|AsYa FF| Destinies Intertwined Thread # 8, Last Chap, Page 53 :) - Page 35

Chapter 36-C

The car pulled to slow, graceful stop at the porch of the Khan Villa but Zoya didn't get out immediately. Instead, she addressed the driver in a calm, collected voice. "I want you to wait for me here. I'll be back in 20 minutes."

"You have to go somewhere else too, Ma'am?" He asked in a surprised tone.

"Yes." She replied shortly.

"Where Ma'am," He asked, glancing at his watch and adding hurriedly, "If you don't mind me asking since its quite late and all?"

"I'll tell you that later." She answered him in a clipped tone as she opened the door to get out. She didn't want to risk telling the driver and him leaking the information to someone in the house. The driver sprang from his seat and ran to her side to hold her door open. As Zoya began to walk towards the house, he closed the car door behind her and scampered up to her, asking timidly. "Ma'am, one more thing... Mr. Khan-?"

"Oh yes," She let out absentmindedly as she stopped to face him. "You can pick him up after dropping me where I need to go."

"But ma'am, I don't think I'll have my job till then." He let out with a worried look on his face and Zoya looked at him, confused. He hurried to explain, "Ma'am if I leave him stranded at the farmhouse for more than an hour, naturally I'm going to get sacked."

"Umm... You can put the blame on me. Tell him I kept you occupied and didn't let you return to him even though you were dying to." She suggested with the air of one commenting on the weather. There was no humor in her eyes nor sarcasm in her tone as she said this.

The driver seemed quite frankly surprised by her reply. Nevertheless, he nodded with a look of utmost confusion etched on his face and retreated to wait in the car.

Something was definitely not right, he thought.

***

Zoya tried to put on a calm, collected face as she entered the TV room and found Ayaan sprawled on the same couch she had left him, lazily helping himself to a bag of Doritos and washing it down with some Pepsi. Distraught as she was, she couldn't help expressing her surprise.

"Don't tell me Ayaan that you haven't moved ever since I left!" She exclaimed, sitting down next to him and trying to ignore the fact that this might be the last time she got to talk to him.

"Okay, I won't." He grinned as he sat up straighter. "Mona, you should understand by now that not everyone's life is as exciting as yours. Not all people get invited to fancy dinners." He sighed dramatically. "And those who don't, well they have to kill their time somehow." He crammed a handful of chips in his mouth; his face a picture of utmost boredom as he chewed mechanically. Zoya felt her lips twitching. Ayaan excelled at supporting his words with the most appropriate of expressions.

"So you choose to spend your time sprawled on a couch, eating and watching TV all day? Tell me again, how come you're not a gigantic beach-ball by now?" Zoya asked with an amused smile. There was something about Ayaan's presence that always managed to relax her. It seemed almost impossible being sad in the company of such a cheerful person. Who, in addition, had the charm to strike a decent conversation no matter how unresponsive the other person was.

Ayaan frowned good-naturedly. "I work out every morning, all right? You see these biceps; I didn't inherit them from Bhaijan." He flexed his arms and Zoya smiled slightly. Any other day, she would've laughed but right now, even smiling seemed nothing short of a miracle. Unfortunately, for her, Ayaan seemed to notice and he was clever enough to instantly link it to Asad. He whipped his head in both directions before asking good-humoredly. "Where is your husband? Your good looks didn't actually end up killing him, did they?"

Zoya's face blanched slightly. What was she supposed to say now? She decided to go with the truth. Ayaan would probably think that she and Asad had another one of their fights and as that happened quite frequently, it wouldn't be taken that seriously. She mentally figured all this out in her head before replying shortly. "He's at the farmhouse."

"The farmhouse, did you say?" Ayaan whipped his head in her direction, his mouth hanging open and Zoya nodded as nonchalantly as she could, helping herself to some of his chips.

"I have been asking... no, not asking... pleading Bhaijan to take me to his farmhouse and he didn't." Ayaan grumbled with a light frown. "Of course what was I thinking, he would take YOU first. You're his wife," He paused before adding impishly, "Who by the looks of it, seems to have fought with her husband quite recently." He spoke the last bit quite confidently as he took a swig from his Pepsi can, watching her carefully.

Zoya sighed lightly. She knew Ayaan would reach that conclusion effortlessly. She looked up to see him looking at her with a reassuring expression. "Don't worry, Mona. I'll help you hide the body."

Zoya was visibly startled. "What body?"

"Bhaijan's." Ayaan said in a loud secretive whisper, drawing his head closer. "I can see it all happening in my mind's eyes. You took advantage of that deserted place and killed him." Ignoring Zoya's dumbfounded looks and fighting to keep his laughter in check, he continued in a serious, sympathetic tone. "Mona, you don't have to look so shocked. I understand, alright? I know he can be highly annoying at times and we can safely say that he brought this upon himself. Nobody blames you..." Zoya opened her mouth to speak but Ayaan held up a hand, stopping her, "Look, when I say something, I mean it. I told you just this evening that Dewars are bhabhi's Best friends and this is what friends do, right?"

"T-They hide bodies?" Zoya stammered incredulously and Ayaan's tolerance snapped. He doubled on the sofa, holding his stomach and laughing his head off.

"Yeah... you can say that... They help each other in the hour of need!" He corrected between guffaws. "And since the hour of need calls for a hidden body, then so be it!"

"Shut up, Ayaan!" Zoya whacked his head with a cushion but he was too busy laughing to mind or to retaliate, "It's your older brother, we're talking about. Show some respect at least."

"You should've thought of that before murdering him in cold blood." His figure was still shaking with mirth.

"Will you stop saying that? And why are you saying this anyway?" Zoya demanded, trying to hide her smile.

"You two went on the dinner together and only you came back. I can add two and two up, Mona." Ayaan looked mock offended. "I know it gives five. I'm not stupid, you know."

Zoya's lips trembled with the effort of hiding her smile before they gave in and her face broke into a smile - a sad one that failed to reach her eyes as the thought of leaving this family struck her hard. She lifted her hand and ruffled Ayaan's unruly hair - a gesture that greatly annoyed Ayaan as he felt he was being treated like a child. But for the first time in his life, Ayaan didn't swat the hand away nor did he pull back. There was a certain, overwhelming sadness in Zoya's eyes that stopped him from doing so.

"Ayaan, you're childish, you're crazy, you talk about the most random things-"

"Can we get to the 'but' part of the speech?" He grinned and she laughed slightly.

"But I like you. I like you a lot." She was getting emotional as she spoke, her voice turning wobbly so she bit her lips and went quiet.

She looked up to catch Ayaan glancing at her worriedly so she plastered a smile on her face and grabbed the can of Pepsi from Ayaan's hand to take a swig. The drink burned down her neck, helped in clearing her mind a little and at the same time, seemed to reassure Ayaan a little. He leaned back against the sofa smugly as he answered, "I know. I know I'm awesome. Tell me something I don't know." He laughed. "Jokes apart, you are extraordinarily lucky in terms of your in-laws. I guess since Allah Miyaan gave you Bhaijan as a husband, He wanted to make up for it by giving you an amazing family as in-laws." He laughed at his own joke.

