Chapter 49
The
next morning, by the time Zoya had woken up, Asad had left for work. She was
kind of glad about it. If seeing someone causes pain, it was better to ignore
them. She took a shower and dressed herself in jeans and a loose top. As she
was walking to the kitchen, Zoya heard Tanveer yelp in pain. She reached the
Tanveer's bedroom window which was open and saw Tanveer in a bath robe. Her
hair was wet and she was rubbing her elbow indicating where she was hurt. Zoya
turned to leave but realized something. She looked into the window again but
Tanveer was gone. Has she just imagined that? She had to! Tanveer was just
maybe about 5 weeks pregnant right, then how could she have a protruding
abdomen. She kept waiting for Tanveer but she didn't return. "Main na pagal
horahi hoon. Kuch bhi dikh raha hai mujhe," she thought. She heard Nikhat
calling for her. "Aayi Bhabhi," Zoya yelled back and walked to the kitchen.
Later in the
afternoon, Nikhat and Zoya sat in the living room, trying to knit woolen socks
for their babies. Nikhat was trying to teach Zoya how to knit. She knew that
this would divert her attention from what was happening. As Zoya was threading
the wool through the needle, she suddenly stopped when her eyes drifted towards
the door. She saw him walk in, his coat hung over his arms and his perfect tie
loosened. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Dammit Sharma, get it
done!" he yelled in the Bluetooth, pressing his temples with his hand. Nikhat
looked up at him then turned to see her. Zoya pretended to ignore Nikhat's
glare and continued to work on the needles in her hands though they didn't seem
to cooperate. Soon, she heard him ascend the stairs and disappear into the
hallway. She missed the days when she would wait for him in this same room. She
missed when he would return and she would leap into his arms, to seek comfort.
It looked like he had a headache, no wonder he was yelling at his employees,
she thought shaking her head. Her thoughts were interrupted when Imran ran up
to them and invited Nikhat to his room. "Ammi, mujhe aapko kuch dekha na hai,
chaliye please?" he said pulling her arm. "Zoya, tum bhi chalo na," Nikhat
said. "Nahi Bhabhi...aap jayiye. Mujhe kitchen mein kuch kaam hai, main aati
hoon," Zoya said as she placed the knitting supplies on the sofa and left. She
walked into the kitchen and placed some water to boil. As she was making
coffee, her thoughts drifted to the times when she used to be nervous about
making his drink. She wanted it to be perfect, just the way he liked it but she
recalled how she would mess up something or the other. But, he would drink it
anyway which was so nice of him, she thought. Today, she was nervous to go
into their...no his room. She was scared that he would ask her to return to him
again and she might not be able to say no. Putting the thoughts aside, she
poured the steaming black coffee in his cup.
Asad walked into his
room and threw his office bag on the floor. His head was throbbing and his
employees were incompetent in getting their job done. How he wished that she
could be here to console him and calm him, telling him that everything will be
ok. He frustrated ran his hand through his hair. The door opened and he heard
someone walk in. "Zoya?" he hoped turning towards the door. Seeing the person
who was at the door, his smile fell. "Kya hai Tanveer?" he asked annoyed. "Woh
mujhe tumse baat karni thi Jammy," she hesitantly stated. He nodded and she
stepped into the room. When she didn't say anything, "kya hai Tanveer, bolo
na?" he asked. "Woh Jammy, hume jaan na tha keh tumne humare nikaah keh baare
mein kya soocha hai?" she asked. Asad felt his blood rush through his veins and
he pressed his hand on his temples. On the other hand, Zoya had looked for
Usman or Khala so they could go give him the cup but they were nowhere to be
seen. Having no choice, she placed the cup on a small tray and carried it
upstairs. Reaching the top of the stairs, she felt blackness in front of her
eyes. She stumbled a little but caught hold onto the railing and moved forward.
Composing herself, she reached the room. She saw that the door was already open
so she stepped closer. As she stepped in, she heard the words. Her heart
stopped and she felt like someone sucked the life out of her. As soon as she
walked in, the two pair of eyes turned to see her. She didn't have the courage
to look at him. She was scared that they might tell her something, she didn't
want to see. She placed the tray on the nearby table and turned to his side
again. "Mujhe laaga keh aapke shir mein dard hai toh soocha coffee deh aao,
sorry shayad mujhe aise nahi aana chahiye tha," she managed to say, holding
back her tears. She felt like this wasn't her room anymore. It was like she
needed permission to walk in here, if not who knows what she will walk into. Why
did you have to care? Should have never come here Zoya, she mentally scolded
herself. She turned on her heels to leave the room when she felt his strong arm
grasp hers. "Zoya please, maafi mat mango. Yeh tumara bhi kamra hai," he told
her. He felt guilty that she was apologizing to come into their room. The room
where they had created so many beautiful memories now looked so devastated. It
was like a beautiful garden has been burnt down. "Yeh humara kamra hua karta
tha," Zoya said as she pulled her arm out and ran out the door.
