Asya FF - Now that I've Found You - Page 6

Read all chapters at one go. Loved it. Wish to know Asad's reaction to Zoya's letter.

Please update ASAP.

Thank you

I read all the chapters in one go!

I am so loving this, I can feel all the emotions you are writing.

Hopefully Asad doesn't delay and convey her feelings now.. 

Waiting!

Originally posted by: jayasree.rao

Read all chapters at one go. Loved it. Wish to know Asad's reaction to Zoya's letter.

Please update ASAP.

Thank you

thank you!!!! honestly I lost track of time and my laptop screen, so will prob update sometime next week once i get it repaired 

Originally posted by: tanvi_mitt

I read all the chapters in one go!

I am so loving this, I can feel all the emotions you are writing.

Hopefully Asad doesn't delay and convey her feelings now.. 

Waiting!

Thank you !!!! Will try to update soonish 

Originally posted by: Wandering_mind

Update please!

anddddd I broke my laptop, will update once I get my files back 😭

Originally posted by: Vintage_flow

anddddd I broke my laptop, will update once I get my files back 😭

Oof!!! I can totally understand the pain 🤢

Originally posted by: Wandering_mind

Hey update please!

updating nowww

Chapter 11

I promise…no more lies

A little situation and a little ego had managed to keep most of her bottled up. Zoya had stuffed it all down in a mental box, crammed a lid on it. But during the trip, she kept tripping over it.

All day. Every day.

And today, well today the box was overflowing. The looming goodbyes had succeeded to break that composure.

She wasn’t a runner from truth, from reality. Always letting life teach her lessons, her father’s death told her to live with no regrets. Everyone told her she would repent coming to India. Maybe, but she would never have to wonder. She’d taken destiny in both hands and milked what was left for her.

Therefore, the same verdict had been announced for her poor barren love life. Attempts made and truths expressed, she would not go out without a chance.

If he was minutely smart, he’d understand.

If he wanted unfinished, unfinished it shall be. Strong and solid, she had spoken her heart. If he truly saw something with her, this would be a signal enough.

Allah Miyan! please let this man be intelligent.

Something inside her said he felt what she did. God knows what was holding him back but an emotion existed.

In his eyes, his smiles, his touch, his distance, anger.

That letter was going to either open a door or close one. Permanently.

And with that thought, she flipped the lights and settled into her bed for an early afternoon much needed nap.

He found himself in front of a door.

Unable to turn the knob, Asad merely stood there for a minute. Taking a deep breath, he knocked and entered.

“I have decided” he simply said.

“Okay. And?”

“I am ready to say it. But I would need your help”

“I thought you’d never ask” Noshini smiled.

***

“Are you okay?”

Asad noticed she’d been staring at the floor for too long.

“Yes, I, uh, just processing.” She couldn’t believe her tactics had worked. Her best friend would be so proud of her.

Clearing her throat, she announced standing up from the bed “I am glad you feel this way Asad. And thank you for trusting me with this. Of course, I would be more than happy to help. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I was hoping you would nudge me in the right direction. I mean, Zoya is your best friend and girls share all kinds of sloppy cheesy fantasies so maybe you can enlighten me.”

Noshini couldn’t discern from his sincere expressions if he was mocking or simply being his Jahapanah self.

“I suggest you don’t talk like this in front of Zoya”

Though his frown cleared, nervousness settled. He was doomed, wasn’t he?

Jahapanah self, Noshini deducted.

“Look, Zoya is pretty simple. A nice candle lit dinner finally served with a plate of honesty would do fine.”

“I haven’t been dishonest with her” He was abruptly annoyed.

“Of course, you have” she scoffed. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing this right now. Actually, I’ll tell you what we would be doing if you kept it up. You’d have been choosing gifts for the future groom to be”

His jaw clenched. Clearly getting on nerves was a shared treat between the two friends “Excuse me?”

“I don’t know what you thought would happen if you didn’t ask her out”, said Noshini savagely “Look, let’s just agree you haven’t been completely honest and move on.”

“Fair” he took a deep breath. The girl wasn’t wrong. “Where do I start?”

“Do you have a pen?”

Asad handed her one as she settled cross legged on the bed grabbing a piece of paper.

“We are going to need a list.”

***

Zoya balanced the fork on her upper lip making a pout with her mouth sitting at the dinner table. When it dropped again, she sighed.

Where were they?

