Hello buddies.. I know that I should have updated Unrecognized Emotions now, but I am here with a OS. Frankly speaking, as far as I remember, I have never written anything other than essays when I was in school. This is my second work in IF, the first one still continuing.. 😆
Romance was never a topic in school essays hence I really suck in it, but I still ended up writing this...😆
This update is dedicated to my dear friend Aishwarya (treasure11)... Dear, I love fighting with you a lot and we both enjoy that too, but I love you too... may you be successful in whatever you do in future..😛
A writer is a writer only if he/she has readers... so readers, please mark your presence with likes and comments... 😆 Jokes apart, your likes and comments really motivate me a lot...
I would love to hear from silent readers too. Even a like will do...😛
I hope you will like this OS... please leave your feedback. 😊
In my stories, KSG is the only Asad😛
Happy Reading.😛
IT WAS JUST ANOTHER DAY
It was just another morning, like any other day. I woke up in the safe arms of my husband, Asad Ahmed Khan, the man whom I love unconditionally, or rather, it was my destiny to be in love with him. I found my head rested on his broad shoulders. It was the safest and the calmest place that I could ever be in. I placed a light kiss on his left cheek, making sure not to wake him up and got up from the bed to close the curtains as the rays of the Sun were causing a frown to appear on my loving husband's face.
He had the most handsome face that I had ever seen in my life. He looked like a baby curled up in his sleep... His face was innocent, just like his heart. He had the cutest dimples that a man could ever have; and I am proud to say that He is My Man. A small smile crept up to my face when I saw him taking turns... He was such a baby!
My thoughts drifted back to the days when we were kids. Feelings of love were not a part of our lives then. I was Zoya Farooqui back then.
-------------------------Flashback Starts (Zoya's POV)-------------------------
His father was my father's best friend and business partner. They had been together since their childhood and had started their own construction company in Mumbai, before getting married. I am the only daughter of Gafoor Farooqui and Razia Farooqui , and Asad and Najma are the children of Rashid Ahmed Khan and Dilshad Khan.
Our houses were not too far. Our families made it a point to have regular weekend meet ups. They were friends first and business partners later. We had the most beautiful Sundays till the day when Rashid Uncle had to move out to Delhi in order to extend the business further. Asad was eight and I was five years old when they had left Mumbai. He was not only my best friend but also my only friend at that time. Najma was like my own little sister. She was just three years old and was my most favorite toy. I could never imagine staying away from her.
The day they had left, I found myself curled up in bed and crying my heart out. My mother was the only person to understand me at that time.
"Why are you crying?", Mom asked me but I had no answer to her question. She smiled at my innocence and hugged me tight.
"You are crying because Najma left, right?"
I looked up at her and cried more. "And you are crying because Asad left too?"
I nodded my head in yes and hugged her again.
"Don't worry. He will come back one day. But now, he needs to stay with his parents. Rashid Uncle has some important work to do in Delhi. Moreover, it's not too far too. He will come during his vacations."
My face got lighted up with this new piece of information. I was happy to know that Asad and Najma would come here every year.
Ammi had been in touch with Dilshad Aunty over phone every day. I used to talk to her too but there was no way how I could manage to speak to any of my best friends. Asad was already a very sincere student and a boy of fewer words. As he grew up, this character of him became more dominant in him.
He came to Mumbai during the first two years after shifting to Delhi, but later, he stopped visiting. My dad often went to Delhi and Rashid Uncle came here too, but alone... I finally realized that I had lost my best friend and my only friend back then.
------------------------------------Flashback Ends---------------------------------
I still get goosebumps thinking about those days. A lone tear escaped from my eyes when I looked at my husband sleeping peacefully. The tear was replaced by my smile immediately when I remembered about the day when he had come to Mumbai.. I got back to bed and placed myself on him in the same way like I was before. I found him encircling his arm around my waist and tightening his hold by every passing second and it was then when I realized that he was awake.
"You were awake all this while?", I asked him, pretending to be shocked.
