ASYA/Kabhi SS: Four Seasons (ch.9, pg.41) note pg.48 - Page 23

part 5
Asad took Zoya to his apartment!
Zoya shared her past .
Asad shared his past!!!
AsYa are each other s support!!

part 6
Awesome!!
AsYa are best friends!!
Lovely!!
Happy Zoya means happy Asad!!!
Loved it!!
Dishaad mummy u r best!!

part 7
Awesome!!
Zoya got two wonderful gifts!!!
Dilshad is so sweet!!
Loved it!!
Jealous Ahmed Khan is always a treat to watch!!!
Nw what will Asad answer her ??
Come with me to my house??

please update soon 😭

Hola, so I am back with a chapter but it's short. Like it's short.😳 But I am hoping I get away with it bec even with it's short length, I have given you folks something to ponder. And my apologies for not getting thru the comments this time. I love replying to them as much as I love reading them. I take this time to thank you all for appreciation towards my scribbling.🤗

SPRING

~~

"You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming."
Pablo Neruda

Chapter 8

Spring- March

Stacie stood and watched as her best friend stared aimlessly at the Manhattan sky as it was painted warm hues of oranges and yellow at sunset time. Though the weather was warming now, the evenings still turned slightly chilly but Zoya stood clad in a T-shirt and shorts, mindless to the cold. Stacie knew what was on her mind. Asad was on her mind. Nowadays, only Asad is on her mind.

She remembered how Zoya had burst into the tears and admitted that she was so love with Asad. It was the morning after her birthday party at Asad's apartment and Stacie had spent the night at Ian's place. When Stacie had returned to their apartment, Zoya had launched herself into Stacie's arms and sobbed her heart out.

"Zoe, here is your coffee.", Stacie's voice pulled Zoya back from her roiling thoughts. Zoya turned around to see Stacie holding out two steaming cups of coffee. Stacie stepped into the balcony and placed the coffees on the ledge before she pulled her best friend into a warm hug.

"What was that for ?", she asked when she pulled back.

"You look like you needed it."

"And ?"

"I was right as I usually am.", Stacie said with a smug smile as she handed Zoya her coffee in her favourite cup.

It was a gift from Asad, a custom made ceramic cup with pictures of Asad and Zoya all over it. Zoya loved it so much that she rarely used any other cup. Stacie remembered the three were at the mall browsing when Zoya had stopped at the window display of a store that made such custom-made mementos and had silently admired the cups. They hadn't even gone into the shop that day but a few days later, Asad had surprised with a custom made coffee cup from the same shop. Asad and Zoya were so attuned to each other that Stacie was at a loss as to how Asad couldn't tell Zoya was so in love with him.

" Yeah, that you are Stac. You told me I was in love with Asad but I didn't believe you." Zoya admitted quietly, taking a sip of her coffee wishing it could soothe her broken heart. Unrequited love hurts. Like hell. It had been about two months since she had realized on the day of her birthday that she had fallen in love with Asad and even now, it broke her heart to hold back her love. It was now March and the last of the winter snow melting away. Specks of green could be spotted as new life fought to bloom but yet Zoya felt like a part of her was dying.

"What I actually said that you two are in love with each other, not just you Zoe.", Stacie said quietly after a long silence.

Zoya let out a tired sigh, "I guess you are wrong about certain things after all." And with that she walked out of the balcony ending the conversation.

Oh bloody hell, like I have ever been wrong about anything! That idiot is so in love with you, Zoe. I wish I could smack his stupid head and make him realize it.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Asad walked the familiar route from the on-campus Starbucks loaded with coffee to Washington Square Park where Zoya was waiting for him. He walked with a brisk stride but only because he was anxious to see her. He entered the square. He smiled a little as he heard the faint chirps of birds chatting with each other over the raucous of the traffic and people. The birds were a sure sign that spring is finally here, the birds had flown in back from the South and new life had started blooming. Asad was looking forward to some green soon.

Zeroing in on Zoya sitting on the grass leaning comfortably against Oldie Mr.Tree Trunk. She was dressed in casual demin jeans and a T-shirt with her headphones plugged in; her eyes dropped shut. She seemed closed off from the rest of the world, off into her own roiling thoughts.

Oldie Mr.Tree Trunk was also gearing up for yet another season, new buds forming on the branches which would grow into green leaves and . Asad sighed. He is going miss New York, he never thought he would miss this place when he came two years ago but now that his time here was drawing to an end, he didn't really want to leave. But the truth is that he doesn't want to leave his stranger. Deep down, he wanted to take her along, all his favourite people in one place. That would make him a happy man. But he couldn't ask Zoya, her entire life is here. Her Appi and Jijju's memories and their graves and Zoya's friends and people who are dear to her are here. She would learn to live without him.