Asad was about to
follow Zoya out when Tanveer's voice stopped him. "Jammy, tumne kuch kaha
nahi?" she asked. Asad lost it! Doesn't she get it, was she that stupid. "Tanveer
tume samaj kyun nahi aata keh main tumse nikaah nahi karsaktha. Meri sirf ek
biwi hai aur woh Zoya thi, hai, aur hamesha rahegi," he angrily yelled. "Lekin Jammy
uss raat joh bhi hua," Tanveer argued when Asad interrupted her. "Uss raat joh
hua woh ek galati thi Tanveer, meri zindagi ki sabh se baadi galati aur usse
sudaar ne kehliye main ek aur galati nahi karonga. Tume kya chahiye, yehi na
keh tumara baccha badnaam na ho toh nahi hoga. Main tumare bacche koh naam,
paise, shaurat sabh dunga par usse aage mujhe kuch expect mat karna!" he yelled
to her face as he stormed out of the room, leaving a grimacing Tanveer behind.
"Yeh Asad aur Zoya na...alag rehte hai lekin yeh pyaar ka natak khatam nahi hota!
Mujhe kuch karke jaldi Zoya koh iss ghar se nikaal na padega, bahut waqt nahi
hai mere paas," she told herself as she looked at the way Asad had just left.
Zoya ran out of the
room and into the hallway. Why did she have to be considerate? Why did she have
to make coffee for him and end up at the wrong place at the wrong time? Why?
She cursed. Because you love him, her heart reminded her. But, he cheated you Zoya
and now he wants to marry Tanveer, her mind taunted. Tears rolled down her
cheeks as she recalled a moment with him, couple months ago.
Flashback
Asad had returned home early from work
due to a headache. Zoya told him to relax and that she will bring him hot
coffee. She made coffee just as he liked and also made one for herself, but
with milk and extra sugar of course! Walking into the room, she saw him on the
couch with a file in his hand. "Allah miyan, what's wrong with you Mr. Khan?
Aapke shir mein dard hai aur aap abhi bhi kaam karahe hai," she scolded. "Bahut
important kaam hai Zoya, aaj raat hi andar khatam karna hai. Kal subhe clients
keh saath meeting hai," he told her. She shook her head at her workaholic
husband as she walked up to him. Placing the tray with the two cups of coffee
on the table, she took a seat next to him. "Accha, coffee toh peelijiye na, I
am sure it will help," she told him. "Hmmm," he said, not paying attention to
what she was saying. Zoya snatched the file from his hand and placed it on her
lap, and placed her hands on top of it so he couldn't take it back. Asad
pinched the bridge of his nose, "yeh kya karahi ho Zoya?" he asked. "Phele
coffee peejiye phir kaam hoga," she ordered. Asad smiled. He loved when she
passed her authority over him. She was probably the one woman other than his
mother that could do that and get away with it. He bent forward and picked up
his coffee cup. Asad turned to his side and placed his head at an angle in her
lap and started sipping his coffee. "Mr. Khan, kya karahe hai aap," she said as
she moved the file and the hands from underneath his head, making it more
comfortable for him. He adjusted his head on her lap, "coffee se zyada tumare
paas rehna mujhe theek kardega," he told her. She giggled, "You are such a liar
Mr. Khan!" she chided as she picked up her coffee cup and sipped on it. "Jhoot?
Come on Zoya, tum jaanti ho keh main jhoot nahi bol tha," he stated. "Wahi sabh
se baada jhoot hai," she said as she chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Tume
aisa kyun lagtha hai?" he asked sipping his coffee. He knew that she was joking
with him. "Kyun ki aap mujhse badkar pyaar apne office se aur kaam se karte
hai," she complained as she ran a hand through his hair again. He chuckled as
he sat up and looked at her. "Tum jaanti ho keh yeh saach nahi hai," he told
her. "Prove it!" she challenged. He placed the mug back on the table and took
hers and placed it next to it. "Aap yeh...," Zoya started to say when he placed his
finger on her lips, "shhh," he said. Zoya was surprised at his reaction. He
took her hands in his, "Zoya, kitna bhi important kaam hoon ya kohi bhi deal
ho, I can leave everything in a heartbeat for you. I know keh main apne dil ki
baar baar tume nahi baata tha lekin agar tum nahi milti toh main khabhi kisise
nikaah nahi karta, aur pyaar bhi nahi," he told her. She smiled listening to
his words. "I know," she said as she moved forward and pecked his lips. "Accha,
abhi toh bahut complain karahi thi?" he asked her. "Ha lekin main yeh bhi jaanti hoon keh aap mujhse bahut pyaar karte
hai," she said, wrapping her hands around his waist and placing her head on his
chest. "I love you too!" he said as he kissed her forehead.
End of flashback
She came back to reality when she heard him calling
for her. She tried to leave when she felt her foot stumble. Blackness flashed
in front of her eyes. She reached the beginning of the stairs and placed her
hand on the railing to balance herself. Her hand slipped and she was about to
fall forward when someone gripped her other hand. "Zoya!" he yelled as he
pulled her towards him. His hands wrapped around her waist to balance her. She
grabbed onto his shirt collar for support. "Tum theek ho?" he asked worried.
