***Chapter 3: The Day It All Started*** Zoya stood at the entrance of the building, she ran a look at her watch which showed quarter to seven, she still had an hour and a fifteen minutes for her shift to start, she didn't know why was she THIS early and to add to her gloom, which she conveniently tried to avoid thinking maybe this is out of nervousness', was the fact that she didn't sleep a wink since last night, knowing she would make a joke of herself if she entered office at this time she decided to wait in the garden in the office boundaries. Hence moving forward she sat on the bench facing the epitome of Architecture she was going to work in! It seemed like a lifetime since she had seen architecture at its best, probably before dad's death', she thought absently looking at the people coming out of the office after finishing their night shift.
She stirred uneasily on the bench, she had this gloomy feeling in the pit of her stomach and to add to it was the fact that she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Pondering over the same thing and trying to assure herself in the name of nervousness she never knew when time passed and the clock struck eight. Sighing she got up, collected her belongings and entered the office.
Mr.Rashid greeted her as she entered the floor she was called on, she could guess by the expressions that the old man was more or less surprised to see her in a better attire than before. Yes! She had worn a simple churidar like before but she had managed to put on a little make-up and small jewelry she had bought with khala the other' day and Of course! She had a scarf on rather than a shawl she was literally insulted' on...now wasn't she? Anyways, Mr. Rashid introduced her to Muskaan who was instructed to teach her what basically she was supposed to do there.
Muskaan was surprisingly an easy person to go with. Zoya was surprised herself, she never talked to someone this easily and here Muskaan was cracking her up with some joke of hers! Moving towards her cabin with Muskaan she had even started talking like they were some long lost friends, but the moment she entered her cabin she went all quite! It was... Elusive... Better than anything she could imagine of. Muskaan on the other hand seemed to be startled initially but soon realized what had happened and decided to let the girl have her moment!
Soon after she recovered from initial shock and took a look around her cabin Muskaan told her that this was a passage to Asad's cabin to which meant that to enter his office everyone had to pass thought her cabin, now it seems normal, doesn't it?...but let's see what happens in future! She was also informed that Asad comes late, more or less after 11 o clock, but once he comes he works with all the dedication and hard work expected of him.
After an hour of discussion with Muskaan it was decided that she would learn things during early hours of Asad's absence and this would continue for a month or so before she is let to work on her own and the rest of the day she would be on Asad's service. After everything was finalized Muskaan taught her how to connect the call to Asad and rest of the departments, it was not until 10:30 that they were done with their work and Muskaan had left.
She now sat idle in her cabin looking around once again! This girl I tell you seems obsessed with the interiors of the place. Suddenly Asad came inside and she quickly stood up for him.
"Good morning Sir", she managed startled
"Morning", he replied nodding and signaled her to follow him.
She quickly grabbed her notepad and followed him inside.
Asad entered his office and after taking care of his coat his settled down and signaled zoya to take seat.
"So Miss. Zoya, congratulations for the post and yes! Aj apka pehla din hai me apko koi bara lecture nahi dena chahta but I surly wanna tell you that since now you are here and working for me you will have to follow some rules",zoya's eyes shot up but he continued without affect. "Rules se zyada ye shayad ye moral values hon but whatever you consider them let me be clear for once and for all", asad stopped for a moment and glanced at her stressing each of his last words.
"One, I hate cheating and I hate cheaters!", he spoke firmly.
"Two, I don't tolerate any sort of inanity at work", he continued
"Three, Don't EVER even try to tell me what I am supposed to do and NEVER challenge my decisions!, it's me and only me who hold this right in the world you will work for most part of the day". He cleared every of his word to her.
"And if I even sense any single erroneous you bear the most pitiless time for the rest of your life. Agar apse khud hi kuch aisa ho gaye to agle din apna chehra office me dikhane ki ghalti mat kijiye ga!", he completed and looked at her as the silence engulfed the room, he was surprised to see a horrified' face, he smiled inwardly.
"Am I clear Miss.farooqui", he asked and brought her back
"Ye...Yes Sir", she managed to say.
"Good then!", he said easing, with a bit of joyous voice, well this time managing to surprise zoya, ye admi hai kya' she thought for a moment.
"So Miss.zoya what is the run down for today?", he questioned politely
He himself didn't know why was he being polite with her but then maybe it was because he could clearly guess that if he would continue with the same accent even a minute more, she will start crying or faint in the worst case!
On the other hand zoya found it difficult to even voice the rundown she had in her hand, she was surprised or afraid, she herself couldn't tell.
It was now almost luch time and zoya was waiting for Muskaan to come and escort her, he had not called her after that meeting and she herself dreaded to go back to the lion's cage again.
