FLASHBACK STARTS :
'I missed you so much puphi.' She said as she sat on the couch infront of her. Servant was taking her bags to her room.
'I missed you too. How is Zainab ? Is she coming to India ?' Dilshad asked her about her mother.
'No, not now. Maybe next year she will come. Actually they are shifting from Australia to America, Uncle got an offer from a company there so maybe before shifting there they will come to India once.' Zoya said with a smile.
'And how are your siblings ?' Dilshad asked her.
'They are fine too.' Zoya said and tried to avoid her gaze and untied her shoes. Dilshad was still looking at her.
'Where is Najma ?' Zoya asked her.
'She has gone to a friend's place. I will go and make coffee for you.' Dilshad said and walked to the kitchen.
She took a sigh of relief. She laid back on the couch and closed her eyes. Zoya was back after one month, she was happy to be back, be here, be home.
'I forgot to tell you Asad is here from last week.' Dilshad came with a coffee cup and said to her.
'Oh ! But why ? I thought he is busy with his job this year.' She wasn't happy to hear that.
'Well he said he was missing me and Najma so he took leave for two month and came here.' Dilshad said happily.
'And besides why would he get worried about the job when he has a father there to support him.' She continued but her voice was sad now.
'Where is he now ?' Zoya asked her to change the topic.
'He is sleeping right now. You know there is too much time difference between England and here so he is still working on it.' Dilshad told her.
'Najma must be happy to see him ?' Zoya asked her with a smile.
'Yes she is. He has got many gifts for her, he took her for shopping aswell but she was missing you so much.' Dilshad said and Zoya was happy to know that Najma missed her. Afterall, her life was all about Dilshad and Najma.
'Ami has sent gifts for you and Najma, should I take them out ?' Zoya asked her.
'No, I think you should go and rest for some time.' Dilshad said and stood up.
Zoya came back to her room. Asad Ahmed Khan wasn't a new name for her. She knew him since her childhood. They both were best friends in there childhood. Last time she met him was two years back when he came to Bhopal in his vacations to her mother but they didn't get time to interact too much as Zoya left for Australia to her mother the very next day on her vacations.
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She woke up at 7 o'clock, took out her clothes and went for a quick shower. She came out of her room and saw Najma sitting on the couch. Najma looked at her and came towards her.
'Zoyaaa !!! I missed you so much.' She took her in a tight hug.
'I missed you too.' Zoya smiled at her and looked at her left side. Asad was coming out of his room. He saw both of them hugging and then looked at Zoya.
'Hi, how are you ?' He asked her with a smile. She turned towards him now.
'I am fine, did you recognise me ?' Zoya asked him with a smile.
'Yes I did, you are Ghafoor uncle's daughter and two years is not a long gap. And besides that, I was 10 years old when you came to our house and we were best friends at that time if you remember.' Asad said and was looking at her.
'You are right. Anyways lets go for the dinner.' Zoya said to change the topic. She was inviting him for dinner at his own house. He smiled at her.
'Umm Zoya. . . . .are we friends still ?' He was looking at her with hope to listen yes. She was surprised to hear that. Why was he interested in friendship with her now ?
'Past was past, I don't make friends so easily now, lets see if we reach to friendship or to something else.' She said with a half smile on her face and walked to the kitchen. He was still looking at her back.
Is she still angry on me ? But what did I do if abu took me away from them and never allowed me to even meet my mother ?
Somehow they both have faced same problems in there life, but they both have different point of views towards that.
Zoya was only five years old when her parents got divorced, her mother remarried after six months of that and settled in Australia. Zoya was still trying to understand everything that was going around her when her step mother wasn't ready to accept her too. Ghafoor was going to drop her in the orphanage when Rashid(his best friend) and Dilshad told him that they will keep her for some years until his wife agrees.
But that time never came in her life when she would go back to her father's home. She accepted the reality after some years and took Dilshad and Najma as her only family.
Her father was in her contact always, he was used to talk to her every second month and send her money for all her expenses too but she wasn't interested in his money, gifts or calls. She wanted her father to be back in her life.
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'Puphi, where is Najma ?' She came out of her room, while rubbing her eyes and sat on the couch near her.
'She is out with Asad, they have gone for lunch.' Dilshad told her.
'But why ? We both were supposed to go to the library today.' Zoya said annoyingly.
