So yeah, this one has been on my mind for eight years. No joke. I can't remember whether it was a book, a thought, or a real life story... but it was there at the back of my mind and a story I wanted to tell. Never knew how to pen it before. It's at least 22 pages on word, so if you guys wanted a short OS, this isn't for you! Hope you enjoy it! Much love! XOXO
ASYA/KaBhi OS: Tainted Picture
A pair of whiskey brown eyes penetrated through her, captivating her every sense. She knew of nothing but those eyes. They held a story of their own. She saw her hands reaching forward to see the owner of those eyes, but her own were closing. They felt heavy like the weight of the world was weighing them down. No. She wanted to see who those eyes belonged to. But you're tired. Yes I am, I could see them just after this little nap. No, but those eyes. Everything slowly blurred, she saw the side of his lips twitch upwards into a perfectly crooked smile. No I want to see but... tired. Everything went dark again.
And she blinked awake.
She stared at the white ceiling, the smell of disinfectant reached her nose making her nose twitch irritatingly. It smelled awfully like a hospital. Her lips parted but no words came out of her throat. Which felt dry. Water. She moved her hand, she looked to her right. Her eyes took in the room she was lying in, there were machines on her right. She was correct; she was in a hospital room but what... she looked down at her gown. Oh. She was the patient. But why was she in a hospital? There were fresh Orchids in a vase. She didn't even like Orchids. She moved her hands which set some sort of alarm off, the noise echoed in her ears like she wasn't accustomed to the loud sounds. What the heck.
Her eyes darted towards the door opening and a petite nurse appeared with a smile on her face.
"Good morning Mrs Yahya." She greeted sweetly, checking up on her. "It's good to see you finally awake, I have called Mr Yahya, he wanted to be the first to know if there was any slight movement from you. But he will be happy to know you have woken up. He loves you a lot. He has been visiting every day for the past month" Zoya stared at her like she had grown two heads. You what? Mrs Yahya? One month. Her lips parted but nothing but a squeak left her mouth. Real cute Zoya.
"How do you feel?" She met her eyes. How do you think I feel stupid woman? Why can I not speak? Why the hell am I married? I am a Farooqui. Who the heck is Mr Yahya. Omg, I am living in a nightmare. Is this a prank? What is going on? I want my mama. But shit, mama is in London. I want my friend. Hello why are you looking at me like that? Call Betty. Please. OMG my job. The nurse blinked at her. "Okay, it's going to take you some time to get used to all your senses. Find your voice. You want water?" Zoya nodded, the nurse helped her take a sip. Zoya eyes moved everywhere around the room in panic.
"Everything is going to be okay." She smiled. Zoya narrowed her eyes at her, the nurse laughed nervously. "Mr Yahya will be here shortly. Press that button near your hand if you need anything." She walked out of the room. No, wait. Don't go. Who is Mr Yahya. OMG, this is not real. He could be a serial killer for goodness sake. Come back. Zoya closed her eyes, her breathing turned uneven making the monitors beep. Stupid machine, not dying yet.
Where was she? Why does she not remember how she ended up in hospital? She felt a sharp pain in her head, she didn't want to think anymore. The pain was unbearable. She was married for goodness sake and she doesn't even remember the most important day of her life. She doesn't remember her husband. Yahya. Zilch. Nothing. She should at least remember her husband. She felt her insides twist in a sickening way, how would he look, what does he do, does he love her and most importantly does she love him? She was never the type of woman to settle for just anything. Her mother's high class ways always irritated her. She vowed to never marry for fame, money or class. She wanted to be reckless, she wanted to love and most importantly she wanted to be free. Did she have all of this with her husband? OMG Zoya, you are married. Eeek. Do I have kids? How long have I been married? Where the hell do I live?
Zoya heard a knock, she opened her eyes slowly and caught someone walking inside holding a bouquet of Orchids, she mentally cringed at the sight of the flowers. Whoever he was lowered the flowers, everything in her vision slowed as she took in his appearance. He wore a sharp black tailored fitted suit with a thin black tie, his eyes were dark brown and his black hair waxed into place. Not a strand of hair was out of place, his nose was slightly crooked but his lips were perfectly shaped. He smiled at her, but the warmth in his smile did not reach his eyes as he took her in. His appearance oozed dominance and perfection. This was the type of man that could reduce you to dirt if you spoke a word out of place in his presence.
"Zoya. You have no idea how happy I am to see you finally awake." He stepped closer towards her and caressed her head. Zoya blinked at him, who the hell are you mister? Her nose twitched feeling his lips on her forehead. "I am so glad to have you come back to me, my dear wife." Zoya's eyes widened. This was her husband? Her chest waved, her breathing hitched trying to remember him, his face, his smile, something. "What?" He took in her confused expressions, "You don't remember me?" His face held an emotion she couldn't read. She shook her head in a no. "Oh my dear" He sat down on a chair and took her hand. "I will speak to the doctor; they did say it was a possibility seeing how hard you hit your head when you crashed. Don't worry. We'll work through this together." He smiled. "My name is Zayd Yahya and I am your husband. You have no idea how hard the last month has been without you. I love you sweetheart." Zoya blinked at him, trying to read his face. She slowly smiled back at him. Okay, maybe this isn't so bad. "We'll make some new memories." He leaned closer and caressed her cheek softly. Zoya looked into his eyes. I can't believe I don't remember you. How can I forget my husband? Maybe I love you too.
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"Zayd. How long have we been married?" Zoya got off the hospital bed with his help; he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and supported her towards the door.
"It's going to be 2 years in a few months" He replied smiling down at her. He wore a charcoal grey suit today with a navy blue tie. He was always dressed in suits no matter when he came to visit her. She didn't feel comfortable; she wanted to see him relaxed.
"I guess that should have been the first question." She laughed, he chuckled along with her.
"Yeah." He walked her towards the Mercedes parked right outside the hospital. The driver had the passenger door open.
"Good evening madam." The driver greeted her with a warm smile.
"Hi" She waved.
"Mind your step." Zayd helped her inside the car before walking around the car and settling inside beside her. He took her hand in his before nodding towards the driver.
"Oh I forgot. Has Betty gotten in touch with you? Has anyone called from HR for me?" Zoya inquired, Zayd looked at her confused.
"Who's Betty? And why would HR contact you?" Zoya removed her hand from his hold.
"Betty is my best friend. I'm sure I saw her last time before I had this accident. And I work for HR. I mean I've been off for a month. I'm sure they must..." She trailed off seeing the look on his face that questioned her sanity.
"You don't have a friend called Betty, not that I am aware of. We've been married for almost two years and I didn't meet her at the wedding." Zayd informed her, "And you don't work for HR, maybe you did before the wedding but you work for Graham Designs."
