Hello Peeps,
Here's the next update for this story that you all have showered your love with. I am happy that all the hard work that I put in is being appreciated. Thank you all for the love that you all are sending my way along with all the support and prayers that you all have provided me with. Thank you all so much.
This one goes out to all of you for the immense strength I have derived from you all. Love you all lots my friends.
Chapter 11
As the new day broke, Asad got ready for work with a renewed energy to make claim on what he felt was his, Zoya. His conversation with his parents on his return late at night had helped him a great deal in understanding exactly why Zoya was running away. He smiled to himself in the mirror and said "Itti choti se baat ke lite you have been punishing me away and torturing yourself too. Now no more, I will change it all for us. We will too get our share of happiness now." He looked up and softly said "Thank you Maula for sending me in this house and for blessing me with such amazing parents. They always have a solution to my problems. Thank you". He finished saying and as he stepped towards his door he saw his parents standing there smiling happily at him. Smiling he walked up to his Ammi and Abbu and wrapped his arms around them " Thank you for being the best parents in the world. Thank you for always understanding me and solving my problems ".
Dilshaad pulled his cheeks and said " And thank you to you too for being the best son any parents could get. And all this that we do is for ourselves " Asad looked at her, confused. Dilshaad laughed at his expression and said "All our happiness is because of you Asad. So helping you and making you happy means that we are rewarded with happiness too. So see, we do everything for ourselves". Asad laughed at his Ammi's words and said "Of course. Everything is for you guys". Quickly pecking them both he bid them farewell promising to come back if not with good news then at least a little progress in his love story. Both Dilshaad and Rashid wished him good luck with Rashid shouting back at him "Go get her mere Sher. No looking back now" which earned him a smack on his arm from his wife and a thumbs up from Asad as he steared his car out the drive way.
Asad entered Mr. Kapoor's office with a wide smile on his face and went straight to Zoya's cabin. He opened it but found it empty. His brows furrowed in confusion and he stepped inside calling out to her. On getting no reply he walked around the room looking at the small pieces that she had used to decorate her table. He had been admiring her taste when he heard the cabin door open and close. Smiling he turned around wanting to greet her with his best smile and letting her know that their interaction from last night and her pushing him away wasn't going to affect him. But his smile faded seeing another woman enter the cabin.
Asad looked confused and asked "Yes? How can I help you?" The woman looked shocked and taking a few steps into the cabin folded her arms across her chest and said "Excuse me! You talk as if this is your cabin. Its Zoya's! And I am her friend Shipra, so now if I may ask you what are YOU doing here?" Asad recalled seeing her here yesterday too and said "I remember you, you were here yesterday too" "Of course I was here why wouldn't I be, I work here and this is MY friends cabin. I can come and go when I want". As Asad heard her his eyes shone with excitement thinking about the plan he had in mind. He took a step closer to her and raising his hand said "Hi. I'm Asad Ahmed Khan. Mr. Kapoor's new business partner". Shipra looked at his hand and said "So! What can I do?"
Asad was shocked but amused at the same time. He smiled at her and said "Do you talk to everyone like that or am I an exception?" "You are" "And why the privilege?" "Cause I don't like you". Asad looked at her with confusion on his face. "You don't even know me. Then why do you not like me?" He asked her. Shipra looked in his eyes and said "I know you... Have heard a lot about you from Zoya. She knows everything about you" as those words left her lips Shipra clamped her mouth with her hands her eyes going wide with realization for what she'd just let him know. With a lot of hope in his heart and his voice sounding desperate he moved another step closer to her "What do you mean she knows about me?" Shaking her head vigorously Shipra fumbled with words trying to come up with an appropriate answer.
Seeing her all confused Asad took advantage of the situation and said "Do you know we met three years ago... Then she suddenly disappeared... Without giving me a chance to tell her anything... I looked for her everywhere I could, every clue I got, I chased it but I couldn't find her... I was losing hope but my Allah showed mercy and see... See where did I find her... In my city... So close, yet... Yet so far" the last words a mere whisper. Shipra looked at him in disbelief and said "You were looking for her?" Asad looked up at her and nodded his head and she could see his pain in his eyes. "But she doesn't seem to want to be anywhere near me... Every time I approach her she just runs away... And last night... Last night she cried in my arms... She let me hold her close to myself... I thought, she would finally say what I see in her eyes... But no, she ran away saying we can't be that she can't be with anyone, not even me".
Shipra stood there listening to him, her heart racing. She finally was able to gather her thoughts and then said "Zoya said all that to you?" Asad nodded his head "Pagal pagal pagal lardki! She doesn't know what she's doing... I have been telling her to meet you once but no, no... Madam wouldn't budge... So stubborn she is... You know Asad, its been almost 3 years I know her and have been trying to convince her to meet you, to tell you what she feels for you but she doesn't listen. I don't know what to do so she listens". Shipra said pacing in front of Asad.
As her words registered Asad took in a deep breath and let it out in the longest sigh he had ever taken. All his worry, anxiety and restlessness leaving his body with it. He closed his eyes and sent a little prayer up, thanking the almighty for his mercy. As he opened his eyes he saw Shipra looking back at him and without thinking for a second he took her in a hug thanking her again and again for the relief she had brought him, for the happiness this little revelation brought him. Shipra though had been taken aback initially smiled at his child-like innocence but understood what this revelation meant for him. She felt happy for both him and her best friend who would finally get the happiness that she deserved.
