Chapter 7

Vintage Flow

@Vintage_flow

Chapter 6

Cupids Disguised

The sound of laughter surrounded the lakeside next day.

Asad grimaced and walked faster than the rest of the group. Zoya being back in her spirits – which he was the most thankful for – only meant he was the butt of most jokes.

She had just spotted four pigeons sitting on an electrical wire at the Ana Sagar Lake - one of the places they visited today. Three of the birds sat together while the lonely grumpy one sat away looking in the opposite direction.

Of course, he was immediately named Asad Ahmed Khan. The man could only but scoff followed with a lame ‘whatever’

Puns and stories continued. Delight weaved its way through the whole evening bouncing off different topics.

Back at the hotel, the girls let their hair down and feet up – literally – cooling the tan off their faces. It had been a long day of fun-filled adventure.

“Wait they don’t have Aloe vera?!”

“Oh, how dare this seven-star hotel does not have aloe vera in the room so Ms. Noshini can scrub her tan off” Zoya scoffed. Najma giggled.

“Zo, I am not kidding. You know that’s the only thing that works for me. Come on, you have to go and arrange it for me”

“What?!”

“I am serious, dude” she moaned.

“Umm…what?” she couldn’t shake the comical frown off.

“Do something pleaseee. Aha… take Asad with you, he truly knows everything. He’ll find out. What say Najma? Your bhaijaan has the answer to everything, doesn’t he?”

“Excuse me, what?” Zoya seemed to have lost her vocabulary.

“Of course, bhaijaan does. Let me call him” And before she could make sense of what was happening Asad was in their room, called under the guise of an emergency.

Understandably he was incredulous.

Girls, he thought. After much deliberation and irritation on Zoya’s part, they were both sent on the mission together. “It’s a strange town, you can’t go alone Zo.” And that was all the convincing for Asad. It never occurred to him to send off the hotel staff. Or maybe it did.

Allah Miyan, please knock me unconscious. This is so embarrassing!

Asad opened the door for her, closely following, missing the quiet high five behind them.

***

“Oh my god, I can’t believe you did that. Aloe vera? Aha?” Najma rolled over with glee “Poor bhaijaan’s and Zoya’s faces were priceless”

“Well, the Romeo and Juliet do need a little push, don’t they” Noshini winked.

Of course, they had seen them. In the middle of a crowded dargah, they both moved in slow motion looking into each other’s eyes. That was hardly unnoticeable.

Najma’s eyes had almost bugged out seeing all that jhumka action. Noshini had noticed. She was sure to tell Dilshad Aapa and Noshini didn’t know the mother’s plans for her son. So, she ran to contain the damage and ‘Mission Asya’ had been born. Asad’s baby sister had lovingly took parts of their names and combined them.

But Noshini had deemed it a secret, only to involve more people when they were sure of it.

“Thank god, bhaijaan bought the explanation of ‘needing a girl’ to pick the correct kind of aloe vera”

“Didn’t you notice, Zo did too. Didn’t protest once”

“I tell you; they voluntarily look for time to spend with each other. How could I have not known this before.” Najma kicked herself.

“Remember them walking side by side at the lake today. Almost slowing down to be away from the group”

“Yes! Yes! Okay I’m not going crazy then because I felt that too. But it was so out of character for bhaijaan that I couldn’t comprehend.”

“Well, you better get ready to comprehend.” This and much more, she finished.

***

The clouds that rolled in the morning had managed to lock the heat in, so stepping outside was like marching through a sauna.

Zoya wiped the sweat off her brow and offered the bottle of water to her walking buddy. When he refused, she shrugged and took a slug of water.

The macho man is going to fall from dehydration.

“So, what kind of nursery would you suggest checking?”

“Nursery? For aloevera?” Zoya let out a loud laugh when Asad stood by his question, serious.

“Mr. Khan, I don’t think they expect us to carry a whole plant into the room. Look, there’s a drug store, we can check if they carry its gel there.”

“Oh” he mumbled, feeling stupid. “I guess everyone is really tired today” he continued to change the topic.

“Everyone but us apparently, since we are the chore boys”

He smiled easily; discomfort gone. He adored that about her, she didn’t let embarrassment seep in simply. Asad paid for the gel and they started their brief walk back to the hotel.

The area surrounding the place of their stay was built old, a part of its beauty and appeal. The night market was hustling and bustling, lights hanging from the tarps to illuminate various handicrafts.

Zoya moved at her own pace. When Asad didn’t feel her presence beside him, he turned to see her admiring some ceramic bowls at a distance.

“Phuphi would love this for when she makes her signature kheer” she said when he approached. “Oh! and this handbag for tamatar, she’d been gushing about these ever since we got here”

Asad nodded politely.

“Wow, you are such a help Jahapanah”.

His hand found its spot on the forehead “Miss Faaroqui, shall we now, it’s been twenty minutes?” he said gesturing a hand towards the road.

“Pay karne ke baad hi jayenge Mr. Khan. Ab main aise hi lekar bhaag jau kya” When he pulled his wallet out, Zoya glared.

“Don’t you dare! Ever heard of something called gifts. These are from me” she announced smugly. He put his wallet back in. He would be lying if he pretended that didn’t please him. Her bond with his family was something he always cherished.

Bolting the lock to his hotel room, it was only later at night getting ready for bed, when he realized she had only bought three bowls.

***

Chapter 7

Looming Sorrows

The next two days brought a lot of walking, sightseeing and absolutely no time to hold a conversation. Najma, Noshini and Zoya were inseparable, frolicking away to shop, photograph and taste test just about everything.

Zoya had started a photo collection of her own. The memories she would take back. Of the family that loved her like their own. Of the man she had come to love.

