A/n: Yup, another story coming your way. I am relentless, but oh well. An OS is very easy to finish when words keep pouring. This one is kind of something I KNOW is not going to happen. Not any time soon, anyway and definitely not the way I am portraying it, lol.
For this story, I am forgetting whatever has happened over the past few episodes. I guess, you can link it to around the time of the garden hug in SM. Also, this happens to be one of my very few works in which my characters are not deliriously happy and I don't feel confident in writing negative emotions, so consider yourself warned!
--
It was late night, past midnight when Asad's mobile rang. He was sitting on the settee in his room and had been catching up on his piled up and neglected office work and was furiously typing away on his laptop when his phone broke his concentration. Confused as to who would be calling him at this hour, he stretched his arm and grabbed his phone from the side table. His breath got caught when Zoya's name flashed on the screen.
Zoya? Why is she calling me at this time? He thought. She had been ignoring his calls for the past days, not that he blamed her. She had the right to be angry with him. Without anymore wait, he quickly answered his phone.
"Zoya?" he breathed into the phone, a little unsure and timid.
He could hear her breathing on the other side but she did not reply or acknowledge him. He waited for a few seconds before repeating her name. The longer she stayed silent, the more the panic within him grew. Why wouldn't she say anything?
"Zoya, what's wrong? Are you alright? Kuch to bolo?" he pleaded.
After a few seconds, a broken voice sounded out, "Mr. Khan?"
It was just two words, but they held all the pain in the world. He could tell that she was crying and had been crying for some time. His heart clenched at the how her voice sounded, so hoarse and broken.
"Zoya, kya hua? Did someone say something? Are you hurt? Why are you crying?" instead of replying to his words, she started sobbing hysterically. All that Asad could make out was his name that she kept on repeating, over and over again in that torn voice.
Asad started pacing in his room, tears filling his own eyes by Zoya's sobs.
"Shh, Zoya. Please rona band karo. What happened? Tell me, please Zoya." He desperately tried to get her to say something. When she did not reply, he got into motion. Without hanging up, he rushed out of his night clothes and pulled on the first pair of jeans and T-shirt that he found. Grabbing the keys to his car, he put his wallet in his pocket and was out of the house within two minutes.
He put the phone on speaker as he made mad dash on the streets of Bhopal. He could hear her say unintelligible things. He could not make out what she was trying to tell him. He parked his car haphazardly when reached the house. Getting back to the phone, he said, "Zoya? Listen to me. I am coming to you, okay? I am going to hang up now. Just breathe."
He called Ayaan after coaxing Zoya into hanging up. Ayaan was shocked to hear that his Bhaijaan was outside. Very quietly, he opened the doors and let Asad in. They crept into the house and Ayaan let him to where Zoya's room was.
It was only a few seconds in which Asad had entered the room, shut the door behind him, took a look at Zoya huddled at the end of the bed and had her in his arms - rocking her back and forth while whispering in her ears.
"Zoya, I am here. It's alright. I am here, Zoya, look! I am here!"
Upon his voice and comforting embrace, Zoya melted against him, her sobs finally subsiding. He was here! He was here! He'll make the pain go away. He was here!
"Mr. Khan, mere...mere Abbu..." her voice broke off. She was unable to continue, her short gasps choking her. But she knew that she had too. She had to hell him the truth.
Asad looked at her intently, her plight making some sense. Did she find something about her father? He voiced his thoughts to her and she nodded.
"Ji, Mr. Khan. I have found out. I know who my father is. It's just that I wish I had never known.
*flashback*
Earlier that day, Zoya had been sitting in her room, looking over her things which were spread over the bed. Her father's last things were in her hands. She was staring at the enhanced picture intently. For some reason, the face of her father seemed too well seen. Where did she see him? How was it so familiar?
She decided to talk to Ayaan about it - maybe he had seen the person? With the resolve to talk to Ayaan, she strode out, picture in her hand and looked for him. Before she could find him, she collided with Nuzzat.
"Arrey, Zoya! Did you need anything? I can help you, I know you don't know your way around the house" she tried to be helpful.
Zoya shook her head, "No, thank you. I was just looking for Ayaan. Do you know where he is?"
Nuzzat was about to reply when her eyes caught the picture in Zoya's hand. "Is this the same picture that was distributed at the Eid function? Is he someone important, Zoya?" she questioned.
"Um, yes, very important. Do you know anything?" Zoya thought of using any resource that she could find.
Nuzzat looked over the picture very carefully. The answer was so close! Who was this person?
"Zoya, I am not sure but he does look someone familiar. I think I have seen this picture somewhere in the house before. You know, there are many pictures of committee functions and as such, maybe he is in one of those. I can take you to the storage room, where all these old things are kept. Perhaps you can find something there?"
Zoya's eyes brightened at the thought of walking towards a new source. "Thank you! That'll be very helpful"
***
Nuzzat had led her to the storage area and had left to go look over Nikhat. Before Zoya could enter the room, she heard someone talking inside.
She peeked slightly inside and saw that it was Ayaan's Mumani. And she seemed to be gathering some things and talking to herself. Zoya's detective senses tingled. She had to listen what she was saying. Leaning forward, she discreetly hid herself and trained her ears towards the woman.