She had just about wrapped her arms around his back when the door to the cabin opened and they both jumped apart in shock and saw a very confused Mr. Kapoor standing there looking at them both with disbelief on his face. "What the hell is happening here?" Listening to the accusing tone Shipra felt embarrassed and immediately moved away from Asad "It's not like what you think it is Mr. Kapoor, we were... We were just happy". Asad nodded to confirm the same. Mr. Kapoor looked from one to the other not understanding anything "And what is it that you two are so happy about. Wait! You both hardly know each other so what's the occasion to be so happy and to celebrate?" He wasn't believing a word they were saying.
Shipra took a step towards him and said "Mr. Kapoor, you love Zoya like your own child isn't it?" She saw him nod his head in agreement and he said "Of course I do. But what does that have to do with you two being happy?" Shipra smiled wide at him and pointing toward Asad said "He is the key to her happiness". Completely confused Mr. Kapoor stood there looking at her not understanding a word of what he had just heard. Walking in he sat on the empty chair and said " Go on. I'm listening. Really don't understand what you're saying though ". Shipra went on to tell him everything she knew about Asad and Zoya starting from the seminar three years ago until last night. After a good part of an hour of listening to everything shipra had to tell him, Mr. Kapoor took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes unable to understand how someone who looked so normal and happy on the outside was so broken on the inside. He looked at both of them and could see one set of eyes that had hope for her friend and one set that looked so pained. He wouldn't say he understood Asad's pain but he knew it must have been difficult for him to first have lost her and when he found her, to be getting pushed away.
Sighing and trying to gather his thoughts he said "Am at a loss of words right now. I knew this girl had been hiding something from me, but this... I mean THIS!!!! I really am amazed at the two of you... All right so all this shock and surprise is going to take a lot of time to settle and we don't have that much time to waste anymore. So what are we going to do now?" He asked as a mater of fact. Both Shipra and Asad looked at him in shock. Asad was stunned as he had never imagined that his uncle would help him like this. It was too overwhelming for him to have found two people who were close to Zoya to be helping him now. He didn't know what to say and was just gathering his thoughts when Shipra spoke "You will help us?" She asked Mr. Kapoor in a shocked voice. "Of course I will. Why do you think I am sitting here. And to make it clear to you, Zoya is like my daughter, so I will do anything to bring happiness in her life". Clapping her hands Shipra jumped up and down in excitement. Asad stood there looking from Shipra to Mr. Kapoor waiting for her to stop screaming. Shipra noticed them both looking at her and immediately stopped, feeling embarrassed. As she quietened Asad said "I don't know... Its been so long since the seminar and to me she seems to be a completely different person. You two have known her in these three years so you both will have to guide me". " She only looks like that, that's a look she hides behind for the outside world. Otherwise she's still the same as she was three years ago Asad. She told me herself that she doesn't like to pretend and hide behind this mask".
The three of them sat there talking about Zoya, telling each other what all they knew about her personally and after a long discussion about the same they decided a plan to make her understand that she too has a right to happiness and to make her confess her feelings. By the end of it all Asad hugged Mr. Kapoor "Thank you uncle. Though what I feel right now is much more and this simple thank you doesn't even compare to how grateful I am for what you are doing for me. You can ask Ammi and Abbu what I have been through only to find her and tell her what I feel for her. But couldn't". Mr. Kapoor placed his hand on Asad's shoulder reassuring him that all will be OK soon. Asad looked at Shipra and said "Thank you to you too". But he was cut off mid sentence by her "I am not doing this for you...am doing this for my bestie. If not for her I would have broken your head by now for have made her cry so much". "Cry? But I just met her yesterday!" He said in a shocked voice.
"She is crazy you know. She loves you from the seminar but wouldn't say it to you. Would follow every news around you and your company, would collect your pictures and look at them for hours at times but would not listen to me at all". To say Asad was stunned with all this information would be an understatement. He looked wide eyes at Shipra who in turn nodded her head to tell him that this was the truth. After the initial shock settled, with confidence oozing from his eyes and his voice Asad spoke "Now no more tears Zoya. I have waited a long time already to confess my feelings. Not going to wait that long for you to confess. Get ready to come out with your feelings now". With that said they smiled at each other feeling excited already to be in this together.
Realizing it was almost two hours into work time Mr. Kapoor looked at Shipra and asked "By the way, where is your friend? She'd promised me not to be late again". Shipra looked from Mr. Kapoor to Asad and then back at him "She's not coming in today". As soon as Asad heard that his face fell and he instantly felt a void. Looking at him Shipra continued "She told me that Asad dropped her home last night and that after their conversation all she's been doing is crying and doesn't have the heart to face him today. She said she knew he will be here today too. You know Asad, I was initially very angry with you as you upset her so much last night. But today after listening to everything you had to say, I feel equally bad for you". Asad smiled at her shaking his head in the negative feeling completely at a loss of words.
Mr. Kapoor noticed how pained Asad's eyes were "Don't worry beta. We will make her understand. I think its good she didn't come in today, or I wouldn't have known any of this. Now don't look so sad, cheer up as from tomorrow we put our plans into action". Asad smiled at him and hugged him one more time before he left for his office. With everything decided and the plan in place all that needed to be done was for Asad to start making his move.
P.S. Keep showering your love guys. And please don't forget to keep my family in your prayers.
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Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Arjun
Sensational South
47