'I don't know they just made there plan, he asked me too but I thought you are sleeping so I should be here with you.' Dilshad said to her with a smile and Zoya was shocked to hear that.
Najma was always like a little sister to her and she never went anywhere without telling her.
Najma went for lunch without me ? How can she do that ? And why am I feeling bad she went with her brother and its totally fine and he is here for a month or two only. He will go back to London soon to his father.
Zoya tried to convince herself but was still scared to lose her only family. What if he took away Najma and Puphi from her ? How would she live without them ?
'Puphi, I will go and get ready. I have to go to library to get some books for exams.' Zoya said to her and walked back to her room.
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'Ammi, I was just thinking that I should take Najma with me to London.' Asad said to irritate Dilshad. Books fell from Zoya's hand as she heard that. Dilshad and Asad looked at her.
'I am sorry puphi.' She said and started taking the books from the floor. Asad came forward to help her. He looked at her, her eyes were wet.
'Zoya when did you come back ?' Dilshad asked her.
'I just came now.' Zoya said without looking at her.
'Is there any problem ?' Asad asked her finally in a low voice. She looked at him angrily.
'No, I am fine.' She said while standing up.
'You can share with me if something is bothering you.' Asad asked her and gave her the books.
'I told you I am fine.' She said rudely this time and ran to her room.
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She tried hard to sleep but she couldn't. She was still thinking about Najma and Dilshad. She was getting worried now.
Allah Miyaan ! What's wrong with me ? They are not going anywhere right now. If he tried to take them away from me then I will plan something against him but right now all is under control.
She relaxed herself and came out of her room. She took out pizza and cold drink from the refrigerator and came to the balcony. She always loved to sit there late at night.
She took out a slice of pizza and started thinking again about what he said in the evening.
'Was he serious about taking Najma with him ?' She said after taking a bite.
'Where will I go if he took them away from me ?' She was feeling sad again.
'No, I am not going to let him take puphi and Najma away from me.' She told her decision loudly now.
'I wish he goes back as soon as possible, but alone.' Zoya started praying now.
Asad who came out of his room to drink water felt someone's presence in the balcony so he came there. He saw her sitting on the bench and talking to herself. She couldn't see him but he was listening to her quietly and smiling at her thoughts. She looked beautiful to him in moonlight. Whatever he said in the evening was just to irritate Dilshad but he didn't know that Zoya will take it seriously.
'Can I join you ?' He said and she turned back.
'What ?' Zoya stood up. She wasn't expecting him.
'I mean I am also hungry, can I have a slice of that pizza ?' Asad said and pointed towards the pizza box. He wasn't interested in her pizza but he wanted to spend some time with her like they always did in there childhood.
'You can have it.' She gave him the box and took some steps to cross him and go out.
'Can you just sit with me for a moment ?' He holded her hand and asked her. She looked at his hand and he let it go.
'Why ?' She asked him and folded her hands on her chest.
'Actually, I need to talk to you.' He said in serious tone this time. He kept the pizza box on the bench.
'About what ?' She asked him rudely.
'Are you going to sit or I should force you to sit ?' He asked her angrily. She sat on the bench quietly, he took the chair from the corner and sat infront of her.
'Why you hate me Zoya ?' He asked her.
'There is nothing like that, I don't hate you.' She said while looking away.
'Very good, then why don't you like me staying here ?' He asked her the next question.
'I never said that.' She looked at him with her eyes wide open. He was sitting so close to her that she was getting nervous too but she behaved confident. He looked into her eyes for the first time and changed his gaze suddenly.
'I know you never said anything but I can feel that you don't like me. You are always ignoring me. If you want me to go from here, I will just go right now.' Asad said and he looked serious to her. He understood the reason behind her behavior but he wanted to clear everything to her right now.
'This is your home, you don't need my permission to stay here.' She said with teary eyes.
'Zoya, Are you angry because I went to London with abu ?' He asked her softly this time.
'No, I am not angry on that. At first when you went away it was hard for me to accept that you also left me but after some time I understood that it wasn't your decision, you were just 12 years old.' She said while looking at him and then continued again 'And besides it wasn't your decision, court decided that you will stay with your father and Najma will stay with Puphi.' She knew she wasn't saying anything important to him but she wanted to show him that she understands everything now, she is 17 years old now not a kid anymore.