"WHAT? I work for my rival company? When did this happen?" Zoya pressed her forehead and sunk back into her seat confused.
"Don't strain yourself sweetheart. And as for your job, Graham and I are friends. You still have the job whenever you are good and ready to start working again though if you decide you don't want to, that is fine with me." He comforted her, Zoya's heart warmed at the softness in his words.
"I have no idea what is happening. How do you not know Betty?" She closed her eyes.
"Sorry sweetheart, wish I could help you there but I don't know her. Don't worry, we'll work through this." Zoya nodded at him, giving him a weak smile. Zayd took her hand again before smiling at her. "Welcome home Zoya." Zoya stepped out of the car and looked up, her jaw dropped to the ground setting her eyes on the white mansion.
"This is home?" She craned her neck to look up at him, the shock quite evident on her face.
"Yes sweetheart. Don't be so surprised."
"What are you like the President or something?" She swallowed the lump in her throat. Was she living in some alternate universe? She had a loving husband, and she lives in a mansion. Was her life this perfect?
"No only a successful businessman." He grinned helping her inside the house; her eyes went over a red Ferrari parked outside front door. She saw the automatic gates close behind them. She felt her knees waver seeing the inside of the house. If the outside was fancy, the inside was beyond her wildest dreams.
"Wow." She took a deep breath. Zayd chuckled scooping her up into his arms and taking her upstairs.
"Yes. Wow. You need to get some rest. I have a meeting that I need to head out for." He tucked her into bed while her eyes wandered the bedroom. "There is a diary in that drawer that has your routines if that is something you wanted to look at. I promise I'll be back soon and we can talk more. Press that button if you need anything, Laura our maid will be here. There is a mobile there, my number is on there. You got that?" Zoya blinked at him before nodding innocently. This was so much for her to take in. "Good. Get some rest sweetheart." He kissed her forehead and then strolled out of the room.
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It took Zoya a few days to finally get back on her feet. When she was stable enough to stand, she explored every inch of the mansion trying to familiarise herself with her home. But the more time she spent within the four walls, the more she felt uncomfortable. Zayd was not only a perfect businessman, but he expected perfection in everything. There was not a single furniture in the mansion that was out of place except her. She thought that she would be familiar with his touches even though she didn't remember him but his touch only made her uncomfortable. He didn't seem like the type of man that was capable of love... sometimes he seems really genuine, other times it seems forced. Maybe even he was finding it hard to adjust? She had a look at her diary, every routine painted a picture of a girl that did not reflect her... but the woman her mother wanted her to be.
"Are you kidding me?" Zoya stood in front of the open fridge.
"What's wrong madam?" Laura was hovering behind her all day. It was starting to get annoying. She hated the disapproving looks she got when she walked down in her cotton PJ shorts and tank top. Her hair was tied up into a bun. This was her in her comfort zone. Why was she being judged? Did they really expect her to act like the perfect trophy wife like her mother dressed in designer clothes all day long? She shivered.
"There is no junk food. No chocolates, no crisps. Not frozen stuff. No nothing. Are you kidding me?" Zoya placed her hand on her hips and turned around to face Laura.
"Madam, you only eat healthy foods. You banned all of that from the house because of your diet." Laura explained.
"Me and diet. That doesn't sound like me." Zoya mumbled heading for her bedroom. She pulled her wardrobe open and stared at it. She will never get over this shock. Her wardrobe was filled with posh designer dresses, tops and fancy pants. It looked like workwear and fancy party wear. There were no casual clothes such t-shirts, jeans or sweatpants. She was real confused at the girl before she lost her memory. It sounded nothing like her. She loved to wear ripped jeans and tops. She loved sneakers every now and again. She reached for a knee-length sundress and a pair of sandals. She grabbed her keys and a handbag before running down the stairs.
"Are you heading out madam?" Laura asked her.
"Yes. Apparently I own the red Ferrari. I think I need to make a trip to the grocery store." Zoya spoke over her shoulder.
"But madam, I do all the grocery shopping."
"Not today Laura. And my name is Zoya. Please." Zoya stepped out of the house and got into the Ferrari. She started the car unsure; she wasn't used to driving such a car before. It was such a beautiful sunny day so she decided to put the roof down. She glanced back, the car was parked in such an awkward way that it made her wonder whether she will be able to reverse out without crashing. She stalled the car and mentally cried, why was this so difficult? She grabbed the remote and opened the front gates. She held the steering wheel tightly. "Damn you memory. DAMN EVERYTHING!" She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
"Need help?" Zoya heard a deep husky voice, her eyes shot open and her head snapped towards her the voice to find an insanely handsome man staring down at her, an amused look on his face. His whiskey brown eyes held her eyes; she swallowed hard feeling the heat inside her rise. "Zoya." Her name left his perfectly shaped lips as if it was made for him to whisper only her name. Zoya removed her seatbelt and got out of the car, her eyes roaming over his casual posture. Dressed in a pair of beige khaki pants paired with a white shirt and matching white pumps, he was damn sexy. He took a step closer towards her, running his fingers through his dark russet hair giving him a perfectly mused look. Zoya took a deep breath in, she had to blink taking in his intoxicating scent and allowing it to mix deep within her blood. It touched a core part of her that awakened some sort of desire for this man in front of her.
"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" She searched his face; her voice came out in a low whisper. She watched his lips turn into a warm smile. He put his hand forward,
"My name is Asad." He paused, "Me and Zayd have worked together, I mean we are friends." He held her eyes; her body reacted in an unusual way to the emotions pouring out of his eyes. Ones she didn't recognise. That too coming from a total stranger. She hesitantly took his hand, she felt electrocuted at his touch that it made her whole body flinch at the familiarity of his touch. They both stared at one another in silence, the space around them filled with an unusual language.
"I'm Zoya" She shrugged, "You already knew that." She said awkwardly, his lips twitched. "I'm guessing you know more about me than I know about myself." She sighed.
"You'll be surprised how much I know about you." He chuckled; Zoya tucked her hair back biting her lips nervously. "Need some help?" He nodded towards the car. Zoya covered her face in embarrassment nodding her head.
"I swear it feels like I've forgotten how to drive." She hit her head. "By the way, did you want to see Zayd? Is that why you're here?" She watched his hands reach for the nape of his neck.
"Is he not home?" He asked, Zoya shook her head in a no. "No problem, I'll catch up with him later. Here, let me take this out for you." Zoya stepped out of the way and observed him. He got inside and looked up at her, his eyes roamed over her body before settling on her stomach. Zoya tried to ignore the way his eyes made her burn and tried not to react. His face flashed hurt, only for a second, but she caught it. He looked away pained, she noticed how tormented he looked having to break away his eye contact with her. He started the car and reversed out through the main gates and parked up on the road. He stepped out of the car and watched her walk through the gates, her hair bouncing and her eyes shining.