She tried to keep her eyes open. She knew it was him who had saved her. She
could recognize his hold and the voice even in the half-conscious state. "Aapne
mujhse jhoot kyun bola? kaise karsakthe hai aap mere saath?" she cried. Asad
looked at worried. Tears rolled down her eyes and darkness overtook her as she
collapsed on his chest. By that time, the whole family had reached where they
were and Asad was flooded with questions. He quickly picked her in his arms and
rushed to their room. Farhan was already calling the doctor and informing her
of the situation.
Placing her on the bed, he caressed her cheek as he moved the lock of hair back
in its place. "Zoya, please uto. Apni aankhe kholo please," he pleaded. "Hua
kya tha?" Nikhat asked concerned. "Woh mere liye coffee layi thi phir," Asad
hesistated, not sure how to tell everyone what had happened. This was his
fault. He had hurt her again. He mentally cursed himself. He should have been
more careful. She was pregnant and already facing health issues and he was
obviously not making things better. He wished she gave him a chance to explain.
She had only heard one part of the story, Tanveer's part. He wasn't going to
say yes. Hell no! She was his wife; he would die before he gave that privilege
in his life to anyone else. How could she think that he would marry Tanveer?
Well, why couldn't she? He has shredded her trust when he had cheated on her,
though unknowingly. Before anyone could ask him anymore questions, the doctor
had arrived and requested everyone to step out so she could examine Zoya.
Everyone waited outside praying for her well-being. The doctor stepped out and Asad
rushed to her. "Zoya theek toh haina doctor?" he asked worried. "Lagtha hai Zoya
ne subhe se theek se kuch khaya nahi hai. Uska BP bahut low hogaya tha. Maine
injection deh diya hai, she should be better in a few hours. kya woh uski
dawayi theek se ley rahi hai?" the doctor asked Asad. "Woh...main...woh," he mumbled
not knowing the answer. "Lagtha hai aap kaam mein busy hai Mr. Khan, warna
aapko toh hamesha yeh sabh paata hota hai," the doctor joked. Asad tried to
smile while his heart clenched in guilt. "Ha woh kuch zaroori kaam hai office
mein aaj kal. Lekin Zoya unn medications koh avoid karti hai doctor unless it's
absolutely necessary," Asad told her. "That is very good lekin aap usse
samajayiye keh agar uski tabeyat bahut karaab hai toh usse dawayi leyni
chahiye. It is not good for her to let her blood pressure drop so low,
especially during pregnancy," the doctor explained. Asad nodded and thanked the
doctor. Farhan escorted the doctor and everyone went inside to check on Zoya.
She was asleep due to the injection. Asad covered her with a blanket and fixed
the temperature of the room just as she liked. "I am sorry Zoya," he said as he
held her hand in his. "Aabh maafi maang kar kya faida Bhai...aapne Bhabhi keh
saath joh kiya hai ussi ki wajase horaha hai yeh sabh," Haider scoffed. "Mujhe
paata hai Haider, maine bahut baadi galati ki hai," Asad said sadly. "Zoya Bhabhi
kitni khush rehti thi Bhaijaan aur aabh woh hamesha itni udaas rehti hai,
mujhse toh dekha nahi jaata," Najma said, hurtfully. Asad just stared at Zoya's
face. They were right, he knew! She was the light that lit up his whole house
and now he had crushed that light with his hands. "Accha chalo sabh yaha se, Zoya
koh aaram karna chahiye," Dilshad said trying to salvage the situation. "Nahi Ammi,
he needs to know what he has done. Inki ek galati ne sabh barbaad kardiya hai.
Jis Zoya Bhabhi ne iss ghar koh apna maana, hum sabh koh itna pyaar diya, aaj
woh iss halat mein hai toh sirf Bhai ki wajase," Haider yelled. "Haider, chalo
yaha se," Rashid said as he escorted him and Najma out of the room. Dilshad and
Nikhat looked at each other. "Tume bhi chalna chahiye Asad," Nikhat said. "Nahi
Bhabhi, main yehi rahonga," Asad stated. "Asad, agar Zoya utegi aur tume
dekhegi toh shayad woh phir se naraaz hojaye, that's not good for her," Nikhat
explained. She didn't want to hurt him but she had to look out for Zoya as
well. Asad knew Nikhat was right. It was his fault she was sick in the first
place. He nodded as he stood up. Looking at her one more time, Asad walked out
of the room.
Zoya had slept pretty much the whole day as she hadn't been sleeping well from
the past few days. She opened her eyes and saw the bedside light on but the
rest of the room was dark. She sat up feeling much better than she did this
morning. Looking around, she realized that she was in their room, well his
room. She wanted to leave before she saw him. Seeing him made vulnerable and
she remembered all their beautiful memories. She also realized what she didn't
have today. She got out of the bed and quickly walked towards the door. She
stopped in her tracks when she saw his shadow resting on the couch. She moved
closer and noticed that he was asleep. "Thank you Allah miyaan," she said to
herself. She opened the door slowly to be sure that he would not wake up. On
the other hand, Asad had returned to check on her about an hour ago. Seeing her
still asleep, he decided to wait here so he could talk to her. The dark and
quiet room made him fall into slumber. The squeaking nose of the door opening
woke him up. Jolting up from the sofa, he caught her wrist preventing her from
leaving the room. When she felt his touch around her wrist, she sighed in
frustration. Why Allah miyaan? she thought. "Please Asad, let me go!" she said.
