BROKEN WINGS - AsYa SS, chapter 7 updated,PG 85 (17/8) - Page 6

Hi All,

first of all thanks to everyone who liked the prologue and  supported me by their encouraging words. so this chapter is for everyone who commented and liked it.. thank you once again.

And here is chapter 1. It's a bit long and dragging. but to establish the story it was needed... so hope you will bear with me..😃

CHAPTER1:

4 months later...

Khan Mansion, Beverly Hills:

The morning rays of sunlight filtering through the half drawn curtains woke up Dilshad Ahmed Khan and she immediately jumped up and sat up without a second of delay and without wasting any leisurely few minutes in waking up. It had become her habit to get up as early as possible, rush up with brushing her teeth and taking her shower and she would get ready in no time and rush to her son's room to check on him and then she would go to prepare his breakfast with her own hands. She would not let the cook or the Maids to even touch his breakfast. And for the past 4 months all her time was spent in taking care of him.

She went to Asad's room and opened the door to see that he was still asleep. On some days he would be already awake when she checked on him, but on other days he would sleep late. She went in and stood beside his bed and stared at his face which looked so innocent and boyish while he was sleeping. A lock of his hair which had grown long had fallen over his brows and was covering his eyes and she reached out and smoothed it away lovingly. And it was then that she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. She knew the cause of it. He was still having a hard time accepting the blow fate had bestowed on him, and he was not only physically but emotionally and psychologically damaged.

And Dilshad knew that he hardly slept on some nights despite taking the tablets he had been given by the doctor in order to help him sleep. And Dilshad's heart once again ached for him. She wondered why fate had been so cruel to her son. And her thoughts went back to four months to the day when she had learnt about his accident.

She was sleeping peacefully that morning when she was woken up by her husband Rashid Ahmed Khan. He looked totally devastated and even before he could say anything she immediately knew that something terrible had happened to either of their children, Najma or Asad.

"Dilshad we have to fly to Paris." Rashid whispered.

"Something has happened to Asad isn't it?" Dilshad asked weakly and clutched Rashid's arms and Rashid nodded his head. They knew that he was in Paris. He had called them only two nights back and had told them that he would be returning in a couple of days.

"What happened?" Dilshad looked at Rashid's eyes questioningly. But even at that moment of distress her concerned eyes that gazed at him were soft and gentle and it was at moments like this Rashid felt that he fell in love with her a little more with each passing day.   He felt a choking sensation and before answering her, he had to gulp and clear his throat. His wife and his two children meant the world to him.

"An accident and he is injured and at the hospital... I...I do not know the details." He added the last bit quickly even though it was a lie and the French police had briefed him and told him that Asad's condition was critical. He did not want his wife to break down at least till they reached Asad. He wanted her to have few hours of sanity before they faced the nightmare that awaited them in Paris.

"Ya Allah let my son be safe... Rashid let's leave quickly" Dilshad whispered shakily.

"Yea we will take the first available flight... so let's get ready quickly" Rashid whispered and moved away feeling guilty he had lied to her, but he had no choice. He had to reach Asad fast and he had to be strong for him but he knew that he would not be able to do that if he sees his wife broken.

When they reached Paris, Rashid hired a car and without even checking into a hotel they went straight to the hospital. When they had explained to a girl at the reception who they were, they were immediately taken to meet the Neurosurgeon who operated Asad almost 6 hours back. Rashid had received another phone call while they were still at LA airport asking permission from him to operate on Asad. They had told him that there was bleeding inside Asad's head and a large clot had formed which was enlarging and pressing on his brain matter and that it would damage a part of his brain permanently unless they operate and remove that clot and control the bleeding immediately. Rashid had agreed immediately and told the doctor to do whatever is necessary to save his son.

Rashid and Dilshad sat in front of the Doctor's room clutching each other's hand tightly, and waited for him to finish with the patient who was already inside. And finally after ten minutes which felt like hours to them they were called inside.

The doctor had met and talked to many parents and relatives of such critically injured patients and he was used to their anguish, but seeing the couple who just entered his room holding each other's hand tightly, his heart went out to them. They truly looked like a couple who were so much in love and so much together and he knew that their children would mean a lot to such couples.

