~ The Sunshine of My life ~ AsYa FF||Part 14 Page 129 NOTE PG 140 - Page 15

Asad ran out of his room his breath stuck in his throat. After scanning the entire living room he moved towards the staircase and leaped up the steps towards his mother and sister's room to check if they had taken Aahana. He didn't want to shout and wake his Ammi up, he knew she was a light sleeper and if woken up suddenly when she did manage to sleep would cause her a migraine attack.

Zoya had taken Aahana out in the hall room towards the kitchen to see if she could find her bottle of milk to feed her, maybe the baby was hungry. But she couldn't find her bottle there. She was scared to feed the baby anything, she didn't even know how she was related to the family and she herself was merely a guest. She found her sipper lying there and warmed a little water for her, making it cool enough for her to drink she filled the sipper and tried to make Aahana drink it. But Aahana kept whining, moving her face away from the nipple of the bottle. She was sniffing, her clogged nose annoying her. Zoya realised that and took her towards the small garden outside the living room so that the fresh breeze would sooth her. Just as soon as the cool breeze hit Aahana she calmed down. Zoya again tried to feed Aahana the warm water and this time Aahana did relent, drinking the water thirstily, the warmth soothing her. She stared up at Zoya, gaping at her with her brown button eyes while Zoya stared at the little miracle in her arms and smiled.

" What are you looking at little princess? I know you don't know me. Let me introduce you to myself. I am Zoya, THE Zoya Farooqui. And you're a little angel aren't you"

Aahana gurgled while the sipper was still in her mouth and the water dribbled out of her mouth. She pushed the sipper out with her tongue her thirst quenched. Zoya giggled at the baby and with the corner of sleeve, wiped her face softly.

Aahana kept staring at Zoya, she was a baby, but feelings of care and affection were something she understood and felt before anyone else could. The same unfamiliar face had saved her from choking and had provided her with relief when she was in discomfort. The baby felt protected and loved in her arms. Zoya put the baby against her shoulder, lightly hugging her, thankful and elated that she was able to calm her down.

Her thoughts wandered and she was curious to know who the baby was. She hadn't been introduced to her and neither had she been spoken about, but she had found her in a room she had seen Asad go inside. But even before she could think any further she saw felt Aahana sulking softly again, murmuring something she could not decipher.

" What happened baby, thirsty again?"

Zoya placed her back on her one arm and tried to feed her more water, but she pushed the sipper away and cried," Buuu.."

Asad hugged Aahana closer to himself, hiding himself in her tiny little neck for the second time in a day, calming himself before he could even calm her, who was crying loudly now, hitting her one fist on his back perhaps complaining and questioning where he was.

He parted from her and looked at her, tears trickling down her eyes and her nose red and flowing, while she sniffed and cried both together.

"Bu" she cried and Asad whispered calmly to her, trying to silence her cries.

"Sorry Aanu, I am here, Bu is here, I didn't go anywhere. I am sorry, so so sorry, I promise I won't leave you like this ever ok?"

He wiped her face with his T shirt, clearing her nose, and patted her back to calm her down, she was sleepy and ill, clinging to him. He took her in his arms again, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Don't scare Abu like that ever again Aanu, I just died a while ago."

Asad didn't look back, didn't even glance at Zoya, pulling Aanu closer to himself, though gently this time, he walked back into the house and inside his room, shutting the door behind him.

Zoya was left dazed after the revelation in front of her eyes. The baby was Asad's daughter? Asad was married? She didn't even know why it shocked her so much, he could be married, and have children, why did it surprise her so much. Maybe she hadn't thought about it, or maybe she didn't picture him or his life to be so normal after she had met and understood his attitude. His first impression on her was that he was a male chauvinist, arrogant, rude and not someone who would care to listen to what the other was saying without judging or forming an opinion, which made her think he was a loner. Who in the right mind would want to spend their life with him? The fact that he was married and had a kid had shocked her because it had changed the picture of the man and her judgment of him and his life.

Asad placed Aahana on his chest and pulled the duvet over both of them, his one arm around her back and one patting her head. He wanted to keep her close, as close as he could so that no one could ever take her away. His fear had suddenly come alive today, not finding Aahana, not being able to do anything but be helpless had made him realise how dead and lifeless he would be without her. Flashes of Zoya holding his Aahana swarmed his mind, which he struggled to wade away. He pressed his throbbing head, caressing Aahana with the other, he glanced once at Ayesha's portrait on the wall before his eyes drooped and he fell asleep after a long stressful day .