"I can't," he plainly stated as he turned her around to face him. "Mujhe kuch
nahi suna hai Asad, maine joh suna hai wahi khafi hai," she said hurt from what
she heard this morning. "Zoya, tumne sirf woh suna joh Tanveer ne kaha lekin
woh nahi joh maine usse kaha," Asad explained. Realization dawned on her. He
was right! But what if his answer was something she didn't want to hear, she
thought. She looked up at him from the floor. "Main Tanveer se nikaah nahi
karonga Zoya, khabhi nahi. Meri biwi sirf tum ho aur yeh haq zindagi bhar sirf
tumara rahega," he told her. Zoya felt her heart flutter hearing his words. "Lekin
Mr. Khan, woh baccha?" she asked concerned. Though she might hate Tanveer with
a passion, the kid was innocent in all this. Asad almost smiled. This was his Zoya!
The one who was worried about the child, though it was a product of his
betrayal towards her...his pain increased thinking about that. He had betrayed a
girl like her, Why! He yelled at himself. "Maine usse kaha hai keh main bacche
ki puri zimedaari lunga par usse apni biwi nahi bana saktha," he told her. Zoya
just nodded. "Zoya, I know keh humare beech joh bhi hua hai usse tume bahut
takleef huwi hai and I know a sorry is not going to fix everything but please Zoya,
apna khayal rakna. Mere liye nahi humare bacche kehliye aur tumari tabeyat
kehliye, please," he sincerely appealed. "Main khayal rakungi," she said. He
let go of her hand, "thanks for listening to me Zoya," Asad said. Zoya didn't
really know what to say. At one point, she was glad that he had told her that
she wasn't going to marry another woman but she was also sad that their
relationship has come to that point where he had to thank her for talking to
him. She slightly smiled and left the room. Asad was glad that she has at least
given him a chance to explain his side. Things might never be the same between
them but he wanted to try to at least have a coordinal relationship with her.
In the other room, Rashid and Dilshad were shocked at the news that they had
heard over the phone. Rashid's thoughts weaved back to the conversation he has
had with Gaffur just moments ago. "Rashid Bhai, ek beti dehkar hum joh bhugat
rahe hai wohi kaafi hai. Hum aap logo koh humari dusri beti nahi deh sakthe,"
Gaffur firmly stated. "Lekin Bhaisaab, main jaanta hoon keh Asad ne joh kiya
woh galat hai par aap aise Humaira aur Haider koh saaza kyun deh rahe hai. Please
aisa mat kijiye," Rashid requested. Razia's words echoed in Gaffur's ears.
"Maine phele hi bola tha aapse keh Humaira ka rishta waha tyaar mat kijiye.
Lekin nahi! Aapko toh woh ghar, woh khandaan yeh sabh toh bahut accha laaga tha
na. Aaj dekhiye, kya kiya hai aapke uss pyaare damaad ne," she had taunted.
"Razia, main maanta hoon lekin tum Asad aur Zoya se Haider aur Humaira koh kyun
compare karahi ho?" he had defended. "Mujhe kuch nahi suna hai. Main meri beti
keh saath kuch bura nahi hone dungi. Aap unn logo koh phone kijiye aur yeh
rishta thod dijiye," Razia ordered. "Hum isske baare mein baat toh karte hai,"
Gaffur said. "Aap phone karte hai ya main karo?" she threatned. "theek hai,"
Gaffur gave up and dialed Rashid's number. "Bhaisaab aap sunto rahe haina?"
Rashid asked breaking Gaffur's trance. "Jee. Maaf kijiye lekin aabh hume iss
baare mein kohi baat nahi karni hai, Allah hafiz," Gaffur told him and ended
the call. "Hum kya karenge Rashid...Haider koh kaise baatayenge keh rishta toot
gaya," Dilshad said as tears filled her eyes. "Kuch toh karna hi padega, main
baat karunga Gaffur Bhaisaab se," Rashid comforted, though he himelf was unsure
what was going to happen.