"Please take a seat." The doctor told them softly and while sitting down they tried to smile at him but the smile did not reach their eyes.

"Well Mr. and Mrs. Khan, I guess you would like me to be frank and straightforward and tell you everything about your son in detail right?" the doctor asked them gently and Rashid and Dilshad could only nod in answer.

And although he was French, the Doctor knew English quite well and in the next half an hour he explained to them everything regarding Asad's condition and his prognosis.

He told them that the surgery they did on his head was successful but he cautioned them that there might be some damage to his brain and its functions that had occurred before they could do the surgery. The other thing he told them was that the MRI scan did not show that the fracture on his spine had damaged his spinal cord and the nerves. He said that was a very positive thing as it confirms that it would not cause complete paralysis of his legs. But he then again cautioned them that there could still be some minor nerve injuries which may cause some weakness of his legs. And he said they cannot be sure of all that and cannot say how much was the extent of damage that Asad's injuries had caused till Asad regained consciousness and they could check things like power of his muscles and its movement.

And finally he told them that Asad's condition was still critical as he had lost a lot of blood and had already gone into hypovolemic shock by the time he was rescued and they had started the resuscitation, and that might have damaged some of his other internal organs like his kidneys as well.

The doctor explained to them everything in detail leaving nothing, and all they could do was sit numbly in front him and listen to what he said. Dilshad could hardly comprehend what the doctor said but Rashid, who had been briefed about Asad's condition earlier and had been anticipating the worst, understood what the doctor told and the gravity of the situation.

"Can we just see him?" Rashid finally asked the Doctor solemnly.

"Yes of course, come with me."

They walked with the Doctor to the Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit where Asad was kept. They gazed at the unconscious form of their son who laid still, his head bandaged; tubes and wires connected to every part of his body. Even his respiration was assisted by a ventilator.

The next few days were like a nightmare to Dilshad and Rashid and now Dilshad could hardly remember the events of those few days. Most of the things were now a blur in her mind, but she could remember the fear that gripped them once again 3 days later when the doctors had told them that Asad has developed another complication.

On the third day, Asad had started responding to some stimuli like pain and the doctors decided to take him off from the ventilator as he was breathing normally and his vital signs were stable. The Doctors explained this to them and told them that they had hope he will regain full consciousness soon. Dilshad and Rashid sighed with relief and sent a silent prayer upwards. They had been in the hospital without even sleeping for those three days and Rashid knew that Dilshad was about to collapse so after hearing the good news about Asad he had taken Dilshad to the hotel and made her sleep. But less than five hours later they were again called to the hospital. They were told that Asad has developed a complication called pulmonary edema; in which there was fluid in his air spaces and it was making him unable to breathe and supply the oxygen needed for his body. They said it may be due to the bleeding he had inside his head or it could have been due to the large amount of fluid pumped into his body at the time of resuscitation. He was having a lot of difficulty in breathing and they had to put him back on the ventilator. And after this incident, he again stopped responding to pain stimuli as well and the Doctors told them that he had passed into deep coma.

And this time, even the doctors could not tell them anything regarding his prognosis and all they would tell was that his prognosis was guarded and they could not say anything for sure. And the next few days were again a nightmare to them. Dilshad had become totally devastated by then. She had been courageous all the while until the doctors broke the news of his latest complication. But after that it looked like she herself had gone in to a coma. She did not talk, she did not sleep and she did not eat and Rashid was at his wits end not knowing what to do and finally Rashid broke down and cried in front of Dilshad.

"Dilshad, we cannot be like this. We have to be strong for the sake of our son. If we both fall sick who will be there for Asad? So please eat something and go to hotel and try to sleep for a while." Rashid pleaded holding Dilshad's hands and she started sobbing uncontrollably. They held on to each other and cried their heart out, and strangely Dilshad felt much better after that and she promised Rashid that she would stay strong for the sake of their son.

And then another week passed and the doctors told them that Asad's pulmonary edema had become better. He was once again vitally stable and even his kidney functions remained normal. But still he did not regain consciousness and the doctors told them that they cannot say when he would come out of coma.