"Thank you so much Asad. Let's hope I don't crash the car." Zoya laughed but her laugh faded seeing his face. She panicked momentarily, his eyes flashed dark with a raw emotion.
"Be safe Zoya." He forced a smile, he stepped closer towards her. "It's really good to finally see you." He leaned closer towards her, she felt him hesitate. Her lips parted but no words left her mouth. His eyes went over lips before moving back to her eyes. "I'll see you around." He kissed her cheek and headed towards his car. Zoya held her cheek and spun around as he placed his Ray-Bans on and get into his car. He started his engine and met her eyes before driving off leaving Zoya confused as hell.
"Asad." Zoya whispered. There was something so familiar about him. He was Zayd's friend but why did it seem like he was more to her. She didn't feel a connection with her husband but she felt a connection with his friend. That did not seem right. She didn't want to admit it but she was attracted to this man. This insanely gorgeous man with intense eyes. Those eyes. She knew those eyes. Shit, she was married. To Zayd.
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"How are you feeling Zoya?" Zayd wiped his mouth with a napkin before looking over at his wife playing with her food. "Not hungry? Zoya." Her face snapped up to look at him.
"Sorry, did you say something?"
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Zayd reached for her hand over the table.
"Yes. I'm fine." She smiled. Zayd's hand went over her empty fingers.
"Where's your ring?" He asked, his voice slightly sharper than before. Zoya creased her forehead in confusion. She looked at her hand.
"What ring?"
"Your wedding ring." He answered.
"Ohh, erm. I removed it before shower and forgot to put it back on. Sorry." She frowned. He took a deep breath.
"It's okay sweetheart. Make sure you put it on when you go back up." He urged her, but she didn't miss the command in his voice. It irked a part of her but she didn't allow it to consume her mind which was already trying to figure her whole life out.
"I'm sorry Zayd. I'm trying really hard to figure everything out. I know I'm giving you a hard time, I've literally kicked you out of our bedroom." She apologised.
"No sweetheart. Take all the time you need, and you didn't. I moved out. I know everything feels odd. But we will get through this. You're my wife no matter what happens." He looked into her eyes; Zoya searched for something in his eyes but then moved her eyes towards her food not finding what she was looking for.
"You're too sweet." She murmured, Zayd chuckled.
"Anyways sweetheart, we have a grand opening for one of my projects with Asad" Zoya's eyes shot up. "It's tomorrow evening and you have to come. I've asked my assistant to deliver a dress for you. You'll have fun." He got up after taking a sip of his water. "You should get out Zoya of the house more often, and enjoy yourself. Do things that you used to do. That diary..."
"That diary isn't me Zayd" She cut him off. "But yes, I think I need to get out and explore my city. Hopefully that will bring something back." She smiled. Zayd's expressions turned blank as he nodded.
"Good. I'm just going to head out; I don't know what time I'll be back. So goodnight sweetheart." He walked around the table and kissed her forehead. Zoya closed her eyes and rested her hand over his chest sighing. Why didn't she feel anything? She opened her eyes and met his, she fixed his tie for him.
"Goodnight Zayd." Zoya reached up and kissed his cheek. He gave her a curt nod and then he was gone. Zoya threw her head back suddenly alone in the gigantic room; the space around her was suffocating her. She glanced down at her food; this healthy diet was totally not working for her. She reached for her keys and rushed out of the house. She brushed her hair back taking in the cold night breeze. She brought the map up on her phone and got into her car. Suddenly a memory of Asad flashed before her eyes, those intense eyes and how he helped her. Stupid brain, that is a new memory. Give me something old. Please. Damn you. She started the car and moved through the gates suddenly feeling lighter. It took her twenty minutes to reach where she wanted to go. Her eyes sparkled looking up at the burger joint; her hands went over her rumbling stomach.
"Soon pretty soon. Mama is going to feed you just what you need." Zoya giggled jumping out of the car with her bag. She entered the burger place; she took a deep breath in savouring the smell. This was what she lived for. She memorised the menu before placing an order for the largest burger she has ever seen with two sides. She had been starving for months. Greasy, juicy burger is what her heart craves.
"I'll be sat over there." Zoya pointed towards the booth near the window handing cash over to him. "And please hurry up" She pouted rubbing her stomach. The cashier laughed before nodding at her. She mouthed a thank you and took her seat. It was the longest fifteen minutes of her life before the guy placed the food in front of her. Her tongue ran over her lips, she was salivating before she even had a taste. She leaned back as the waiter came right to her face.
"Just our secret" He whispered softly, "Good to see you back Zoya." He smiled and walked off. Everyone seems to know her. If this guy knows her, what the hell was the diet about at home? God please, I'm going to demolish this burger first. And then please help me find answers. I'm going cray-cray. She shrugged her shoulders before holding the burger with both of her hands and bringing it to her mouth. She took the largest bite and moaned loudly, it hit her in all sorts of places with pleasure. She chewed loudly not caring how much of a mess she was making or who was watching. Her eyes were closed savouring every bite. Her eyes snapped open hearing someone cough; she burst into a coughing fit seeing who it was. Asad was sat in the same booth as her with a smirk on his face. He nodded at the waiter before passing her the glass of juice in front of her. She took it and gulped it down. She took a napkin and tried to wipe her mouth before looking up at him, he was grinning widely at her.
"Asad. Hi." She waved at him, feeling slightly embarrassed that he had to see her like that. She pouted looking down at her burger. "I was hungry." She shrugged innocently. He threw his head back and burst out with laughter. Zoya smiled; the sound music to her ears. Zoya, you're married. Stop it girl. Zayd would be so disappointed in you.
"Sorry I didn't mean to disturb you. I couldn't help but join you. You were devouring that burger. I'm proud." He held his hands up before motioning towards her burger. "You carry on, mine is on its way. You don't mind if I join you do you?"
"No no, you're more than welcome to. And thanks. I'm a sucker for fast foods. I feel like I haven't eaten a burger in years. I'm sure I was in cuckoo land for more than a month" She shook her head. "What, sorry did I say something wrong?"
"No, nothing. I just don't like you talking about the accident." He brushed his hair back, his expressions pained.
"Sorry." Zoya whispered softly suddenly losing her appetite. "Asad? Can I ask you something?" He looked up at her, guarding his expressions again.
"Are you feeling okay?" He asked her. She nodded. "I know you have a lot of questions, I'm going to answer them. But your health always comes first ba- Zoya. I don't want to trigger anything." He spoke cautiously. Zoya looked at him confused.