Later that night, Zoya kept
tossing and turning in her room. She couldn't fall asleep. She sat up and heard
her stomach grumble. She had eaten dinner then why was she hungry now, she
wondered. But some chocolate chip ice cream with caramel sauce would be
delicious! she said to herself, as her mouth watered at the thought. She moved the
blanket aside and left to the kitchen. Reaching there, she took a bowl and
scooped herself two big scoops of ice cream. She then looked for the caramel
sauce in its usual place but it wasn't there. She pouted. "Kaha chala gaya?"
she whined as she searched for the caramel syrup. After looking for a couple
minutes, she finally found it in one of the top selves. Moving one of the
stools to the cupboard in which the caramel sauce was placed, she climbed up on
it carefully. She tiptoed on her feet so she could reach it. She grabbed the
bottle but her foot reached the edge of the stool and slipped. "Allahhh!" she
screamed, terrified for her baby. But, instead of hitting the ground, she fell
into two strong hands. The bottle jerked out of her hands and fell to the
ground. Asad had come to the kitchen to get some water when he saw her on the
stool. Before he could condemn her actions, she had slipped. He was holding her
in his arms but she still had her eyes tightly shut and her hands were wrapped
around his neck. "Tum theek ho," he whispered. Zoya realized that she wasn't on
the floor. She opened her eyes to see her savior. Of course, he had saved her
like he always did, she thought. He slowly placed her down, "Tum apna khayal
rakna kabh seekogi Zoya," Asad said irritably as he placed her on the floor.
"Sorry," she pouted. "Tum itni raat koh kya karahi ho kitchen mein?" he asked.
"Woh mujhe ice cream khani thi," she told him as she went back to the counter
with her bowl on it. That is when he noticed the caramel sauce bottle that had
fallen to the floor. "Aur tume toh chocolate chip ice cream caramel keh saath
hi acchi lagthi hai," he teased as he picked up the bottle. Zoya smiled as she
took a seat on one of the other stool to eat her ice cream. He walked up to her
and set the caramel sauce in front of her. He was gladly to see her smile like
she did before, the smile that put a dimple on her cheek. She happily took the
bottle and poured a huge amount of caramel on her ice cream.
Zoya dug into her favorite while Asad was
watching her. She moaned in pleasure while Asad felt his emotions urge to take
her in his arms. He wanted to hold her
in his arms, close to his heart like he used to before. He smiled after about a
week, seeing her feast on her ice-cream. She looked like the old Zoya, the one
who laughed whole heartedly, the one who was messy when she ate her food but
didn't care. He saw the ice cream container melting on the counter and the caramel
sauce bottle left open. "Aur ice cream chahiye?" he asked and she shook her
head as a "no." He placed the lid back on the ice cream tub and closed the
caramel bottle and placed them back in their respective places. As she finished
the ice cream, she yawned. She left the bowl on the counter and stood up to go
back to her bedroom. "Zoya, ek minute," he said. Zoya stopped and turned around
to face him. He walked up to her, took a napkin from the counter and gently
wiped the ice cream off her lips. She shuddered as his hands touched her lips.
Her heart went rapid, and she placed her hand on her chest. He smiled seeing
that he still had this kind of an effect of her. Finishing that, he took the
bowl and placed it in the kitchen sink. Zoya pouted, "hamesha akdu keh akdu hi
rahenge," she mumbled. "kuch kaha tumne?" he asked. "Nahi, kuch nahi! Chale?"
she said. He nodded with a smile. They both walked out together and Zoya kept
smiling thinking about his behavior in the kitchen. As much as he told her that
her eating habits didn't annoy him anymore, she knew that somewhere deep down
they did. And his reaction to them was priceless, she thought as she chuckled
to herself. "Kya hua hai?" he asked. "Kuch nahi," she told him. Unconsciously,
they reached the stairs. Zoya's smile dimmed as she realized the reality of the
situation. Their destination wasn't the same anymore, her heart clenched at the
thought. Asad could see the pain transcribe on her face. He felt guilt plunge
at his heart. She stepped back, "good night," Zoya said as she quickly ran away
from there.
Asad couldn't move. He felt like she had sucked the life out of him. "Kya hum
aabh khabhi bhi ek raaste par chal payenge Zoya," he wondered. Was he being
wrong in keeping her in his life and hurting her more than he already had? May
be it was better if he stayed away from her? He couldn't see the pain across
her face, that too knowing that he was the reason of that pain. Zoya ran into
her room and locked the door. She went towards the window and stared out the
window at the nightly sky. She recalled the old times. What happened to her
life? When did everything become so painful? "Allah miyaan, main kya karoon?
Kya Mr. Khan koh maaf karke yeh dard joh mere dil mein hai woh kam hojayege.
Kyun ki mujhse nahi hoga Allah miyan, yeh chuban joh mere har sans keh saath
main mehsoos karti hoon, paata nahi aur kitne din main yeh dard bardasht
karpaungi. Lekin agar maine kosish karke Asad koh maaf bhi kardiya toh kya main
kabhi unn par phir se baroosa karpaungi. Aur zindagi bhar uss bacche koh apni
aankho se saamne dekh sakthi hoon main? She questioned herself. She recalled
how Razia treated her since she was a kid just because she didn't like her.
Does she want to be that woman too who did that to Tanveer's kid? No! She can't
do that! But can she live without Asad? And what about their baby? She thought
as she placed her hand on her abdomen. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't
know what to do. Should she forgive the person she loved the most and go back
into his life though she might not be able to trust him again or should she
leave with her baby and put the end to this misery she felt continuously in her
burning heart.