She’d maybe loosely admitted to herself a long time ago but it took time to really-really admit it. It was bad timing she knew, what was she doing playing with her heart recklessly like that. His presence would be gone in less than two weeks and yet she couldn’t force herself to pretend anymore. She wanted to leave it at a ‘crush’, of two people who shared similar pasts and understood the familiar ache – but who was she kidding.

It was so much more than that.

She’d already drawn him in her world, interlaced futuristic visions.

So, she’d admitted it.

She was in love, one bigger than herself.

But she wouldn’t spend time crying over goodbyes, the tears would be saved for those. For now, she relished at his closeness, his voice, his eyes, his smiles and the newfound gentlemanly behavior.

The mess was unscrambled, puzzle solved – much earlier than she’d preferred to. But she’d have to make peace with it sometime. Wasn’t it good that the heart started now?

Asad couldn’t make peace with it. Since the day they’d come back shopping for souvenirs, the count of three haunted him. Not a meaningful word had been said between them since that night.  Sadness surrounded him each time he looked at her face.

 He did the only rational thing his heart permitted.

“Why don’t we take the road back home travelling through Agra” he suggested to the group settling down for dinner back at the hotel.

“Omg, we can do the Taj Mahal trip” Najma shrieked, just like he’d hoped.

“Well, we would Asad beta, but I really have to get back to work” Anwar replied. Noshini and Najma looked at each other in alarm, so did their Asya.

“Oh, come on Jeeju, how long could that possibly take, we came saat samundar paar and not being able to see The Taj Mahal” Noshini made a puppy face. Anwar looked around and everyone wore the same expression.

“Okay, I’ll push back the meetings somehow”

The ladies cheered but not Zoya, they had at best bought another week.

What was a lifetime compared to another week?

***

“We have got to do something” Najma panicked

“Relax honey, we don’t know if Jeeju was talking about also taking Zo back” Noshini countered

“Of course, he was! How could he not? Plus, you don’t know my bhaijaan. Even if he feels what we think he feels, he will never admit it. He’s always been like this. Stubborn and an introvert.”

“Look, I can always stay back saying I want to sightsee Bhopal more, that way they wouldn’t take her with them. I mean we can at least make a good case of not leaving until your summer vacations are over. Now, I am sure your bhaijaan can’t be that stubborn. We have more than enough time to make him see sense.”

“You underestimate him” she sulked.

“No, you underestimate me” Noshini crossed her arms in decision. It was time to bring out the big guns. And soon.

The Jaipur days were nothing short of extraordinary. The old forts, narrow streets; they had seen war, change, the lean and the fat. Now with its colorful roads and vivid history, it managed to hold the eye of every visitor that came to see it.

Asad and Zoya weren’t any exception. Zoya romanticised each and every fort she set foot into.

 Asad romanticised her.

The architecture, the stories, the antiquity all mesmerised her, made her forget the worries of incoming days. She stood in the small dome built on the terrace of Jaigarh fort overlooking the vast, captivating landscape. The weather had decided to show some pity with the cool wind streaming through her hair. She looked up at the clouds weaving in.

“Why are you standing here all alone?” Dilshad’s hand came up to stroke her hair lovingly.

They both instinctively looked at the group a few metres away – Najma and Noshini busy with their millionth photoshoot, poor Anwar as the photographer.

Where was he?

“Zoya?”

She gazed back at Dilshad and smiled “Just listening to the sound of birds, the stream Phuphi. It’s so peaceful here.”

“Sach kaha, Asad made a good decision coming here this early in the morning. Warna aisi shaanti yaha kaise”

 Zoya snickered “Well, I sure am going to miss this non-shaanti once we leave”

Dilshad’s mouth turned down at its corners “I wish you would never go back”

Her lips pressed together in dejection, a sad frown taking up space on her forehead as she spoke “I wish I could never go back. There is so much that I love here.” Zoya reached for her hands, holding them firm but soft and spoke with emotion “You have given me so much Phuphi. All the love, respect, support from this house, I shall never forget. You have no idea how hard it is to leave.”

Vision turned blurry with tears in both eyes. Dilshad spoke more with her actions, hugging her tight.

“Well then, don’t go”

Zoya chuckled melancholic.

“I wish”

***

There is a particular kind of sorrow when you start loving something more than yourself. A rattled silence beautifully worded, painfully read.

Asad felt it standing by the minar Zoya stood in. They hadn’t sensed him but he’d heard it all.

There were talks and discussions throughout the trip that he chose to ignore. Her family’s constant future planning for her involved apartments and job offers in New York. So naturally her leave was forthcoming.

Why was the heart grieving like so?

Anwar wasn’t the only one missing deadlines and cancelling meetings. Nothing else plagued his schedules, calendars or projections. Nothing else had ever gotten its hooks so deep in him.

Nothing but her.

Any minute now, sanity was ready to shatter and dissolve. What have you done to me, Zoya?

“Mr. Khan” His spine straightened; he blinked the water away.

“Yes”

“Phuphi is looking for you” When he didn’t turn, she joined him. 

Without missing a beat, she said “Aapne sun liya na sab” She knew she saw his shadow.

His eyes were on her in a flash “Kya sun liya”

She pointed to the space she stood at minutes ago.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Miss Faaroqui” His jaw clenched

We are being emotionally challenged again, aren’t we?

“Well good, I was just checking for annoying eavesdroppers anyway” Before he could retort with his narrowed eyes, she cut him “We really have to go” For half a second, he thought she’d been talking about New York. Deliberately he made himself step back when she gestured to the group behind him. Obviously his IQ had dropped a hundred points.

“Everyone is hungry Jahapanah, let’s go” she repeated when he wouldn’t move.

***