"Uhmm hmmm..."
He mumbled in his sleep and hugged me, nuzzling his face against my neck.
"Asad... I am feeling ticklish...", I said in between my giggles. He lifted up his head and hugged me tighter.
"May I know why were you up so early?", he asked me. I pointed my eyes towards the window and he got aware of the reason of my early rising. He kissed me on my cheeks and fell asleep once again, leaving a smile of content on my face. My thoughts again drifted back to the day when I got to know from my mother that he was coming to Mumbai.
------------------------------Flashback Starts (Zoya's POV)------------------------
I was happy when Ammi had told me about his arrival, but I pretended as if it did not affect me in any way. My mother was shocked to see that, but I knew that she understood that I was just angry with him. When Najma grew up a little, she used to call me up too, but I had never heard from him. I was disappointed with him. There was no way that I would talk to him... Not now, not ever, Never!
I went to my room and closed the door and pretended to be asleep. I heard a car stop at our door way. I heard my mother and Dilshad Aunty almost scream out in joy when they saw each other. I also heard Najma's voice. It was as sweet as it sounded over the phone. But I did not hear His. Did he not come then? I thought he was coming. I was confused. I wanted to run back downstairs and check whether he has come, but seeing him would melt my anger. It's not like I have not seen him in these years. Dad had always brought their photographs whenever he had gone to Delhi. Even Rashid uncle used to show us the pictures of his growing children during his visits to Mumbai. But I was stubborn, I refused to see any! But I was not a saint either...I always managed to get hold of his photographs and see him growing from a boy of 8 years to a handsome adult of 18 years. I have noticed all the changes that occurred in his face over the years. But I could never hear his voice...
And suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching towards my room...
-------------------------------------Flashback Ends---------------------------------------
Asad turned in his sleep again and finally woke up only to find me still awake.
"Are you crazy?", He asked me. I glared at him and he stopped teasing me, at once.
"Don't tell me that you are once again thinking about the past...", he asked me in a very obvious tone. I looked at him. I was shocked. Is he a mind reader or am I just so predictable?
"Hello, I am not a mind reader or something. You have been doing this since the very first morning after our marriage. Remember?" I smiled looking at him. It was the truth. I have been doing this since the last six months. Yes, I have been married to him since six months.
"You know what Zoya, I still laugh thinking about the day when I had returned to Mumbai. You were so silly at that time. Not like you are not now, but you were sillier then", Asad blurted out only to receive a few blows from me. He caught me by my wrist and pinned me down under him. He kissed me on my forehead and looked into my eyes, intently, and I understood that this time, it was his mind that went back to the day of his coming back to my life.
---------------------------------Flashback Starts (Asad's POV)----------------------------
I got down from the car and met every member of the house, except Zoya. She was nowhere to be seen. My expectant eyes searched for her in every corner of the living room, but to my disappointment, she was not there to welcome me. But again, it was something that I had already anticipated from her. Her anger on me was justified. I enquired Razia Aunty about her and she told me that Zoya was asleep in her room. I became worried.Was she not well? But then I got to know that she was just tired from school and hence was resting, and I understood that I was going to have a hard time pacifying her.
I climbed up the stairs and reached up to her room. I gathered a lot of courage and turned the door knob to open the door. I saw her sleeping, her face hidden under the blanket. It was the month of May and there was no way for her to feel cold. She was Angry, and her anger was unexplainable in words.
I called her, but she didn't respond. I wanted to see her beautiful face. Beautiful...Yes, that she was. She has now grown up to become a young lady of fifteen whose innocent beauty could make anyone fall for her. I have never missed out any of her photographs in these years. I kept them safely with me. I looked at them whenever I missed Her, my best friend and my only friend.
Over the years, I became quieter than before and I could never call her up. Even she had never asked for me though she had always had her regular conversations with Najma. I also tried to find out from my Abbu about her reactions after seeing my photographs, but to my disappointment, Abbu's reply was the same every time. I was unduly conscious to nudge him further. I stopped going to Mumbai. With time, studies took over me and my passion for Architecture grew stronger. I was here, to tell her about that and meet her for the last time, may be.