The next day,
Zoya woke up late as she was up almost the whole night. Breakfast was already
done but Dilshad made some toast for her with strawberry jelly like she
requested. She was feeling nauseous so Dilshad also made her some lemonade. Zoya
reluctantly pushed the food down her throat. Though she didn't want to eat, she
knew that she had to eat for her child. She wouldn't afford to let her BP drop
low and keep fainting. Asad wasn't going to save her every time, she thought.
The day passed with Zoya sipping on her lemonade which was really helping to
keep her food down and she was being hydrated so Dilshad and Nikhat were glad. Zoya
was happy that she hadn't seen Asad all day. She didn't know how she would
react if she saw him after last night. The one moment of happiness that made
her reality seem like a faade had been too much to take in, for her. She was
in turmoil and she believed that interacting with him will make things worse.
When she had seen him at the dinner table, she felt her heart race again. She tried to avoid eye contact but she
could feel his stare on her. Asad was trying to figure out Zoya. He was worried
about her. Last night, he had seen the realization of pain of her face. He felt
shamefaced because he was the one who had given her that one moment of
happiness. A moment where they weren't thinking about their current situation,
but maybe it was wrong. He wanted to see her happy all the time, not just for a
brief moment. He saw how she was playing with the food. He smirked, "she
probably wants her pizza, not healthy rice with veggies," he thought. Just
then, they heard a scream from the kitchen. They all rushed in to see Tanveer
and Nasreen Khala. "Kya hua?" Dilshad asked. "Main kya batao khala, dekhiye
mere bacche koh kohi maarna chatha hai," Tanveer exaggerated. "Tum phir se shuru
hogayi?" Nikhat taunted. "Nahi saach mein Nikhat, dekho na!" Tanveer said,
showing everyone a glass of juice. "Yeh kya hai?" Dilshad asked. "Maine apne
liye orange juice dala tha, paata nahi kisne badal diya," Tanveer said,
pretending to be scared. "Kya bakwaas hai tumara? tume kya lagtha hai keh
kisiko aur kaam nahi hai," Haider yelled. "Uss din main bach gayi toh tumne
phir kosish ki," Tanveer said turning to Zoya. Zoya was shocked. "Tum yeh kya
bol rahi ho? maine tumse phele bhi kaha hai main tumare bacche koh kyun
marungi," Zoya tried to explain. "Oh come on Zoya, sabh se aakir mein tume toh
aayi thi kitchen mein aur mujhe ya mere bacche koh maarkar tume hi toh sabh se
zyada faida hoga," Tanveer said evily and Zoya looked at her with disgust. "Tum
yeh kya bol rahi ho Tanveer, Zoya aisa nahi khabhi nahi karegi. Shayad tumne hi
galat juice daal diya ho," Asad intervened. "Nahi Asad, khabhi nahi! Main
jaanti hoon keh papita bacche kehliye kitna bura hai. Allah mere bacche koh
buri nazar se bachana," Tanveer said looking at Zoya. "Main bol rahi hona Tanveer,
maine aisa kuch nahi kiya hai," Zoya said again. But it didn't make a
difference to Tanveer. It seemed like she had already decided that Zoya was the
culprit.
"Tum jhoot bol rahi ho Zoya, main jaanti hoon
tumne hi kiya hai," Tanveer said as she grabbed Zoya's arm angrily. "Bolo?
tumne kiya haina yeh? Bolo?" she yelled. Everyone was startled at her behavior.
Zoya was trying to free herself but Tanveer's hold was too tight. How dare she?
Asad thought. He moved forward and removed Zoya from Tanveer's grip. He pushed
her back and stood in front of Zoya, as a shield. "How dare you? He roared. "Tumari
himmat kaisi huwi Tanveer? Tume ek baar baat kehne se samaj nahi aata, Zoya ne
kuch nahi kiya hai," Asad yelled. "Par Jammy...," Tanveer started to say when Asad
put his hand up in the air telling her stop her nonsense. "Mujhe kuch nahi suna
hai, agar tume iss ghar mein rehne itna problem hai toh jao yaha, leave!" he
firmly stated. Tanveer was shocked. She couldn't believe that Asad had just
asked her to leave. Tanveer had hoped that this will lead Asad to get mad at Zoya,
but her plan had backfired. "Tum bhul rahe ho Asad, yeh baccha tumara bhi hai.
Agar Zoya koh iss ghar mein rehna ka haq hai toh mujhe bhi hai," Tanveer said,
looking at everyone shamelessly. "Zoya meri biwi hai Tanveer aur iss ghar ki
bahu hai. Aur tum sirf ek galati, yeh khabhi mat bhulna," Asad warned. "Aur yeh
mat bhulna Jammy keh mujhe duniya mein logo se kya kya suna padega. Agar sabh
koh paata chal gaya humare baare mein toh kya hoga," Tanveer said. Zoya closed
her eyes in pain as tears filled her eyes "Please Tanveer, yeh bol kar tum
sabeet kya karna chathi hoon keh sirf tume takleef horahi hai iss sabh se. Jao
yaha se...just go!" Asad yelled, tried of Tanveer's accusations and her drama. Tanveer
huffed and left from there.
