CHAPTER EIGHT :
He walked back to his cabin after a meeting with foreign cleints when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He picked it up while entering his room.
'Yes Zoya ?' He asked in urgency as he wasn't having too much time.
'Are you busy ?' She asked him.
'Not really but I have a meeting to attend in half an hour.' He said while sitting on his chair.
'Ok I just called to ask you that can I go and meet abu ?' She asked and he was happy to know that she was going to meet him finally. She always missed him but never called him.
'Yes you can. He is your father you don't need to ask me.' He said calmly.
'I just thought I should tell you. I will be back in few hours.' She told him.
'Ok you can go. Permission granted !' He said while turning on his laptop.
'Well Thank you Sir.' She said annoyingly.
'No need for thanks.' He said with a smile.
'Then what do you need Sir ?' She asked him naughtily.
'Zoya don't do that. I have so much work to do right now and I need to concentrate on that.' He said in stern tone.
'Don't you need any help Sir ?' She asked him again in same tone.
'No ! Thanks for asking.' He said and tried to finish the conversation.
'No need for thanks.' She repeated his words in hope that he would repeat her words.
'I can't give you anything else right now.' He said with a smile understanding her point.
'I think you are emotionally challenged Asad.' She sighed sadly.
'Thanks for the compliment. Where is Ayat ?' He asked her to change the topic.
'She is fighting with noodles.' She said while looking at Ayat who was having hard time catching noodles in her fork.
'I am not abu. I know how to eat them.' She said while taking phone from her hand.
'Yes you can.' Asad said with a smile.
'Talk to ami and tell her that Ayat can do anything in this universh.' Ayat said to him and gave the phone back to Zoya.
'Zoya if you can do anything in this world then she is two steps ahead from you. After getting the credit bill I am damn sure she can do anything in this universe.' Asad said while looking at the bill for the forth time in the day.
'She is your daughter too. Tell me how much is the bill ?' Zoya asked excitedly.
'You won't get angry on her, right ?' He asked her.
'I won't Asad. Just tell me.' She was getting more curious with his words.
'Its around 90,000 just for the online shopping she did.' Asad said with a smile.
'What ? I didn't expect that much.' She said with her mouth in 'O' shape.
'I think she clicked on every useless item on their website.' Asad said and chuckled as he wasn't still in believing stage.
'I think you should start doing a part time job in evening and Sundays too before you go bankrupt only because of your own daughter.' She said to irritate him.
'I won't go bankrupt with these bills but I am just shocked that she did it at the age of four and that too unintentionally. What would she do when she is grown up and will start shopping with good intentions ?' He asked and gulped as he could imagine his house full of branded shopping bags. Zoya started laughing at his worried tone.
'That's what I am saying. Just start looking for a part time job now so we both can survive on that.' Zoya irritated him more.
'Can I come in ?' They both heard a voice after a knock on his door.
'Yes !' He said as he saw Sophia standing on his half opened door with a smile on her face. He told her to sit down and again concentrated on the phone.
'No need for that. I think I should concentrate more on my business so I can fulfil all her needs.' Asad said with a smile while turning his chair to another side while Sophia sat on the chair quietly and started reading a magazine.
'You will spoil her.' Zoya said with a smile.
'I won't. She is a good and understanding girl and I know how to handle girls.' He said in low voice.
'Oh really ? How many girls have you handled before ?' She asked him annoyingly.
'Well you yourself are the best example. If I can handle you then I am already prepared to handle her.' He said with a smirk on his face.
'Ya right !' She said annoyingly although she agreed with him.
'Ok. Now bye Sophia is waiting for me. We have a meeting to catch.' Asad said while turning his chair back to face her.
'Ok Bye. We have to get ready aswell.' Zoya said with a smile and cancelled the call.
She took a deep breath while keeping the phone on the table. She wasn't happy to know that Sophia was there with him. She wasn't his only coullegue then why was she getting jealous from her only ? She still couldn't forget how he was staring her that night although he told her the reason already but still she was having weird feelings about this girl.
She tried to forget everything and looked at Ayat who was still busy with her noodles. She smiled at her.