I called her again, but she did not respond. I wanted to return back, but then I notioned that we were not kids anymore. May be she was, but I wasn't. I was older than her, hence wiser by thoughts and actions. I pulled the duvet that covered her beautiful face. She looked like an angel, My Angel. I brushed away my thoughts and concentrated on what I had come here for.
Her eyes were shut and there was no chance of her responding to my voice. Was it that bad? I laughed at myself and thought of a different way to wake her up, no pull her up from her so called sleep! I was sure that she was not sleeping as I found her faintly smiling once, showing her dimples. I did not want to do what I was about to do, but then the thought of the amount of fun that it would bring along, drove away all my disciplined thoughts.
I took the jug of water that was kept on the bedside table and poured out every drop of water from it on her half covered face. She woke up with a sudden jolt as if she had seen a nightmare. For the first few seconds, she was shocked beyond words to react but later when she recovered from it, she understood the reason for her terror. Her face took the angriest look and then I knew that it was time for me to run for my life. She ran behind me throwing anything and everything that her hands could get hold of. I successfully dodged the pillows and caught the flower vase but her sandal landed on my face, causing a small cut to appear just above my left brows.
She at once stopped throwing things at me when she heard me wincing in pain. She came near me, made me sit on her couch and brought the first aid box. It was the first time when we both had looked into each other's eyes in these years. Her eyes were as innocent as they were when she was just five. She was fretting over me, and the worry on her face for me forced a smile on my face. She saw me staring at her and then she realized the position that we were sitting in. We were so close to each other that we could hear each other's increasing heartbeats. She moved back promptly and asked me, "Are you okay?"
I heard her voice! It was like a nightingale's chant to my ears... She asked me again and then I replied to her, with just a nod, unable to say anything more.
"What do you think of yourself?", she asked me furiously when she was finally assured that I was fine.
"Hello, I am talking to you.. What do you think of yourself?? All these years, I was like invisible and non-existent to you and now you are here and the first thing that you do is get me wet in this pool of water! Are you insane or something?", she yelled at me, anger and pain both clearly understandable in her voice.
I avoided saying anything. I moved forward and took her in a hug. At first she was shocked, but later she hugged me back. I whispered in her ear, "I missed you Zoya". After a while, she whispered back, "I missed you too".
Anger and complaints could wait!
--------------------------------------Flashback Ends----------------------------------------
I looked into her eyes; they were the same like they were before. But I could see tears brimming in them now.
"What happened?", I asked her softly, even though I knew the answer pretty well.
"Say, will you?", I asked her again on not getting any response before.
"I just remembered the day when you had left me again...", she said, looking into my eyes with her unshed tears.
"But it was different that time, right?", I said, trying to highlight optimism in it.
"Yes, it was different. I didn't lose you like before, it was just our first step to our togetherness", she said, dropping a kiss on my nose.
---------------------------------Flashback Starts (Zoya's POV)-----------------------------
It was the most beautiful vacation of my life. Asad was in Mumbai this time. I spent my days with him and Najma, reminiscing the old days. I remembered less than him and I was surprised to know that Asad had so many beautiful memories still carved in his mind, conspicuously. All these were unknown to Najma and she seemed to enjoy everything the most.
But he was there for only two weeks, and then, he would leave for New York to continue with his studies there. He was going there to pursue his dream to get his degree in Architecture. This meant that I would not see him again for the next five years. But this time, he ensured me that he would stay in touch. We had already shared our Email ID's and phone numbers and had also decided to Skype. This time, I could just not lose him.
Though he had assured me of it, but I was still not satisfied. I could neither be selfish enough to stop him though, nor had I any right to do so, but my stupid idiotic imprudent tears could just not let him be out of sight! I had a fear of losing him again after this long wait.
He placed the softest kiss on my forehead before leaving but this time reassuring me of his comeback.
