Chapter 6 Stress to ImpressIt was late at night and everyone in the house was asleep. All except Zoya. Zoya sat in her room where Humeira was sleeping on her side of the bed while Zoya sat on the other side with a night light on. Stupid Mr.Khan! Or as I should say...Mr. Khadoos! He wouldn't even give me a chance! Zoya thought to herself. What does he think of himself?! He doesn't know...what Zoya Farooqi is made of! And in all this anger...I'm feeling hungry! I might as well go eat something!
Zoya tiptoed out of bed and headed out of the room. She held a flashlight, making her way down the stairs. Once she reached the kitchen, she opened the fridge, rummaging for a snack. As she did so, Zoya began to hear creeping sounds. She closed the fridge and using her flashlight, she could see a pan nearby. She grabbed the pan and was just about to turn around and attack, until she saw Haider looking at her. "Haider! YOU?!" Zoya exclaimed.
"Yes, me!" Haider exclaimed as he took the pan from Zoya, putting it down on the counter table. He turned on the kitchen lights while Zoya turned off her flashlight. "What are you doing here?" Zoya asked Haider.
"You should answer that. I only came here because I couldn't sleep and I could hear noises."
"Oh...well...I was hungry...that's why."
"Aww bechari!"
"Very funny."
"Well...in case you didn't see, I stored some left over pizza in the fridge."
"Really?!"
"Yes. Just promise to share."
"Sure."
Haider took out a container with two pizza slices inside from the fridge. He heated the pizzas up in the microwave and him and Zoya ate. As they were eating, Haider noticed Zoya was eating slowly. "All right. What's wrong?" Haider asked, putting his plate of pizza aside.
"What? Nothing."
"I may have only known you for a few days...but I know one thing by now...you're much happier when you eat your pizza. Come on, tevar wali...what's the matter?"
"Fine! Its Khadoos!"
"Asad?"
"Yes!"
"Oh...you're upset because he refused your request to join the S.R.O.?"
"Yes...how do you know?"
"He told me and Ayaan. Your way of asking was interesting. Being all sweet, getting down on your knees...he was afraid you were going to propose to him!"
"Propose?! To him?! Yuck! In his dreams! I swear Haider...the girl that ends up marrying him will be the most miserable person on the planet! He's so rude! He just flatly rejected me! No one says no to Zoya Farooqui!"
"Well...there's one thing you can do...if you're up for it."
"What?"
"Prove yourself to Asad."
"How?"
"Tomorrow...show Asad your skills of loyalty. Do everything to get his attention in a way where he sees that you're fit to be in the S.R.O."
"I like that."
"You see, tevar wali...Asad is like a hard to get fish. And in order to get him, you need a bigger net."
"Nice! Thanks, Haider! You're the best!"
"I know."
The next morning, Zoya was up early in the kitchen trying to cook breakfast. She started cutting up tomatoes when Humeira came in the kitchen, looking at her surprised. "Zoya...what's this?" Humeira asked.
"I'm making breakfast today."
"But you never cook."
"So...there's room for trying new things."
"What is it?"
"Fine...I'm trying to show Mr. Khadoos Ahmed Khan what I can do."
"So its true? You tried to propose to him?"
"What?! No! I was only asking if I could join the S.R.O.!"
"You? In the S.R.O.? Why?"
"Because...the action...the missions...I like it! Besides...now that we've both been freed from Akram, I can't just sit around in this house doing nothing. I need some kind of a job."
"I guess you have a point. I should think of getting a job somewhere as well."
"Anyways, you just sit tight! Breakfast will be ready soon!"
Humeira nodded her head and was just about to go to the dining room, until she bumped into Haider. "Sorry, Hureira!" Haider apologized.
"Its Humeira!" Humeira exclaimed.
"Right, Huneira." Haider said.
"Nevermind!" Humeira rolled her eyes as she then went to sit down.
Haider went over to Zoya who was still cutting tomatoes. "The first step to impress!" Haider exclaimed. "Very nice, tevar wali!"
"Thanks. Now go sit. I'll be done in a while."