"...uska haath lage. I wonder when my problems will finish. There is an entire world, but no, that Zoya had to come live there. I have to send her away before he gets back from Indore. I cannot have him know who she is! Ya Allah, let the skeletons remain buried. I cannot have the entire world know about Ghaffor Siddique's elder daughter. I should have not let her live, ussi aag mein jal kar rakh ho jana chaiheya use, Zainub ke saath. If he didn't' care about Zainub dying, he wouldn't have cared for the his daughter too"
Razia kept on muttering while she collected all the photographs and clippings from the past, oblivious that she need not do it anymore. The latch on her closet of secrets had come undone and the skeletons had tumbled out.
Zoya's brain had linked all the dots and the picture was clear in front of her. It all fit. However, Zoya was frozen. Her mouth open in a silent scream as the images from her past rushed forward. No, no, no. NO. It couldn't be. NO, her father could not be involved in such conspiracy. She was not Mr. Siddique's daughter. No, no, NO! No, please Allah Miyan!
*end of flashback*
"...but how can he be my father, Mr. Khan? That...that man! Main...main kya karun? He...He knew that my Ammi died, he didn't care. He didn't care, not at all, he didn't care..." she was crying again.
All Asad could do is take her in his arms. His eyes also had filled with tears. How is it possible for one man to have profound effects on so many lives? How can one man destroy so many lives? Asad looked down at the girl in his arms. How much more pain could she endure?
He gently brushed off her tears, cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "Zoya, what do you want to do? No one is going to make you do anything, you know that right?"
Zoya nodded at him. All this time, she had been desperately trying to find her father and now that she knew who he was, she wasn't sure if she wanted to confront him at all.
"I know that, Mr. Khan. I also know that I do not know the complete story. Maybe he loved me, maybe he did not. But, I do know that he hurt my Ammi and made my Phuppi's life a mess. And that for me is unforgivable. He was supposed to keep my mother happy, right? Love her and cherish her? He did not! I can't forgive him. I can't."
They pulled each other back into an embrace. Asad murmured into the crook of her neck, "Whatever you decide, Zoya. And that women will pay her due, I promise you that. She took your mother away from you, left a little girl without a mother. She will have to come clean, Zoya. Aur haan, I know you are thinking about it - I don't care that you are his daughter. You are nothing like him. I know that I hav judged you and others in the past, but if I have learned anything, it's that you can't judge a book by its cover. I love YOU, Zoya. "
Zoya nodded against him. She could feel herself relax in his arms. She had been so worried about how he would feel about her being his most hated man's daughter.
"Zoya?" Asad whispered after a few minutes of silence.
"Hmmm?" she was very comfortable in his arms and did not wish to move.
"Bass, kuch din aur. Then I am coming to get you. We'll ever be apart again, I promise. These past days have been hell and do not wish to live like that again. And then we can decide what you want to do about this situation. We can dig deeper and find out the rest of the story about your father."
She smiled at him and nodded. "I can't wait to go back home; our home. And, Mr. Khan? I never want to acknowledge his as my father again. That man knows nothing about being a father. A man who could not love his own, is not worthy of such respect." Her eyes turned steely. "And, I know who my father is, it's always been Jeeju and always will be."
They both sat there for a long time, just basking in each other and taking comfort. Asad sighed when he looked at the time. He had to leave before anyone could saw him there. He took her hand and made both of them stand.
"I have to go now, Zoya. Are you going to be okay?" his eyes held all the concern in the world for her.
She palmed his cheek and said, "Yes, I'll be fine! When we are together in this, how can I not be fine? Aur waise bhi, I am a big girl. Zoya Farooqui is strong, Mr. Khan! Haven't you figured that out yet?"
He chuckled and shook his head. He knew that she was trying to make herself cheer up. He wished he could be as strong as she was.
Very silently, they reached the door and Asad tiptoed outside. Ayaan was leaning against a pillar outside, dozing off. Asad shook him awake and he led Asad outside.
"Bhaijaan, is she alright?" Ayaan was concerned about Zoya. Something big must have happened for Asad to enter this house at this time.
"She is going to be fine, Ayaan."
****
Zoya was willing herself to fall asleep and was finding the task very difficult. She had been tossing and turning for a while now. The lack of sleep was making her brain go on a loop and was making her over think things. As she was arguing with her brain, pleading it to let her sleep, her phone chirped, alerting her of a message.
I know you are worried. But just sleep, okay? Don't ponder over it too much. It'll be alright. WE are going to be alright, and the rest of the world couldn't mean less. You have me, always. - Asad
--
Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain, we all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me when you are not strong
- Lean on me by Bill Withers
A/n: There! I knowww, that was too easy and it's not going to be as easy to find out the truth and be all understanding about it in the show, but do I care? Nope.
I let my imagination run wild in the gardens of love, communications and connections. *shrugs*
Review, review, review! Leave me love, lots and lots of it. 😃
P.S. Lean on me is a great song. It's one of my personal favorite. Very moving and motivating. If you ever had anyone in your life you has been there for you whenever, wherever and however you wanted them, then you should probably listen to it, if you haven't already. It's a great feeling to have someone you can always and forever depend on.
What I find most inspiring is that the other person will implicitly know that you will, when the day comes, be their shoulder and strength too.
Okay! Ending my sappy A/N here!
Don't forget to review!!!!!
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