"What are you talking about? I've been knocking my head against a wall like a lunatic for weeks trying to remember something so the last thing you would do is trigger something. I will probably remember something instead. The doctor said I'll be fine. Zayd is trying to help where he can but I've had no luck. Betty, my best friend. Zayd doesn't know her. I don't understand." She held her head feeling frustrated and angry.
"Zoya." His soothing voice ran through to her soul and instantly calmed her racing heart. She looked up at him with teary eyes. "It's okay." He said softly.
"Can you help me?" She whispered.
"What do you want to know?" He leaned back against his seat and crossed his arms, his gaze locked on her. Zoya took a deep breath.
"How do I know you? Are we good friends?" Zoya questioned, those whisky brown eyes doing something to her. Before she woke up from her coma, those eyes. It had to be those eyes.
"We met at a party, Zayd introduced us. When we first signed our contract. I'm an Architect." He searched her face for something familiar, anything. She watched him fight a silent battle for what he was going to say next. "We are more than friends." He said softly, losing the battle.
"More than friends? What do you mean" She stiffened in her seat, her eyes wildly searching his face.
"What do you think I mean Zoya, I know you're not stupid. I don't mean it in the best friend kind of way." He tensed his muscles, his leather jacket almost bursting from the tightness in his arms.
"I'm going to need you to spell it out for me Asad because right now, I'm seriously doubting you know anything about me." Zoya spoke defensively.
"We... love each other." Asad let it out. Zoya shot upright, her breaths coming out uneven, her heart threatening to burst out of her.
"Are you out of your goddamn mind?" She barked, anger radiating off her in waves. "I am married for goodness sake. How can you say that? You're Zayd's friend." She said in disbelief before doubt crossed her mind. "How can I cheat on my husband? You are deluded. I would never do something like that. That isn't me." She shook her head. Asad remained calm, but he was holding himself together by a thin thread.
"It isn't you Zoya. But there is a lot that you cannot remember."
"I hope I don't remember if I have cheated on my husband. What kind of a person am I?" Her lips quivered, Asad winced at her words. "I am happy with my husband." Asad jumped up, towering over her weight his height despite being on the other side.
"This beautiful picture you have painted of what your life is like... let me just inform you that you're not the artist. Not everything is as it seems. And I hope to God that I don't turn into your caveman and save you before that picture is ruined for you." It will ruin you, he wanted to add. "There is so much that I want to know from you too. But I'm going to wait for the day you come to me, full and ready to seek answers. And I'm hoping my Zoya is strong enough then to handle everything. I am desperately hoping I'll get my Zoya back, the Zoya that is standing here is only a mere glimpse of the girl. I hate that I'm feeling so desperate and still leaving you in his hands." He stepped out of the booth, fighting himself. He came towards her before shaking his head, his eyes agonizingly going over her body before looking into her eyes. He walked away without speaking another word. Zoya fell back in her seat pressing her temples.
"A little bit of recklessness and a little bit of you baby..."
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"You ready sweetheart?" Zayd walked into the bedroom, Zoya turned around dressed in a long black dress flowing right to the ground. Her hair was taken back into an up do, her lips painted red. "You look stunning darling. The cameras are going to love you." He kissed her cheek, Zoya smiled at him. He took her left hand and brushed his thumb over her wedding ring possessively. His hands wrapped around her waist. "Let's go." He walked her out of the bedroom and into the car.
"Wow, I don't think I can handle this." Zoya's eyes went over the paparazzi, the flashes were almost blinding. Zayd held onto her tightly, smiling into the cameras.
"Don't be silly. You were made for this sweetheart." He pressed her waist, Zoya smiled tightly at the cameras as he led her into the most gorgeous looking building. They both entered the lifts which took them right up to the third floor where there were many guests, all dressed in suits and fancy dresses.
"Mr Yahya, congratulations. Asad did superb with this project. Looks wonderful. The investors will be all over this." The old man shook Zayd's hand, "Mrs Yahya, you look great." He smiled at her and then he was gone. Zayd led her inside stalling to take pictures, she looked up at him, his eyes were glued to the cameras, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She didn't like the feeling she was getting, her mother's face flashed before her eyes. She never wanted to be anyone's trophy wife with no personality, but this felt horribly like that. Her eyes searched for him in the crowd but he was nowhere to be found. As soon as Zayd's grip loosened, she moved away into the crowd trying to get rid of all these horrid feelings inside of her. She grabbed a glass of soft drink from the passing waiter and headed up the modern looking stairs. Asad designed this. Asad. They loved each other? She shook her head and wandered around the apartment. She loved the way it was designed; she leaned against the doorway and admired the bathroom.
"You look beautiful" She felt him whisper into her ears, she could feel the warmth of his body behind her. A shot of goosebumbs appeared over every inch of her body, a shiver running down her spine.
"You've done a great job, this looks beautiful." She said softly, ignoring his compliment. She had this sudden urge to turn around into his arms to savour the proximity between them. This was wrong, all sorts of wrong.
"Come, let me show you around." He took a step back giving her room to turn around. Her breathing hitched taking in his appearance, dressed in an Armani black suit, fitted to perfection on one finely sculpted man. His hair was waxed into place; his light stubble gave him an edgy look. He was still the sexiest looking man she had ever set eyes on, hands down. If her eyes were ogling him openly, his eyes devoured her body shamelessly.
"No." She shook her head, failing to find her voice. She ran away from him, he let her go towards the end of the hallway before grabbing her wrist to stop her. She looked down at the party; her eyes fell on Zayd busy talking away to multiple men not aware of her whereabouts. "Please let me go." She twisted her hand; he yanked her back against a pillar before leaning in towards her. She tried not to close her eyes feeling his warm breath over her face, his intoxicating scent threatening to tamper her senses. His perfume was so familiar, his heartbeats felt like her own. She felt possessed by this man.
"I want you to speak to Betty." He held his phone between them, her eyes widened.
"Betty? You know Betty?" He nodded at her. He held the phone against her ears watching her listen intently.
"Hello, Asad?" She whimpered hearing Betty's voice, Asad's hand landed on her waist to comfort her.
"Betty, is that you?" Zoya cried, "Please tell me it's you." Asad's stroking hand on her body stopped her from dropping to her knees.
"Oh my god. Zoya. My baby. You have no idea how glad I am to be hearing your voice. You scared the hell out of me." Betty hiccupped, she too was in tears.
"I'm going insane Betty. I don't know any of these people, the only person I remember is you. Me and you. You're my best friend. I am married. But my husband doesn't know you. I don't work for HR. I don't know what's going on, please help me." Zoya closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry about everything. Asad told me about your memory. Everything is going to be okay. Tell me what do you remember?"
"I remember going out that night after work, and then hitting my head on that lamppost. After that nothing. I thought that's how I ended up in hospital. Betty, I want to come see you. Please tell me where you are, I'm coming to you." Zoya opened her eyes, Asad still breathing over her.