"Asad, how am I going to live without you when you are gone?" Her words still ached his heart. In just six months, they grew so vital to each other. That's why Zoya thought she wouldn't be able to live with him.

But she would. She would learn to live without him.

So lost he had been in his thoughts, that he hadn't noticed Zoya waving enthusiastically at him. He waved back, picking up the pace. Zoya was smiling brightly at him, even her dimples flashing but something is off with that smile. The smile isn't reaching up to her eyes making that sparkle with a twinkle, crinkling her eyes; this isn't the Zoya smile he is use to but it's the one he has been getting lately. Asad couldn't shake off the nagging gut feeling that something is amiss.

"Hey, Beautiful.", he called out and Zoya took off on a run cutting the distance. Rather than taking her into a greeting hug, he hoisted her into his arms securely and spun her around. Her rich laugher rang out and Asad almost sighed in pleasure of it. Laugher, he always liked it..The way genuine happy laughter sounds Her laughter, he simply adored, loved. It is actually one of his favourite sounds in this whole wide world.

"Hey handsome.", she had taken to calling him handsome recently. When he had questioned her about it. She claimed since she was beautiful so he had to be handsome for them to be "the perfectly awesome duo".

She buried in the crook of his neck and their arms found their way around each other. As usual, she tilted her face up for a forehead kiss but she looked as though she would cry any second. Though her eyes were dry but yet, her eyes...they looked forlorn.

Something is wrong, something is wrong with Zoya, and it's bothering her. She isn't clouded by her grief like she used to be but there is always a hint of sadness lurking in her eyes. So far, Asad has given her space. If he asked, she said, "Everything is just fine, Asad."

That's just the thing, Everything isn't just fine. We humans say fine, whenever everything is anything but fine. Fine is what you say when you are down with the flu when in reality you feel like you are dying a slow, painful death with all the bacteria is going all ninja with your white blood cells.

"Okay ?", he asked as they settled against Oldie Mr.Tree Trunk.

"Okay", she whispered back softly, trailing her hand along his until she found his pinkie. Hooking their pinkies together, she sighed soundly before she settled her head on his shoulder. And dozed off, just like that. Asad looked down at her and saw the dark shadows under her eyes that seemed to becoming more prominent with passing days, like she wasn't sleeping well again. He held up their adjoined pinkies. She hadn't sought out the comfort of their silent pinkie promises in months but today she had. What promise had she made silently hooking their pinkies ?

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Asad, how am I going to live without you when you are gone?" Her question was a soft desperate whisper, one she wished she had held back. Asad said nothing for a moment but stared at her for those soulful eyes of his.

As soon as the question had escaped her lips, she realized what she should have known it all along: Zoya Farooqui had fallen helplessly and hopelessly in love with Asad Ahmed Khan, her stranger who had in such a short amount of time became her best friend, her, a vital part of her existence. Her everything. How could she have been so oblivious to such a obvious truth ? Her day started with him. Thoughts of him and his deep soothing baritone voice echoing in her ears and his presence. And always ended with his voice still speaking softly into her ear, as she tended to doze off while they were still on the phone.

"Zoya, I have to go back. We both know that." He finally said with a simple honesty but it seemed as though he had to force himself to say them. Asad was right, they both always knew he would have to go back to India to his real family but they had never talked about it, it was just a unspoken yet acknowledged fact. They still sat close with Asad cradling her face and Zoya lost the fight to look at him another moment and not utter the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

She buried in the familiar nook between his neck and shoulder and felt tears at the comfort he so easily provided. Asad's arms naturally came around her and he stroked a soothing hand through her hair. She wouldn't..couldn't hold him back here with her love, especially when she knew his mother and sister were the center of his universe, his love for them was pure and vast. And she also knew that Asad didn't love her, not the way she loved him, like he was her universe, her anchor that kept her sane.

"I...It's just that...I will miss you..miss you so much." She mumbled against his neck and the tears she had been fighting so hard to hold back eventually leaked through her clenched eyes. She felt Asad tense even more as her hot tears trickled onto the skin.

"Oh Zoe baby, Don't cry. Please don't cry. He whispered against her hair and his arms tightened around her. "I will miss you too."

Love realization and no confession ! Reya sucks..lol. All in good time peeps. Hope you enjoyed it. Hoping to return soon with a longer length chapter.

On a side note: anyone feel like relating my chosen quote with this chapter ? I chose it for a reason. And the most accurate analysis will get a semi-fabalous prize: A shootout in the next ch ! 😉

Much love,

Reya <3

next ch: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/113860176

Originally posted by: -Mrinalini-

Reya.. Where are you?

Mrinnnaaa 🤗 I am the hereee now. did u miss me ? 😆

OMG!!!! thnk god u r back.😊😊