Please find below Chapter 8. If I am honest I am not very happy with how it has turned out, am not sure how you will perceive it.
I hope you do like it, please let me know what you think.
After another few hours Asad heard a knock at the door that broke his concentration 'Ayaan, come in' 'Asad have you been up with that all night?' he asked as he saw her diary in his hand 'I guess I have' 'man you are seriously obsessed...so whats her story...she obviously had one to tell?' Asad took in a deep breath and gave him a summary of what he had read leaving Ayaan in utter shock 'how the hell did she survive all that...and there is still more to read...Asad what are you going to do?' 'I don't know, she obviously left this for me...for whatever reason...I guess I will find out as I get to the end' 'well asking you to come down for breakfast is going to be useless, I will get Ammi to pack something and bring it round in a short while' 'No, don't I don't have much long to go, I will come to you as soon as I finish'.
After Ayaan left Asad continued to read, he read to find out how Ghaffur Chacha had planned everything and how frightened Zoya was, even though she was going to be free she still felt a numbing pain knowing she was going to leave her home never to return.
I packed a small bag and now am waiting for Ghaffur Chahcha to send me a message, he told me that with the dinner tonight there will be a small piece of paper that will have everything I need to know written. I keep looking around my room seeing what it had become, its nothing but an enclosed space, nothing but a holding ground for imprisonment. I feel like crying, I want to cry but my eyes have seemed to run out of tears, all I feel is a dry stinging sensation.
Dinner came on time and as Ghaffur Chacha said so did the note. In the note he asked me to come through the passage to her room and wait for him. He was going to let me out of the vent in the room, the vent, is it even big enough to fit me through, what it I can't get through what if someone finds out. Ya Allah...what if they catch Ghaffur Chacha, he is risking his life to save me. He knows I have no way of telling the time so he said to go as soon as I heard the bell in the courtyard ring, it's a bell that rings before the palace is ordered to close. It meant that Ghaffur Chacha was giving us a fifteen minute window to escape to walk out and never to look back.
There it is the bell...Ya Allah please help me...I have no idea what lies ahead...and I don't know how long it will be before I can come back to you. I hope I do see you soon.
Asad felt his heart palpitate thinking about her escape, without wasting another minute he turned the leaf over and again he found a number of pages that had been torn, he didn't understand at the beginning he had seen pages torn and now again. Did she tear them out, what was she hiding?
The next entry seemed like it was after a good few weeks of being at the valley, the way she wrote the way she expressed reflected her inner peace and happiness of being free, but it also reflected the loneliness she still felt, she was never going to be a part of society never truly free until she turned 21.
Asad wasn't really prepared for what was to come, he turned the pages and read on, Zoya referred to a beautiful stranger and it wasn't long before he realised that it was he she was referring to.
I saw him again yesterday, I waited until Ghaffur Chacha went into the valley before I walked out. I was careful not to make a sound I stood by the trees behind him to look at what he was doing and when I did see I was left speechless, I have never seen such beautiful colours before, it was like he had captured more than just the scenery before him, he had captured the essence the innocence and brought it to life through his painting. I felt a weird unrecognisable sensation run through my body. I took a few steps back and dropped my veil. As soon as I ran in I went and sat at the piano and as if by magic my fingers played and continued to play. I felt a feeling of contentment like I had achieved something, but what did I achieve I still don't know.
I saw him stand up and look towards the cottage, I jumped back fearing that he may have seen me but he hadn't.
There he was right on time, I could see him put up his blank canvas and sit there...as if he was waiting for something. The distance meant I couldn't see his face properly, it was a good thing I did see him yesterday, am I allowed to say that he is handsome, a handsome stranger. I don't know, I guess I may never know.
I sat by the piano, I had positioned it so it would look out to him and as soon as I started playing he started painting, it was as if we were in sync, is that possible or am I imagining it, I don't know. Today he did something that scared me, he came to the house he knocked and knocked, I didn't dare breath just in case he heard, I was thankful that Ghaffur Chacha had gone out again, if he had been home only Allah knows what he would have done.