On seeing Zoya's half-hearted smile, Ayaan casted a long look at her before reaching for the remote and turning the TV off. "Mona, you know what a real smile is?" He asked casually. Zoya was a little taken back at the abrupt chance of topic and looked at him in confusion.

"A real smile is one that reaches the eyes and makes them shine. What you're doing right now is called faking." Ayaan told her calmly, wiping the forced smile off Zoya's lips. She bit her lip and fidgeted with the hands in her lap, looking anywhere but at him.

"I know Mona whatever transpires between you and Bhaijan should be of no importance to me but the thing is you both mean a lot to me and it hurts me when you two fight... I don't know what happened tonight that has upset you this much but I hope whatever it is, it gets resolved soon... As it always does." He added quietly, looking into Zoya's eyes for reassurance but finding none. It disturbed him a little so he continued with the reassuring. "Mona, the truth is that Bhaijan has never been interested in any girl before so I don't think he realizes how sensitive they are and how carefully they have to be handled."

Zoya opened her mouth to speak indignantly but Ayaan waved a hurried hand, dismissing her, "I'm not saying you're weak." He clarified. "Bhaijan gets outraged when something doesn't go his way. He yells, he ends up breaking things sometimes... and amidst all the chaos he creates, he fails to hear the delicate sound of hearts breaking, of dreams shattering." He said softly. Zoya's eyes prickled with sudden tears and Ayaan hurried on impatiently, "But you have to realize, he never does that on purpose, Mona. And once he realizes his mistakes, he fixes them too. You have to give that to him. Take the whole Najma-Imran issue for example."

"Ayaan, most broken things don't get fixed properly and you know that." Her tone was despondent.

"They do when Bhaijan fixes them." Ayaan replied confidently. "He puts so much heart into it that they turn out even better than before."

Zoya smiled, seeing his trust in his brother. "You have a lot of confidence in him, don't you?"

"You have too. You just don't know it yet."

"Excuse me?" She almost laughed aloud. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's simple. A person only gets disappointed when he or she has high expectations from the other person."

The smile was wiped clean from Zoya's face. "You're right. I did have expectations from him... Expectations he wasn't expecting me to have. Expectations I shouldn't have harbored in the first place." She spoke softly, her voice quivering slightly. "They weren't even expectations... They were more like dreams, dreams that I used to see and get happy." Her eyes misted as she remembered the countless hours she had spent daydreaming the last week. In every single one, Asad loved her as much as she loved him and promised never to leave her. She shook her head slightly. "But tonight, reality struck and when it does, dreams shatter... And it hurts when they do, Ayaan." She looked at him with her eyes brimming and said softly. "Recently I've realized that there are two types of dreams, one that you see with your eyes and the other that you see from your heart... And when the latter ones break, they leave their scars on the heart forever."

"Mona, you've lost me. What are you talking about?" Ayaan asked with a worried look in her eyes, his face a picture of confusion. There was something in Zoya's eyes that was worrying him. And with a start, he realized what it was - hopelessness. He had never seen it there before.

Zoya broke out of her trance as she felt Ayaan shaking her by the shoulder gently. She mentally cursed herself. What was she doing? She was supposed to keep herself calm and collected till she was safely at the airport and out of this family's reach. If they knew she was planning on leaving them, they would never let her go. She didn't want to make this more difficult for them and for herself than it already was.

"A-Ayaan, I-I don't know what I started blabbering about." She gave a nervous laugh. "I think I should just go to bed, I'm so tired."

Ayaan was still looking at her skeptically. "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. I think I just need some sleep."

"Wait." Ayaan's eyes widened. "What about Bhaijan? Should I go pick him up?"

"The driver will." She replied shortly.

"Can I say something Mona?"

"Since when did you ask permission before saying anything?" She smiled slightly.

"I just want to remind you that Bhaijan loves you. If he has broken your dreams, then he will be the one who will bring your dreams to life too, Mona... Once he realizes he has hurt you, he'll do anything to make up for it, to drive away your pain."

"If only he loved me, the pain would disappear itself." She thought to herself sadly.

***

"Ammi?" Zoya called out in a low voice as she stuck her head inside Dilshad's room.

"Come inside, beta." Dilshad's loving voice welcomed her before she came into view herself from behind the closet door. "Do you need anything?"

"Ammi, can't I come to your room randomly... without wanting anything?" Zoya pouted as she followed Dilshad to the bed who started laughing as she sat down and Zoya settled her head comfortably in her lap. After bidding a good night to Ayaan, Zoya had sneaked to Dilshad's room for a quick last conversation.

"To be honest Ammi, I came here for something." She said softly.

"And what might that be?" Dilshad asked while combing her hair with her hands.

"Love." She answered quietly and Dilshad's hand stopped for a while. Feeling Dilshad's eyes on her face, Zoya continued in what she hoped to be a matter-of-fact tone. "I was feeling hungry for some motherly love so that's why I came here."

Dilshad laughed softly as she reached down to kiss the top of Zoya's head. "That you can get all you want. I'm sorry beta; I've been so busy with Najma's wedding that I ended up ignoring you these past few days. But now that it has been taken care of, you have this mother to yourself for as long as you want."

Zoya smiled and the next moment, she felt like crying. The truth was that it hurt to have a family and then to leave it all and go back to a lonely life. She had never once felt loneliness while she was here in India. She always had someone for company - if not Asad, then Dilshad, Ayaan or Najma. Back in New York, she had her Aapi and Jeeju and there was no doubt that they loved her a lot but they had their own life and she didn't like to constantly butt in. She kept mostly to her room.

Sure, she had friends but now she had had a taste of what it felt like to have a family of your own. To have a doting and fussing mother, a loving and blindly trusting sister and an annoying but endearing little brother. No friend could ever come close to taking these places.

She always worried how she would live without Asad but how much she would miss his family, she hadn't given much thought. Now she did and she felt, she was going to break into pieces. And how much she will be hurting Asad's family, she didn't even want to think about.

'Get a grip on, Zoya.' She told herself, 'Otherwise you'd have to retire to the room and lose the chance to even have a proper last conversation with them.' She suddenly remembered that the driver was waiting for her too. She had to hurry on with this.

"Ammi? I want something from you."

"Don't ask Zoya. Demand like my kids do. After all, you're my daughter too. What do you want?"

"Forgiveness." Zoya's voice was barely above a whisper. Dilshad's hand froze in her hair.

"What for, Zoya?"

"For doing anything in the future that I know you wouldn't approve of." She answered back cryptically. "Will you forgive me for that because my intent would never be to hurt you?"