“What are these children doing? Asad went to get Najma and Noshini twenty minutes ago. We are going to be late for the function” Dilshad echoed her thoughts moving past kitchen towards the stairs.

Zoya fixed her clothes for the millionth time. She didn’t want to admit it but the black saree she picked was deliberate. He’d broken his composure seeing her in a saree once maybe it’ll happen again.

At this very moment tomorrow, she’d be trapped inside a metal box flying towards the Atlantic Ocean. Pausing she pushed that thought and dejection away.

Fairy tales, she mused. She’d always been a sucker for them. Maybe more of a sucker than ever now, she admitted. Now that she’d known real loss.

She wondered what life would look like if they were brave enough to take that chance. Would there be adventure? Prodigious passion? Insufferably all-consuming love?

Fantasies danced behind her eyes when Zeenat got called up by Dilshad. Zoya looked at the clock. She’d already been daydreaming for fifteen minutes.

“Do you want coffee, bacha” Anwar asked.

“Thanks, Jeeju, I am okay”

“ANWAR” Zeenat called out from the top floor.

“What is going on up there?” Zoya was about to get up when she was pushed back into the chair “I saw you wrestling with those things coming downstairs. Let’s keep all bones intact” Anwar smiled as he jogged towards his wife’s voice.

Zoya looked at her heels and groaned. Noshini had picked the tallest and thinnest possible. Her jeeju wasn’t wrong. Considering these a broken ankle seemed to be in predictions.

A few minutes past while up the stairs, Anwar reeled.

He looked at the room and the faces in it. To make sure he’d heard what he’d heard, he repeated

“So, what you children are saying is that this is a fake function set up to get us out of the house so Asad could take Zoya on a date in the backyard.”

“Yes” replied Noshini.

“And you deliberately got us all ready in traditionals so Zoya would pick the saree that Asad had chosen first”

“Yes” said Najma

“And this was all done because Asad and Zoya apparently… like each other very much.” He looked at the man directly for the answer this time.

“Yes”

“When were you planning on telling us Asad?”

“Yes” He stammered “I mean, tonight after talking to Miss Faaroqui. I wanted to make sure… although now I realize I should have asked for permission first. I… didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up in case she…”

“Had it not been Khaala coming in to find you kids planning and plotting, we would never be able to take part in this joy”

Suddenly, a wind of delight moved through the room. Dilshad was giddy with happiness when she had learnt her son was indeed in love with her pyaari Zoya. And now Zeenat’s misty eyes and Anwar’s smile said they wanted it as much as everybody else.

In a blissful trance his mother held Asad’s hand “This is such a dream come true, son. I mean Zoya…it’s Zoya…we just love her so much.”

Asad smiled and said out loud for the first time, confident, sure.

“I love her too, Ammi”

***

Thank you all for waiting. I hope I didnt go off rails too much with this one. Lil diff from typical asya maybe. Hope you'll like it. Happy Reading ❤️

Chapter 12

The Letter

The mood downstairs was all restlessness and anxiety.

Seriously, where are these people?

Zoya kicked her heels aside and sprinted up the stairs. There was an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She was about to knock when someone knocked her over.

“Tamatar” she exclaimed. The pleats of her saree were coming undone from the small crash.

“Sorry, umm, what are you doing here?”

“Well, since you all decided to set camp in your room, I had to come make sure no bears arrived and ate you alive.”

“Do you mean bhaijaan Zoya?”

“Actually, I didn’t but come to think of it, he is un-bear-able”

Najma laughed out loud. Her brother was going to give her the greatest gift she could ever ask for. She was still in shock that her bhaijaan of all people not only agreed but came forth without hounding instigations and pleadings from anyone.

I guess that’s the power of love.

“Hello, earth to tamatar. Care to explain what’s going on”

“We got uninvited Zoey, that’s what’s going on” Noshini whined exaggeratingly coming outside.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I read the invitation wrong, there’s only five. My bad”

Zoya smiled easy “I am sure they wouldn’t mind two guests. C’mon we’re getting late”

“NO, we can’t” her friend panicked “I mean they are…” She eyed Najma for help.

“poor?” Najma completed.

“They have a reception in one of the biggest hotels in the city. What do you mean they are…”

“Cheap” Dilshad chimed in chuckling nervously “She just meant kanjus beta”

“O…kay”

“Look, Asad is not feeling well, so why don’t you stay back and take care of him and we’ll all go” Zeenat came out next in line throwing her own storyline into the screenplay.

