CHAPTER 5
Asad is in parking lot waiting for someone to come. In a short time a car enters the area and parks right beside him.
"salaam." The beautiful girl speaks in a soft and calm voice.
"salaam." He replies eyeing her suspiciously as her face is hidden behind black hijab she is wearing.
"are you mr asad khan I spoke with?" she raises her eye at him in confusion , pointing asad with her petite index finger.
Asad smiles as he clearly remembers their last phone call where this girl called him asking to help zoya.
"humaira right?" he confirms and she nods with a faint smile.
"so humaira you wanted to say something about zoya? What is it?" he scrunches his brow in a question. It hurts, it really hurts talking about her after what she had revealed him. but even after knowing the fact he couldn't make himself forgetting her.
"zoya." She plays with her finger- a clear sighn which showed how nervous she is while discussin it with him.
Asad simply stared at her as if asking to talk. The girl got his hint and with a deep breath she courageous herself to disclose what she had with her.
"she loves you asad." It was quiet simple words that came out of her lips but for asad it felt like he was suddenly thrown from avalanche.
"what?" he screwed up his features with an ugly mixture of feelings.
"yes. She loves you. she didn't told me yet but I have seen changes in her , she is really missing you asad. She needs you." she says everything in one breathe and asad stands there confused with either to cry that she cares or laugh that she loves him same as he love her.
"then...then why is she not with you?" he breaks after every word he speaks, feeling his throat blocked with emotional factors.
"she wanted to asad but some times life needs a push. You don't know akram he is a very powerful man. She cant leave him , its not easy for her. She need help asad to be happy. And that help is your assurance that you feel the same for her." Asad smiles at the girl while she continues to speak locking her eyes on floor.
"you are here which means you two shares mutual feelings. She is not bold as before asad. She wont come until and unless you call her. She had fall once and she wont risk to fly again till she is assured that she wont get hurt." The girl looks at asad from her veil with a sweet smile which asad could see by the movement of the cloth on her face. He suddenly feels his heart growing bigger with contents and bliss on the information she shared. Zoya loved her ! that all matter to him now. By the way she was talking confidently about zoya , one thing was asad sure about this girl knows zoya properly and what she meant she is not bold as before? He asked himself confused.
"asad?" she pulled her attention with a soft voice while her eyes starts to beam in some unknown unexplanatory emotions of guilt, "she is caged asad and deserves to be free. Please come and take her with you asad." She stops for a while when she seriously asks him again "you will come and take her?" she asked with a hope, a hope like everything is depending on one answer as if all her burden will be realeased with his one yes as if she would be free from all guilt with his one yes. But was asad ready for it? yes he loved her. He wished to spend his life with her. but she had told him she is been hooked for life with someone. She surely didn't looked happy but will it be right if he walks down with this girl and takes her from her home. It will surely create some nice drama may be the situation will get worst. Was he ready for it? was he ready to bring her home? He asked himself looking at the hopeful eyes of the girl and then replaying what he felt and learned in life. With a frustration sighs he shuts his eyes closed and tries to form any reasonable conclusion for this situation But when he did get surrounded by darkness. Pitchers of her start to appear before his eyes one by one. One things is as clear as day, he loved her. what stopped him was external factors that includes his family and society especially his mother. How will she react to everything? He thinks again. and at the same time one more thought comes to his mind what if his mother would have got a second chance in life. Wont she would be happier in life? Wont the circumstances he had face and poisoned so far since childhood would be better than he lived. She would have been definitely be happy if she had given one more chance in life and so zoya deserves the same. If she is not happy with her fianc she doesn't have to stay with him. he will help her to rescue to save and then to live a life she deserves. With the strong determination on his face asad opens his eyes with a beaming smile and the girl looked at him once and knows it all. They smiled for victory of something as pure as love.
Magreeb namaaz have just finished and zoya is folding the jaan namaz with care and spirituality. She picks it up and walks to her closet to place it neatly.
When she returns she sits lifeless on the cold tiles shutting her eyes on her helplessness. Yes, she couldn't make herself to walk out of the door that day. Its not that easy for someone who is been threatened to an extent that its confidence and all believes have died replacing only what the master told her. yes she is caged and its rightly says. She walks when told and sit when asked like some robot doing the action. Her fresh wounds on her leg if sufficient enough to take , how well did the last meeting with akram had ended in her room. If he gets irritated he beats, if he wants something she refuses to give he beats and worst if he wish to share her and she denies that's the end of something she hated to even think about.