----------------------------------Flashback Ends------------------------------------
I checked the time. It was almost 9 O' clock in the morning and we were still in bed, laughing, crying and rejoicing our old moments. It was a Sunday; hence Asad was allowed to wake up late. I got up from the bed again, and turned my head to look at his sleeping form. He was asleep once again! How much can a person sleep on weekends! I sighed heavily, chuckled a little and headed towards the washroom to freshen up.
He came down for breakfast at 10, almost two hours later than his usual time. He followed his daily routine of kissing me on my cheeks and making me blush, before taking his seat beside me. How adorable can someone be!
"Zoya, do you remember that day when you almost gobbled your breakfast when you had found me online?"
I laughed hard and then realized that he was teasing me. I smacked him on his arm playfully and ordered him to eat.
-------------------------------Flashback starts (Zoya's POV)-------------------------------
I was having breakfast in my room when I heard a sound of ping from my laptop. I looked up and saw Asad was online. I turned around and gulped down the juice and swallowed the half chewed bread hurriedly. I saw him staring and laughing at me. No doubt, I was angry, but I was happier to see him.
Yes, he had kept his promise. He used to send me mails every other day and I always made sure to reply to them. It was his fourth year in New York and I had successfully passed out High School and took up Interior Designing as it was something in which I took interest in. Asad supported me the most in my decision and my parents also seemed to be happy about it. Asad was not only my friend, but my philosopher and guide too.
"Zoya, did someone ever tell you that you eat like a monkey?", he said, laughing like a maniac.
I threw a resentful glance at him and he stopped laughing instantly.
"I...I ... am... Sorry, but I just couldn't resist myself!", he said, trying to control his laughter.
"You saw me eating like a monkey but you did not see the reason behind it! How insensible of you Asad", I yelled with an evident pain visible on my face.
He showed me his most attractive smile and asked me the reason for my stress. Unlike other times, I reacted in a different way today. I always got irritated by his taunts but had never shouted at him. It was one of the most accustomed things between us and was more like a tradition.
And, he read my mind again. I told him about the project that I was given to handle and how brilliantly I had messed it up due to my stupidity. My professor was hell angry with me and I was given a deadline of the day after tomorrow to mend my mistakes.
As I said, Asad was my guide too. He helped me out and the project was indeed successful. He advised me not to panic at the time of crisis and like every other word of his, I stored this piece of advice in my memory too.
-------------------------------Flashback Ends------------------------------------
"I missed you so much during those five years Asad. My eyes longed to see you, my hands longed to touch you...", I said and sighed, hugging him from behind. He turned me around and held me by my waist. I scooped my arms around his neck as a reflex and looked into his eyes which conveyed only love for me.
"When will you stop with this Zoya?", he asked me.
I kissed him on his perfect jaw line and answered, "Never!"
He laughed and hugged me, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.
"You know, I was so excited on the day I was coming back. Only the thought of meeting you was increasing my adrenaline rush...", he said, while rubbing his hands possessively on my back.
"Hmmm...", I said, inhaling his scent that never failed to intoxicate me. There was no need to say anything more.
------------------------------Flashback Starts (Asad's POV)----------------------------
I was so excited. I was finally going back to India, back to my Zoya. I would be able to see her, not that I didn't see her in these five years, but it would be different now... I smiled inwardly at my thoughts and called her up for the last time from New York, before entering the Airport. She seemed to be more excited than I was and she did nothing to suppress her excitement this time.
I went to Delhi and met my parents. After a week, we decided to go to Mumbai for another vacation before the kick start of me joining our family business. I entered the Farooqui Villa' and the scenario was absolutely different this time. As soon as the door opened, I saw Zoya launching herself on me, not bothered about the presence of others in the room. She hugged me tighter and said, "I missed you so much Asad!!" I understood from her voice that she was about to cry, but I could not let that happen.
"Yes, I am back, good for you and not so good for me", I said, trying to lighten her mood. She laughed and smacked me on my arm, and welcomed me and my family inside.