Dilshad and Rashid started going to a mosque daily. It was an hour's drive away, but every day they did it relentlessly and prayed for Asad. And even at hospital they did their regular prayers five times and at the end of each prayer they prayed for Asad's recovery. Days started passing this way into weeks and Asad was still in coma. But Dilshad and Rashid did not give up hope.

And at the end of 5^th week Asad was finally shifted out of the intensive care unit into a room. And that made it easy for Dilshad and Rashid to be with him. Dilshad had heard from somewhere that people in coma can actually hear and feel the presence of the loved ones around them. And one of them always sat beside him holding his hand and talking to him.

And then two more weeks passed this way and it was the end of 8^th week. It was evening time and as usual Dilshad was sitting beside Asad holding his hand and murmuring soothing words when she dozed off due to tiredness. After a while, she was awoken by someone trying to hold her hand and it did not first register her that it could be Asad. But then to her surprise she saw that it was Asad's hand and he was trying to grip her fingers. She knew that when she had dozed off she was holding his hand but in her sleep she must have let go of her hold and Asad was trying to hold her hand back. His grip was weak and his fingers were trembling but he managed to hold Dilshad's index finger just like he did when he was a baby. Tears streamed down Dilshad's face; she held his hand and squeezed it reassuringly and then she saw him blink his eyes. Dilshad could not believe it. Was he finally getting conscious? She sat and stared at his face, still holding his hand and caressing his knuckles gently. About fifteen minutes passed and nothing happened and just as Dilshad started wondering whether she had imagined him holding her hand, she saw him blink once again. And then she saw him move his eye balls. He did not open his eyes but she could clearly see that he was moving his eye balls and was trying to open his eyes.

Dilshad called for a nurse and told her what had happened and the nurse called for the Doctor on duty. They examined him and told Dilshad that he was really regaining consciousness and Dilshad called Rashid and broke the news.

In the next two days Asad remained in a semi conscious state. When they called him or touched him, as a response he would just squeeze his eyes and move his eye brows a little. And on the next day he finally opened his eyes. But on the first two times he just opened them and closed immediately.

And then almost six hours later Asad regained full consciousness. He opened his eyes when Dilshad called him and when she touched his hand he reached out to her with trembling fingers.

"Ammi." He whispered and Dilshad and Rashid finally heard his voice after 2 long months of waiting. They cried and hugged him and talked to him. Their son was back with them; he was conscious and talking to them and they did not anticipate another problem.

But few hours later, they had to face another crisis. Asad had drifted off to sleep after he first talked to them and he woke up again few hours later and called out to Dilshad. Dilshad answered him and looked at his face but instead of looking at her he was staring straight ahead.

"Ammi, where are you? I can't see you..." he whispered.

"I am here Asad. Look at me." She touched his cheek and turned his face towards her but he could not still meet her eyes and Dilshad became alerted that something was wrong.

"I still can't see you Ammi... I can't see anything." He became agitated.

Dilshad asked for a doctor and this time a team of them came and checked Asad thoroughly for almost an hour. At the end of it they called Dilshad and Rashid and explained to them regarding Asad's condition once again. The first thing they told them was that he cannot see. He had become blind due to the brain damage that had occurred when he had bleeding inside his head. And they said that there was fifty- fifty chance that his vision may come back, and all they could do was wait and watch as there was no specific treatment they could give for that. The other problem he had was extensive weakness of his leg muscles; and he cannot walk. They explained that it was again a result of his brain damage combined with the fact that he was in coma for 2 months and was not using his muscles.

And Rashid and dilshad understood that their son still had a long way for recovery; and doctors told them he needed a lot of support both emotionally and physically. They had seen how loving the couple was towards their son and they were sure that Rashid and Dilshad would always support their son; but they knew how much stress this type of thing can put on anyone so they advised Dilshad and Rashid also to get some psychological help.

They then outlined a recovery program for Asad which included daily physiotherapy and sessions with a counselor.

They stayed in Paris for another on month. Asad had improved a lot physically during that time. There was a slight improvement in the strength of his leg muscles as well and he had started looking healthier. But Dilshad could see that mentally he was not alright. He tried not to show it to them but they could still see that his physical disabilities were affecting him mentally.