Dilshad closed her eyes slowly as she felt her heart sinking. Her motherly instincts told her something wasn't right.

"Please Ammi, will you forgive me?" Zoya pleaded again. She knew she would be hurting quite a few people by leaving India but the person she was most worried about was Dilshad. She had accepted Zoya as her daughter and just the thought of breaking a mother's heart made her heart ache.

"What are you planning on doing Zoya?"

"I can't tell you that, Ammi."

"Then tell me, whatever you're planning on doing, does your heart tell you it is the right thing to do?"

"Not the right thing Ammi, the only thing to do." Zoya answered, trying to keep her voice level.

"There is always a way out, Zoya." Dilshad contradicted her softly.

"Not this time Ammi; not this time... There are some things you've got to do if you honor your self-respect."

"Then I will forgive you." Dilshad's voice was surprisingly calm as she continued to stroke Zoya's hair though her hands through Zoya's hair weren't quite as steady. "If it gets down to your self-respect, then you have every right to do whatever you think is the right thing. But you have to make sure it is your self-respect that you're protecting and not your ego."

"You know what Rashid used to say? He said the day a person falls in love; he has to commit a murder." Zoya looked up at Dilshad in surprise. "He has to murder his ego because love and ego can never co-exist."

Zoya smiled sadly. "That's so true."

"Oh beta, I totally forgot to ask you, how was your dinner with Asad?"

"Special." She answered shortly, forcing herself to smile. "Okay Ammi, I should retire to my room and let you sleep now. Thanks for everything." She told Dilshad, sitting up to give her a hug, which was readily and warmly reciprocated from the other end.

"You don't need to thank me beta."

"I do because you're the best Ammi in the whole wide world." She told her getting off the bed and Dilshad laughed, pleasantly flattered.

"Or maybe it just seems to you that way because you're the best daughter in the whole wide world."

"That is actually very much possible." Zoya replied cheekily and they both started laughing.

"I can see being with Ayaan has started rubbing off on you." Dilshad commented and Zoya laughed heartily as she headed towards the door, bidding her a good night.

"Oh and Zoya, you got some mail this evening. It's on your dressing table."

"Okay. I'll check it, Ammi."

Zoya left the room and Dilshad's smile faltered. Why did she have a feeling that Zoya was planning on taking some huge step? But what would she do? What was she planning on doing that she knew Dilshad wouldn't approve of?

***

Zoya's eyes flooded with tears as she ripped open the mail to find the divorce papers aside. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that the driver was waiting outside and she had to hurry on with this. Taking a pen, her hand hovered over the papers trembling slightly.

'No, I should write him a small note first. He deserves that much at least. I owe him that.'

The next minute, she was tearing a page out of a notebook before she began scribbling. It turned into more than a simple note and more like quite a lengthy letter. Whatever that was in her heart that she never had a chance to say, ended up on the paper.

Once done, she folded the paper in half and returned to the divorce papers. Taking a deep breath and wiping the tears spilling on her cheeks agitatedly, she signed the papers with a shaky hand.

A tear landed on the page with a splatter, splotching the signature a little. Without having a second look, she shoved the papers back in the envelope along with her letter. Then she took off the wedding ring that Asad had made her wear on their wedding and placed it inside too. But she couldn't leave this envelope lying around just like that. What if it got landed in the wrong hands? Doing some quick thinking, she placed it in her purse. She would ask the driver to deliver it to Asad.

Next, she hurried to the bed and retrieved her already packed suitcase from underneath. She had completed her packing in the evening and hidden the suitcase from view before leaving for the dinner. She threw a quick glance around to check whether she had everything packed and her eyes caught sight of Asad's dark blue shirt peeking through the half-open door of the wardrobe. In a trance, she moved towards and pulled it out. Asad had worn this on their trip to Mangalpur.

The tears rushed to her eyes as she buried her face in its fold. It smelled so strongly of Asad. She couldn't let it go. She just couldn't. Surely, she could keep it as a memory of him...

Swallowing her sobs, she hastily folded the shirt and opening her suitcase, placed it inside. As she swung her purse over her shoulder, the most pressing thought on her mind was to get to the front door unnoticed.

***

Zaroon's cell buzzed as he zipped his suitcase. The incoming call was from Zoya and he smiled slightly as he received it muttering a "Finally" under his breath. He had been expecting her to call and yell out happily that Asad loved her, that she wasn't catching the flight; that she wasn't going back to New York. As satisfied his heart would be, on hearing her sounding happy, it would leave him breathless with pain too.

His eyes sparkled with wetness as he took a deep breath to brace himself and answered the call, "Hello?"

"Zaroon, how are you getting to the airport?" Came the brisk reply from the other end, devoid of emotions to such an extent that it sounded dead.

"Shaheer's driver is going to drop me." She had demanded an answer in such a way that he couldn't help replying. "Zoe, are you alright? You don't sound good." Instant worry wrinkled his forehead.

"You know how difficult this is for me, Zaroon." Her voice sounded frustrated. "Leaving so much behind-"

"What? Leaving? You're leaving?" He let out slowly.

"Of course I am. You're the one who got my tickets for me. Why are you so surprised?" She sounded irritated. Zaroon knew her tolerance was waning dangerously low. Before he could speak, Zoya continued ahead. "Listen, I'm giving the cell to the driver, tell him the address to your cousin's place and then we can leave together from there since you never gave me my tickets."

Before Zaroon knew, the driver was at the other end and he was explaining the address to him. By the time he was done, he was seething with quiet anger. Scrolling through his phone book, he stopped at Asad's number and hit the call button.

Mr. Asad Ahmed Khan had some serious explaining to do.

***

Asad sat slumped against one of the pillars of the gazebo, staring lifelessly ahead. He felt numb with shock. He had looked forward to confessing his love to Zoya for days now. He had thought everything would go perfect... And tonight had been anything BUT perfect.

He had planned this night straight from his heart; he had thought it would be the most memorable night for them both... He had thought Zoya would be ecstatic with joy, instead she had walked out on him, crying and accusing him? How could such a perfect evening unravel out of control so easily?

His head had started throbbing painfully. He scrunched his eyes and massaged it roughly with one hand. The fairy lights that had looked wonderful a few hours back now stung his eyes badly. He hoped he wasn't going to get a migraine attack.

His cell phone buzzed and the blinking screen read Zaroon calling but he didn't pick it up. He didn't want to... He just wanted to be left alone and mull over what had happened. Try to figure out what had gone wrong...

It was too much to absorb. Too painful. A tear silently rolled down his chin and landed on his collar. He was quiet but his eyes screamed out his pain as they bled listlessly.

***

Zaroon sat on the porch steps of his cousin Shaheer's house as he waited for Zoya to get there and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Asad wasn't picking up and Zoya wasn't talking. Just as he was about to try Asad's number again, a black Mercedes pulled to a stop and Zoya got out. One look at her had his heart dropping; he had never seen her like this. She looked tired and defeated, physically, mentally and emotionally.