I was there only for a week and I had another best vacation of my life. Spending time with Zoya was indeed the best thing in my life.
I returned to Delhi, but this time her face was not gloomy. She knew that I would go nowhere now.
-----------------------------------Flashback Ends------------------------------------
"Zoya, let's go out for dinner tonight", I said while looking up from my laptop screen.
"No." I was surprised by her answer. She never said no for eating out.
"And why is that so?", I asked her.
"Because, I want to spend some lone time with my husband today and not in any crowd...", she said, proudly flashing her endearing dimples.
"You are unbelievable sometimes! Do you know that?"
"Not more than you my dear husband!", she said while giggling.
"I know", I said winking at her.
----------------------------Flashback Starts (Zoya's POV)----------------------------
It was two years since Asad had got settled in our family business. His degree and profound knowledge in Architecture took the business to more heights and it flourished like never before. My Interior Designing course was over and I was also working for our own company on his suggestion. He said, my knowledge in it would help in the decor of the buildings or hotels that he made. His motivation was something that had always helped me.
People say, 'Behind every man's success, there is a woman'. But for me, My Man was behind my every success. His friendship became my strength, his companionship became my courage and his faith in me made me believe in myself. He says the same! Hahaha...!
It was a Friday when my father had informed me of Asad and his family's arrival in Mumbai. It was now the most natural thing to happen as we both travelled a lot to each other's places for business. I took it as just another visit of him with his family.
I greeted them in the usual way like I always did. I hugged him like every time, but this was the first time when I earned giggles from everyone after that. I looked at them suspiciously as I smelled something fishy in the air. I ignored it for the time being and moved inside with them.
During lunch, I saw Najma and others staring at me and chuckling at times. There was definitely something that I was unaware of. It did not take long for Najma to break out into fits of laughter.
"What is wrong with you all today? Why is everybody behaving with me so strangely?", I asked, unable to control my curiosity anymore.
"You will know that in some time", said Asad, mischief clearly visible in his eyes.
My Ammi and Dilshad Aunty called me in her room some time later after lunch. It was then when she broke out the actual reason for the arrival of Arora Family.
"At first, we had decided that we would not tell you anything, but now there is a bit of change in the plan", Dilshad Aunty said, cupping my face in her palms.
"Will you marry my son?", she asked me.
I was left speechless for a moment. I had never thought about it. It was not like I wasn't happy, but I wasn't ready...Not yet, as I had never talked about it with Asad before.
"Aunty...I ..I...I think you should ask Asad first", I said. She laughed at my words.
"What do you think? We are doing it without his consent in all this? It was him who said that he wanted to marry you. Not like we didn't know...In fact, it was something that destiny had planned for you long before...but when he had told me about his feelings, I can't tell you how happy I was Zoya! ", she said while tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
Asad had told that himself and he was here to get married to me? My ears were still not able to believe this but my heart had already started doing summersaults.
"But why did that Duffer not tell anything to me before?", I asked, and bit my tongue when I realized that I was speaking to my future mother-in-law about her own son.
"I don't know about that. It's between you and him. But now, you tell me, should I take it as a yes from you?" , she asked me , smiling.
I looked at my mother before giving her any answer. She smiled and nodded her head at me to proceed.
"Yes", I said and my cheeks turned red.
"So, now that you are going to be my daughter-in-law, I want you to call me Ammi". I agreed and did what she said to which she hugged me again, blessing me for my blissful life ahead.
------------------------------------Flashback Ends--------------------------------------
"I really don't know what was wrong with you that day... Who comes all of a sudden to get engaged like this?", I asked him.
"Smart People like me of course!", he said, proudly.
"But what you did to me was nothing less than a torture Zoya... You had nearly given me a heart attack on that day!!", he said, faking a heart attack now. I glared at him to make him stop.
-------------------------------Flashback Starts (Asad's POV)------------------------------
Our engagement was planned to take place after two days with just the family being around. I wore a black Sherwani and she wore an Anarkali of red and green combination. She did not look less than any angel. I was proud of her. She was My Angel who came into my life only to make it more beautiful and brighter.