And then they decided to bring him back to America. They talked with a well known Neurologist who was a client of Rashid back at home and under his guidance they had brought him back home. And he had been home since one month and had been continuing with his physiotherapy and medications. They have even hired a nurse who would look after him round the clock but Dilshad still never left his side when she was awake.

6 months later...

Siddique mansion, Brentwood:

The house had been decorated like never before. No expenses were spared to make that evening's function memorable. After all it was the wedding of the daughter of Ghaffur Ahmed Siddique, one of the richest men of Indian origin in Brentwood, LA.

The best wedding planner around had been hired and everything was organized beautifully. All of Gahffur's relatives had been invited and the house was full of guests;extra staff had been hired to look after them and cater to all their needs as well.

And while all this had been going on, the bride sat in her large bedroom staring at the beautiful wedding dress that hung in her closet. It was her wedding day, a day about which she had dreamt thousand dreams. And everything including that beautiful wedding dress fits with the dream weddings she had imagined. But she was not happy. Something had been nagging her and what was it she did not know. All she knew was she felt restless and dissatisfied. And at times she felt as if she was making a big mistake. Was it what they called wedding jitters? She wondered for the hundredth time that day.

The click of her bedroom door opening brought her out of her thoughts. Her Ammi, Zainab stood in front of the door staring at her with a thoughtful look.

"Ammi.." she whispered with a hesitant smile.

Zainab walked up to her and caressed her cheeks lovingly, all the while staring at her eyes as if searching for something in those eyes.

"Beta, are you sure about what you are doing? Are you happy with this wedding?" Zainab asked her after a while.

"Yes Ammi." she sighed and held Zainab's hands.

"Then, why do I see a different thing in your eyes Zoya? Why do I feel that this is not what you really want?"

Zoya wanted to tell her Ammi about what she was thinking earlier. But she did not want her to get unnecessarily worried. She looked at her Ammi's face which already looked worried and her heart constricted. She knew that she meant everything to her Ammi. She had grown up seeing the unhappy life her mother led despite living inside that beautiful mansion, surrounded by every comfort that money could buy. Being married to a man who never cared about her feelings and being the subject of her step mother's taunts and misbehavior certainly never brought her any happiness.

And Zoya knew that her own happiness was the only thing that brought any happiness to her Ammi. Hence she did not want to make her Ammi unhappy by telling her about the doubts she was having about this marriage at the last minute. May be it was time she dismissed all those thoughts and enjoyed her own wedding. After all she had agreed to this marriage willingly and she did not have those doubts earlier.

"Ammi you are just imagining things.. I admit that I am a little nervous.. I guess every bride goes through this and that is what you are seeing in my eyes." Zoya tried to smile brightly.

"Relax Ammi." Zoya kissed Zainab's cheek lovingly.

But Zainab wasn't satisfied. There was something that had been nagging her since last six months. Since the time Siddique brought Zoya from Paris after that accident. And today seeing Zoya this way on her wedding day, that nagging feeling had intensified.

When Zoya was brought back home from Paris, what Zainab saw was a completely changed Zoya.

Despite having a difficult childhood due to the problems that existed between her parents, and having grown up with a father who never understood her and who never cared enough about her feelings, Zoya grew up to be a loving young woman full of life and happy with the world.

But the Zoya who returned from Paris was a silent, solemn looking Zoya who did not smile and who did not even try to make her Ammi smile by fooling around.

Over the next few days Zainab got really worried seeing how her daughter was. And one day about a week later, Zainab could not take it any longer and she pleaded with her husband to at least make arrangements for her to take her daughter to a doctor.

And after carefully listening to everything Zainab told and after having a private chat with Zoya, the doctor told her that it was due to the accident she had. He said that Zoya was still in shock and that it was normal to be like that after experiencing such a life threatening situation. He assured Zainab that Zoya would become alright with time. And the only thing she needed was care and love and perhaps some psychological help in the form of counseling.

Zainab took Zoya for counseling and true to the doctors words Zoya did improve over the next few months. She started talking normally and she even started playing the usual pranks that she played with her Ammi, but Zainab could still see that there was something amiss with Zoya. Her smile never reached her eyes, and the spark that used to be in her eyes never returned. And her laughter no longer sounded so melodious.

