Chapter 3

3 years ago

Vintage Flow

@Vintage_flow

Chapter 3

“Endlessly…you shall be mine”

Her hands shivered like her heart. The hours of anticipation didn’t prepare her. Anguish faded as soon as eyes met. There weren’t any answers in either of them. Just questions. Ones that seemed to be increasing every second.

Asad was getting agitated. They’d been here for more than eight hours and nobody pitied him enough to leave Zoya alone.

As if Dilshad had read his thoughts, she looked at Zoya and announced she could use a cup of tea.

Then she signalled her son. Asad almost rolled his eyes. His Ammi thought of him dumber than he actually was. He immediately excused himself and followed suit.

Zoya looked up at the sound of someone clearing their throat. She stared at him for a second too long and got back to work.

Asad stood in the middle of kitchen awkwardly, arms loose by his side, unsure how to start the conversation. He shoved his hands into his pant pockets, moving about the space.

“So, the officers never called back for you to testify?” he started. Why did he bring Tanveer up out of all?

“No” Zoya said softly.

“Did you need anything?” She added a moment later. He held her gaze like she was the answer to her own question. Zoya spilled some sugar on the counter clumsily, distractingly, nervously. He gazed on at the mess and mess-maker lovingly.

The New York sun reflected off the kitchen counter creating shadows as she mustered up the courage to say something. He hadn’t said a word, hadn’t stepped closer but he’d never felt more intimate.

His gaze burned her with awareness.

“Who would have thought she would confess?” she had to change the vibe.

“It’s only right after you try to manipulate everyone and feed poison to someone” His voice was as flat and dark as the counter.

“Why?” Zoya wondered aloud.

“Money, I suppose makes you do things” he answered after a minute of retrospection.

“I’m really sorry” she muttered empathetic as her eyes locked with his. He blinked slow as if to reassure her. She couldn’t smile back.

“Zoya, kaha reh gai” Aapi called from the other side.

**

Hours later after dinner was served, good nights said, plans made for days to come, Asad walked into the direction of Zoya’s room.

He had to talk to her.

It was insanity, absolute madness that he hadn’t held her in his arms right when he saw her at the airport. She had come to receive them but never once looked in his direction– for more than two seconds. She had chatted, laughed, blasted rap music, then chastised by Aapi turned it into Kishore Kumar songs but hadn’t acknowledged his presence.

Only the mention of Tanveer had prompted her to look at him, really see him but that didn’t last long.

Now with everyone asleep he could finally unveil his own secrets, prompt her to tell hers.

The lights in her room were still on. He gently knocked once. He saw her shadow move through the curtained window, but the door stayed locked. He tried again.

Nothing. Was she not hearing him?

The next rap on her door came a little forceful.

“Ms. Faaroqui, I can see you’re not asleep” he decided to call her out.

“I know” was all she offered.

Asad sighed. Of course, she wouldn’t make it easy.

“Zoya” he said softly. I’m here. Do I still need to spell it out?

He felt her move in the room and hope bloomed. Asad prepped himself to say the words. Taking a deep breath, he made a move to loosen the tight muscles in his shoulders.

But before they could come face to face, her room went pitch black, removing all shadows and sounds.

He swallowed an oath.

Driving him mad came naturally to her, didn’t it!

“I need to talk to you” he tried again. “I won’t leave until you open up”

“Be my guest” He tried not to take off the door.

Asad reminded himself whose fault it all was and decided to play patient. After 42 minutes of standing outside her door, he changed his mind.

“Zoya, I can open the door if I want but I suppose you’ll have some explaining to do”

It swung open then, the lady’s face on the opposite side twisted in fury but he didn’t miss the red rimmed eyes. Guilt tormented his insides.

“May I come in?”

**

How in the god’s name was he supposed to apologize? He understood her fury, her humiliation, also her concern for him. But she had been talking nonstop for the last twenty minutes. Reprimanding him for not finding out what she did why she did, then abruptly questioning if he was doing okay since Tanveer, then refusing to talk to him or accept his apologies. Even before he had made them.

Somewhere in the middle she had lost track of what she was so mad about. But he knew. They both knew.

He was here now, wasn’t he? In her room, trying to get a word in, trying to take his life back in his hands. Asad saw it in her eyes, as clear as dawn – the same ache that had kept him awake for the last three weeks. It bolstered his confidence, eased his nerves.

He started when she’d quieted down.

“Why didn’t you pick up my calls?”

Zoya shut her eyes and tried to get her balance right before she answered.

“I don’t want to talk about it” She turned away. With her emotions on brink and heart on sleeve, she doubted she could utter a word more. She’d already made a colossal fool of herself with all the word vomit.

