its okay na bhai dont worry everything would be fine.
A: ayaan nothing would be fine, i really want to meet my sisters
AY: the tripleNs are absolutely fine. i will take care of them. dont fret
A: what tripleNs?? who are they?
AY: dont tell me bhai. you dont know? nikhat, najma, nuzhat the triple Ns. bhai! how can you forget such a nice nickname!??
A: how can i forget when i dont even know about that nickname?
AY: i havent told you?
A: no
AY: oho sorry bhai i just overreacted i guess
A: mmm... let it be. and who kept that name, its kinda nice.
AY: oh come on admit it, its not kinda nice, its very very nice
A: ok ok its very nice
AY: zoya, zoya kept the nickname!!!!!!
Asad smiled at the mention of her name and dint speak for a long time
AY: bhai bhai!!!!!
A: yes ayaan.
AY: where are you lot??
A: umm.. nothing ayaan, just... ok ayaan iam checking in. i will call you later, bye...
AY: bye bhaijaan..takecare...
Asad hung up and checked in.
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Zoya' POV:
i sighed as i thought about leaving india and leaving for france, leaving meiy and pops here. i was happy but still i dint want to leave without my miey and pops. 'i am leaving india tomorrow in the evening flight to france' i thought. i have to do something useful today other than lazily sitting here all day. we were having our friendly time at morning, it was nearing 9am. i spoke out
ME: hey! listen i want to do something really useful today.
T: what is it zoya?
Me: well i heard about a blood donating camp going on near the ashram
H: and you want to donate blood
Me: great humi you know about me very well. thats why you are my laadli
Pops: thats good you guys go and do something useful for this nation
" ok then lets all go and donate some blood to show that we love this nation with our blood" ayaan said coming in through the door after talking to someone on the phone.i jumped from my seat and said " lets go"
Narrater's POV:
They went to the blood camp through the route they took for the ashram. while passing by the ashram ayaan got clicked of something in his mind and asked zoya
A: zoe why did the kids in the ashram call you mumma??
Z: well lets say that they just want a mom's love for them so they call me like that.
H: well thats not it. she loves the kids like her own children and moreover we too dont have parents and they too dont have parents so she is just providing them with all the love and care like a mother.
Ayaan was impressed by the way she looks at everyone and loves everyone.
A: so the tigress too has some soft part in her.
They all reached the camp and did all the formalities to donate blood. when it was time for the donation, ayaan refused to come.
A: no iam not coming, look at the syringe how big it is,no i wont come
H: so the monkey man is scared of syringes huh??
A: no no who said i am not scared.iam ayaan the great. why would i be? its just...
H: its just... what?? haha you are scared of injection
Everyone started giggling and ayaan was embarassed to the core.
N2: oh come on bhaijaan please its just a small syringe
A: no najma its not look at it. how huge it is!!!
N3: please bhai dont make fun of yourself please come
Z: okay ayaan just look at how i do.
The nurse came and pricked the syringe in zoya's nerve and turned the roller in the tube down so that the blood can flow from zoya to the plastic bag attached to the tube.
Z: see thats it, i dint even pain a bit
Ayaan who was watching the blood flow was feeling nauseous. his face became green and he wanted to throw up. he rushed out of the place and ran away and threw up whatever he ate in the morning. humeira ran behind him and gave him water when he was finished throwing up. she brought him back and by now everyone had syringes attached to the hands. humeira too went and gave her hand to the nurse . she hissed when the syringe was pricked into her hand. ayaan shook his whole body when he heard her hiss.humeira assured him with her eyes and all the fear of syringe in ayaan flew out of the window. he too confidently came forward and gave his to the nurse. the nurse made him sit and pricked him with the syringe. ayaan closed his eyes when he felt a mosquito bit like pain in his hand. he opened his eyes to see the blood flow from his hands to the plastic bag.
A: ya allah!! my precious blood is getting out of my hands
Z: oh really precious is it??
Everyone laughed at the mona raabert antics.
H: you know what ayaan baaji has the rare blood group : bombay phenotype/ hh
A: really?? even our bhaijaan has that blood group only. wow you two have the same blood group!!!
T: she got this from her mother.
A: bhaijaan got this from our dad's mom
N2: cool !!!
Their blood was packed and it was sealed to sent it to delhi main hospital.
