#WeSupportKSG |AsYa FF| Destinies Intertwined # 4 - Page 14

Originally posted by: --Aashi--

1/2 hrs Done .. You told 20 mins

Originally posted by: BeYourself

please update soon...

Wish you a very Happy and prosperous New Year...😃😛

Okay people, there's something seriously wrong with me these days. Whenever I promise an update for a particular day, my brain stops working when I start typing. 😕 It's so frustrating Arghhh!! 😡

Anyway, here's an update. It's very short by my standards but as they say, An update's an update so matter how short and fazool 😆 I'll try updating the next part soon though my exams are gonna start real soon too

This update's dedicated to angel2930 as a late birthday present. I had thought to update on her birthday but a presentation kept me from doing so 😕 Anyway, Happy Belated Birthday Sweetie!! 🥳

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!! 🤗

CHAPTER 23

Zoya had just finished conversing with her Aapi and Jeeju when her laptop beeped again, signaling another call on Skype. Her face lit up with an affectionate smile on seeing the caller's ID. Zaroon Hussain.

Receiving the call, she greeted him cheerfully with her dimples deepening without any effort. "Hello Zaroon!"

"Hello! Wow, you still remember me? That came as a pleasant surprise!" He exclaimed, smiling his eye-crinkling smile.

"Of course I remember you. You aren't exactly the forgetting material, you know."

"Oh, I know. Zaroon Hussain is one of a kind." He retorted smugly.

"Yeah yeah, wonders like you don't happen every day." She replied, her eyes playful.

"Why do I detect a hint of sarcasm in your remark?"

"Perhaps because I was being sarcastic, knucklehead."

"When will you give up being jealous of my awesome personality, Zoe?" He frowned good-naturedly, running a casual hand through hair, messing it up further.

"When I was ever jealous of you in the first place?"

"You were jealous of my pencil-box the day you joined our school." Zaroon pointed out with a chuckle.

"I was not!"

"Yeah right, sure you weren't. It was just a coincidence that you threw a tantrum at home and got an exact same one, the very next day." He replied and Zoya stuck her tongue out at him childishly.

"You don't need to demonstrate that you didn't undergo any mental growth since kindergarten, Zoe. Who can be more well-aware of this fact than me?" Zaroon teased her. "Anyway, how are you and your Mr. Khan?"

"He's not MY Mr. Khan." She retorted without thinking. The faintest hint of bitterness crept in her voice without any conscious realization.

"What? Why are you saying that, Zoe?" Zaroon's deep brown eyes narrowed slightly in confusion.

"Huh?" She asked absent-mindedly. She was so used to Zaroon knowing everything about her life that she forgot for a bit that he didn't know about her and Asad's one-month deal.

"He's your husband. Of course, he's yours. Tell me, did you have a fight with him or something?" He inquired, looking concerned now.

"No... I-I just wasn't thinking what I was saying." She shook her head slightly and tried smiling as convincing as she could.

"There's nothing wrong, right?"

"Of course not, Zaroon. Why are you asking that?"

"I don't know. I just felt for a moment..." He stopped with a thoughtful look on his face.

"What?"

"Nothing. Forget it. I just... sometimes, get worried about you, Zoe. The way you got married so quickly and all. You are okay there, right?" There was genuine concern in his eyes and for a moment, Zoya wanted to tell him everything about the reality of this marriage. She had never hidden anything from him in her entire life but she forced herself to get a grip over herself. She knew she had to tell him some day but that day was not today.

"You're worrying over nothing, Zaroon. I'm loving it here."

"Are you sure?"

"What do you mean by that? Of course I'm sure." She laughed.

"Good," A relieved smile washed over his handsome features. "So... How's your husband doing?"

"He's fine. At work, right now." She smiled.

"Do you still call him Mr. Khan instead of Asad?"

She nodded sheepishly.

"No freakin' way! Why?"

"I like calling him that." She admitted. "At first, I used to call him Mr. Khan in respect but now it has become a habit."

"You know, he probably doesn't tell you but he would love to be called Asad by you."

"How do you know that? You haven't even met him."

"I just know that I wouldn't want my wife to call me Mr. Hussain for the rest of my life." He replied simply with a shrug.

"That reminds me, when are YOU getting married?" Zoya changed the topic as soon as she could.

"I don't know. Haven't got any plans as yet."

"Zaroon! If you can't find a girl for yourself, I will happily do the job. You just have to say the word."

"Why would I ask you to find me a girl? I can get whichever one I like, without any effort. One smile and the game's over, baby!" The cheeky cheerfulness was back on his face.

"That's why you're still single! The day you stop thinking of yourself as Adonis, you'll get a girl." She frowned and he laughed loudly.

"Yaar, you know I'm not interested in getting married right now. The day I fall in love with any girl, you'll be the first one to know. I'll tell YOU before I tell HER! Happy now?"

"Very. You'll need all the advice you can get." She beamed and he shook his head in amusement.

"So... Zaroon, when are you coming to Bhopal?"

"Soon, hopefully. I've applied for leave at work."

"How long will you stay here?"