“Very well then, I must say what I have to regardless” she didn’t respond but her face moved a little in his direction.

“I wanted to apologize for my behavior. What you did for me was…I appreciate it. I really do…I…never should have did what I…” He controlled his breathing trying to form a coherent sentence. He had twenty hours to practice this in flight. How did she do this to him?!

When she made no attempt to turn, he continued in a voice so full of emotion, she had to look.

“I came after you… raced to bring you back home.” It didn’t miss both their notice how he used the word ‘home’. “It was too late; you were already gone”

Her hands shook but she controlled herself from breaking down. He had come after her?

She’d imagined it but convinced herself that real life wasn’t quite so romantic. It was hard to picture an agitated Mr. khan scouring the streets for her, racing tight timelines and airplanes.

She didn’t want to believe a word he said but she did.

“You don’t have to say something you don’t mean Mr. khan. I know you feel bad for what happened but don’t pretend like you…care”

She might as well have slapped him.

He remained calm when he took her by the elbow to remove the distance between them, but anger simmered under his skin.

“Do you think I came all this way to play pretend?”

“You’ve made it abundantly clear several times what you think of me”

“Have you not said similar things?” Zoya gasped at his audacity.

He dares to call me out at a moment he should be explaining himself. Fine! So, what they were both playing a game of pretend. She wouldn’t be the first one to give in and make a fool of herself.

His anger she could take, his refusal she won’t be able to live down.

“Why are you here, Mr. Khan?”

They both knew what she meant. Why had he crossed the ocean? What was he doing in her bedroom, past midnight, holding her close.

“I like to finish what I begin. We’d far from finished, Zoya”

“All right let’s talk about it then. But not now. I want you to leave me alone.” Asad wasn’t sure if to laugh at her or murder her. For forty-freaking-minutes, he had been locked outside her door, knocking, hoping, waiting and she wanted to ‘talk tomorrow!’

His fingers tightened reflexively, and he responded with a simple “No”

The dagger in Zoya’s eyes grew. She could feel his hands digging into her skin.

Still, irrespective of how vexed her brain was, his blind vehement rage always put her on edge. And she’d pushed him enough for tonight. Instinctively, Zoya decided to calm down. Serenity was her best defense right now.

“Okay, now then. Have a seat. I’ll get us coffee” As she struggled free of his hold to leave, he roughly pulled her back to him.

Fine, serenity wasn’t going to work.

“What do you want, Asad?” she slowly detonated.

A moment of torturous silence passed and then some more before he answered.

“You” All coherent thought left her alone. He continued in the same worn-out, on edge voice “I thought my coming here made that abundantly clear.”

He was trying to confuse her again. Deliberately. Before she could stop them, her lips defied orders and whispered “You were so angry that I’d interfered, you still are…angry”

“Angry yes, that you’d put yourself in the way of people of that house. People who had nothing but harsh words to offer for everyone I love.” Her eyes widened; breath disappeared.

“Angry you ask? I’ve been furious. For the last three weeks I haven’t been able to work, function, think. Furious because you were everywhere I looked, and nowhere to be found.”

She had to be dreaming. She must be dreaming.

Asad suddenly let her go and started pacing the room. Hand in his hair he explained himself

“I’ve never handled any relationship so poorly before. You weaken me Zoya, make me lose all control, all sanity, bring out the fool I never knew I could be” She had to smile at that.

“I’m…so sorry for all the ways I’ve hurt you. Often times deeper than I believed.” And then he paused, sighing, shoulders hunched.

For the first time Zoya noticed how incredibly run down and weary he looked.

“You’re tired” she announced. “Mr. Khan let me get you some coffee. Please sit”

Still so generous. So innocent. He pressed his knuckles to his eyes trying not to slip into madness. Was this the same girl who had him waiting outside her door. He wanted to laugh- whilst strangling her. God, she was exactly what he needed.

One step was all she took before Zoya found herself struggling against him. Concern forgotten; irritation came back. This body builder caveman surely knew how to get on her nerves.

“Leave me. Allah miyan! What is wrong with you?”

“You think I can let you go now” That shut her up.

Her body melted against his and he took the moment to take her hand into his

“You drive me mad, being with you, without you”

“Please, I…I need to think” she murmured. Lights, colors, shapes swirled in her head.

“Tell me you feel the same” he put it all on the line.

“Don’t say something you’ll regret” her words hurt him but the look of acknowledgment in her eyes made him bolder. He hugged her closer.

“The only thing I regret is letting you go.” The rhythm of hear heart matched his, racing up to ecstasy.

It was true. She could see it in his eyes, but she still shook her head.

The three weeks had given her a lot of time to reflect. He had hurt her. Multiple times beyond reason. Even now when her wildest dream was coming true, something broken in her heart stopped her.