Soon Muskaan came and they both left for Caf for the lunch. Both settled and started talking first about work and then the random topics, all this while she was also introduced to other people at the office but as if she had decided not to say anything except monosyllables in reply of anyone except Muskaan.
"Zoya tum se k baat kahun?", Muskaan asked unsure
"Of course Muskaan apko permission lene ki kya zaroorat hai... kahiye na", zoya replied and waited for her to say something.
"Dekho zoya tum mujhe bohot achi lagi ho, itni k I wish k you were my sister, isi liye me tumse...,"she trailed off unsure of her reaction.
"Mujhse? Kahiye Muskaan its ok you are as much dear to me, I won't mind at all", zoya seemed to assure her of something.
"Dekho zoya",she continued sighing and taking a deep breath. "Tum na bus Asad sir se thora door hi rehna."
"Me kuch samjhi nahi muskaan", he heart was forming a lump in her thorat.
"Wo...dekho zoya wo...I mean tum bohot achi ho or wo...he is not a good man zoya, Not when it comes to women", Muskaan said sighing, she had known in the very first meeting with zoya that she was not a one-night-stand type of girl and she had dearly liked her to bear any kind of harm.
"Muskaan ye hap kya keh rahi hain? Ho sakta hai k wo ache insaan hon, agar ap news ki waja se ye sab keh rahi hain to..i mean...",zoya tried to defend Asad although she felt sick of the news that has been transferred to her.
"zoya har koi tum jaisa nahi hota...or me asad sir k bare me kisi news ki waja se nahi keh rahi hoon, I have been working here for a year and a half now and I have seen things myself, lekin iska matlab ye bhi nahi hai k wo koi bohot hi gaye guzre insaan hain", Muskaan said while zoya looked at her trying to figure out what exactly Muskaan was trying to put in words.
"yeh ap kya bole ja rahi hain Muskaan? Ache nahi hain lekin phir bure bhi nahi hain?", zoya seemed unsure.
"I mean Zoya Asad sir a Casanova but wo un aurton ki izzat karte hain jo khud apni izzat karwana jante hain, Is office me kaam karne wala har shaks yeh baat janta hai k Asad Ahmed Khan ko khoobsurti kitni attract karti hai, or issi liye is har doosri larki k sath JO KE WILLING HO unka kuch na kuch chalta rehta hai!", Muskaan stopped for a moment and looked at zoya and then continued,"magar phir se kehti hoon sirf un larkiyon k liye jo khud waisi hoti hain, he is then you see sort of a gentleman too. Agar larki mana ker de to he stops his advances, lekin phir koi larki roke hi kyun? Jo larki unke sath rehti hai, gifts ki barish kar dete hain uspar, un un restraunts me le kar jate hain jinka bus naam hi suna hai or kya bataun tumko, bus ye samaj lo keh jitney time to Asad sir k liye interesting rahe gi uski kismet chaand par rahe gi", Muskaan explained.
Zoya listened to her carefully, and with each passing word he heart sank deeper and deeper, She was disappointed, irritated and afraid.
Soon the break was over and she was back in her cabin, Asad had just called her in and she was hell nervous, only Allah and she knew how much Quranic verses she had recited before entering his cabin and yet unsatisfied!
Lest anything didn't happen and she was out safely. Zoya sighed once she heard the door behind her closed, she didn't know what she was afraid of but she could feel it. The intuitions she had all those days before seem to make sense now. If only she knew that it was a mere start and things are just gonna take a 360 degree turn.
The hearts of both the parties had taken a decision, just in a DAY!, but it was going to be a secret to even both of them until a month more...
It had been a month since Zoya had joined Khan Enterprises and this one month had brought a hell lot of changes in her, not in terms of her dedication of course, she had learned everything she need to and now Muskaan just came for a visit or they went to caf together or talked about what was going around in the office, while there was one more difference, the jewelry and the little makeup she used to do in the initial days was OFF after hearing what asad could do! It was as always better to be on the safe side she thought. The only friend Zoya had was Muskaan and she never talked to anyone else, but it would be a problem she never realized before Muskaan told her about her wedding and that she is going on a 2 weeks leave. This had left zoya in a bit strain because she had no company at the caf and hence she decided to take the lunch box with herself and have lunch in her cabin itself.
Now if you are thinking about the Mr. Asad I-can-kill-you-with-just-a-stare Ahmed Khan's problem, it was never there, in fact the easy part was that Asad went out of Office during the lunch hours and usually was half an hour late! Zoya couldn't thank her stars enough on this.
It was the fifth day that Muskaan was on leave and Asad had already left that zoya took out a lunch box and started munching on a sandwich.
Asad on the other hand, when reached to the car realized that he had left the keys on his table, he took an about turn! Entering Zoya's cabin he saw her having her lunch, where zoya finding Asad there was surprised and quickly stood up putting the slice in it case, Asad went and stood near her table.