And Zainab's mother's instinct knew that something had happened to her daughter that went beyond the shock and emotional trauma following that accident. And she wanted to talk to Zoya and ask her what exactly had happened in Paris. She wanted answers so that she could help her daughter. But she had no way of getting those answers because the one person who could give them was Zoya herself and she was not in a condition to give those answers even if Zainab asked her.

A knock on the door brought Zainab out of her thoughts and she went and opened the door. Zoya's distant cousin, Shama stood at the door. She was a well known makeup artist in LA and she had come to do Zoya's make up for the wedding.

"Hi Auntie... how are you?" Shama greeted Zainab and walked in to the room.

"Zoe, it's been so long since I saw you. How are you Darling?" She came and hugged Zoya.

"I am good. How have you been Kiddo?" Shama was 2 years younger than Zoya and when they were small Zoya had started calling her kiddo and it used to irritate Shama a lot. But even after they grew up Zoya would playfully address her that way.

"I am good Aapi..." whenever Zoya irritated Shama by calling her Kiddo, she would taunt Zoya by calling her Aapi even though they were more like friends than sisters.

"I can't believe that you are finally getting married Zoe.."

"What do you mean finally? For your kind information, it's not late for me to get married" Zoya hit Shama's hand playfully.

Zainab watched the two behaving like kids and seeing Zoya laughing again she felt that perhaps she was wrong in thinking that Zoya wasn't really happy with this marriage. Could it be that what she thought of as a mother's instinct was just a mother's overt worry over her child? Zainab wondered.

"So shall we start? After all today I have the huge task of making you the prettiest bride ever." Shama laughed and pulled Zoya towards her dressing table where Shama had already laid out everything needed for doing the makeup.

Zainab sat there for a while and watched Zoya's makeup being done. And as her beautiful daughter's face got slowly transformed in to that of a breathtaking bride, tears welled in her eyes and she prayed silently to Allah to let her daughter be happy always, to let her find love and happiness in her marriage. And to never bestow her with the fate with which she was bestowed. And not wanting Zoya to see her tears, she went away from there saying she herself had to get ready.

After an hour Zoya was almost ready. The only thing left was to put on her dress. Shama had wanted to help her put it on as well but Zoya insisted that she could do it alone and sent Shama away telling her that she too should get ready in time. But the truth was Zoya had once again started to feel restless thinking that she would be married in less than two hours. And she wanted a moment alone.

Once Shama went away Zoya sighed wondering what was happening to her and once again she stood staring at the beautiful wedding dress that hung in her closet before taking it out and mechanically putting it on. She then sat in front of her dressing table and stared at herself in the mirror. And even she had to admit that she looked beautiful, just the way she had always dreamt of looking on her wedding day. But she did not feel any happiness, all she felt was a kind of emptiness and once again that nagging feeling of doing something wrong gripped her.

And she wondered why. Was it because she didn't love Ayaan? Was she making a mistake by agreeing to this marriage on the insistence of her father? But she had grown up kind of knowing that she would one day marry a man of her father's choice. They lived in a modern world and Zoya was a born and bred American but when it came to traditions her father was a strict follower of certain things, especially when it suited his whims and needs. So she knew that when it came to her marriage she would have to marry either someone chosen by her father or someone her father approved of. And Ayaan was the chosen one and she had agreed to this marriage one month back.

She had known Ayaan since childhood, and literally saying they had grown up together. Ayaan's mother Shirin was Siddique's cousin and Ayaan's father Rizwan was his business partner and the family had been close since long back. After high school, Ayaan had opted to go to California to study Law and Zoya and Ayaan lost touch during those days. But three years ago he had returned back as a fully fledged Lawyer and had started practicing at home. And since his return he had started looking after Siddique and Rizwan's company's legal aspects as well, and this gave him more opportunities to visit Zoya's home as well and that was how Zoya and Ayaan became friends again. And Ayaan was always very cordial and charming with her. And since a year back she had actually started to feel that Ayaan had started seeing her as someone more than a friend and at times it had made her feel uncomfortable in his company. But he never crossed any limits and never openly told Zoya anything regarding his feelings, so she could not do anything about it.