“I need to think” she repeated even though it physically hurt her for not giving in.

“I can’t” he laughed sadly “Ask for anything but more time.”

She stared at him looking for answers.

“Tell me Zoya, do you want me?”

She deliberated before answering but she couldn’t lie “Yes” Hope bloomed in him like a wilting flower springing to life.

“Do you love me?”

It was time for truth “Yes”

“Then that’s all that matters” he inched closer, desperate to mark her with his love. He couldn’t lose her, wouldn’t lose her.

“I used to think so too, but apparently not” Zoya whispered, eyes brimming. The ugly words about lack of decorum and disgrace came back to haunt him. He knew exactly what she meant.

“I was afraid then”

“And now”

“Terrified, but I’d rather be afraid to death than die without you.”

**

What was she doing?! Why was she doing this to herself. Hadn’t she wanted this all along. Wasn’t this what she hoped for all this time.

A few weeks ago, and she might have broken down and begged him to admit his feelings. But that was then, this was now.

A lot of questions had made their space amidst them.

Questions that said, what if she was still searching for her father? His angry impulsive decision would have costed her lifetime of pain. What if Tanveer hadn’t confessed? He would have never believed her. He wouldn’t be standing here professing his feelings.

Time passed; seconds ticked as she willed herself to speak. She prayed her voice wouldn’t give up on her.

“You threw me out of your house. You threw me out of your life” The hurt in her voice covered all corners of the room.

Asad started panicking. She was rejecting him. Somehow that thought hadn’t entered his mind. He had thought of her being mad, upset, stubborn but never rebuffing.

But she had said she loved him, hadn’t she? Only and only, that thought justified his next actions to himself.

His fingers caressed her cheek ever so softly, venturing to her lower lip. He stopped there for a second, testing them both, then lowered himself to touch his lips to her jaw. Gentle. Patient. Waiting.

“How could I separate myself from you, when I live you every second” he murmured a breath away from her lips.

Her blood pounded thickly, reaching her ears, her head, every nerve ending. It was as if he’d set her whole body on fire.

“We belong together Zoya, I realize that now. I’ve been a fool…to let you even think about walking away from me.” he continued.

“You tremble when I touch you” he slid his hands down her hands locking them together. “Look into my eyes and tell me that this isn’t worth fighting for and I promise you’ll never see me again”

She couldn’t look away. His earnest gaze held hers captive. “I told you, I just…” He brushed his lips against her temple. “Asad, I need to…” He feathered a kiss along her jawline “To think”

“I wouldn’t touch you if you don’t want me to. I didn’t give you a choice when I pulled you closer.” His fingers went lax against hers, body relaxed setting hers free “You have one now”

Zoya suddenly felt cold. She already missed the feel of his fingers on her skin. Choice? Did he say she had a choice?

“No, I don’t” she murmured as she raised herself to touch her lips with his.

No past, no future, no choices, no consequences. She only felt the present with its needs. Light and heat was all him. Moonlight shining through the windows was all him. The wind whooshing, distant storm coming, everything around her was him.

With a sigh that sounded like a sob, she wrapped her arms around him, wondering how she hadn’t slipped limplessly onto the floor yet.

Blood pounded in his veins, lightning bolts in his head. She was electric in his arms tonight, sparkling, sizzling. If he had known that a mere touch of her lips could open his heart like this, that the ragged edges of desire could be this huge. If he had known, he’d have given up everything and searched the world for her.

Only for her.

She smiled slowly, melting, giving in. He could feel it. She saw the triumph and desire in his eyes and didn’t bother stopping him when he bent down again.

He rested his forehead against hers after his lips left hers. Then he stared into her eyes, intoxicated, drugged.

“Come home Zoya. Marry me. Have children with me”

“Asad” she whispered touched, surprised.

He shushed her “I promise I’ll always protect you, love you a lifetime and for all others to come”

Zoya saw her reflection in the mirror of his eyes. The woman that stared back at her was a woman in love. Nerves be damned. Better judgement be damned. There was no going back, no takebacks.

Forgiveness would make its way in. It always did with him. Only with him.

Yes, she was terrified just like he was, but she’d rather be afraid to death than die without him.

She supposed they’d just have to work on it, through the tears and the fights, promised nights of passion and fire. And right now, as she saw the gorgeous man looking at her with eyes like velvet and smile like sunrises, she believed anything possible.

********

Welcome to the end of our small TS. There were little bits and pieces I'd recently read and got inspired from that I wanted to put Asya in, so its a lil diff from their usual woh actually self ;)

Hope I did the last chapter justice, also, 

Please leave your comments below on anything you'd wanna read next?

Thank you❤️ Much love :)