oOo
"Asad I.." Zoya fumbled. What the hell was he doing?!
"I really love you. And I want to marry you." He repeated his words, bent on one knee.
"Asad look..Errr, this is all so-"
"Abrupt? Too fast? I'll wait. Just say yes." Asad said in one breath.
"Too fast? I asked you to marry me 6 years ago, right here. Bent on one knee and with a dead rose in my hand, remember?" She said.
"I do." Asad said, going back to the memory. A painful yet pleasant one. Almost instantly a smile spread across his face as he remembered how they were young and in love.
oOo
"ASAADDD!" Zoya yelled across the lobby of their university and Asad sighed. This woman would never change!
"How many times have I told you not to yell my name that way?" Asad said huffed, when she approached him.
"Oh don't you cry again, Sissy pants!" Zoya shut his book and grabbed his arm to pull him out.
"Woah! Where are we going?" He asked, grabbing his bag hurriedly.
"Apna usual!" Zoya smiled and muttered in her funny Hindi accent.
"Beach? Right now?" Asad cribbed. It was summer and the atmosphere of the beach was not something he wanted at the moment.
"Haaan! Today is special." Zoya smiled.
"Why is it special?"
"Allah Miyan! What's wrong with you? Stop asking me questions and walk along!" Zoya grabbed him as they walked to his car.
oOo
"Ahh!" Zoya breathed a sigh of relief on reaching the beach. The humid winds and warm water was not something she loved. But she had made up her mind. She would do this today.
"So? What is it?" Asad looked at her weirdly.
"I love you." Zoya looked at him and giggled, mumbling softly.
"I know that. But why are we here?" Asad asked.
"You do know that you're supposed to say 'I love you too, Zoya' back. Right?" Zoya frowned.
"You already know I do. What's to say?" Asad shrugged.
"Unromantic insaan!" Zoya showed him his tongue as they settled on the sand.
"Ab bolo bhi!" Asad nudged her.
Again she didn't pay heed to his advice and got up almost as quickly as she had sat down. Asad gave her a quizzical look and raised his brows. She motioned him to get up and he rolled his eyes, getting up with a groan of laziness.
"What?" He asked. He hoped this was the last time he'd have to ask her. He had his Business paper tomorrow and he needed to top to get into a good firm.
Zoya smiled and picked up her college bag, picking out an almost dead rose, she smiled yet again.
"I wanted to this in a very different way. This stupid rose was supposed to be alive and I thought your mood would be better. But I know once I tell you, sorry, ask you, your mood will be fine too!"
"Temme." Asad said.
He watched in surprise as she bent down on knee and held out the rose to him.
"Asad Ahmed Khan, the day I found out that you were in love with me and wanted to ask me out, was the happiest day of my life. I know things between us have been rocky since we're two completely different people. After your last paper tomorrow, you'll be an MBA graduate and out of this Uni. I had to do this before we broke apart. I love you, Mr. Akdu Ahmed Khan. Will you marry me?" Zoya looked at him expectantly.
Asad looked around in panic and saw the crowd looking at them in awe. Some made fun of them and some wished they had a partner like them. But PDA was the last thing he liked. Not even like, he hated it! And here she was proposing to him, publically! She was embarrassing both of them very well. He was sure they would make the headlines of New York Times tomorrow!
"Asad? Say something?" Zoya looked at him with her big eyes, full of doubt.
Asad just didn't know what to do. He heard a few women in the background, telling him to agree and sweep his girl off her feet or some shit like that! He closed his eyes in frustration and bent down to her.
Very cautiously he nodded in a no. He wasn't ready for the responsibility yet. Even as an engagement. It was a very big deal! He saw her face go pale and the crowd gasp in shock. Some throwing pitiful look at Zoya.
He gently let his arms grab her arms and lift her up, as the crowd walked off. Zoya's face was far away from traumatized. She was speechless. It did take guts to do what she had done.
"Zoya, this is all too early. Look I..I do love you! A lot! But this.." He left her arms.
"You don't want this?" She asked in a broken voice.
"I do! Just not now. Zoya, you're just 21 and I'm just 23. I have a future to look after, I need to get settled and find a job, a home. You're understanding me, right?" He tried to reason with her.
"Abbu wants me to get married this year." She mumbled.
"Babe, this year? I'm just 23. I-"
"Fine. Have a nice life ahead." Zoya wished him and walked off, leaving Asad dazed.
oOo
Asad broke out of his trance and stared at her. 6 years later, she was still the same. Beautiful, bubbly and the most gorgeous woman he'd ever come across. He was now 29 and she was 27. They met when he found out she was joining the company he worked for. He was now the HR Head manager. She was still appointed as a staff member. After that day 6 years ago, Zoya never saw him again. He gave his last examination and left the University. She heard that he found a placement in a very respectable company. She was happy for him. Just not happy enough.
Then they'd met 6 years later as colleagues. She told him how she had run away from home when her Abbu had tried to force her in to marrying a man 10 years older to her just because he was stinking rich. He felt proud of this woman. Other girls would probably just bow down their heads and listen to their father when they were cheated in love. But this woman right here, she never seized to surprise him. She was full of pleasant surprises.
"Asad please, just get up." She grabbed his arms and told him to get up.
Asad looked at her with the most subtle look ever. A warm smile spread across his face. Not because she had declined him or anything. It was because he could see himself in her. What he used to be 6 years ago. A young man who wanted to earn money like a bitch and then live his life with a boss. What he had failed to interpret was that he'd never be happy in the true sense without her by his side. After finally finding her after a long wait, he was more than glad to know that she was single and not married or committed.
"This is all so sudden." Zoya said, massaging her head with her fingers.
"Remember you would constantly nag me with this question? What will you do if we would never end up being together?" Asad asked, Zoya nodded.
"I know I used to blow it off all the time. Frankly, I didn't really care back then. Money and power was all I dreamt of. I never gave us a thought. And the day you proposed, I realized that maybe this was wrong. You and I weren't meant to be."
Zoya looked at him and said, "Asad I was young and stupid. I always thought about it. I was the fool to have thrown such a big responsibility on you!"
"The least I could've done was accept your proposal graciously and not let the people around us take pity on you." Asad grimaced with his head hung low.
"It's over alright? I'm not asking you to marry me now." Zoya said.
"But I am." Asad asked her again.
"There's so much you don't know about me. 6 years has made a different woman. I'm not the same Zoya you used to know."
"You're still the same. I know it." He said, tracing her cheeks and wiping those tears away.
"Asad I can't."
"Gimme a chance. I'll make it up to you. I promise." He pressed his forehead against hers.
Zoya held his hands over her face and cried silently. Her Dolce & Gabbana formal grey office dress hung to her curves and she stared at the diamond ring in his hand.
She pulled back and nodded at him. A malignant smile spread across his face and he made her wear the ring, kissing her tender finger.
"I promise I'll not let you down. Never." He said, placing a soft kiss on her lips.
"I hope so. Let's begin afresh." Zoya said, holding out her hand for him. He graciously accepted and they walked along the shore as they people hooted and whistled. Asad grinned and remembered a past comment. Before Zoya knew it, she was picked up in his arms and the crowd went crazier. This was just the beginning of a never ending journey of love!
oOo
Long comments, I prefer. 😆
I write it for you guys. It's nice to know if you guys like it even half of what you'll say because the comments frankly say it all.
Hope it wasn't too boring. I'm planning to write one for the Rasm-E-Saugat too. Let's see though. If time and my laziness permit. 😳
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