And then she remembered what happened on a day nine months back. At the end of their dinner that night her Abbu told Zoya and Zainab that Shirin and Rizwan had shown an interest in making Zoya their daughter in law and that he felt that Ayaan was the best match for Zoya and so he was going to fix Zoya and Ayaan's engagement. After saying that her Abbu had gotten up from the table and had walked away without even waiting to hear what they had to say about it. Seeing their predicament, her step mother who was waiting just to see their reactions, smiled at them mockingly.

 Zoya had always known that her Abbu would do this someday but when it actually happened she was still shocked and she could not come to terms with it. She wasn't ready to get married, especially to a person for whom she did not have those kinds of feelings.

Late that night, she went to her Ammi's room, lay on her lap and cried her heart out.

"Zoya, sweetheart you don't have to do what your heart doesn't agree to do, even if your Abbu tells you to do it. I am always with you in whatever decision you take. I know that I don't have any power to do anything in this house, but for you I am ready to fight with everyone. Just tell me what you want."

Her Ammi's words that night gave her the courage to refuse her Abbu. She did not want her Ammi to get in to more trouble by fighting for her so she took it upon herself to fight for her. The next day she had gone to her Abbu and told him clearly that she wasn't ready for marriage and that she needed at least a year's time to first follow her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Her Abbu shouted at her angrily but she stood her ground. And in the end, just to make her Abbu calm down she told him that she would consider his wishes and would think about getting married to Ayaan during that one year period.

But after that day she actually started avoiding Ayaan. Ayaan on the other hand started pursuing her more often. And then a month later as a means of escaping everything she had decided to go away. She contacted one of her friends in Paris and got herself enrolled in a short fashion designing course of two weeks.

On her Abbu's insistence Zoya had actually done a bachelor's degree in Law but she never practiced. She was in her final year when she finally admitted to herself that it wasn't what she really wanted and she told her Abbu that she wasn't going to practice Law. And that day they had another big argument but even on that day Zoya stood firm on her decision. But not wanting to leave college without completing her studies, she went to college in that final year and even got her degree.

But since then she had been staying at home wondering what it was that she really wanted to do. And it was during a week end trip to New York with a friend where they had attended a fashion show that she finally realized what she wanted to do. She had always been interested in fashion and she had always stood out among her friends for her sense in dressing. So the chance to escape Ayaan and her Abbu and at the same time follow her dreams was the best thing for Zoya and she had gone to Paris happily. At the time, she had ignored the fact that when she returned she would be forced to face the same thing that she had escaped by going to Paris.

"Zoya!" hearing her name Zoya came out of her thoughts to see Ayaan's Ammi, her Shirin Aunty entering her room and walking towards her.

"I am so glad you and Ayaan are getting married today." She stood before her and kissed Zoya's forehead lovingly and Zoya smiled at her hesitatingly. She didn't know why but she had never really liked her Shirin Aunty despite Shirin being fond of her and always treating her warmly.

And then she again wondered why she had ultimately agreed to this marriage when she did not like her Shirin Aunty and when she did not have any feelings towards Ayaan accept that of a friend. And she wondered whether she had done a big mistake by falling victim to her Abbu's insistence. Ever since he brought her from Paris he had again started the topic of her marriage with Ayaan and finally one month back, tired of her Abbu's persistent talks, she had agreed to the marriage.

And since then she had convinced herself that Ayaan was a good match for her. He had been a friend, they knew each other quite well, he was close to her family and he was even gracious to her Ammi whenever they met. And she convinced herself that she was actually lucky to get someone like Ayaan as her life partner and she had started feeling happy about it. And she had gone out with Ayaan a couple of times in the past one month and she had even enjoyed his company.

Everyone was happy about this progress and the marriage except for Zainab. She had doubts from the beginning and she had asked Zoya several times to reconsider her decision and each time Zoya had reassured her Ammi saying that she wanted to get married to Ayaan and she was happy with the decision. But now, once again she herself had started having doubts and unexplained feelings regarding this marriage and she again wondered why it was.

"Zoya, where are you lost? What are you thinking?" she heard her Shirin Aunty's voice.

"Umm.. it's nothing Aunty." Zoya whispered.

"You should now start calling me Ammi, Zoya. It's almost time for Nikah and once you are married to Ayaan I will be your Ammi right?" Shirin laughed. Zoya just smiled slightly at her and did not say anything in reply.