The handsome stranger was back again, this time before he set up I ran out to see him, I am not sure what I was thinking, something made me feel like it was safe to but even I knew that I could never come face to face with anyone. Ghaffur Chacha laid his life on the line to save me and to protect me there is no way I can ever break my promise to him. I sat until he finished setting up, I wish I knew his name, I wish I could call out to him.
I saw two of his paintings resting by his stool, I had fallen in love...I don't know what love is but if it what I feel like when I see his paintings then it must be, they evoke emotions within me that I never knew existed. For him and the world what he put on his canvas was just paint colours that build up a picture for me every colour had become The Colour of Love.
I have a connection with this unknown stranger, my music connects me with his paintings...a connection that is unknown ad will remain but one that I will live in memory of.
I can see Ghaffur Chahca becoming tired, he does so much. I wish I could help him...I am not allowed out of the cottage, me and Layla play in the garden like always but its only for a short while. I wanted to do something to help him so thought I would try my hand at cooking. Stupid Zoya.
I burnt my hand, luckily it was the left one and I am still able to write but not play the piano. I saw him sit and wait, I could see him look at his watch several times, and I knew he was waiting for me to play.
He has been sitting there day in day out waiting, so many times he has come to the house knocking, peering through the darkened windows trying to see if he could see anyone.
I really don't know what to say, I can't decipher my feelings. After Jummah I was playing with Layla, silly cat keeps running away from me. As I chased her I saw him...he was standing right there before me. I remember holding onto my breath, I couldn't move. He was holding Layla, he held her out for me to take, all I wanted to do was run away. I would have if it wasn't for his heavenly voice I heard him speak. His name is Asad, I felt a little wave of relief wash over as he said his name.
I turned away from him fearing that Ghaffur Chahcha would be here a gust of wind blew back my veil.
I froze, I could feel my heart jumping out, I could sense him walk towards me and before I knew it he stood before me holding my veil out . I quickly took it, I tried looking away but his eyes had captivated me, at such a close distance he looked more than just handsome. Trying to think straight I got a hold of myself and as I started to walk off he called out after me, he asked me my name and without being able to stop myself I told him it was Zoya. I could see he wanted to continue talking to me, I guess I did too but I had Ghaffur Chacha to worry about.
He even asked me why I had stopped playing, when I held my hand out and told him I saw his expression change, as if he was concerned, upset for my injury. The longer I stood there the harder it was getting for me. I looked behind him thinking that I had seen Ghaffur Chahca and as he turned around I ran back inside. I ran to my room and looked out the window, watching him smile with contentment. He slowly turned around and walked off, I continued to stare until I could see no more.
He came banging at the door, calling out for me. I have to admit at first I was scared...what if this handsome stranger was not nice, what did he want why was he banging calling out for me. Luckily Ghaffur Chahcha had taken his medication and was fast asleep, I opened the door and stood outside. What happened next I never did expect, he presented me with a painting of me, a painting that was truly, so beautiful that I could not relate myself to what I saw. It definitely looked like me but it wasn't me...I know I know I am not making sense.
I told him I couldn't take it but, I wanted to but I knew I couldn't. I heard Ghaffur Chahcha cough and knew he would be up any moment.
After he left I closed the door and saw Ghaffur Chacha stand behind me. I couldn't look him in the eye 'beta...what did I say, what did you promise...you know what dangers lie ahead, beta I have not kept you prisoner here, I am doing this so you can finally be free, its hard and its painful, and I am sorry but...what have you done Zoya, if anyone else finds out about you what will happen then, you forget that Kamran and she are still looking for you'
I looked at Ghaffur Chahcha and ran into his hold crying.
He just told me...we have to leave. I have ruined everything, speaking to Asad, coming before him...I have jeopardised not only my safety but Ghaffur Chacha's too, how could I have become so careless.
I am leaving tomorrow and I will never see him again. This is going to be my life running from one place to another, keep in hiding.
I am not taking you with me I am going to leave you here...I am hoping that one day he will find you and he will know and understand me and my life. I don't know why but I feel like I need to.
A man, a stranger a beautiful painter someone I connected with someone I will never see again but someone I see and think that maybe there might just be a little hope for me.
For now and forever Allah Hafiz.
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