'Let me help you.' Zoya said to her while taking the plate from her hand.
'I can eat myself.' Ayat said sadly as she wanted Zoya to force her.
'Yes I know. I just feel like making you eat myself.' Zoya said with a smile understanding her situation and Ayat agreed happily. Zoya tried to concentrate on her rather than Sophia.
She had no idea why was she thinking so negative ? Was Sophia really bad ? Or was this house really cursed ? Were they really cursed by this house ? Or was she the only one who was cursed by some evil spells ? Or was she just cursed by her own fate ? The answers were nowhere to be found so wasn't the evil spirit from last few days. Was she happy on Zoya's condition ?
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'So how was your day ?' Asad asked her while sitting beside her and turned on the TV.
'They all were quite good to me. They all loved Ayat too, abu forced me to stay there.' Zoya told him.
'So what did you say ?' He asked while changing channels.
'Ofcourse I said no !' Zoya said.
'Good !' He said.
'You want me to go there for few days ?' She asked him.
'I don't mind. Its upto you.' Asad said as he understood that she wanted him to say no.
'I mind it ! You are supposed to say No Zoya. Don't go ! I can't live without you.' Zoya said dramatically and Asad smiled.
'I am not having that bad days that I will need you to survive in this world.' He irritated her more.
'Allah Miyaan ! What's wrong with you Asad ? You are not aware of my importance right now. If I went to stay there for a week only then you will understand my importance.' She said angrily.
'Ok. Go for it. We will see who will miss whom.' Asad said proudly.
'Ofcourse you are the one who is going to miss me. I am least bothered.' She said proudly although she was lying.
'What else can I expect from you ?' Asad said annoyingly.
Ok. Leave it ! Tell me how was Sophia ?' She came to the point.
'She is fine.' Asad said uninterested. 'Oh ! I forgot to tell you she is coming for dinner tonight.' He remembered suddenly and said.
'What ? Why did you invite her ?' Zoya asked.
'She said she is not having any friends here so she thought she should meet you and I couldn't say no. So ofcourse, I told her to have dinner with us aswell.' Asad said while again changing the channel.
'But I am tired today. You should have asked me.' Zoya said sadly.
'Zoya I was puzzled at that time, I had no other option. And why are you getting tensed just go and tell menu to the cook.' Asad said.
'Ok I will just go and check.' Zoya said while standing up.
'And tell Ayat to come downstairs aswell.' Asad said while looking at her back.
'She must be coming.' Zoya turned back with a smile.
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'So Zoya what do you do in Bhopal ?' Sophia asked while taking out some rice in her plate.
'Nothing special ! I am a software engineer in Dilshad Constructions.' Zoya said while looking at Asad.
'That's good.' Sophia said.
'There is more she is hiding.' Asad said and Zoya looked at him confusedly while Sophia raised her eyebrow.
'And what's that ?' Sophia asked him.
'She is holding 51% shares in all my businesses and the firm too. I can't do anything until she signs the papers.' Asad said sadly while Zoya smiled and he continued. 'She helps ami in her NGO too and they both are planning to start their own NGO aswell.' Asad said and took a breath while Zoya was feeling embarassed now with so much praising by him. 'And she is the best wife in the world too and---' He was enjoying her expressions so continued teasing her but ofcourse was interrupted by Zoya.
'Stop it Asad ! You are embarrassing me now.' She said annoyingly.
'And a besht mother too.' Ayat raised her voice as she could only get the last line in Asad's word. They all laughed at her.
'That's what I was going to say Shonuu.' Asad pulled Ayat's cheek who was sitting beside him.
'You're just amazing Zoya.' Sophia said after a while.
'They are just kidding. They both love to annoy me.' Zoya said with a smile.
'But we are not lying.' Asad said while looking at Ayat for confirmation.
'Yesh. I never lie.' Ayat said honestly.
'I never lie too Shona.' Asad said again.
'Okie. You too.' She said as she was forced to say so. They all smiled at her.
'Shona now eat quietly !' Zoya said calmly.
'Can you pass me the rice ami ?' Ayat asked her.
'Yes !' Zoya served her the food and she started concentrating on it. The dinner was done quietly after that.
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