"I haven't even reached there and you're already planning my departure? How rude, Zoe." He clucked his tongue in mock disapproval. "If you don't want me to come, just say it. I won't burden you with my unwanted presence. Of course, why would you want me? You have your Mr. Khan with you now."

"Are you done ranting nonsense?" Zoya asked him, slightly annoyed at his leg pulling. "Now will you please give me a straight answer?"

"I'm guessing your husband is a no-nonsense sort of a man and it's rubbing off on you too. I'm thinking of getting return tickets for the 31st."

"That's perfect actually. I was just asking because I-I wanted to go back to New York with you."

"WHAT? But why?"

"There's no need to be so surprised, Zaroon. I just miss New York. And I miss Aapi and Jeeju. I want to meet them." She couldn't explain the sinking feeling that was bubbling inside her at the thought of leaving this house.

"How long are you planning to visit, Zoe?" Zaroon still look unconvinced by her explanation.

"I don't know. Just book my ticket with yours, okay?"

"Does Mr. Khan know? Is he okay with you going?" He bombarded.

"Yes he knows. He's been very supporting in this matter. He wants me to go to New York too. Its a combined decision." Though it was the truth, speaking it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Zoe, you aren't hiding anything from me, are you? If there's anything bothering you, anything at all, you know you can share it with me, right?" Zaroon's face took on a grim, probing expression and Zoya found it hard to look into his eyes while answering.

"Zaroon, why are you getting all worked up over nothing? I just feel like visiting New York. Is there anything wrong with it?"

"No there isn't... If you're telling me the truth." He added.

"I am, Zaroon. Why would I lie to you?" She put on her most convincing smile. "I don't understand why sometimes you suddenly get so very over-protective of me!" She grumbled as if she normally would and he finally smiled.

"Because you are a child. As I said, you didn't undergo any mental growth since kindergarten. So, I've to look after you and make sure you make the right decisions in your life."

"Haha very funny. Who appointed you as my guardian?" She replied sarcastically, relieved that he wasn't asking any more questions. "Okay, I should go now. Mr. Khan will be getting home soon."

"And he will get jealous seeing his wife talking with a handsome young bachelor?" He teased.

"No, of course, he won't. He's not the possessive type."

"Yeah right, I ask your address the very next day after your Walima and he advises me to arrange my own accommodations and then you say he doesn't get jealous?" He chuckled.

"That was just... one instance. Mr. Khan isn't like that." She replied shortly.

How could she tell him that they didn't have a normal relationship? This relationship had started on the deal that it will end soon.

"Tell you what, Zoe? You can check it tonight. Tell him that you're going with me to New York and check his expression."

"Zaroon, I'm telling you it won't matter to him whom I go with." She sighed at his insistence.

"He's your husband, yaar. He's bound to be protective of you. Everyone tends to be possessive about their loved ones. It's natural." He shrugged.

"We got married only around 15 days ago. That's too little time to fall in love, you know." She tried to say this lightly with a laugh.

Why was there a sudden, unexpected wish in her heart to be loved by Mr. Khan? She dismissed it as soon as it bloomed, but it left an unexplainable dampness on her mood and a sad bitterness in her heart.

"Zoe, people fall in love at first sight, for God's sake! You two have been together for 15 days! Trust me, that's more than enough time to develop feelings for one another." Zaroon explained with an amused laugh before his expression changed to one of confusion and then to concern as he caught a glimpse of fleetingly longing that flashed in Zoya's eyes, unknown even to her. "Wait a minute. Is that what's bothering you? That Asad doesn't love you as much as you do?"

"Zaroon, there's nothing of that sort-"

"Don't try to lie to me, Zoe. There's something troubling you and I couldn't put my finger on it earlier. Is that it?"

"Zaroon, I-I... I was just..."

"Stop trying to make up stories. How many times do I have to tell you to give up on the idea of hiding anything from me? One look at your face tells me when anything is wrong." His frustration was starting to show from the way his eyebrows knitted together and his forehead creased. "This is the problem, isn't it? That he doesn't love you as much as you do?" He repeated firmly.

"Zaroon, I don't expect him to love me because I don't love him!" She finally blurted out. She had expected him to be shocked by this revelation but his response took her by surprise.

He simply gave out an incredulous laugh and snorted, "And you expect me to believe that? Seriously? You expect me to believe that you aren't in love with him? I can see it in the brightness on your face, Zoe. I can see it in your eyes. The way they light up every time you mention his name-"

"N-No, they don't." She stuttered in bewilderment.

Zaroon simply raised his eyebrows at her like it was the most obvious thing in the world, making Zoya even more confused. She loved Mr. Khan? No, that was not possible. Surely, Zaroon was mistaken.

"I-I just like him as a person."

"You like your husband as a person?" Zaroon's voice got slightly patronizing.

"Y-Yes, is there anything wrong with it?"

"Nothing's wrong here except that your stupid brain has stopped working again." Zaroon mumbled. "Okay, why do you like him?"

"What kind of a stupid question is that?"

"That's your answer, Zoe." He smiled shrewdly. "When you love a person, you can't explain why you like them so much. But you just do."