"You go and pick Asad from the farmhouse. And yes, give him this." She instructed the driver as she got out and handed him an envelope. Zaroon jogged over quietly to help the driver unload her suitcase from Asad's car and load it in Shaheer's Honda City.

"Will you now tell me what's happening?" He demanded as they settled in his cousin's car and took off. He was secretly relieved that Shaheer himself wasn't dropping them off. It would've been impossible to talk in his company. The driver, they could ignore.

"What's happening, Zaroon?" She repeated in a dead voice. "What does it look like from my face?"

"That your heart has been broken tonight," He answered truthfully, his voice full of sadness. He saw Zoya's face turning pale.

"Come on, Zoe. You don't need to hide anything from me. You know that." He told her softly.

Without warning, she broke into sobs lightly resting her head against his shoulders. And he didn't stop her. She needed to cry. She needed to let out all the emotions she had been bottling up inside her. He knew at that moment all she needed was a shoulder to cry on so he held her hand and let her do exactly that.

He had gone through the pain of giving up someone who he knew could never be his. He knew what Zoya was going through...

Unwillingly his mind went back to the time Maha had called him from India to inform about Zoya's wedding in a couple of days. He found himself remembering exactly how he had felt at that moment. It felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart with a dagger. He felt dead though miraculously he was still breathing. He had learnt the meaning of agony then. He had been shattered in a way he had not thought possible. He was breathing, yet he didn't feel alive.

He had always known that Zoya wasn't interested in him but there was this little satisfaction in his heart that if she wasn't his, then she wasn't anybody's either. It was a stupid thing to feel satisfied about but then love does make a person believe in stupid things... anything that could placate a restless heart.

Maha had been sympathetic. She knew he would never be able to withstand the torture of attending Zoya's wedding. To watch someone you love becoming someone else's was an agony that he couldn't brave no matter how much he tried so Maha had taken the blame on herself. She had told Zoya that she had forgotten to inform Zaroon about her wedding and that's why he wasn't there. He couldn't have been more grateful to Maha for this.

It had taken him four days to get himself together and gather the courage to talk to Zoya on Skype without breaking to pieces in the process; to sound like his own self, cheerful and without a care in the world. It had been agonizing, accepting the fact that she would never be his... He guessed Zoya was going through the same. But Asad loved Zoya. Why did he let her go then? Was he crazy or what?!

***

"Sir?" The timid voice made Asad look up with his eyes narrowed in slits. Just the simple action of moving his head up made it throb even more painfully. His driver was standing in front of him looking worried and a little scared as if dreading the yelling that he was going to get.

"What?" Asad mumbled dejectedly. The driver couldn't believe his luck. No yelling?

"Ma'am asked me to give this to you." The driver handed him the envelope and stepped back a little.

Asad opened the envelope listlessly and took the papers out. His eyes widened as he saw the divorce papers with Zoya's loopy, slightly splotched signature. She had actually sent him the divorce papers? The wave of stabbing pain that shot through his head made his eyes water and he moaned softly as the pain in his heart coupled with the one in his head and left him breathless.

His eyes landed on the other paper that had fallen on his lap. With trembling hands, he unfolded it to find a letter from Zoya. Though his head pounded even more while focusing on the blotted and smudged letter, still he read on.

Dear Asad,

I know you're probably amused that I'm writing you a letter when I could've texted or emailed you but the truth is I'm a hopeless romantic at heart who believes that the charm and romance letters carry is unparalleled. I had always dreamt of writing letters to my husband when I was young but never thought I would write it to say goodbye to the man I love...

So Mr. Khan I guess this is it. This is where we part ways and go our separate ways as we planned to do all along. But you know what the problem is? When we make plans, we take the mind into factor, never the heart and it is the heart that does unpredictable things... Like mine did. It fell for you. It fell for you when you never asked it to. Trust me Mr. Khan, I never intended it to either but some things cannot be helped.

It was like getting drenched in a rain. If you think about it, what is rain? Just a cluster of raindrops, small and insignificant but before you know it they soak you to the bone. It is the same with love I guess. Your small acts of kindness did the same for me. And before I know it, I was completely drenched, immersed in love.

You probably wonder how and why I fell for you when you never consciously gave me a reason to? Well then, let me clear it out to you, Mr. Khan that love is anything but reasonable. It doesn't need big reasons to blossom, just small random things here and there...

Now to the question of when I fell for you...I fell for you, Mr. Khan a little on our wedding night when I saw the concern in your eyes for me after I fainted... I fell for you when you came down to save me after I fell off the cliff... I fell for you when you cared and nursed me back to health... I fell for you when I saw your love for humanity... I fell for you when you caught a cold on a chilly, windy night while waiting for me to get back home... I fell for you when you allowed me into your heart one-step at a time... I fell for you when you held on to my hand the whole night... I fell for you when you teased and pulled my leg on every opportunity you got... I fell for you time and again Mr. Khan, and before I knew it, I was in love... I saw the man I called my husband, playing cricket on the streets to honor his father's memory, losing deliberately to children at the end and I thought to myself that I'd never seen a finer man in my whole life. And then I realized I was completely, irrevocably, truly in love with him. Beyond the shadow of a doubt.

That's the beauty of love I guess. It doesn't look for huge, extravagant moments; all it looks for is a good heart and I guess that is the reason I fell for you so hard because your heart is the purest thing about you.

Look at me rambling on but I just had to say all this, Mr. Khan. You need to know all this. You need to know that you deserve to be loved... I don't know whether I can say the same about me though... As much as I would've liked it, you and I can never be together. You and I together, is a broken dream that will have to complete itself in sleep, never in reality.

The time is up and reality has struck, Mr. Khan. I have to go back. I can't stay back just because you want me to. Had you asked me to stay back because you loved me, I wouldn't have given it a second thought but that was not the case and I have to go back now... Some things a person has to do if they honor their self-respect as I most unfortunately do.

I have enclosed the divorce papers. I'm sure you will have no problem in signing them and getting this relationship over with.

Loads of love
Zoya

P.S. Please don't try to contact me after this. I hope you can understand why I'm saying this. I want to forget you so that I can move on with life... It'll be difficult as it is.

Asad's shaking fingers caressed the paper that carried her words along with her dry, soaked tears that had crinkled the pages on the spots they had fallen and he hated himself. What was he doing? Was he letting her leave without confessing his love for her? Was he letting her leave India thinking that she loved a man who never loved her back? And what if he couldn't contact her? What if she refused to answer his calls or see his face?

He looked down and noticed something else had fallen from the envelope on his lap too. Zoya's wedding ring. She had returned it back to him.

A sudden resolute look took over his face as he looked up at his driver. "What are you waiting for? Get the car started!"