Was she pure? No. if you see physically as in eyes of society parameters. But if you look at her and judge her soul she was as pure as farishtey' by Allah. He ripped her body but couldn't reached her soul. She managed to save atleast this in her . she never enjoyed it.
Lost in her thought she failed to hear the vibration of humaira's phone in the room. She gets a wake on the last ring of call. Zoya gets up weakly and calls humaira but she is nowhere to be found. So she check the screen and reads the number to see if akram had called for something important? When she finishes reading the first initial number her hearts starts to race, her eyes begin to widensin realisation. Its asad number. How come he got humaira's number? And why is he calling her? she shivered with the phone in her hand. She goes in to shock on the fact and various thoughts begins to wonder under her subconscious mind. Just then the phone rings for the second time flashing his number on screen. Zoya fidgets with the digits in keypad as her body reflexed with shivering like a leaf.
"hello." She pressed the green button and places on her ear.
"zoya. Its me asad." She hears his voice and feels a strange feeling of content feeling her stomach.
"asad. Allah! Why are you calling on humaira's number?" she asked really worried . checking the door for every other second before she speaks anything.
"she gave me." He speaks plainly and her eyes scrunches even more in confusion.
"what ? why?" she asked a little louder than before being a really unstable mind at time.
"zoya I am standing at the door with her. I am here to take you. all i want to come in your yes. Will you come with me?" there is a silenced between the two at this moment. Asad waits for her answer while she thinks about all her barriers .she thinks about akram and then everything worst that akram can cause to him.
"no. please go asad. I cant see you in trouble." She speaks sadly wetting her cheeks with tears.
Asad takes a few breathes as he smiles in approval, " thanks zoya for telling me your answer. I am coming in." his smile widens and he disconnect the phone. Zoya stares at the phone in shock with his last line. Damn! Didn't he hear she asked him not to come . is he crazy she thought in shock. Just then she hears the loud ring of bell echoing in entire house. God knows why? But her heart starts to race up on its own and next thing she knew was vague. There was a sound of someone opening the door , then there was a lots of other sound that includes human screams as well. The fear in zoya started to get better of her and she realised dark spots circling around her eyes. and as she thought she will loose she hears a familiar scream that screamed zoya. She pushed the dots and ran to the alley where she found akrams men were standing everywhere surrounding asad . she looked at asad then her eyes went to his forehead which was dripping blood. He was confused he was sweating he was looking everywhere and calling her name and when his eyes fell on her face. He smiled.
Zoya and asad locked her eyes as they were talking something so intense that they forgot the whole world around them. A minute passed and zoya's eyes widened on seeing something behind asad.
"watch out!" she screamed in horror as she spots one man with a can of petrol in his hand and other with a mashal
Asad turns bewildered and the man throws the petrol on him. with the clash of the petrol on his asad slips on floor and is shock to see the other man with mashal in his hand.
This was the time zoya froze. She was supposed to run and save him but she couldn't. she felt like it was end and her mind stopped functioning on its own. She stood there as a mannequin watching him struggle with akram's men.
"zoya. Do something." humaira screamed from other end. She looked at zoya with worry and then at asad with pain. She has to do something to stop from happening something wrong to both. Humaira ran to zoya and shook her while eyeing at asad who had hold mashal in one clutch and was beating goon using one wounded hand.
"zoya wake up. Look at him. he will die if you don't do something. zoya ago save him. save your life. This is your only chance to be free of this cage. Zoya I cant change what my brother did to you. but I want you to change your faith now zoya. Its only you can change save him zoya. Go and help him." humaira tried everything in her reach to wake her up from depression and shock that zoya was falling in. zoya was in so much of trauma that she missed the fact what humaira shared. She knows his brother doing now. Hummaira confessed but zoya was negligence all she could see was her feet and then the ring with had blocked her way with the thorns of pain and agony.
She cried when humaira tried to remove that ring from her finger. Just when everything was going to end with asad last breath and zoya last vision...akram entered and pushed humaira aside making her fall with a jerk. He stepped forward and hit zoya right on face in front of asad. Asad felt like splitting this man in two but he was terribly wounded . not to forget he is not a professional wrestler or professional fighter. he although made an attempt to walk to akram but his mens engaged him in fight diverting his focuss of akram.