"Zaroon, you're talking nonsense now."

"Look Zoe, all I'm gonna say is that you are a beautiful person and anyone can fall in love with you. If you think Asad doesn't love you now, trust me... He will sooner or later. You just have to wait. You have plenty of time on your hands, right?"

"Uh-huh. Okay Zaroon, Ammi's calling me. I've to go. I'll catch up with you later."

"Think about what I said."

"I will, Allah Hafiz.'

"Allah Hafiz."

Zoya ended the call and snapped her laptop shut. She closed her eyes and tried to block Zaroon's words out of her mind. She didn't appreciate at all how he had breached the topic of love today.

Did she love Mr. Khan? Oh no, the concept itself was ridiculous. Why would she love someone as Akdu as him? But even as she referred to him by the nickname, she had given him, her face lit up with an affectionate smile.

No, stop thinking, Zoya. You made a deal with Mr. Khan about living with him for a month. He hasn't forgotten the deal and neither should you. She mentally warned herself, ignoring the other part of the brain, which seemed to be protesting.

***

Asad stared at the calendar in front of him with a stone-face but the anguish in his eyes was evident even in the darkened room. He had decided to stay late at office today but he had been cautious enough to call Zoya and inform her about the same. When she had asked him the reason, he had lied and told her that he was busy with an important meeting. He wasn't. He just wanted solitude that he knew only his office room was able to provide him with.

He was already dreading tomorrow. It would be exactly fourteen years since that tragic accident happened, the incident that left scars on his entire family. Fourteen years, since he lost a part of his soul - his father.

How ironic it was that the person he took the most for granted was the person that ended up leaving him... The person who was his strength, his friend, his guardian, his everything...

A sudden memory resurfaced in front of his mind's eye.

A small 8-year-old Asad was trying to lift his Abbu's exercising weights to put them aside and make space for a clear pitch for playing cricket. The frown on his face deepened every time he tried to lift it up and it didn't bulge an inch. Frustrated, he was almost on the brink of tears when Abbu's arms came above him from nowhere and helped him in lifting the weights and putting them aside.

"Abbu?" He looked at his father who smiled kindly down at him.

"Yes buddy?"

"I want to be strong like you."

"You will be, one day. In fact, you will be even stronger than me." Rashid told him, kneeling in front of his boy.

"Really?" Asad's young face lit up excitedly.

"Of course."

Asad's smiled widened before it fell. "But right now, I'm not strong at all."

"Why are you saying that, son?"

"I couldn't move the weights by myself." Asad stared at his feet as he felt tears forming in his eyes again.

"You couldn't move them because you weren't using ALL your strength."

"I was, Abbu. I was trying very hard." Asad persisted.

"No you weren't. You used your full strength when I joined you... You see son, until you gain your full strength, I will be your strength. That's what fathers are for." Rashid explained lovingly.

"You're my strength, Abbu? That's why Allah Miyaan gave you to me?"

"Yes for that and also to... play cricket with you." Rashid laughed and Asad's sweet chuckle joined in.

"Abbu, can I bat first? Please please please?"

"Don't you always, buddy?" Rashid laughed, ruffling his son's hair as he got to his feet to bowl.

The memory ended only to be followed by countless others in line. A tear dripped down Asad's chin without him realizing.

***

"I'll get it. It's probably Mr. Khan." Zoya mumbled as the doorbell rang and she scurried to the front door. The opened door, indeed, revealed a tired and haggard-looking Asad who avoiding any eye contact muttered her salaam's reply and strode to his bedroom.

"Allah Miyaan! What's up with him now?" She mumbled to herself as she followed him.

Once they were in their room, Zoya finally spoke up what was on her mind all day. "Mr. Khan? I talked to Zaroon today."

"Why are you telling me?" He asked drily as he untied his shoes.

"I asked him to get my tickets to New York for the 31^st since we had a one-month deal. I will leave with him. Did I do the right thing?" She quickly blurted out and waited with baited breath for his response like Zaroon had said.

"Yeah. That's fine." He replied absent-mindedly, not really listening to her words as he took his clothes from the cupboard and strode to the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Zoya stood rooted at the spot for a minute, torn by sudden sadness. What had she expected? That he will ask her to stay longer? How very stupid of her. Didn't she know him well enough by now to guess that he was a very practical person who did everything just as he had planned without involving any emotions?

Sudden tears brimmed her eyes, leaving her more frustrated than before. Why was she getting upset? Was Zaroon right? Did she really... like him more than she should? No, she shook her head firmly. I'm only getting sad because I don't want to leave Ammi, Ayaan and Tamatar behind.'

I'll be more than willing to go away from Mr. Khan.' She told herself. But somehow, her heart didn't support this notion very much.

***

PRECAP: As you people have already guessed, Asad's Abbu's Barsi 😛

That's it! Short, right?? But I had to update today because certain people would've taken my life if I didn't 😆 I'll try coming up with the next update real soon Insha'Allah 😃

So once again Happy New Year to all!! 🤗 And don't you people dare mention in your comments that the update was short because I'm already well aware so it so Khabardaar 😆

Love,

Fari ❤️