As the bewildered driver took towards the car, Asad followed suit, whipping out his cell phone and calling Prasad and issuing instructions about ticket, passport, visa, migraine medicines and what not.

"Where to, sir?" The driver inquired hurriedly as they pulled out of the winding driveway of Asad's farmhouse.

"Where did Zoya go?"

"She got dropped to this house where Zaroon Sahib was already waiting. They both had baggage with them."

"Take me to the airport then." He instructed, trying to ignore his throbbing head and rejoicing over the fact that the airport wasn't that far from his farmhouse. The happiness didn't last long though. The car came to a halt as soon as they hit the highway.

"Sir, there is a strike going on."

"WHAT THE HELL? How did you get here then? Flew over this crowd?" Asad roared in a frustrated voice.

"The other way traffic is ongoing, sir. Only this way has been closed." The driver informed nervously.

He heard Asad letting out an infuriated growl before he heard the door slamming. He looked back and Asad was no longer in the backseat.

***

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST! 😃

Zaroon got out of the car and hauled the luggage from the trunk before loading it on a trolley. As Zoya began to move towards the entrance, Zaroon held her hand.

"What?"

"Think about this, Zoe. Do you really want to do this?" He asked tentatively. Zoya hadn't spoken a word all through the ride and he was now more worried than before.

"I have no choice Zaroon. My visa didn't get extended. I have to leave at all costs... Come on, we're getting late." She made to walk off but Zaroon's firm grasp on her hand didn't let her.

"Actually we're not. For the first time in our life, we're not late. There's still time. Now will you please tell me what happened? Look, I have to know it Zoe... Before we board the flight... Talk some sense into you if you aren't thinking straight."

"I haven't lost my mind Zaroon! I'm leaving because I no longer have any reason to stay." Zoya snapped. This was hard enough without Zaroon interfering.

"Asad... Isn't he enough reason for you to stay?" He inquired softly. "You won't be able to live without him Zoe, I know it."

"I'll have to! If there is something, I honor before my life, before everything else... that is my self-respect. I won't force myself on him when he doesn't want me." She spoke bitterly.

"Doesn't want you? Zoe, what are you talking about? Asad loves you!" Zaroon exclaimed in surprise before he could stop himself.

"He doesn't Zaroon."

"He does, Zoe." Zaroon told her firmly.

"Zaroon if he did, he wouldn't have stayed mum about it and let me go, would he?" Zoya was getting infuriated, her voice getting higher with each word. "And how can you say this with so much conviction... Did he tell YOU and not ME?" She demanded looking incredulous.

"His eyes said it all for me. Ask anyone, when your name comes in the conversation, his eyes sparkle." He answered quietly.

"Maybe I don't want to keep reading his eyes for the rest of my life! There are some things that a girl NEEDS to hear and hearing your husband confess his love for you is one of those."

"You're right. I'm not saying you're not but maybe he didn't get a chance or something." Zaroon said hastily, "This is all happening way too quickly. He loves you Zoe and I know for a fact that he would NEVER want you to leave thinking that he doesn't."

"How can you be so sure he loves me?" Zoya demanded, seething visibly.

"I-I could tell from the way he looks at you."

"Really Zaroon? What do you know about love anyway, huh? You've never even fallen in love once in your lifetime!" Zoya snapped back.

The color drained from Zaroon's face, his eyes suddenly lost their sparkle and his jaw clenched as he looked towards the ground, nodding slightly not in affirmation but in an attempt to gain control over himself as was his way of coping with anger.

"I was just trying to help... But if you don't want me to, then fine! I won't say anything." He muttered as he started pushing the luggage trolley forward and Zoya followed suit, feeling guilty for making Zaroon angry but at the same time, quietly relieved that he had given up his tries of making her think about this again.

***

Asad dodged his way through stationary cars, fighting to keep his eyes open. The bright beam of headlights sent stabbing pains through his head and he stumbled occasionally as the pain became unbearable. Twice he had to stop to catch his breath, waiting for the pain to dull down a bit, leaning against random cars before trudging ahead again.

Finally, he made it through the traffic jam and the crowd gathered because of the protest and turned on the road leading to the airport. A taxi passed by and he held out a hand stopping it and jumping on the back seat.

"Take me to the airport."

"What?" The taxi driver demanded, sure he had heard wrong. The airport was only a few furlongs away.

"The airport. Take me to the airport." Asad repeated in a slightly annoyed voice and the taxi jerked forward. In less than a couple of minutes, the taxi entered the parking lot and Asad jumped out right at the entrance, throwing a couple of hundreds on the front seat before sprinting inside and dialing Zaroon's number.

Thankfully, he answered on the second bell and Asad demanded breathlessly. "Where is Zoya? He listened for a minute, then, "No, don't check-in just yet. I'm coming!"

***

Zoya began to move towards the security glass doors leading to the interior of the airport where they had to check in but Zaroon held her hand. If they crossed it, Asad won't be allowed to enter since he didn't have a ticket. "Stop Zoya."

"What for, Zaroon?"

"I-I need to tie my shoe-laces."

"What? But they're already tied." Zoya told him exasperatedly, glancing down at his sneakers.

"I know but they feel loose. Weird, huh? Here hold my laptop bag." Not waiting for an answer, Zaroon thrust the bag in her hand and bent down to tie his sneakers, willing Asad to get there quickly.

"It's taking you forever! Hurry up, Zaroon!"

Apparently, Zoya wasn't in the mood to be held off for long.

***

Asad rushed through the throng of people moving about, muttering hurried apologies as he bumped into some while narrowly missing others. His heart seemed to have jumped in his throat and was beating wildly. His headache was forgotten in the chaos of the moment. All that he knew was that he had to get to Zoya. Fast. Before he lost her.

His steps hit the cold tiled floor rhythmically. But it felt as if his steps weren't falling on the floor; they were falling on his heart as with each step his heart sank further and further.

His eyes flitted left to right as they tried to look everywhere at once before he finally caught sight of the security glass doors Zaroon had mentioned minutes ago and his heart skipped a beat. Zoya was there, moving towards the glass doors with a reluctant Zaroon tagging behind who kept looking behind as if waiting for Asad to materialize out of thin air.

"ZOYAAA!" He called out, his voice coming out thick as his throat constricted at the sight of her and he skidded to a stop.

***

Zoya heard a strangled voice called out her name and her eyes widened in surprise. She could recognize that voice anywhere but she didn't dare believe it was Asad's. Why would he be at the airport? Even the possibility of him being there sounded absurd. All the same, she found herself rooted at the spot.

The voice called again, closer and more choked up this time. She found herself turning and a surprised gasp left her mouth.

Standing before her, looking tired and disheveled was a panting Asad.

She blinked hard, refusing to believe her eyes. What in the world was going on? What was Asad doing here? And why on Earth did he look like he had ran miles to get here?