"I wish I could come to you sweetheart, I'm all the way in New Zealand. If the kids weren't unwell, I would have flown to you right now." Betty said sadly. Zoya whimpered again painfully, Asad shook his head in a no.
"Kids, New Zealand?" She choked.
"I'm married too. Married to Gary, and we have twins. I'm so sorry Zoya."
"Twins? You had twins before me." She smiled sadly, Asad's hand tightened around her waist. "What did you name them?"
"Caleb and Harper." Zoya broke into a low sob shaking her head. "You named them." She nodded along with her.
"Why does Zayd not know about you?" Zoya hiccupped trying to control her emotions.
"Zayd doesn't know a lot about you Zoya." Betty spoke flatly.
"What does that even mean Betty. He is my husband."
"The last time we spoke, you had finally decided to divorce him. It was difficult... you both have no relationship. Never had. But then the accident." She paused, Zoya gasped.
"You sound crazy Betty, why would I divorce him?"
"Zoya, a lot of things I will say will sound crazy. I'm gonna need you to figure some things out for yourself babe, you need to remember. I want to see you happy and finally free. You always wanted to be free Zoya." Betty's voice cracked, "Your marriage with Zayd and your life outside of the mansion is different. You were living a dual life."
"Dual life?" She could hear the babies crying in the back ground.
"I'm going to have to go. Zoya, please be careful. I will try to speak to you soon. I love you girl." The line went dead. Asad removed the phone away from her, Zoya's hand went over her mouth in disbelief.
"I was going divorce Zayd?" She asked herself, Asad watched her silently.
"Zoya!?" Zoya wiped her tears away hearing Zayd's voice, Asad backed off. Zayd came towards her with a smile on his face before attaching her to his side. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Zoya remembered something." Asad replied. Zayd's head shot towards Asad's blank face, he stood with his arms crossed, his eyes roaming over them both. Zayd forced a smile.
"That's a good thing right sweetheart?" Zayd asked Zoya. "What do you remember?" Asad observed Zayd's tight expressions, his body stiffened slightly.
"Nothing much. Just remembered a small argument I had with my mother. She was an uptight bitch." Zoya smiled, the corner of her eyes on Asad who was almost growling at Zayd's arm around her waist. She walked off leaving Zayd dumbfounded. She wasn't lying, she did remember something. As she walked down the stairs, she remembered something that shocked her. Her mother emotionally blackmailing her into marrying Zayd, he had invested a lot of money to make sure her mother lived a high class life all the way in London. Her mother was a gold digging, high class snob. Who practically sold her. She could hear Zayd behind her; she slowly looked up to where Asad was standing. He held up four fingers before tapping his watch. Tomorrow, 4.p.m.
Asad sighed heavily; his eyes followed Zayd and Zoya out of the apartment. He grew anxious as realisations dawned upon him, the f**ker didn't want her memory to return. He saw the way his expressions changed, his body language said a lot. It was time for him to make a trip to a certain doctor.
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Zoya paced back and forth in her bedroom not being able to understand anything. She held her palm flat on her forehead. Stupid brain. Where is the memory at? You're a BA Hons student. The f**k is wrong with you. Wait, what the heck does this have to do with my brain?
She yanked her wardrobe open and searched through it again. She mentally screamed before rushing down the stairs.
"Laura?" She called out. "Laura?"
"Yes madam?" Laura came out of the kitchen.
"Erm, do you know where my wedding album is?" She asked. Laura shook her head nervously.
"I have no idea madam. Sir will know about that." She replied before scurrying away.
"Great. Just effing great" Zoya cursed. "Where the hell are you memory?" She ran out of the house needing fresh air. She could never think in this house. She got into her car and drove away from the mansion. She didn't know where she was heading until she ended up on an empty hill. She threw her head back. Those whisky brown eyes. Asad's eyes. Why the hell was she remembering them out of all the things she needed to remember? She took a deep breath reaching for her water bottle; she felt something poke her hand. She winced before turning in her seat, there was something white poking out of a compartment. "What the..." She clawed it open, there was a bundle of folded papers in there. She took it out and opened it. Her eyes widened in shock. "Divorce papers?" She furiously read over the pages, she was even more surprised to find both of their signatures on them. "What the actual f**k?" She was startled hearing a tap on her window; she gasped when the door was yanked open and strong hands gripped her arm pulling her out of the car.
"Asad? What the hell are you doing here?" Zoya pushed him back; he removed his aviators and stared back at her with unshaken determination.
"Come with me" He turned towards his car, his voice commanding her.
"No." She yelled back at him.
"This is not the time for you to act feisty baby. Come on." He got inside his car and started the engine. Baby. The way he said it sounded like a soft caress, like he was used to calling her baby. A loving gesture only saved for her. She got into his car and before she could put her seatbelt on, he started driving off. "What's that?" His eyes fell on the papers in her hand.
"Divorce papers." Zoya mumbled. The car came screeching to a halt. "What the hell?" She hit his arm, "Are you crazy?" She puffed. He grabbed the papers from her hand and stared at it, he breathed out a relieved sigh. "Stop it." She scolded him. He sagged into his seat and looked over at her, his expressions relaxed.
"Stop what?" His grinning face annoyingly sexy.
"Like you're relieved. My marriage is breaking and you're relieved. What the hell Asad." Zoya crossed her arms in disbelief.
"Shut up baby." Asad folded the papers and put them into one of his pockets. She stared at him in disbelief as he drove away. "I have something to show you." He parked inside his garage and jumped out of the car.
"You own the whole building?" Zoya followed him into the lifts. He didn't reply just grinned pressing the "3" button. She felt weird. Dj vu. She has been here before.
"Yes, you have been here many many times." He took a step out of the lifts and pushed through some doors. "Welcome home baby." Zoya froze standing next to him; her mouth fell open at the sight. The apartment was so vibrant with funky canvases on the walls; the room was filled at least 5 easels, two of them holding a blank canvas. The other three, well the other three had paintings on them that seemed familiar. But one of them made her stomach flip; it was a painting of a pair of eyes she had been dreaming of forever. She let her eyes roam all around the open space. The sofas were a chocolate brown colour with multi-coloured and patterned cushions thrown all over them. This apartment was an artist's heaven, but it was homely. She found her feet taking her towards that one particular painting; her hands reached up to stroke the canvas.
"Those eyes. I dreamt of them before waking up." She whispered softly, Asad joined her behind the easel, she looked up at him. "They're your eyes." She told him. He just smiled at her before looking behind her; she turned around and followed his gaze. She gasped finding her face smiling back at her, with teeth and all, her eyes gleaming. But that wasn't what shocked her, it was the face behind her staring at her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world. This picture took over the whole wall, it wasn't visible when she entered the apartment but it was definitely there. Her heart was beating frantically inside of her.