Zoya burst into tears
and Asad turned around to face her. She felt as if Tanveer was Abusing
her relationship. According to Tanveer, just because she had made a physical
relationship with Asad, it was the same as hers? She loved Asad! Wasn't there a
difference between her child which was a result of their love and her child,
she thought. Did she really have the same rights on Asad and this house like Zoya
did? And what did Tanveer wanted to prove by constantly blaming her for trying
to harm her baby. She would never do that! "Please Zoya, roh mat. Tanveer galat
hai, main jaanta hoon keh tumne kuch nahi kiya hai. Saari galati meri hai," Asad
told her. But it only made her cry harder. Dilshad had her arms around her,
trying to console her. "Maine kuch nahi kiya Ammi," she sobbed as she hugged
Dilshad. "Sahi kaha aapne Bhaijaan, saari galati aapki aur Abu ki hai. Aap dono
ki wajse hum uss chudail koh jhel rahe hai aur aaj usne Bhabhi par inzaam
lagaya hai. Paata nahi kal kya karegi," Haider yelled. "Haider, I know...," Asad
said when Haider interrupted him. "Please Bhaijaan, I am so done! It's not fair
that aapki aur Abu ki galati ki saza Bhabhi koh bhugat ni padrahi hai," he
yelled. "Main jaanta hoon. Main sabh theek karne ki kosish karaha hoon," Asad
said sadly. He really was trying to make things work as best as he could. He
really didn't know what to do in this situation. "Aur Asad, jab tum Tanveer se
baat karo, yeh zaroor keha dehna keh woh iss ghar ki sirf mehmaan hai. Zoya iss
ghar ki beti hai aur tumari biwi hai, woh yeh darja (place, importance) khabhi
nahi ley sakthi, na iss ghar mein na hi humare dil mein," Farhan firmly stated.
Asad just looked on guilty. "Bas! bahut hogayi baatein, tum sabh jao aur khana
khao. Main Zoya koh andar lekar jaati hoon," Dilshad said, stopping the
argument. "Mujhe bhook nahi hai Ammi," Haider and Najma said in unison and left
from there. One by one, everyone said that they weren't hungry and left from
there, except for Asad and Dilshad with Zoya. "I am sorry Ammi, meri wajase se.
par main saach bol rahi hoon, maine kuch nahi kiya," Zoya sobbed again. "Main
jaanti hoon beta. Allah keh waaste, rohna mat," Dilshad said trying to pacify
her. Asad looked at his mother helplessly. No one understood him, he thought.
She motioned him not to worry and that she will take care of Zoya. He nodded in
agreement and left from there.
Dilshad took Zoya to
her room and after much time, she finally consoled her. She pacified her with
much effort to eat some food. Zoya refused a lot but Dilshad explained she had
to eat for the baby, and she agreed. Dilshad made sure she ate some food and
told her to rest. Zoya couldn't sleep. Every time, she closed her eyes, she
remembered Tanveer's accusations and how everyone was fighting. She opened her
eyes and sat up. She remembered how everything used to be. The way everyone
would eat together, they would watch movies, go on picnics, and pull each
other's legs. But it seemed like everything was gone now. And today, they were
arguing and yelling at each other because of her. Her eyes filled with tears.
Why was this happening to her? Every time, she found happiness, it was taken
away from her. Why Allah? she cried. May be she was the unlucky one. Anywhere
she went; she spreads her darkness and takes away their happiness. She couldn't
see this. Her relationship was already broken but this family is all she had.
She couldn't bear to see them fighting because of her. Zoya felt like from
here on, things can only get worse. She couldn't do this anymore! She just
couldn't! She knew what she was going to do, but only if she could explain this
to everyone else.
The next morning, Zoya
walked out with her stuff to the living room to see Dilshad, Rashid, and Nikhat
sitting on the couch. She greeted them with a small smile. "Aree Zoya, yeh
suitcase?" Nikhat said surprised. "woh Bhabhi, woh," Zoya mumbled not sure how
to break the news. Dilshad could sense the tension in her face. She placed the
cup of tea on the table and walked up to Zoya. "kya baat hai Zoya? Sabh
khairat?" Dilshad asked worried. Zoya felt her heart squeeze in pain. But she
knew that she had to be honest and tell her. "Ammi, woh main, maine yeh faisla
liya hai keh kuch dino kehliye main ghar chodkar," Zoya said, her voice almost
cracking at the end. "Zoya, yeh kya bol rahi ho beta?" Dilshad asked shocked. "Ammi
please maine bahut mushkil se yeh fasial kiya hai. Mujhe bas kuch waqt chahiye Ammi
aur mujhe umeed hai keh aap mujhe samjengi," Zoya pleaded as tears brimmed her
eyes. She didn't want to hurt any of the family members but she really needed
some time away from everything to sort it out. "Main samaj thi ho Zoya lekin
tum kaha jarahi ho? Apne ghar?" Dilshad asked. "Nahi Ammi, woh actually main ek
dost keh saath kuch dino kehliye reharahi hoon. Mera ghar toh...," Zoya trailed
off, unable to fill in the words but Dilshad knew that Zoya wouldn't go to her
house after everything that had happened. "Lekin Zoya, tumari tabeyat theek
nahi hai, tume waha kyon dekhega. Please mat jao," Nikhat told her. "Main apna
khayal rakongi Bhabhi, I promise," she said. "phir bhi, mat jao Zoya," Nikhat
said. Zoya couldn't hold on anymore and let her tears flow down her cheeks. Nikhat
moved forward and pulled her into a hug. Dilshad stood to them, "yeh ghar
tumare bina suna hai beta, mat jao Zoya," Dilshad said with tears. Zoya wiped
her tears away trying to compose herself. Rashid walked up to them and they
broke apart. "Khabhi mauka nahi mila beta lekin mujhe maaf kardena. Meri
wajase," Rashid was saying when Zoya interrupted him. "Abu please, Allah
kehliye maafi mat maangiye. Bachpan se mere Abu kehliye main ek zimedaar thi.