And Zainab, Shama and another cousin of Zoya entered the room at that moment.

"It's time to take you down Zoe." Shama said excitedly.

Zoya looked up and her eyes met with that of her Ammi's and it was full of questions and Zoya knew that her Ammi was asking her even in that last minute whether she was sure of what she was doing.

She then took a deep breath, smiled at her Ammi lovingly and got up from her chair, and held the sides of her long and heavy lehenga. She cannot back out of it now and she was going to go ahead with it. And she walked out of her room accompanied by her Ammi and her would be Ammi and cousins to face the future that awaited her.

The wedding ceremony progressed in the traditional Muslim way and when the time came for her to say the words "Qubool Hai'', Zoya once again hesitated. Once again she got that strong feeling of doing something very wrong and an unknown fear gripped her. And then suddenly something triggered at the back of her mind and she closed her eyes and tried to remember what it was. But she could not and then she felt her step mother who was sitting on one side of her, nudging her and whispering her name harshly. She looked at Raziya's angry face and then realized that everyone had been waiting for her to say those final words and she shakily whispered "Qubool Hai."

And it was done. Zoya Siddique had gotten married to Ayaan Ahmed Rizwan.

About 6 hours later, after food and some celebrations back at home, Zoya was taken to Ayaan's home. She was led to Ayaan's bedroom by Shirin and made to sit on the decorated bed. Everything was done as per traditions, but Zoya was in kind of a trance and it hardly registered in her mind. Since she said Qubool Hai she felt as if she was in a dream and everything that was happening around her was happening to someone else and she did everything required of her mechanically as if it had nothing to do with her.

After a while she saw the bedroom door opening and Ayaan entering but again it did not occur to her that he was there for her and it was her husband coming to spend that night with her. She was still in a trance. Meanwhile Ayaan closed the door and stood staring at his beautiful bride. He could hardly believe that she was finally his. He had fallen in love with her and had wanted her since almost three years. But she had rejected him earlier and it hurt him a lot. But he had waited patiently and today she was his.

Ayaan walked confidently up to the bed and sat beside Zoya. He could not take his eyes off Zoya's face. He reached out and caressed her cheeks and Zoya who was sitting with her head bowed suddenly looked up and stared at him. But instead of the loving look that Ayaan wanted to see on her face, what he saw was surprise and bewilderment. It was as if she had just come out of a dream and realized who he was. But Ayaan did not really understand the look on her face and so ignoring it he held her hands and caressed her knuckles.

"Zoya.. I am so happy today. You are finally mine and this is going to be the most beautiful night of our life. Are you happy Zoya?" Ayaan asked but Zoya just continued to stare at him blankly and did not answer him.

Ayaan was however too carried away to notice any change in Zoya and he smiled and shifted more close to her. He then kissed Zoya's cheeks and Zoya gasped. Ayaan felt it, but thinking of it as something Zoya did as a result of her feelings towards him, he moved even closer and held Zoya by her waist and buried his face in her neck. He did not see the wild look that had come on Zoya's face suddenly and he did not see her clutching the bed sheet on either side tightly with her hands.

Ayaan inhaled her scent and it drove him crazy; he did not want to waste any time and wanted to make her his in every sense. He lifted his head and stared at her luscious lips for a second and then bent towards them. It was his bad luck that he was too enticed by Zoya's lips to even look into Zoya's eyes. If he did he would have surly seen the look in her eyes and understood that something was wrong.

And his lips barely touched Zoya's when he felt her suddenly push him away with a force that he could never imagine Zoya to have. He tumbled back and fell from the bed but luckily the soft carpet on which he fell down did not hurt him. He got up quickly and stared at Zoya who was breathing harshly and this time Ayaan noticed the wild look on her face. Hesitatingly he sat down near her once again wondering what had happened to her.

"Zoya..." he whispered, reached out his hand and touched her cheek cautiously.

"Don't touch me." Zoya screamed and snatched Ayaan's hand away and dragged herself backwards away from Ayaan.

"Don't ever touch me." She screamed again and Ayaan looked at her shocked and frightened. And just like that Ayaan's carefully made plans for his wedding night came crashing down but all he could do was sit and stare at Zoya bewildered.