Zoya had dozed off really late, partly because she was unable to sleep in a new place, and partly because she had been in thoughts over Aahana and Asad, more about the fact that she was left wondering why Asad had not blasted away at her last night. When he had just rudely snatched Aahana from her she had seen the rage in his body language, but why he never vented it on her made her ponder over the entire situation all over the night. She woke up to see it was already 10 am. She woke up in a hurry to get ready, extremely embarrassed to have woken up so late on the first day as a guest of the house. Some minutes later, she walked into the living room, fresh and ready for a new day.

She saw Asad already on the dining table, while Dilshad was placing the cutlery around him. She went forward to see Asad either correcting the direction and placements of the same or pointing it out to Dilshad, who would just shake her head and do as he said.

Zoya couldn't believe this man, did he really think he was a Jahapana straight out of the Mughal Era. How did everyone else even bear his presence around them? Poor Phupi ! she sighed, she was his mother, had very little to no choice but to go through the ordeal.

Asad and Dilshad looked up when they saw Zoya walk towards the dining table. Dilshad smiled and moved ahead to greet her.

"Good Morning Zoya! I hope you slept well, aur tumhe raat ko koi problem toh nahi hui."

"Good Morning Phupi! Nahi mujhe raat ko bilkul takleef nahi hui, bahut achi neend aayi, dekhiye na kitni der tak soti rahi. "

Zoya said sheepishly feeling bad about it again and even glanced at Asad while talking once, trying to gauge his mood. But Asad had all his attention in his breakfast, and didn't even bother sparing her a look.

Arey koi baat nahi Zoya, it was such a tiring day for you and stressful too, acha hai soti rahi. Ab chalo take a seat, let me serve you breakfast"

"Phupi please, don't be so formal, I'll serve myself, aap bhi bethiye na, kabse geometry ki class attend kar rahi thi, setting the cutlery at particular angles."

Dilshad stared at her, half amused and half fearing a reaction from Asad. But both Zoya and Dilshad looked at Asad with his face dug into the newspaper while he ate his breakfast, giving no reaction at all. Surprised by the unresponsive Asad, both Zoya and Dilshad begun to eat their breakfast.

"Asad beta , Aahana kal raat ko theek rahi na, I hope kuch problem nahi hui. "

Asad jerked up as soon as his mother mentioned the night, bringing back memories of the scare he had gotten seeing his bed empty and Aahana missing. He glanced at Zoya from the corner of his eyes, observing that she had stopped eating too and was looking at Dilshad and then him quietly.

"Nahi Ammi..Aahana is much better. Bukhaar toh utar gaya hai, but her cold keeps bothering her, isliye she has been sulking a bit."

"Koi baat nahi aaj mai uske liye kada bana dungi, and I'll make sure she has it, dawai se zyaada home remedies help karti hai. "

Asad nodded at his Ammi, smiling slightly, remembering how she forcefully fed them the kada when they used to get sick. He grimaced thinking about the sour taste that now even his poor angel would have to endure.

"Ammi should we take her to the doctor again today? Ek baar check up kara lete hai."

"Kal sham ko hi toh check up karaya tha, uski medicines ki dosage toh puri hone do, we'll go tomorrow if she doesn't get better. Anyway you said she doesn't have fever now. Don't worry too much, it's always better to have lesser medicines at this age."

Asad nodded at her agreeing with her view point..while Zoya thought over what she heard them discuss. So Asad had gone with Aahana for her check up to the hospital yesterday, when she had carelessly banged into his car. Now that she thought over the situation with a cool mind, it was definitely her mistake. She should have been apologetic and remorseful for a mistake that needed her to take the responsibility. But his bitter words had angered her to such an extreme that she hadn't thought him deserving of an apology from her. But on knowing about Aahana's illness she realised that he must have been worried for her, must have wanted to be with his daughter, and any concerned parent would probably react to a situation in anger like the way he did. She wanted to apologise to him but didn't know how to initiate a conversation. He hadn't even spared a glance at her ever since the incident last night.

She was broken out of her thoughts when she heard Najma shouting she looked up to see her walk in with a pair of pajamas behind a crawling Aahana who was just in her T shirt and nappy. Dilshad giggled looking at her granddaughter and daughters daily moments repeat before her eyes as usual. Asad too smiled at the both of them, happy to see his daughter moving around, smiling and gurgling, not cranky or unwell anymore. Aahana crawled towards Asad and gripped at his pants, trying to clamber upon him.

"Bas that's all she needs, her Abu. Hum poora din uske aagey peechte bhagte rehte hai, but she just needs to see Bhaijaan and forget the world around her exists. Aur bhaijaan bhi waise hi hai.. both just need each other, humari toh koi value hi nahi hai."