"I was holding back all these days, but I couldn't any longer. I needed to show you our home." He stood behind her, she could sense the desperation in his voice. His hands traced her waist before resting it on her stomach and pushing her back against his front.
"All of this... I used to love painting did you know Asad??" She pointed at their picture on the wall not being able to form words.
"Not only do you love painting, you are damn good at it Zoya." Zoya absorbed his words like a sponge; she had been searching the whole mansion for the past few weeks for paints, for a blank canvas or an easel. There was nothing in that house that indicated that she loved to paint. "These are all your paintings, oh except that one." He pointed laughing, Zoya walked over towards it. "I like to think I helped you with this. But unfortunately, painting and drawing designs for a building are two different things." He held her hand and lifted it towards the splash of colours.
"It's a beautiful mess." Zoya cried, he turned her around and cupped her face. "Why can I not remember anything? Why?" She shook her head.
"Baby, don't cry. It breaks my heart. You're made to smile." He stroked her cheek; she broke out into sobs moving out of his hold. He brought his hands back to him staring at her helplessly.
"I'm cheating on my husband." Zoya brushed her tears away with the back of her hands.
"A husband that only saw you as a trophy wife to take to high class functions for pictures to maintain his high class image. Your marriage shattered three months into it Zoya. You were miserable... he cheated you, he hit you, he manipulated and blackmailed you." Asad backed away, he was pissed off. "He ignored you, treated you like a piece of trash. You were hiding baby, you forgot how to speak up for yourself. When I met you, you were days away from disappearing into your hole. We became friends, you started living again. You went back to the person you were before you got married. You became Zoya, you didn't have to hide. We fell in love, you became my life." He sat on a stool, "You're no one's trophy wife but you deserve to be cherished. You wanted to live your life to the fullest; you didn't let anyone talk down to you. You are such a strong, beautiful, free minded woman that you take my breath away baby. You are crazy for junk food, you like to dress in jeans and sneakers or even sweatpants, you love to paint, you like to be reckless, take risks..." Zoya closed her eyes allowing his voice to drown in the background. Her hand went over her stomach, she felt sick, her insides were twisting. She slowly opened her eyes to find him standing in front of her, he grabbed her hand and lead her towards the bedroom. Her eyes roamed over the beautiful decorated room, pictures of her and Asad in every corner of the room.
"I'm going to marry you baby, mark my words."
"Did I say I'm going to stop you?"
Zoya stepped forward and opened the wardrobe; she wasn't prepared to find jeans, tops and dresses in there.
"You left no room in there for my clothes." He ruffled his hair chuckling.
"Asad" She shrieked squirming under his touches before being thrown over his shoulder, Asad smacked her backside. "Oi you, behave." She warned.
"Can't have you bending over in those denim shorts baby and expect me to behave." He chuckled.
"Asad, at least let me tidy the wardrobe."
"Why bother if you're going to storm into it next time you need to head out?"
"But you won't find your clothes in this condition" She tilted her body back as he held her tightly against his body.
"Which means it's our wardrobe baby. I'm happy to get lost in your clothes." He kissed her shoulder.
"I need to get out of here." Zoya stumbled back a few steps, Asad tried to hold her up but she put her hand forward to stop him. "I'm attracted to you, I I... I remember you, but I'm married to Zayd." She was unable to comprehend how messed up everything was.
"Not out of choice. Your mother, let's say she wanted you to become her."
"I know that but how on earth did I agree to marry Zayd for that reason? I am not submissive. This is not me. That mansion is not me, the clothes, the lifestyle, the damn food." She screamed, her head hurt. She rushed out of the bedroom, Asad followed behind her.
"Baby, wait..." Asad called behind her.
"I need to talk to Zayd." He pulled her shoulder; she spun around with red eyes.
"He was the last person you spoke to before the accident. You were leaving his house that day, breaking the news of the divorce papers. I spoke to you on the phone... you remember that?" He searched her face before his eyes landed on her stomach, she followed his gaze and her hand automatically went over it.
"You... I" She looked down at her hand, "I was..." She closed her eyes.
"Baby, we're pregnant!"
"Are you serious Zoya? Don't joke around..."
"No joke baby, we are pregnant. We're going to have a baby. I don't give a shit about anything else, I'm not going to play pretend with him anymore, we're moving in permanently, not just odd days and nights, forever Asad. I am not going to stick around to play wife for him and the public. f**k his status, f**k whatever he is. I've gotten him to sign the papers baby, I am out of here. Not even my mother can stop me, I don't give a f**k what her life will be like. I'm going to live baby... with you. I love you."
"I'm on the first flight back"
"Baby" Zoya whispered, tears streaming from her eyes. "We were going to have a baby?" Her hands went over her stomach; Asad nodded taking a step forward. She shook her head before running into the lifts and closing him out. She pressed the buttons furiously.
"Zoya, don't go. Don't do this. Let's work it out." She heard him yelling. Her lips quivered. What happened that night? She lost her baby. Did she tell Zayd she was leaving him? Why was he playing happy family when their relationship was nothing like that? She needed answers, and she had a feeling he is the only person that could enlighten her regarding that night.
"ZAYDDD!" Zoya called out his name entering the house, "Zayd where are you? Laura!!!!" There was no sound, the mansion was empty.
"So Asad huh?" She spun on her feet to find Zayd sat against a chair, his legs crossed and his expressions calm.
"What happened on the night of the accident?" Zoya questioned ignoring his question.
"That bitch of a doctor lied to me; she said there is a high chance of you not getting your memory back. I was counting on that chance to make everything okay sweetheart." He smiled.
"You lied to me about our marriage. We are not happy. We were never a couple." She pointed a stare at him. "What chance did you want?"
"You should be happy that you were MY wife. Wife of an honourable and respected businessman. We had an image to maintain." Zoya burst out laughing.
"Are you freaking serious? I'm asking about our marriage. And you are talking about your image."
"So what do you want?" He sat up on his chair, his stare cold.
"I want answers." She told him. He smiled deviously.
"So Mrs Yahya still hasn't regained her memory." He got up in a flash and grabbed her shoulders. "Because if she did, she wouldn't have come back today." He smirked, Zoya fought with his grip looking up at him confused.
"What are you-" She felt the air suck out of her when he punched her stomach, she fell to her knees panting, the pain soaring through her body.
"You filthy bitch. You were pregnant with his child. You were not allowed to go out and explore other men. You were meant to play the good little wife. That's why I married you. But you, you were a sneaky little bitch. You were living a double life weren't you?" He got to her level and separated her so that he could see her face. "You are not allowed to divorce me. You will never leave me. You got that, your mother, I will destroy her."
