INTRODUCTION
From the day Zoya had got her senses right, she had pledged to find her Abbu. One year back, when she got the information that her Abbu was alive & in Bhopal, her excitement & happiness knew no bounds. She had flown in to India with so many expectations...but she had never thought that the reality would be something she had never imagined, not even in her wildest dreams. After coming to know of the truth, she was devastated to the core. Her emotions were running high & crazy. She decided that she wanted to be alone, with NO ONE around her. She felt suffocated and lost. She made tickets for Boston immediately. Call it luck, she got tickets for the next day evening. The next morning was no wonder unpleasant for the Khan Khandan. Dilshad understood Zoya's state of mind & stopped Najma from talking Zoya out of her decision. Meanwhile, Asad was taken aback by the news of Zoya leaving India, out of his life, forever. He was hurt to the core and enraged that she didn't tell him anything about it. On the other hand, it didn't help his condition that he had no idea about why he was feeling so upset with her decision. Hadn't he always wanted Zoya out of his life? Then what? Being his egoistic stubborn self, he didn't dwell on his feelings waving them off as 'normal sympathy and concern for a girl who could never fulfil her wish of meeting her Abbu'. He turned a blind eye to her, or at least pretended to, and went on with his normal routine...though there was a storm going on inside him. He was upset to the core when she called a taxi and hence he left for his office, without seeing her off one last time. Zoya was shocked when she saw none of Asad while leaving and this turned to anger and then sadness as she thought of her Abbu. When Asad returned home late at night, an empty dark house greeted him. He made way to the guest room, which had been Miss Farooqui's room until the evening. The first thing he noticed after turning on the lights was that the room was completely tidy and spotless, yet very uninviting. He saw a small note attached to the mirror and read it with trembling voice:
Mr Asad Ahmed Khan
At least you must be happy MrKhan. You finally got rid of this musibat magnet!
Mr Khan, I know I was a nuisance to you during my stay here. If possible, fogive me for that. And MrKhan...thanks for everything. I hope you have an awesome life ahead, a life free of troubles & pain...and anger.
PS-I did my best in cleaning up the room. Hope it is somewhat upto your expectation. I didn't wanna give you any reason to complain when I am finally leaving your life today forever.
Zoya Farooqui
The ink on the paper spread out as some tear drops splashed on it. Jaws clenched, Asad dashed to his room & shut the door with a bang. He leant against the door and looked up as more tears made way down his face.
NEXT DAY
Asad Ahmed Khan entered the living room dressed in his regular Armani suit and made way to his seat. Dilshad & Najma served him quietly as Asad read the newspaper. He then finished his breakfast & left for office. Not a word was exchanged during the whole scene. Asad was hurting, but he got into his Akdu emotionless and strict mode to hide his real feelings. As time passed by, he got more and more involved in his work. He worked late at office & went early. Though Dilshad questioned him once or twice, he made the excuse of more competition & hence increasing workload in office. And Dilshad accepted it, coz she was distracted too. Zoya was a ray of sunshine into that house. Without her, Khan villa, the home she had turned it into, again turned into a mere house. There was no one messing up the house, reciting shayaris, and keeping the dwellers entertained (irritated) with her antics. Though three people stayed there, there was almost no merriment in that house. It was as if someone had cursed the house.
One day, when Dilshad was sitting before the TV, the landline rang. Dilshad lifted the phone to her ears & cried out:
Zoyaaa!!!
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