Saach mein Abu keh saath baat karna kaisa hota hai, unka dua ka haath sir par
ho toh kaisa lagtha yeh maine aapke saath jaana tha Abu. Main jaanti hoon keh
aap hamesha meri khushi chathe thi lekin kismat koh kuch aur manzoor tha," Zoya
said sadly as Rashid caressed her head. "Please mujhe jaane dijiye Abu, sirf
aap Ammi koh samja sakthe hai," she said looking at Dilshad who was being
consoled by Nikhat. "Iss baar shayad main bhi use samja nahi paunga Zoya," Rashid
said sadly. Zoya nodded and walked up to Dilshad. She took her hands and softly
caressed them. "Ammi, aapse milne se phele mujhe khabhi nahi maloom tha keh Ammi
kaise hoti hai. Jab bhi aap pyaar se aapke haath mere gaal (cheek) pe rakthi
hai toh mujhe bahut accha lagtha hai. Aaj bhi rak dijiye na aur bol
dijiyega keh sabh theek hojayega Ammi, aapke ha kahe bina main yaha se ja nahi
paungi," Zoya said as tears filled both their eyes. This wasn't easy for either
of them. Zoya needed that approval from Dilshad, she needed Dilshad to
understand her side of the situation because Dilshad meant a lot to her. She
was a mother that she always yearned for. Dilshad on the other hand was in
turmoil. As a woman, she understood how Zoya felt and why she wanted to leave,
to have time to think about the situation. But as a mother, she didn't want to
leave her daughter alone at the time of need. She wanted to be there for her.
She looked at her husband for support and the look on his face told her to do
what she believed what right. Dilshad closed her eyes as she pictured the
happy, cheerful Zoya. The one he had lovingly bought into this family. But,
now, the girl who stood in front of her was the one who had been hurt by her
son. "Dil toh bahut chatha hai keh tume apne paas rako, lekin agar tum yehi
chathi ho toh theek hai," Dilshad said with a heavy heart. Zoya looked at her
thankfully, "shukriya Ammi," she stated. "Zoya, tumne Asad koh baataya hai iss
baare mein?" Dilshad questioned. Zoya felt her body stiffen up. Of course, she
hasn't told Asad. He would never let her go, she knew that. Zoya lowered her
eyes to the floor and nodded her head in a no. "tume usse baata dehna chahiye Zoya,"
Dilshad said. "main ja nahi paungi Ammi," Zoya said. "Aur Zoya, tum abhi chali
jaogi? Baaki sabh koh bina baataye?" Nikhat said surprised. "Mujhse nahi hoga Bhabhi,
I am sorry," she told them. Rashid walked up to Zoya, "ek baat yaad rakna beta,
yeh ghar tumara hai aur hamesha rahega. Tume jab chahiye tab yaha aasakthi ho,"
he told her. Zoya threw herself in his arms. Rashid held her there, trying to
console her.
Zoya knew that she had to go. It was
something that though she didn't want to happen, it was meant to happen. She
bid them good bye which made Dilshad and Nikhat to cry harder. Zoya was about
to take her suitcase when Rashid offered to help. "nahi Abu, main yaha se ley
jaati hoon. Agar aapko dekhongi toh aur mushkil hojayega. Please," she pleaded.
Rashid sadly nodded and stepped away. Zoya grabbed her purse that was on top of
the suitcase and started to wheel the bag out with a heavy heart. Dilshad
couldn't bear to see what was happening. "Ya Allah, mere ghar koh kiski nazar
lagayi. Meri ghar ki khushiya jarahi hai," she cried. Rashid walked up to her
and pulled her into an embrace, as tear filled his eyes too. Nikhat didn't know
what to do. Suddenly, she rushed up the stairs to the only person who might
have a chance of preventing Zoya from leaving the Khan mansion.
Will Zoya leave? Will Asad be able to
stop her? What's in store for them in the future? What would you do if you were
Zoya? Would you forgive Asad? Or would you leave? What about the baby? Keep
reading to find out!
This chapter had a few happy moments, so I hope you guys like it. Looking forward to your comments 😊
Edited by asyasahil928 - 9 years ago
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