"I don't give a f**k about my mother." Zoya spat at him, struggling to breathe. "I already left you, don't you understand that asshole." He gripped her hair and tilted her head back running his finger down the left side of her cheek, her neck and then unbuttoned her shirt.
"Well that's a shame isn't it. You ruined everything, I was going to give you another chance but you had to be a little bitch. But guess what, I'm just going to show you that you are my bitch." He pushed her back, she crashed against the floor.
"Baby, I will see you so-" The phone crashed to the floor, her cheeks burned like fire. Zayd had slapped her, he was breathing through his nostrils, his face was red. "What the f**k?"
"Who are you f**king you little bitch?" He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her closer.
"None of your goddamn business you asshole. Me and you, we were over a long long time ago. I only stayed and pretended to be your wife for my mother otherwise I would have left you the day I found out how much of man-wh**e you were. How many girls did you screw before we married? Or even after we married?"
"I am a man. I can do whatever I like. You are my wife, my woman and you are meant to submit to me, only me otherwise I didn't make myself clear."
"You are pathetic" She spat, "I am not your wife, I've got your f**king signs on the divorce papers. Me and you, we are officially over. Pose by yourself for the cameras. I will make sure I give them a long interview about your useless, wandering stick with my new husband you worthless piece of shit." He yanked her hair.
"I wish you weren't so submissive in bed and hidden this side to you when we got married. But don't worry, all this feistiness will be put to use." He tried to grab her breast but Zoya lifted her knee and hit him in between his legs.
"You s**t" He cried with pain letting go of her hair, Zoya stepped back before losing her balance and rolling down the stairs. She groaned with pain, her hand went over her stomach once she landed on the floor. She looked up as he recovered and came down the stairs. She stumbled to her feet and ran towards the door grabbing a set of keys on her way. She unlocked the front gates and entered the silver Mercedes. The rain was pouring down; she looked back while speeding out through the gates. She could see in the distant as another car left through the gates and followed behind her car.
"I've been wanting to get inside of you since I brought you home." He purred into her ears, his body shifting overs. Zoya grunted with pain, her hands pushed at his chest but she couldn't move his body off her. She moved her leg from under him; she bent her knee and readied herself to hit him when he suddenly rolled off her yelling in pain. She looked up with wide eyes; Laura had hit him with a broomstick.
"RUN!" She cried wildly, Zoya crawled on her knees but his hands pulled at her feet. She heard him grunt as Laura hit him again.
"You bitch!" He grabbed Laura's leg and yanked her to the floor. Zoya turned around.
"RUNNN PLEASEEE!" Laura begged her fighting under Zayd. Zoya shakily got onto her feet, she grabbed the keys from the table near the doorway and ran out of the house, her body was in pain but she didn't stop running. She jumped inside the car and started it, her eyes widened finding him coming through the door, his eyes dark and dangerous. The rain started pouring down, she reversed through the gates, changing the gears, she raced down the road. She knew he was following her, everything was playing out the same way as that night.
"Asad" She gripped the steering wheel tightly, chanting his name. His brown eyes flashed before her as she flew through the roads. The rain was making it difficult for her to see but she didn't slow down. She wanted to get away from her psycho... soon to be ex-husband if she survived this. Her whole life flashed before her and with every little memory that flooded her mind, it was Asad's smiling face and crinkled eyes that stood out. She loved Asad with all of her heart; he had been the one to free her. She started living with him. She was going to have his baby, her eyes went blurry with tears remembering the baby she lost because of the accident. She removed her phone from her pocket holding the steering wheel with one hand, her eyes went over the rear view mirror, there were two headlights visible in them. He was still following her. "Shit, I didn't save his number." She shook the phone in her hand before manually typing the numbers in from memory; he picked up on the first ring.
"Hello?" His voice was rough, you could hear the worry in his voice.
"Asad" She cried into the phone. "Baby, he's a pyscho. He's chasing me like that night. He's in the car behind me. The asshole hit me. We lost our baby because of him. I should have never gone back."
"I'm going to kill him baby. I saw Laura, I'm coming. Tell me where you are."
"I don't know Asad. I don't know, I just see a whole load of trees. The rain is ba- WHAT THE f**k!" She jerked forward as the car behind her bumped into her car.
"ARE YOU OKAY?" Asad rumbled into the phone.
"Baby I" The last thing she saw was a flash of lights and his eyes before she lost control of the car and everything went dark. Her whole body jumped at the impact, his voice faintly ringing in the distant. That's all she ever needed, her name from his lips. His love, his whole heart... she always wanted to be free. She never wanted to be like her mother, she never wanted perfect... she wanted a mess, she wanted every little nitty gritty that comes with life. She wanted reckless... she wanted a painting, splashed with colours...
"What do you want me to paint you?" She cocked her eyebrow at him, holding the end of the paintbrush against her lips. He held up a bowl in front of her, his eyes running over her bare legs as she pulled the hem of his white shirt from riding up her legs. She went up on her toes to have a look at what's inside the bowl, curiosity etched on her face.
"I have mixed all your favourite colours in here" He played his eyebrows at her; she held her hips confused at what he was indicating.
"Oh okay, baby think you should stick to being an Architect." Zoya teased.
"Listen to me; we should splash this against that canvas... that will be the best painting ever." He explained passing her the bowl, Zoya hummed thoughtfully. She dropped the paintbrush nibbling her bottom lip playfully,
"I have a better idea" She said wide eyes, Asad backed off realising what she was thinking. He shook his head, she nodded. "This will be the best canvas ever." She smirked, throwing it over him, drenching him in colour. She burst out laughing seeing his shocked face, he brushed his hand over his face. "You're my best painting ever!" She pulled her collar up in her praise.
"Do you know something else?" He stepped forward eyeing her white shirt, "That shirt is the best blank canvas for our painting." He snaked his arm around her and pulled her close against him before cocooning her in his arms and nuzzling into her neck, her squeals and shrieks filled the room. "We're the painting now baby." He held his cheek with hers smearing her with the paint.
"ZOOYAAA!" His face and his eyes appeared in front of her, she blinked once, he was still there. She blinked again, he seemed blurry. And then one last time but her eyes never opened and darkness engulfed her once more.
"Baby, you can't do this to me again. Please wake up. Zoya" Asad held her lifeless body in his arms clutching her against his chest. "You can't kill me again baby, I don't know if I will survive this time..." He held his lips against her forehead rocking back and forth. "This is all my fault, I couldn't protect you. I allowed him to distance you from me. I swear, give me one more chance to make this okay. We lost our baby, I can't lose you now. I want forever with you."
"You are the colours to my blank canvas Asad. I want to live life with you... I never want to submit, I want to dominate it..."