"how dare you zoya. Didn't I said? You are my property. Why cant you put this simple thing in your mind. Now look what have you don't you are the reason he is getting killed." He completes and gives a fake sympathy to her and then at asad.
Just when he is about to cross her path pulling her with him, she jerks her hand off and smiles in tears. Akram looks at her in confusion while she beams thorugh tears with a sadistic yet winning smile. Akram feels irritated with her courage and is about to yell when she speaks.
"I am not your property anymore akram. You yourself have set me free." She stares at his fist with a great smile in proud.
Akram stands there in confussion and stares at his fist like she is looking. he gets his hand in front of his eyes and opens it. he feels shocks to see what is there in between his palm. While pushing humaira off. He had accidently pulled the ring of zoya's finger and set her free.
He nods his head in no brushing his hands in his hair with frustration. Zoya smiles at him and then at asad. She don't take a long and she runs in to asad's warmth. They both hugs each other tightly as if they had no care of anything in world. Asad and zoya stays there brushing each other skin with their thumb pad and smiling looking at each others eyes.
Akram stares at them with anger boiling in him and is all ready to hit them with a bullet when the door flies open and enters police force with arms and ammunition to take charge of the situation.
Akram and his mens are arrested . zoya and asad are still lying on floor in color of red and mud. She smiles into his eyes and he smiles lovingly. They speak a lot with their orbs but no words could be heard except by the two.
Finally what felt like ages they both got up from floor and tries to make a way to door. Zoya is supporting asad as he is not able to walk properly. She decides him to take first to hospital and then they will see what to do next.
Just when they passes the door they finds humaira standing there in their way. Asad smiles looking at humaira and glances at zoya with beam.
"wish you a very happy life ahead asad and zoya." She shakes their hand with a genuine bright smile; looking at two in eyes with happiness and tears.
"come with us." Zoya insists looking at asad and then at humaira. Asad nods his head in yes and she smile insisting humaira to come with them. As there is nothing left in this house to stay anymore.
Humaira declines her offer politely with a smile , " there is new beginning for everyone zoya. I have to stay back to take care of something important what bhaijaan had left here?" she says framing zoya's hand in her's.
Zoya smiles although she is not satisfied with her answer yet she understands and supports humaira's decision.
"do call me when you need something. we are at your one calls distcance." She smiles and humaira nods her head in yes.
Humaira waves her hand in bye. And they both wish her the same. While walking to the gate zoya looks at asad who has this confusing expression on his face.
"what happened? Is something wrong?" she asks worried.
"I didn't know she is akram's sister when she called." He murmured something which zoya vaguely caught.
"what? She called?" zoya is taken by surprise and asad found amused on her expression.
"yes she did. Ah! Long story. We will talk some other time." he trailed off pulling zoya closure to him. his mischievous persona starts to appear back in his eyes.
"asad. No." she scolds pushing his hands off her waist.
Asad pulls a perfect pout and walks with a puppy face faking hurt. Zoya looks at him and tries to suppress laughter that starts to built in.
"so. Where were we?" she asks with a smile.
"you still didn't answered me from last time." he faked anger cutely at her.
"what? Which one?" she asks confused scrunching her brow.
"you still didn't tell me what time is it making?" he laughed on some memory.
Zoya stared back at him and widened her eyes as she realized he is talking about their last meeting.
"asad!" she takes her name in a teacher accent.
"sorry!!!!!!" he holds his ears at her while they both laughed heartily snuggling in each other arms.
They cried, they smiled, they fought but they remained together always. And this they lived a real life together. Where the two broken people struggled with life and were happy with each other till their last breath in THE CAGE OF THEIR LOVE.
**********
hi everyone.
Thanks a lot all of you. With your suppory i managed to finish this story. 😳
How was it? Was it good? 😃 or was it bad? 🤢 do tell me 😉
With this we have come to an end of this story.
I feel happy and sad at the same time 😆
Hahah i think i am getting bonkers here in asya love. God i so missed them
With this sweet memory and my little attempts to relive them i take a leave for now. Will post a epilogue soon as i have time. Till then. Dua me yad rakhna! Allah hafiz! 😃
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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