Najma whined and sulked, gave her pajamas to Asad and walked over to sit next to Zoya on the table with a huff. Dilshad chuckled at her daughter and Asad just rolled his eyes at her usual drama, while Aahana was tugging at his pants. Zoya looked at her flexing her knees up and down, having a fun time playing pulling at her Abu's pants, who was gulping down his coffee in a hurry so he could tend to her. Zoya smiled at Aahana, remembering the few beautiful moments she had spent with her last night. Her hands moved out of their own accord towards her to caress her lovingly, but even before she could reach her, Asad held his daughter and took her in his lap.

Aahana couldn't stop fidgeting on his lap either, she tried to clamber up on his chest too. Standing on his lap with unsteady legs, she patted at his cheeks pulling them, making Asad scowl, his OCD kicking in with his pants getting wrinkled and her sticky wet palms messing his face.

"Bu..bu ...bu.."

Asad made her sit across him on the table, even though she was struggling to stand on his lap and mess him some more, but he held her tight and fought with her to make her wear her bottoms. Aahana whined, trying her luck to throw the pajamas off, but she was met with an angry stare by Asad. She rarely saw her Abu angry, and his stare scared her instantly making her pout while big fat tears rolled down her eyes. While Zoya just thought how mean Asad had been, the rest of the family who was so used to these moments that they could predict with eyes closed how Asad would be sucked into the little ploy a very not so innocent' Aahana used at him. Asad softened that instant, feeling rotten to have made his daughter cry, and instantly raised his arms for her. Aahana didn't waste a minute before mounting on his chest and hugging him with her fists rolling his shirt in them, while she wailed noisily. Asad hugged her close and caressed her back, mumbling soft apologies to her.

Dilshad and Najma just laughed abashedly at how susceptible Asad was when it came to Aahana.

"Ammi, Najma.. Aahana ro rahi hai aur aap dono has rahe hai? "

"Asad you're a father now but you haven't been able to study your daughters mental strength, par woh itni choti hoke tumhari psychology ko ache se study kar chuki hai, she knows how to make you dance on her little finger." Dilshad chuckled, shaking her head at the duo.

Asad looked at them embarrassed and sulked to his mother," Bahut bigad gayi hai ye Ammi."

"Acha? Aur bigada kisne hai?"

Asad scowled at his family who were suddenly targeting him. He frowned naughtily at Aahana, holding her while he made her stand on his legs, because she refused to sit anywhere else. He took a tissue from the table and wiped her leaking nose and then sticky palms while complaining to her.

"Look how Dadi is scolding your Abu, everyone says I've spoilt you. I can't even scold or glare at you, because your tears stab me, and when I don't they all laugh at me, what is a poor man ought to do you naughty bundle. " Asad complained to his daughter, kissing her button nose that she was scrunching in concentration trying to understand what her father was babbling

Najma had left for her college, and Asad was on a conference call in his room because he had to reach his office a little later than usual. Dilshad and Zoya sat in the living room talking to each other, trying to get to know each other better. Aahana was playing with her toys sitting on the quilt placed for her in the middle of the living room, while the ladies watched over her. Dilshad was attending a call when Zoya's attention was once again diverted towards Aahana. She was extremely curious to know where her Ammi was. She could easily gauge that Asad, Dilshad, Najma and Aahana were the only residents in the house ever since she had come there. Where was Aahana's ammi then?

She saw Aahana walking around the living room holding the edge of the sofas and other furniture. Suddenly she lost balance and was about to fall down and hit her head with the corner of the centre table. Zoya lept towards Aahana and saved her in time from colliding with the table and hurting herself. She picked her in her arms while Aahana cried out loud, making Dilshad and even a busy Asad rush out of his room in worry.

Asad walked into the living room to see Aahana wailing in Zoya's arms. Flashes of last night rushed into his mind making him pace his steps towards Aahana. Zoya was patting Aahana's back to calm her down when Asad came towards them rudely grabbing Aahana from her.

"I'll manage," he mumbled sternly, and walked off with Aahana, cajoling her.

Zoya stared at him walking away and scrunched her eyes in confusion and annoyance.

What was wrong with this man?'

NOTE : - I am not going extremely fast with the story, at this moment Asad and Zoya's interactions are minimal because I am trying to settle Zoya in the house for now and build her interactions and relation with Aahana. A few parts, really just 'FEW' parts later Asad and Zoya will interact too, and of course I will definitely put light on Asad and his past and Zoya and hers.

PLEASE do leave in comments and let me know more than just a word on the update.😊

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