"you take your lunch here? ", Asad inquired frowning.
"N...no I have it in the caf but since Muskaan is on leave I... I decided to have it here only", she cleared the air fumbling.
"Ok, just come with me, we'll have lunch together", Asad offered and the color on zoya's face faded
"No, thank you but I will have my lunch here", she replied but asad seemed to rule out any of her excuses.
"Nahi, you are going with me, let me just grab the keys", he said in the same tone and turned towards his cabin and returned after some time.
"Come on let's go", he said coming out.
"No I am not hungry, and I have had my lunch too, I won't come", she tried for one more time.
"Bus. No more words, I don't like such false excuses", he said raising his voice a bit.
With this she stood up and took her bag, Asad had very well realized her condition with her facial expressions but decided to ignore them, he moved forward while she followed her, she wanted to run away that very moment and felt as if every eye watching was pitting on her. They entered the parking lot, Asad unlocked the car and open the front door for her, she stood there for a moment thinking and then sat sighing.
"where would you like to have lunch?", asad asked once she was seated/
"I don't know I have never been to restraunts before", she replied
"OK then I will take you to my favorite place", he added cheerfully.
There was this pin drop silence in the car, asad turned towards zoya and found her looking out of the window, he decided to start a conversation.
"So how's your Job?", he asked breaking the silence.
"Its fine", she replied looking anywhere but him.
"Just fine?", he raised his brow at her.
"I mean its..its good", she altered quickly
"And how is your boss", asad asked hiding his smirk.
Zoya was flabbergasted and didn't know how to reply in the first place.
"I asked you something", asad probed her after moments of silence.
"Fine", she said trying to sound...good?
"Just FINE", Asad was taken aback, he had expected her to praise him like his previous employees did, he smiled helplessly.
And then no one said anything till they reached the table and were offered with the Menu card
"what would you like to have?", he asked glancing at the Menu
"Anything", she said
"Anything?", he repeated her word and then said " ok let's have lunch of my choice", he said and ordered the dishes
After ordering the same awkward silence had enveloped them, rather than looking around at the cozy interiors her eyes bore on the candle stand kept on their table. Asad looked at her actions for some time and then took hold of the candle stand and placed it on the floor near his feet and sat putting his arms on the table , her gaze had followed the stand initially and then shamefully parted on realizing what had happened. Her eyes had shifted for some times and then she fixed her gaze on the bag In her lap when she didn't find any other subject of interest. Asad sighed, at least he could not remove the bag form there.
Till then they were served with the drinks, "Please have it", he asked her politely.
Zoya took a sip and placed the glass back at its place.
"Ap please lain na", he said when he noticed her not taking any more of it.
"jee me pee loon gi", she replied
Soon enough they were served with the lunch and same thing happened here too, Asad asked her to have it so she served herself in a plate but just kept on playing with the food. Asad tough as if she had taken an oath not to even smell the food kept on the table. Asad had asked her to go on for sometimes more but then seeing her uninterested he continued with his own lunch.
He had had his fill and she was playing with the food, he shook his head.
"Would you like to have some ice cream?", he asked
"No I don't like ice cream", she replied.
"Want to take some tea", he asked again
"No"
"Coffee?"
"No"
"Anything else?", He asked finally
"No Thank you", she replied
"Alright", Asad said sighing and called for the bill. They were back in the car and Zoya seemed a bit relaxed, and as far as Asad was concerned it was the worst lunch he had ever had with anyone. She had not even talked or looked at him in the last one and a half hour. She was afraid or tensed he couldn't tell but one thing was for sure that she didn't like coming with him and may be this was her way of showing it.
"I give you exactly 15 minutes to have your lunch", he said once they reached her cabin and then quietly moved towards his own.
Zoya couldn't guess if he was angry or not but yes! After that he had never offered her for lunch in any such encounters.
But one more thing had happened that day, Asad Ahmed Khan had taken a DECISION! A decision that was going to change their lives forever. He was determined and more than sure of his feeling but what he didn't know was that things were going to be the way he wanted, or at least end up that way BUT for no good...
____________________________________________________
Hey everyone!
ANNOUNCEMENT:OK everyone the thing here is that About the MONDAY that was to change everything here is bit of a change in situation! thing is that this is an SS and NOT an FF hence we need to speed things up a bit jahan mere actual story 7th part pe start hone wali thi abi next se ho jaye gi! I want this FF to end in not more than 18 parts hence this is it and the ULTIMATE SAGA OF LOVE OFFICIALLY STARTS FROM THE VERY NEXT PART!
All your criticism and likes are graciously accepted so feel free to comment!!! 😊
Regards
Naha
Edited by janaa_way - 11 years ago
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