"M-Mr. Khan... What... What are you doing here?" She finally managed to stutter as she saw him slowly making his way towards her. He didn't seem to hear her. Zoya threw a hurried look around her. Some people had stopped to watch them, their eyes flitting between her and Asad with unmasked curiosity.

"M-Mr. Khan-" She began fumbling again as Asad came to a halt right in front of her but his next words robbed her of the ability to speak.

"I love you, Zoya." He said softly with such confidence and with such simplicity in his air that Zoya was left dumbstruck. "I'm here to tell you that I love you. It's that simple and that complicated." His voice was thick, his eyes shimmering with tears that looked like they were going to escape any minute.

He licked his dry lips and continued again. "I love you so much Zoya... and I can't let you leave India thinking that I don't. Because I do. I love you with every fiber of my being." He was speaking slowly, stopping after every few words to take a gasping breath as if just the thought of losing her was making his breathing difficult. He held her hands and cradled them to his chest. "How can I let go of a girl who I know would've never left me had I not compelled her to? A girl who cried herself to sleep when I wronged her yet forgave me the next morning? A girl who was always there for me... who broke into my room to make sure that I didn't hurt myself in my anger. A girl who would do anything to cheer me up whenever I was feeling down. Where do you find a girl like that? The truth is that you don't. I-I just got lucky." A tear escaped his eyes as he smiled, rolled down his cheek before landing on their entwined hands on his chest. Zoya was staring at him with her mouth slightly open, her eyes quickly filling with tears too.

"Zo-Zoya, I know I've been arrogant and I initially despised you for being an intrusion in my perfectly working world... But I didn't realize... I didn't realize when you became my life and the world started seeing like an intrusion. But the truth is that Zoya, now when I look at you I want the whole world to blur into oblivion so that it's just me and you." His voice was hoarse, choked up with so many emotions and feelings.

"You know, when I look at you for too long, my eyes brim with my overwhelming love for you." A steady stream of tears quietly ran down his cheeks as he lifted his hand to cup her cheeks lightly and drink in the beauty of her face. "I didn't even think it was humanly possible to love someone so much. Maybe I'm right and it doesn't hold with everybody and..." He choked a little and then gritted out firmly. "And you're an exception because you're so damn special." He smiled at her through his tears.

"Zoya, you're nothing like any girl I've ever met before and everything I ever wanted to be... I didn't even know what true love was until you came along and defined it for me... every moment of the time we spent together. You've given me a lifetime of happiness and I think I deserve a chance to return it all back. Give me that chance, Zoya." He begged in a tear-filled husky voice. He placed a hand inside his coat pocket and took out the divorce papers.

"I'm never going to sign these, Zoya... I-I'm afraid of losing you. I'm terrified at the thought of spending my life without you..." Tears rolled down his cheeks incessantly and Asad made no effort to wipe them off, "I dread the thought of walking up in the mornings knowing I won't see your face... knowing that I won't hear you talking... It horrifies me Zoya. Just the thought of it scares me to death. You're the one I'm afraid of losing and you're the only person I want in my life. Please don't leave me. Please don't divorce me. Please don't do this to me." He whispered the last words in an imploring voice as he fell on his knees.

The next moment, he heard the sound of another set of knees hitting the floor as Zoya dropped on her knees to hug him, laughing, smiling and crying all at once. There was an outburst of applause from the audience that had gathered to watch the heart-warming exchange but the couple was lost in their own world, smiling through their tears and hugging each other as if their life depended on it. It was quite a while before they broke apart.

"I love you, Zoya." Asad whispered in her ears as he pulled back.

"I love you too, Asad." She replied promptly and Asad laughed.

"You just called me Asad."

"Guess I just did." She beamed brightly as she wiped her tears.

"Hang on a second." Asad told her as he rummaged his pocket and fished out her wedding ring. They were still sitting on the floor of the airport opposite each other as if it was the most natural place on Earth to be. Asad held her left hand and slipped the ring back on her finger before kissing it fiercely. It was too much for Zoya who broke into soft sobs despite the dazzling smile on her lips.

"Zoya... Why are you crying?" Asad looked slightly worried as he cupped her face and wiped her tears with his thumb pads.

"Sometimes the heart is so overwhelmed with happiness that it starts overflowing from the eyes, Asad." She told him smiling through her tears.

"I wish time would freeze." He told her, looking at her tear-streaked laughing face, at her dimples and her dancing eyes.

"And we could stay like this forever." She completed his sentence.

"Sorry Miss but you can't." Pot-bellied Mr. Dhurinder moved in through the crowd, grinning widely, his beady eyes slightly wet. "Ahh you two made me shed a couple of tears there but I'm sorry... Miss Zoya has to leave India since her visa has expired. I'm truly sorry but there isn't anything I can do about this. The law has to be followed and I don't hold the power to change the rules. I hope you understand, Mr. Khan?"

Asad nodded morosely as he got to his feet and offered his hand to Zoya who beamed widely as she caught it.

"I have reapplied for her visa. I hope she can come back to India in 15-20 days?" Asad asked him and Mr. Dhurinder nodded with a comforting smile.

"I will personally make sure that there will be no hindrance."

"Okay. Thanks." Asad's tone was grateful. Dhurinder smiled and walked off. He could feel the couple needed some time alone. Asad and Zoya moved aside trying to ignore people's eyes, most of which were brimming with delight and envy at the couple's love for each other.

"So... I'm still leaving." Zoya huffed sadly once they were alone but the sparkle in her eyes left no doubt how happy she was.

"You're still leaving." Asad affirmed with a soft smile, taking her hands and sandwiching them between his on his chest. "But I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to leave either." She pouted before a worried frown took over her features. "You don't look good, Asad. Are you feeling okay?"

"Are you kidding me? This is probably the happiest I've ever felt in my life."

Zoya's eyes softened as warmth flooded her heart. "Me too. But seriously, you don't look good, Asad. I'm not joking!"

"Liar. I always look good... just as you always look beautiful." He winked cheekily and on Zoya's frown decided to tell her the truth. "I've a splitting headache. It's killing me." His eyebrows knitted as he rubbed his forehead, looking slightly irritated by it.

"Did you take any medicine for it?"

He shook his head in negative.

"Why can you be so careless Mr. Khan? Why didn't you take any medicine?" She looked worried and frustrated at his lack of attention to self.

"Don't worry, Prasad's bringing it. And as to why I didn't take it earlier... Well I thought my heart should be tended to, first. It was in a more critical condition you see."

"What happened to your heart?" Zoya look confused.

"YOU were taking it with you and you didn't even realize that." He looked straight into his eyes as he said that and Zoya blushed prettily.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Mr. Khan spoke cheesy lines." She giggled.

"To be honest, I have surprised myself today." He laughed heartily.

"Seriously! I mean you crashed here to confess your love for me! That is something I hadn't even imagined in my wildest dreams. And that's saying something!" She was positively glowing with happiness.