“Bhaijaan is sick?” Noshini glared at Najma when she wouldn’t stop asking questions.

“What happened?” Zoya’s voice was so sincere, Asad almost came out from hiding behind the door.

“Oh, migraine beta, big migraine” Anwar joined next.

Zoya looked at her family standing in a circle around her feeding her all types of information, contemplating.

He wouldn’t be the worst company in the world. And if he’s sick then…

Her phuphi’s hopeful eyes decided for her.

“Well, I guess, I can stay back”

Everyone sighed with relief at once.

“Look beta we are getting late, can you make Asad some coffee and take it to him.” They all rushed towards the door dragging Zoya with them.

“Of course, phuphi. You guys go enjoy” Her voice trailed off as she closed the main door sighing, thinking.

Jahapanah and me. Me and Jahapanah. And our last couple hours together. Maybe it was better this way. At best I get to memorize him properly before final goodbyes.

***

 A packed car waited behind the house chaotic and musing. The crickets chirped around them, a light moon glimmered while the dark full clouds crept their way home.

“Are we seriously going to sit here and spy? Let’s just go have dinner. I am really hungry and we would know anyw…”

“Oh, would you just give it up! I am not going anywhere without getting to see Zoya say yes.”

Anwar worried his wife might bolt through the door and strangle his sister if she chose otherwise. Zeenat’s eyes had never shined this much. Of course, he was ecstatic but last decision would be Zoya’s. Always Zoya’s.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me” Dilshad whispered nudging Najma.

“Why are you guys whispering? We can hear you” added Noshini.

“Khaala is right. How could you girls” Zeenat said in response.

“Have you seen your faces. There was no way you would have concealed it, especially you Aapi. There are literally chaand sitaare gleaming in your eyes. Zoya is not as dumb as she might act sometimes.” she explained.

Zeenat chose to scoff and sneer looking in the direction of the set stage. The shamiyana looked splendid, white curtains afloat in the growing winds. Fairy lights twinkling all around, their table sat in the middle of the garden. A lone red rose next to the now extinguished candelabrum, two empty seats waited for its guests.

Zoya marched out with a cup of black coffee in her hand. Unable to locate the man anywhere she’d called him and he’d asked her to come here.

The beverage forgotten, she walked bare feet on the grass, absolutely stunned by what she saw. Time slowed down with her heartbeat when Asad turned around to find her staring at him.

Lights from the porch struck her figure and created something that resembled a halo. The angel draped in black paced towards him then, failing and trying to hold her hair in place from the vicious winds.

He took over.

Eyes flaring, she took him in. The red tie played with the brown of his eyes. The tint of gold holding riches buried beneath the ground left her knees weak.

“Phuphi asked for coffee” she attempted.

He smirked and gathered the cup from her hands “Shukriya”

“How, uh, do you feel?”

Staring into her browns, he said “Much better. Although, I don’t see a cup in your hands”

“What are you doing, Mr. Khan?” She looked past him into the space with a scrunched quizzical look on her face.

“I…woh actually…it’s kind of a tradition now to talk with coffee so I thought maybe a change of scenery”

Asad Ahmed Khan! You chicken!

Zoya looked back at him with a sinking heart.

Ya Allah, he was trying to give her the lost date. The pity date.

She gulped and asked, “What talk?”

“Your letter…Miss Faaroqui”

***

Final chapter 

Good and Strange

A relaxed laugh danced in his eyes seeing her nervous. Heat spread in a swamping wave as she watched his gaze slide down to her mouth and hold there. Her lips parted. Asad moved back immediately as if stepping away from a live wire. He couldn’t get distracted. Talk first.

He took her by the hand to a bench nearby. Zoya looked back at the romantic table set as they moved past it.

Asad had a hunch that everyone was huddled nearby with their eyes glued to that spot. The powerpuff girls were enough as is, but with his Ammi and her family watching, the nerves were stretched tight more than necessary.

Wind pushing through leaves and branches, he anticipated a storm coming in. Eclipsed from the world by the grand trees, they sat in their shadows on the cold bench with a black coffee.

Asad started.

“I owe you an apology. It was a sweet gesture. The gift. Sorry my reaction came from a wrong place”

And the pity lecture hath started. Brace yourself Zo. Do. Not. Cry.