He was looking at her and listening to her quietly. She wasn't saying anything new or important to him, but he loved her when she talked useless infront of him.
'If that is not the problem, then tell me what is bothering you ?' He said after a while.
'You won't take Najma and Puphi with you, they will stay here.' She finally told her problem to him. He smiled at her. How can he do that ? How can he leave his Zoya back here ? She was the first girl he thought about in a different way.
'You know, I thought you have turned 17 now so you must be understanding enough but you are still as stupid as you were before.' He said and she looked at him angrily. Was he making fun of her ?
'What do you mean by that ?' She asked him angrily.
'Don't shout Zoya but do you even think before saying anything ? How can I take them with me ? I am only 22 years old. Ya, I am having a job there but that's just like a hobby for me. Abu is there to support me and he pays for all my expenses. And why would abu support ami after there divorce ? Ami is happy here so she will stay here, I can support her here but not there still.' He explained her everything and she was lost in her thoughts.
How can I be so stupid ? Asad is right I still need to work on myself, I need to grow up.
'And if you are worried about what I said in the evening then it was just to irritate ami.' He continued when he didn't get a reply from her and with that Asad Ahmed Khan convinced her like he used to do in there childhood.
'I am sorry.' She said finally.
'For what ?' He asked her to irritate her. She looked at him, she could see that he was hiding his smile.
'For everything.' Zoya said. She wasn't able to describe anything still.
'Its ok. So we are friends now ?' He asked her.
'Yes, we are.' Zoya said with a smile.
'Thats good, now can you come with me I have to give you something ?' He asked her and she looked at him.
'Where ?' She asked him.
'To my room, just for a minute ?' He asked her. He was loving her innocent looks. Before she could say no he stood up and took her hand and walked back to his room. She was shocked at his act. Why was he taking her to his room ?
'Ami told me that you like perfumes, this is the first common thing between us.' He said while searching for something from his wardrobe. She was standing quietly.
'This one is for you, I hope you will like it.' He gave her a perfume. She took it from his hand.
'Thank You.' She said with a smile.
'Which is your favorite perfume ?' Asad asked her.
'All those perfumes which are for men.' She said without thinking once and then realised what she just told him. Was she opening up with him ? He smiled at her.
'This is the second common thing between us. You should have told me before, I would have gave you 212 Men instead of Chennel 5.' He said to irritate her.
'No, I like Eternity and Joy.' She said again.
'And I like Baby doll and Ripple.' Asad told her.
'Can I look at those perfumes ?' She asked him. She was looking at his dressing table after she entered his room and wanted to smell some of them.
'Yes, you can.' He said and she walked to his dressing table. She smelled almost all the perfumes and he was looking at her.
'That is Enigma, the most expensive one on this table. Abu gifted me on my last birthday.' Asad told her as she picked up another perfume.
'This is so good.' She said as she smelled it. Asad smiled at her. She was going to put it down on the dressing table when it slipped from her hand and fell down. She tried to grab it but it was too late. The whole room was filled with there favorite scent.
'I am sorry, I . . . .' She was totally confused at what should she say.
'Its ok Zoya, it was expensive but not my favorite.' He said with a smile.
'I should go and sleep now.' Zoya said as she was still guilty at what she did unintentionally.
'Next time, I will give you Joy and then Eternity.' He said and she turned back.
'Good night.' She said.
'Good Night.' He said and she came out of his room.
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She thought she won't take any gift from him now after what she did in his room but to her surprise, he surprised her daily with new gifts and in a very different way.
'Zoya, Najma I have got a gift for you both.' He would say that and she would look at him with curiosity.
'What is it bhaijaan ?' Najma asked him.
'Pens.' He would take out lots of pens and give to both of them.
'Today, I am going to give you a gift that you love the most.' He said while entering Zoya's room and she looked at him with curiosity, forgetting that she decided that she won't take any gifts from him.
'And here it is.' He showed her a chocolate box.
'Today, I will give you a gift that you will keep with yourself for the rest of your life.' He said the next day and showed her a book.
'This time the gift is very unique, it will keep you fit and smart always.' He said while coming to the balcony.
'What is it ?' She asked him with curiosity and he gave her a chewing gum packet. She looked at him in disbelief.
'You just need to put it in your mouth and chew it, like this.' He said while chewing a gum to explain her like she wasn't aware of chewing gums at all.
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