"Sure. All the best."
"Thanks."
Haider went and sat down with Humeira at the table. "So what brings you here so early in the morning?" Haider asked Humeira.
"I could ask you the same question!"
"I asked first."
"Do I not have the right to wake up when I please?"
"You do...except when your husband calls you saying, 'Biwi, mere shirt kahan hai?!' "
"I'm not married, stupid!"
"I know. Just giving an example."
"So you wake up your wife like that?!"
"I would...if I was married."
"How rude?! Men are something!"
"What do you mean?! I'd have to give the wake up call if service is needed!"
"Because clearly you can't do anything on your own, can you?!"
"Interesting...you look kinda cute when you're angry."
"Don't try flirting with me!"
"I don't flirt...I just point out facts."
Before Humeira could reply, Asad, Ayaan, and Najma arrived in the kitchen and sat at the dining table with Humeira and Haider. By then, Zoya had finished making breakfast. She brought a tray of omelettes to the table. "Good morning everyone! I've made Zoya Farooqui's special omelettes!" Zoya exclaimed. She placed one omelette on each person's plate. Everyone was eating except Asad who gave a questionable look at the omelette. Zoya looked at him, confused.
"Mr. Khan...won't you eat?" Zoya asked Asad.
"Ms. Farooqui...I only eat swiss cheese omelette," Asad said, frustrated. "And since you were the one making breakfast,,,you should have known that on Tuesdays, I eat two slices of wheat bread with strawberry jam and coffee with very little sugar, brown sugar...and only two spoons of milk."
"Oh...I'll get it then." Zoya said, feeling irritated.
"Good. Dispose of this omelette." Asad ordered, handing the plate to Zoya.
"I'll take it!" Ayaan volunteered, taking the plate and putting the omelette on his plate.
Zoya took the plate away, frustrated. "Bechari...she must be so annoyed." Ayaan whispered to Haider. "Don't worry...she's got it." Haider whispered back.
After the others finished breakfast, they left the dining room, leaving Zoya making Asad's breakfast in the kitchen while Asad sat at the dining table, impatiently waiting for Zoya. Zoya finished putting the slices of bread with strawberry jam together while the coffee was being brewed. Khadoos aadmi! What's wrong with him?! Why does he have to be so specific about everything?! Zoya asked herself. She finished making the coffee and put it on a plate along with the bread and jam. She then walked to Asad, holding the plate in her hands. "Why did you take so long?" Asad asked in an irritated voice.
"What do you mean?"
"Najma always gets my breakfast ready in three minutes and fourty five seconds exactly. You took...seven minutes and fifty two seconds. Can you be more punctual?!"
Zoya rolled her eyes and handed Asad his breakfast. He first ate the bread and jam and finished it within two minutes. He then began drinking the coffee, but stopped after one sip. "This is not my coffee." Asad said.
"What do you mean?"
"What did you put in it?"
"Two spoons of milk and two spoons of sugar."
"What kind of sugar?"
"Regular sugar...what else?"
"I specifically told you only brown sugar! Were you not listening to my instructions?!"
Asad continued to rant on while Zoya became dazed off, imagining Asad in a different look. She began to see him as if he was a king, dressed in a red sherwani, wearing a silver crown of diamonds and holding a coffee mug, giving the same stern look on his face.
"Are you listening?!"
Huh?"
"See! Even now you don't listen! You're stuck in your own dream world!"
"Maybe I would be listening, if you wouldn't be going yap yap yap all the time! What do you think of yourself?! You're some king?! That wants everything according to what you want?!"
"No one else has a problem with me giving simple instructions. Then why do you?!"
"Trust me...they do! But I'm the only one open about it! And you know what...this whole impressing you with my skills is beneath me! You lost a good opportunity of me being part of the S.R.O. !"
"Sure I did."
"Fine then! You can just...buzz off!"
With that, Zoya left the dining room in anger. "He's worse than that guy in 'Dil Chahta Hai' !" Zoya exclaimed. "Khadoos will always be khadoos!
Edited by meryl97 - 11 years ago
Anupamaa
46