I took her hand in mine to put the ring in her finger when she suddenly drew it back.
"What happened to you?", I asked, shocked by her action.
"I don't want to get engaged to you", she said, frightening me more.
"What the hell are you saying Zoya?", I asked, my voice getting a little louder, yet trembling more in fear with each word.
"What? I am saying what I should be saying...", she said with a pout.
Her pout signified that she was up to some mischief. I indicated her with my eyes to go on with what she was saying.
"Ammis, Abbus and Najma, tell me, how can I agree to marry him when he didn't even propose me once?", she said, showing her puppy face and earning giggles from everyone at the plural of the words Ammi' and Abbu'..
"C'mon Zoya, we are getting engaged now, can't I do that later?", I asked, not quite believing her silly antics. Her face showed no sign of agreement; hence I decided to give in thinking that it was just the beginning of my slavery for her.
I took her hands in mine and asked her, "Will you marry me Zoya?"
"I will never marry you if you will propose me like this...", she said and turned around.
I finally made her look into my eyes and said what my heart felt at that moment, with utmost sincerity.
"I have not been with you for many years, but I have missed you every day... I did not see you for many years, but I did not forget to remember you every moment... I remember the days when I had left you, the days when we were away from each other, but I never failed to see you in my dreams... I always dreamt of the day when we would be together, forever... I don't know when I had started loving you, but being in love with you has been the best feeling in my life so far... And I want to cherish that feeling throughout the rest of my life... Will you be with me to cherish that too, forever? I love you..Will you marry me?"
She was not uttering any word. I understood that she was too contented to say anything. She was laughing and crying at the same time.
"I love you too...", she said, her voice quivering because of the lump that formed in her throat. I took her into the most gentle hug and slipped the ring into her ring finger and claimed her to be mine, forever.
Our wedding was a grand affair which was held after three months of our engagement. That day, my dream came true. Zoya was mine by all means. From this marriage I got an understanding and beautiful wife, a best friend, my love, in short, she was my Life Support System. That day was indeed another addition to the list of the best days of my life!
---------------------------------Flashback Ends--------------------------------------
(Zoya's POV)
I was working in the kitchen when I heard the doorbell. I opened the door and found a delivery boy with my favorite pizza and coke. It was only Asad who could order it for me. Even in his busy schedule, he never failed to take care of me in the absence of our family members.
Yes, now we were in Delhi as Asad's Mom and Dad had decided to move back to Mumbai to spend their lives with their friends. Even my parents got company over there and they all were happy to be together... I was here with Asad in Delhi as we had the business to take care of. My father and Rashid Abbu continued with their work in Mumbai as it was getting extremely difficult for Asad to travel so frequently. But we did go to Mumbai once a month to spend some quality time with our family.
I took the pizza box and went to our room where I saw Asad still working on his laptop. I took it and placed it away from him. He did not bother to stop me as he was sure that I would not listen to him. I took a slice and fed him. He did the same. Sharing pizza together was another conventional thing that we often did whenever we got any time.
He made me sit on his lap and kept looking at me, making me blush to a deeper shade of red.
"Asad...!!", I said, while my cheeks turned crimson.
"What?", he asked, innocently. I knew what he was up to. I pushed him back and said, "Asad, you are happy na?"
"Not yet", he said, with naughtiness visible in his eyes.
"Shut up!! Tell me, are you happy?", I asked him again.
He cupped my face and said, "With you, Yes...Without you, Never!"
"Promise me that you will always love me...", I said.
"I promise to love you for the rest of my life and later... I promise to love you more each day... I promise to be with you, till my last breath... I promise you everything!!" And with that, he sealed his promises with a warm kiss on my lips. It was a kiss of pure love and a vow that intensified with his every move.
With him, every day of my life was a pure bliss, pure marital bliss... It was just another day of our lives when we sailed together in the memories of our past. It Was Just Another Day of Love...
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