"Well, for the first time maybe in my life, I listened to my heart. And the heart isn't really known for its logicality, is it?"

She laughed as she rested her head on his chest and agreed. "No, it's not."

Asad wrapped his arms around her and for a while, they just stood there hugging each other, relishing in the magic of the moment.

"I have to go now, Mr. Khan." Zoya finally spoke up and Asad's arms tightened around her instinctively.

"They'll deport me back themselves if I don't take the flight right now. I don't want it done forcefully." She mumbled into his chest.

"Me neither." He agreed, sighing heavily.

"Are you going to miss me, Mr. Khan?"

"With every breath I take." He replied simply. "You?"

An impish gleam sparkled in Zoya's eyes. "I won't."

"No?" Asad questioned with a crooked smile, pulling slightly apart to look at her face.

"No." She affirmed cheekily.

"Are you sure about this Zoya?"

"A hundred percent."

"Well then I think I should give you something to remember me by." Asad leaned to whisper huskily in her ear, his breath fanning her cheek tantalizingly.

Before Zoya could open her mouth to speak, Asad's gentle lips were on hers as he kissed her and her eyes sprung open in pleasant surprise. She shivered in bliss as warmth spread to the very tips of her toes making her feel alive in a way she had never felt in her life. Out of their own account, her hands rose from Asad's chest and entangled themselves in his hair as she kissed him back with the same gentleness and fierce love. It was the most beautiful sensation in the world. She never wanted it to end...

But before she knew it, they were pulling apart, both breathless and their cheeks flushed. Zoya was dazed as she looked at Asad smiling at her crookedly.

"I-I should... be going. Allah Hafiz, Asad." She let out slowly as if in a trance as she turned to face the glass doors, her movements uneven but Asad grabbed her hand and tugged at it making her collide into his chest and land into his arms again.

"This... Mrs. Asad Ahmed Khan... was just a teaser." He told her, smiling mischievously and Zoya averted her eyes to the ground as she blushed furiously.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look absolutely adorable when you blush like that?" Asad laughed as he hugged her again before pulling back; he planted a long kiss on her forehead.

"You have my heart... No, actually you are my heart. Make sure you take good care of yourself. I'm going to miss you. A lot." He whispered, his eyes gleaming with sudden tears.

"I'll miss you more." She told him as tears formed in her eyes, filling them up quickly.

Asad shook his head with a smile. "No more tears. I don't want to see you crying before you leave. Keep smiling... now and always. For me?"

Zoya nodded, smiling through her tears as she got on her toes to give him a kiss on his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you more."

***

Zoya entered the security glass doors and found Zaroon waiting at the other end. He smiled on seeing Zoya running up to him, her eyes glistening with liquid happiness. "He loves me Zaroon! He actually loves me!"

"Just like I told you." He smiled back at her gently.

"You were right."

"When am I ever wrong?"

Zoya slapped his arm before she smiled brightly. "Zaroon, being in love is the happiest feeling in this whole wide world!"

"No, it isn't." He contradicted her almost instantly and Zoya's brows furrowed slightly. "Being in love and having your feelings reciprocated is the best feeling in the world... Just being in love is not enough. It's never enough." He spoke softly as he looked in the distance casually while actually trying to hide his eyes.

"Zaroon..." Zoya broke off. There was this sadness in Zaroon's voice that she couldn't help noticing.

"Why are you looking so surprised? Weren't you the one who was about to leave this country an hour back because Asad didn't reciprocate your love?" Zaroon covered up smoothly. After all those years, he had learned to hide and cover up well.

"Yeah right. But I still have to leave the country." She pointed out.

"But see; now you're leaving with a goofy smile on your face instead of looking like a zombie."

"I hate you, Zaroon!" She groaned as she slapped his arm in annoyance.

"Well, guess I'll just delete it then." He spoke up, shrugging his shoulders off-handedly.

"Delete what?"

"The video I made a while ago."

"What video... Wait! You-you taped the whole thing?" Zoya gasped in surprise, her mouth hanging open.

"I taped the whole thing." He repeated.

Zoya gave a shriek of joy before jumping on him for a joyous hug. "I love you Zaroon."

"To be honest, your abrupt change of feelings scares me, Zoe." He teased her and she laughed.

"Oh have you checked-in?" Zoya suddenly remembered.

"No, I was waiting for you."

"Oh okay. I'm so glad we got here early. Let's go." She said happily before she sighed slightly. "Oh I so wish I had Asad with me."

"You have me." Zaroon told her cheekily in his usual way.

"But you're not Asad."

"I'm way better than Asad."

"You wish!" Zoya laughed. It had been a while since they fought like this.

"Ah Zoe, I just remembered. I have to make an important phone call. You go on." He told her as he pulled out his phone. "I'll meet you on the plane."

"What? Zaroon!" She called out but Zaroon was already walking away with the phone against his ear.

***

As expected, Zaroon found Asad where they had left him, now standing with a decent-looking young man who kept pushing his eyes up his nose as he talked importantly. Asad on the other hand, was tossing a couple of pills in his mouth before he washed them down with water. Zaroon placed his cell back in his pocket, ending the fake important phone call.

"Hello Mr. Khan." He said formally, as he approached Asad.

"Oh hello, Zaroon. Thank you so much for your help today. I'm very grateful." Asad told him sincerely as he shook his hand.

"Oh it was nothing." Zaroon waved a dismissing hand. "I'm just happy you got here on time." He told him genuinely and Asad smiled.

"You're still at the airport." Zaroon pointed out after a while as if asking for an explanation.

"I was checking whether there was an empty seat on the plane. Actually, I want to go after Zoya. It would be the perfect surprise for her. Just imagine her happiness if she sees me on that plane... She'll go crazy with happiness." Asad's eyes sparkled as he narrated his plan. Just the thought of seeing Zoya's surprised face was enough to light up his eyes before they dulled and he muttered dejectedly. "But this flight's already full."

Prasad chipped in importantly, turning to Asad. "I tried everything sir. They've put you on Seat Available. If you're lucky and there are any last minute cancellations, then you'll get a seat otherwise, you can try the next flight."

Zaroon's eyebrows rose. "And then?"

"Umm... He keeps trying until he gets it." Prasad told him sheepishly before he added hastily. "Look, getting a seat booked on such a short notice is not possible. All flights are going full."

"Damn, that sounds tiring." Asad muttered. "I would've booked a seat before, had I known the application for Visa extension would get rejected and Zoya would be forced to leave. I don't want to let her go alone."

Zaroon smiled sadly, as he looked at Asad calculatingly.

"What?" Asad raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing. Just wondering when is love stronger... When it holds on or when it lets go?" Zaroon muttered quietly almost to himself, the sadness in his eyes returning.

Asad stepped forward to place a hand on Zaroon's shoulder. "All I know is that when you love someone to such an extent that you stop caring about your own happiness, that love is the strongest. It takes courage to do what you've done, Zaroon. We're all selfish in love. To become selfless like that, you have to be very brave." Asad told him genuinely and Zaroon smiled slightly.