"A little recklessness and a little bit of you baby."
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Six Months Ago
"Asad?!" Zoya called out entering the apartment, she shrugged her shoulders removing her blazer and throwing it towards the sofa. She hurriedly shimmied out of her pencil skirt and picked up the shorts from the sofa and put it on untucking the white shirt. She pulled her hair out of her pony tail and ran her fingers through the silky smooth strands. She sighed with relief feeling more like herself, unmasking her fake wife charade.
"Hellooo?!" She yelled, her voice echoed back to her in the empty apartment. She strolled towards the fridge and removed a can of coke before moving towards the open space. She twisted her hair up into a high messy bun and then took a sip of her drink. She smiled feeling the cool breeze entering through the open window, filtering the apartment with its freshness. She curled her toes picking up a paint brush and started doing what she does best... bringing life to her canvases.
"Heyy" He whispered into her ears, his arm wrapping around her waist. She sagged into his body allowing him to place kisses on her neck. "What are we painting?" He ran his indent finger over the canvas mixing the colours, ruining her painting. She turned around in his arms placing her hands on his chest, he played his nose against hers stroking the finger with the paint over her cheek. She looked up into his loving eyes, she reached up for his lips for a tender kiss but that is not what their kisses are like. His eyes hold onto hers and before she could remove her lips and draw her breath, she was sharing his. Their lips meshed, tongues tied and they danced to their own breathy beat. It seems like eternity had passed before he pulled back to admire her thoroughly kissed lips and flushed face. "That lipstick never stood a chance." He pecked her lips again brushing his thumb on the edges of her lips. She wriggled out of his hold and tried to get back to her painting, she had a lot to get out of her system. "That dress looked hot on you last night." Asad lazily walked towards the kitchen.
"Don't" Zoya snapped. "Just don't."
"I'm not saying anything." He held his hands up defensively, but she could see the anger seeping through into his face.
"When will I be free of him?" She sighed in defeat.
"Baby, you made this deal with him. If he wasn't investing into your mother's business and threatening you to remain as his side piece for the public, you would have left his mansion permanently right?" He crossed his arms, his legs spread out. Was it wrong for her to devour his sexy body when they were having a serious conversation?
"Why the hell do I still care about what happens to her? Of course I would have left him. We are married legally; I have no sexual relations with him." Asad flinched. "Even the little bit of whatever I hope I had marrying him died when I found out about his mistresses. I can't stand to remain in the same room as him forget his arm around me for events, for the camera... I can't play this pretend anymore." She fell back into one of the large cushion seats. "Asshole isn't going to give me a divorce. He is a control freak; he thinks he owns everyone, everything... He wants perfection when he is the defected one." Asad walked over towards her and dropped to his knees placing his hand over her thighs to pull her closer towards him. He held his forehead against hers.
"We'll fix this. I hate sending you back to him when this is your home. Our home. Baby" He stroked her cheek, "We'll find a way to get your mother out of his control and this divorce too."
"I hate her." Zoya spoke bitterly.
"But you still care." He whispered softly. She nodded, her eyes pooling with tears. She captured his face with both of her hands.
"I want to paint your eyes." She said softly, his lips twitched.
"Why?"
"Because I love who I see through your eyes. I love me in your eyes. And this me, loves you with every bit of her." She pressed her lips against his.
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Present Day
"Mr Khan?" Asad groaned awake, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It took him a few seconds before panic set in and his eyes turned wide awake. He looked over at Zoya who was sleeping peacefully, the rising and falling of her chest proof of her being very much alive. "Mr Khan?" He faced the doctor in the doorway. "Do you have a moment? Sorry to wake you up..." She apologised taking a seat next to him.
"Is she okay?"
"Yes, she's fine. Don't worry. I'm sorry about your baby. I didn't realise he would turn out to be so dangerous. But I realised that he was no good for her when he smiled hearing the news. I lied to him about her having 90% chance of not regaining her memory. I didn't realise I was actually putting her life at risk. He was her husband."
"He was not her husband. And it's okay doctor. It's my fault, I should have come to see you sooner. I should have taken her away from him. I didn't want to risk her health." He looked over at Zoya, running his hand over her forehead in a soft caress.
"She'll be fine; there wasn't any further damages to her head this time round, surprisingly despite the accident. But she has hit her head badly. Now, I need to explain what happens from here on. But I want to know from you whether she remembered anything."
"I don't know what exactly she remembers, she said she remembered me. She remembered us. She remembered our baby. That means something right?" He looked at her with hope. She smiled back at him.
"Yes-" Their eyes went over Zoya's low grunts, and her body shifting.
"Asad" Zoya whispered with closed eyes. He grabbed hold of her hand bringing his face close to hers.
"I'm here baby. Nothing's going to happen to you." He whispered into her ears.
"You're finally here. Took you long enough." She spoke in hushed tones forcing out her words. Her hand tightened in his. "Those damn eyes have been burning me in my sleep." Asad chuckled, Zoya smiled slowly opening her eyes.
"Stop scaring me like that" He brought her hand to his lips. "Let's go home, please. And let's finish this goddamn painting."
"Take me home Asad. I feel like I just woke up from a nightmare. I never want to be away from you. I don't ever want to dream, when you are my reality." She sighed leaning towards him.
"I love you." He kissed her forehead.
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Nine Months Later
"You said FATTER!" Zoya hissed storming out of the bedroom.
"I said bigger, not fatter. Stop walking so fast, it isn't good for you." He froze as she turned around, he could see the horns on her head, her nose breathing fire.
"Don't you tell me what is good for me Asad Ahmed Khan." She barked at him, Asad tried to take a step forward but she growled. He watched her turn around and storm towards the easel holding her new blank canvas. She actually looked like a balloon bouncing across the room but there wasn't a time she looked hotter than she did today. He grabbed his camera from the bedside table and out towards her.
"Baby, say cheese!"
Click.
"Asad, you did not just take a picture of me like this" She cried bouncing back towards him, Asad looked down at the picture. She stood beside him and glanced over at the picture. "I look good" She beamed up at him, Asad's heart melted at the sight of her.
"This one is going on that wall" Asad pointed towards an empty wall. Zoya rubbed her belly.
"He's getting bigger isn't he?" She asked him.
"Oh no Zoya, not going to fall for the bait this time." He spoke with wide eyes, Zoya grinned at him.
"You spoil all the fun Asad." She frowned.
"Your mood swings are driving me crazy. You're the only one having fun." He raked his hair.
"Well let's have fun together. This calls for a fat juicy, greasy burger." She clapped her hands together with excitement licking her lips. He placed his hand over her shoulder walking her towards the front exit.
"Dream on baby. Stop acting like a junkie!"
XOXO
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