“But I do think you are wrong when you say I didn’t let past hinder my future. On the contrary, I believe that’s all I have been doing. Let it dictate my decisions” He finally, courageously, looked at her.

Zoya was in a trance. He continued. No more lies, he repeated in his head over and over.

“When you first blazed into my life, you had a lot of opinions. Opinions that really were just things that no one was bold enough to tell me. Your blatant rejection of my behavior made me look at it and evaluate. I realized in the process that it was indeed history dictating actions.”

He sipped on his coffee, slowly building courage for what he was about to say next.

“I don’t know what you think and why you think we are sitting here. All I know is that I lied today” Her forehead wrinkled. “Lied about my health, lied to get everyone out of the house, lied to get you to wear the saree I had wanted you to”

It must be some kind of temporary insanity caused by the weather, there was no other explanation. Immediately she felt the quivering sensation return to her skin and settle in her stomach.

“But that was not the only thing I lied about.” Zoya instinctively closed her eyes while he stared at her beautiful face as realisation dawned.

Is he really…

“Zoya” she opened her eyes to his sweet whisper.

***

He enjoyed these times when he was just a passive observer to her beauty, holding no responsibility to things that went around him. Her eyes seemed to tear up but this time there was no hurt.

Setting the mug down, he ran his fingers across her cheek, holding her still, looking deep into her widened eyes “I guess what I am trying to say is that I don’t want you to leave, Miss Faaroqui”

Lightning flashed then, a burst of silver filtering through the towering trees. She jolted in his hold as thunder boomed its cannon fire.

“It’s only thunder”

“It just startled me,” she responded, her eyes on his. “I’m not afraid of storms.”

When rain poured and whipped itself in their faces, they sat still - unmoving. Asad started to feel very hot, but the heat was internal, nothing to do with the seasons.

He felt a magnetic pull towards her, his body urging him to bring their heads together and experience something more profound.

“Why?” she said conclusively, after giving much thought on what to say.

Rain dripping down into his coffee cup stopped when his figure hovered over it to reach her face closer. Fingers now sliding to the nape of her neck he admitted lastly “Because you are the only thing that keeps me afloat.”

Zoya nodded at Asad’s assent slowly breaking into tears. He smiled and smiled some more.

She hadn’t said a word. She didn’t need to.

It was subdued, that crackle of electricity as he continued gazing down at her, his own tears making their relieved way out.

Brushing back the damp tendrils of her hair, he sat for several minutes with her to let the glorious change sink in.

***

Zoya Faaroqui had never had a dream so vivid or been able to feel every sensation. Even now as she sat in front of him fully aware of the realities, she couldn’t but help believe that at any moment she might wake up from this.

Desperate to not let it all fade away she stood up forcing herself to see everything around her. Even though she wanted to anything but.

A wave of heat rose in her chest as she stretched her arm out to feel the rain on her skin, her face, her heart. She could feel the droplets making their way through the crevices of her body, crevices of his face.

She touched it. He was real and this was happening.

He laid his hands on her hips as the rain beat and splashed, sliding them up her body, smooth and easy, pulling her closer by the waist. There was no music. Just their breathing. And they moved to the tunes of that. Drenched in each other and the pouring torrent, the next flash of lightning didn’t make her jolt.

She rolled with the thunder, accepted it, sinked into its lovely flood of pleasure. Being held, being touched.

Lunatic and lost he found himself lowering his head, pausing—one long breath—then fit his mouth to hers.

Hearts coated in agony by circumstance snapped to life, universe became whole again and suddenly it all made sense. Crossed paths and magnetic moods, they escaped to another world.

His fears didn’t go away, they just lost their powers with her. Asad saw her now.

Hands fisted in the back of his coat, she took what he gave. No, she had never been afraid of storms.

Stealing every breath and breathless himself, bolts of ice and heat made their ways across both their bodies. They had awakened something tonight that could never be put to sleep.

When he eased back she felt wonderfully swayed by the surrounding whirlwind. It was impossible to think.

Running on the wet grass barefoot, she made a dash for the door, pulling him with her, laughing a little and a little shy.

Rain cooled her heated skin, made her feel more alive. “You know, this is a really nice first date, Jahapanah” she said once they reached cover.

“It’s nice. Being close to you without pretending I’m not trying to be close to you.”

 “It’s strange knowing you want to be.”

 “Good strange or bad strange?”

 “Good and strange.”

***

Apologize for any typos! I might have failed to properly proof - read.