"I appreciate that. You've got your heart in the right place, Mr. Khan. Not many do these days." He smiled softly before he checked his watch. "I have to go now. I'm getting late. Good luck, Mr. Khan."

***

Zoya slumped on her seat on the plane and craned her neck to look around searching for Zaroon. She couldn't stop smiling and she made no effort to stop. An elderly man thought she was smiling at him and he smiled back, making her beam even wider at him.

She took out her cell and quickly texted a 'Where are you?' to Zaroon before leaning back and closing her eyes, she gave her mind a free leash to play over and over again, what had happened a while back and an ecstatic smile danced on her lips, displaying her dimples.

It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful day of her life. She couldn't remember being this happy in her entire life. She just wished that she didn't have to part with Asad after such a perfect day.

Someone lowered himself on the seat next to hers with a soft thump and uttered a casual. "Hi!"

"Where were you Zaroon?" She exclaimed opening her eyes and the next moment her mouth hung open.

It wasn't Zaroon who was sitting next to her, it was Asad, smiling his sexy half smile and enjoying her reaction.

"I-I'm dreaming. You're not here... You-you can't be here." She let out slowly as if telling herself and Asad looked amused.

"Are you sure, Zoya?" He whispered, drawing his face closer to hers.

"Yes. H-How can you be here?"

He chuckled, his handsome dimples digging in.

"I-I need to pinch myself." Zoya muttered distractedly, looking everywhere but at him.

"I have a better idea." Asad whispered as he leaned in to quickly peck on her lips. Zoya blinked once before...

"OH MY GOD!! YOU'RE HERE!! YOU'RE ACTUALLY HERE! I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!!!" She yelled, jumping up from her seat making the whole plane look at her but she didn't seem to notice.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Her voice got lower in volume as she almost fell back on the seat, still in shock, her hands covering her mouth and big fat tears rolling down her cheeks instantly.

"Why are you crying Zoya?" Asad asked, laughing heartily as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his chest.

"Because I've never been this happy in my life." She sobbed.

"You're crying because you're happy? And here I thought people cried when they were sad." Asad joked lightly as he squeezed her closer to himself.

"You're here." She whispered as if telling herself and more tears escaped her eyes as she looked up at him.

"I'm here." He confirmed as he wiped her tears and then said in a mock stern voice. "Madam, will you please stop crying? Tears don't suit you."

"Then what does?" She asked in a thick, teary voice.

"Dimples." He answered promptly and she gave a half-choked laugh.

"I love you Asad."

"I know but I love you more." He answered simply as Zoya made her head comfortable on his chest again.

"No, I love you more." She told him.

"Madam, did you just catch a flight to New York with no luggage for your husband? No. I did that. So that proves that I love you more." He chuckled.

"That doesn't prove anything."

Asad raised an eyebrow. "Well then let me remind you madam that you were trying to run away from me and I came after you... so I love you more."

"Still doesn't prove anything. I was forced to leave." She bit her smile before she remembered something and looked around. "Hang on, where is Zaroon?"

Asad craned his neck to look into the sea of faces around them when it hit him suddenly and he found himself saying softly, "He didn't board the flight."

"Why would he do that? He said he'll meet me on the plane." Zoya looked confused.

"He gave up his seat for me." Asad whispered softly, a small smile lighting his lips as the reality sunk in. He continued thoughtfully as he figured it out. "I was on Seat Available and the only way, I could get on this flight was if someone cancelled their ticket... and Zaroon did so I could catch this plane."

"He cancelled his seat for you?" Zoya's eyes were wide in surprise.

"Not for me, for you. For his best friend." Asad corrected her softly.

Zoya laughed in surprise as she threw her head back, "That boy! Seriously, Mr. Khan he still surprises me with his goodness. He does so much for me and so selflessly... I feel like I'm not a good enough friend for him. No one can match his selfless goodness."

"He's a great guy." Asad agreed, bowled over by Zaroon's generosity.

Zoya turned to look at him in surprise, "You're saying this?"

"Yes. I misjudged him in the beginning. Shouldn't have... when I didn't know what was in his heart." Asad shook his head slightly. "I'll ask Prasad to get his ticket for him."

The airhostess then began speaking and they both went quiet with Zoya resting her head on Asad's shoulder.

"How's your headache?" She suddenly remembered.

"Much better than before."

"But still there?" She asked.

He nodded in answer.

"Do you want a massage? You do know that Zoya Farooqi gives the best massages in the whole wide world, don't you?" She was back to her cheeky self now that the shock had worn off a bit.

"Of course I do! Why do you think I boarded this flight?" He teased her.

"To get a massage from me?" She glared at him incredulously.

"Of course."

"You didn't board this flight for me?"

"Oh no! You weren't supposed to figure this out." Asad's eyes twinkled as he bit his smile.

"I hate you then, Mr. Khan!" She huffed crossing her arms and looking away.

"Doesn't matter." He laughed.

Zoya turned back to look at him, her mouth hanging open. "Doesn't matter?"

"Not at all." He laughed quietly at Zoya's dumbstruck expression before completing what he was saying. "It doesn't matter to me if you love me or not because I love you enough for both of us."

Zoya felt her heart swelling with happiness as she wriggled herself under his arm to place her head on his chest again. "Why are we going to New York by the way?"

"Well, the honeymoon has to start somewhere, why not at New York?" Asad whispered in her ears and Zoya blushed a deep red as she buried her face deeper in his chest. "And after that, we can go to some other countries too, if you want." Asad added with a laugh at her adorable reaction.

"Really?" She pulled back to look at his face. "You won't have a problem with getting off from work and stuff?"

"I think I deserve a vacation, don't you think? And once my boss sees how pretty my wife is, he'll definitely give me time off." Asad winked at her and Zoya laughed loudly.

"You are the boss, Asad! You run the company." After a thought she asked, "Where would you like to go after New York."

"Your choice. As long as we're together, I'm ready for anything... As long as I have you by my side, everything will be fine." He told her softly and Zoya sparkled with tears as she laid her head on his chest again.

"I won't leave you. Ever." She told him.

"And I'll love you. Forever."

"Just forever?"

"Forever and beyond."

"That sounds good." She agreed with a satisfied smile. "Forever and beyond."

The couple held each other as they looked out of the window, both lost in thoughts of each other, feeling like nothing can go wrong in the world.

Life hadn't ended; it was just beginning for this couple as they embarked on a new journey of life together. Nobody could predict the future. The future has always remain unpredictable... It may bring happiness and laughter. It may bring sadness and tears. But the couple was no longer afraid. They were willing to give all they could to this relationship, down to their last drop of blood and with a Love as strong as their's, there left nothing to be worried about.

Everything was going to be fine...

Don't Forget to read my note in the next post! 😳