Chapter-1
A girl in her mid twenties was standing showing her back to the other two ladies in the room, seemingly annoyed at what she must have heard...-" Allah Miyaan! What's wrong with you Ammi and Aapi???" The heavenly beautiful girl turned around... Her mother immediately asked- "What is wrong in that Zoya?" Zoya was shocked and slumped down on the bed...
Z: Ammi, you are asking what's wrong??? You are asking me to marry a guy next month, whom I don't know... I don't know his name even...
Zoya's Aapi, Zaina came to her mother's rescue, sat on the bed, and cupped Zoya's chin
Aapi: Zoya, he is a very nice guy... hum sab milein hain unn logon se.
Zoya(Almost warding off her sister's words) : What Rubbish Aapi... It seems like a scenario of 1980's in an Indian context. And you see, neither it is 1980's nor is it India.. Its 2014 Aapi... And this is New York Ammi... Mujhse poochna toh door, you didn't even tell me the name of the guy, where does he live, what he does? And straight away bombarding me with your some freaking decision.
Zaina took a deep breath and started-
Aapi: Zoya, his name is Asad... Asad Ahmed Khan... 4 years elder to you... he's 28 years old, has his Multi- National Construction business. They live in Bhopal, India. Unki ek choti behen hai Najma. Apne ammi-abbu ke saath rehte hain woh...
Zoya still could not digest all of it and then muttered- "Bhopal... why Bhopal... Atleast Delhi ya Mumbai toh hoti if Not New York... Ya Allah! Main kaise rahungi wahan..."
Zoya's mother hearing this came and sat next to Zoya on the bed, and caressed her hair very lovingly... And then spoke- "Zoya, I agree we lived here in New York for a long time now... But beta, we have instilled all the Islamic and Indian values in you beta, tum iss kaabil ho, ki wahan bohot hi ache dhang se adjust ho jaaogi, dekhna tum...
Zoya(Still apprehensive): But Ammi, they all live together... Saas-Sasur... Allah Miyaan...!
Zoya's Aapi gave an amused smile and then shook her head- " Zoya, Asad ke Ammi-Abbu are not like the Saas-Sasurs of India, that you on the daily soaps telecasted here... Wo sach mein tumhe apne ammi-abbu ki tarah lagenge...
After staying quiet for a few moments, she gave a sigh and then smiled slowly.
Zoya: Kab chal rahe hain hum India?
Both her sister and mother gave a fond smile... "Next week", said her Ammi and went out, leaving the two sisters behind in the room.
Aapi: Pata hai Zoya, tumhare Jeeju ka Asad ke saath Project collaboration reh chuke hain... Wo bata rahe they, he's a very hardworking and handsome man... Pic dikhaau uski Zoya...
Zaina started browsing through her phone to show her, Asad's pic, when Zoya put a hand on its screen and politely refused..
Zoya: Nahi Aapi... Abhi nahi... Aap logon ne pasand kiya hai na, it would be the best. Main unhe saamne se hi dekhna chahti hoon... Please abhi nahi... Bhopal mein...
Zaina smiled seeing her little sister, getting into the "Soon-to-be-bride" mode. It felt good sometimes, seeing her like this.
Aapi: Achha, theek hai, mat dekho. Lekin Zoya, mere khayaal se, you should start talking to him over call or something. Kam se kam iss ek mahine mein, tum dono ek dusre ko thoda jaan paaoge. Number doon?
Zoya gave a meek nod. Zaina gave her his number and quietly came out of the room, closing the door behind. Zoya looked at her clock, it was 7 P.M. she opened the world clock, and it would be 5.30 am there. She bit her lower lip thinking if she should call him or not. And on pondering over it for the next 15-20 minutes, she decided to call him. As soon as she pressed the call button, the saved contact showed- "Calling Mr. Asad Ahmed Khan" she hesitantly put the phone on her ear, and heard the international call ring. Her heart started to bang inside her chest with the anticipation of hearing the voice of the man that she is going to spend her life forever with.
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There Asad had reached back to his room just a minute back from the mosque after offering his Fajr Namaz( A prayer offered near the Dawn), when he saw his cell phone ringing, on seeing the caller-id his eyebrows furrowed, it was an International number, who can call an officially at this time for any office work? Anyways, he picked up the call, and gave a professional yet a polite Hello, in one of his handsomely husky voices. On the other end he heard a hesitant, yet a very polite hello from a female who said- "Is it Mr. Asad Ahmed Khan?"
Asad: Yes, it's me, Asad, may I know who's this.
Zoya: Emmm... Mr. Khan, I'm... I'm... Zoya Farooqui , from New York.
Zoya, a confident and vibrant girl of the 21st century, for the first time ever felt hesitant to talk to a man, although being friends with hundreds of boys, yet this conversation holds something in her, that makes her behave completely different, with her heartbeats racing like crazy, and her tongue almost tied up with something she did not know, and seeing her reflection in the mirror in her room, could see a red hue, for God knows what reason, when they have not started talking anything much except their introductions. Zoya coming out of her thoughts, waited for the response from the other side.
Asad, a man of 28, an exceptionally successful businessman like his father, is as much exceptionally handsome man. Any girl, he could have wanted, would have gone her knees for him. Yet, grown up in a traditional, Muslim environment, has never done all those foolish acts, as he considered one to be running after girls for no reason, and then leaving them, when the realisation dawned on them that she was not of their types... Asad was a man of golden heart, held esteem for the women in his life, and those around. Waited for the girl of his life that his parents would choose for him, and did not consider to have one look at the girl's photograph just like Zoya, waiting to see her directly at their wedding.
And here he was, hearing for the first time ever, the honey voice of the girl, he is going to marry in a month, an unknown smile crept up his face. His presentations in his business industry has always been worth seeing, an excellent elocutionist of his times, did not know how to start the conversation today. All he could manage to utter this time with that fond smile was a "Ji"
Zoya: Assalaam-o-Alaikum...
Asad: Walaikum-as-salaam...
Z: Wo Aapi ne mujhe aapka number diya. Aap... Aap disturb toh nahi hue mere call se?
A: Ji nahi... Main... Main bas abhi aaya tha Fajr ki Namaz adaa karke.
There was absolute silence from the other side, to confirm if she is still on the line, he again said- Miss... Miss Farooqui? You there?
There came a beautiful, low voiced "Ji", that Asad was unable to resist a beautiful smile... Indeed this new found relation is going to be very beautiful and interesting... It happens so, that her every way of speaking is making him smile more and more... Without seeing, without knowing, yet he is liking everything that is happening...
There Zoya, she was just getting more and more crazy hearing him say... "My goodness!!! Can somebody's voice be so devastatingly good?", thought Zoya... the man, whose voice is so nice, must be so nice himself, and the etiquettes with which he is talking, was making her go and fly in some other world, that she did not know, but was certainly beautiful. And one thing that she understood was, this arranged marriage, is going to be very-very interesting and enjoyable too, the man is certainly, worth talking.
And that is how, the 1st chapter of their first love opened, to a beautiful journey to getting married, in an arranged marriage...
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Shiv Shakti
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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