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* next morning*
asad landed in the delhi airport. he made his way to the formalities with the immigration officer. and he was now out to his homeland. he sent a quick prayer to the almightly and made his way to the hotel he was to be staying for a few weeks. he called ayaan and informed him. ayaan wanted to see him as both of them were in the same country but asad refused as he had pack up and board the evening flight to france. ayaan had sent a car to asad so that he doesnt have to take a taxi all the time to go somewhere. asad checked-in in his room and got freshened up and left to do the work as soon as possible. whiled on his way to the office where he was to meet his client, he was met with an accident because of a ruthless lorry driver who was drinking in the morning
Asad's POV:
i was driving in the SUV that ayaan had sent for me to the aiport. road was very jammed and i couldnt get get through it . i was at the far back of the jammed road as i just now came to the place. i have always loved this city for its traffic jammed and busy roads. this city has changed so much since i left this place a nice 8 years back. i was still marvelled at this city and was in my own dream land when i felt my car jerk in the most worst way possible. i flung forward and got hit on the steering wheel. i could feel the blood oozing out and then a sharp pain in my shoulder as a big glass piece struck me. and the the front glass got shattered as my car hit the vehicle in the front and all the pieces got struck to my body. i was injured and now the car has got to a normal position. i tried opening the door but couldnt. i could see many people hovering around my car. i was feeling suffocated and then i punched and hit the door as much as possible. i broke the glass window with my left hand to let some air get in, while doing so i got cut in the wrist of my left hand and i could feel the pain of the wound. i was starting to get unconsicous. the last thing i remeber is someone opening the door and me falling out the door before blackness came in.
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Narrater's POV:
Asad was admitted in the delhi main hospital and he had lost much amount of blood. ayaan was informed about this because they called the last dialled number in asad's mobile. ayaan cancelled his france ticket and booked an urgent ticket to delhi. only zeenat and anwar were informed about this accident and ayaan gave the girls some excuses of helping bhaijaan in work and he is in delhi now. the girls readily agreed and permitted him to go to delhi. the girls got ready for their beautiful yet sad day and then they all went to the khan residence to get their ayub kaka ready. when they were finished they all got back to the farooqui villa with their kaka.
Zoya was clicked of something in her mind and then she went to her miey and asked about the photo which she was having when she was a small girl. she had always had it with her and lost the photo when her mother died. her miey just smiled sadly and said
Ze: sorry zoya but you know you have lost that photo long back.
Z: but miey that photo had always been with me and i just lost it. what am i going to do without. all these years i had you and pops for support but what will happen in france. i will be all alone.
Ze: no zoya you wont be. your sister and friends and kaka are with you na
Z: its just...hhhmmm.. i am lost miey.
Ze: zoya beta everything will turn out to be fine.
zoya smiled and clutched the pendant her phoophie had given her and touched the earings her mom had given her when her ears were pierced. she had always had it and never wanted it lose it. so she rarely wore it fearing that it might get lost. she joined the girls and kaka to leave for the airport and all the girls in said in unison " heyo france, here we come " all of them squealed and went out happily.
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its been a few hours and ayaan had just reached the hospital and was enquiring about asad ahmed khan. when shown the way to the ICU he just cringed to see his brother's condition. asad had lost a lot of blood and the doctors were waiting for the blood supply to arrive. as he had a rare type of blood. Luckily asad was out of danger except for the lose of blood.
The blood arrived and the doctors without checking and filling the details of the donor and all, just went with the package as the patient direly needed it . asad was injected with the blood and flow of blood was smoothly carried out. the nurses and doctors were amazed with the response of his body to the blood. he reacted swiftly as if on instinct to the outside blood. ayaan was relieved that his bro was out of danger and the doctors had said that he will be discharged within two days.
the doctors now thought of doing the paperwork of the blood donor. they looked the donor's name and it was
ZOYA FAROOQUI.
ayaan was shocked would be an understatement when he learned about the donor's name.
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here restlessnes settled over zoya as she replayed the memory of ayaan telling them that he has to go to delhi. he sounded tensed yet managed to make it sound it less tensing. they reached the airport and was in with the migration officer. they went on with the formalities. zoya was moving out of the office as her paperwork was finished first. while doing so the chain of the pendant got stuck in the nail which was protruding out of the pane of the door. as the hook of the chain was loose it came out easily when zoya moved. zoya panicked as she could feel the loosening of the chain and saw it was about to fall on the ground, she made and quick move and catched it before it fell and wore it around her neck tightly this time.
Zoya clutched the pendant and rubbed and said " i will never let anything happen to you" and kissed the pendant. ---------Asad opened his eyes with a small gasp.
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okay thats for now. comment on how it was guys. i know it was boring but please do tell me if it was boring also.
See you all with next chapter bye...
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