Chapter 8

"Wow baji ye to kitni pyari ring hai!" nuzzhat said awestruck while admiring the ring on zoya's finger.

"and the best part it's not black either" zoya said rolling her eyes."wo to hai" nuzzhat added with a giggle.

"tali!" zoya said, excitingly raising her hand to meet nuzzhat's for a high-fi.

"baji, ap kyu chup chap ho?" nuzzhat said, looking at nikhat who was probably busy looking for farhaan ;with a curious eye roaming everywhere in the room.

"hu-haan!" nikhat smiled to mask her inner turmoil she has been feeling since past few minutes.

Zoya could read those thin lines on nikhat's forehead easily on her face; "aha-aha! " zoya tried to act like coughing but came a gibberish sound , making nuzzat look at zoya with an alien gape.

"kya hua baji.." thanks god at least nikhat asked her finally!.

"pani... Pani!" zoya said pointing at nuzzhat. Nuzzhat stood there blankly and amused as she still was not sure that whether zoya is coughing or doing mimicry of some creature.

"are ja jaldi, pani leke aa" nikhat scolded nuzhat to hurry and get water while she herself stroked zoya's back up and down to soothe her senses.

"Bas...bas baji" nikhat said looking worried. Nuzzhat got up from her seat and walked towards the kitchen to bring a glass of water. As soon as nuzhat left zoya quickly captured nikhat's stroking hand and asked her to follow her.

"are baji..wo pani.." nikhat said from behind , confused with zoya's action.

Zoya took her straight outside the villa and quickly occupied the closest empty seat in the back yard.

"zoya?" nikhat asked confused.

"hmm... -" zoya said looking here and there to make sure no one is following them.

"zoya, why are we playing hide and seek from nuzzhat." Nikhat asked confused in a child like tone.

Zoya looked at nikhat's face with surprise and started laughing on her statement.

"nai.. we are not playing anything. You appeared to be offset since long time. So I brought you here to help. You!" zoya said amused.

"nai baji...wo-" nikhat started softly but was interrupted by zoya in between.

"Don't, you dare to try that" zoya said strongly pointing forefinger at nikhat in a warning.

"Ye jo tumhare stupid expression hai na...jhut bolne se pehle wale... inhe main ache se pehchanti hu. Tumhare bhaijaan or tum bilkul ek jaise ho jhut bolne me." Zoya chuckled and patted her forehead lightly in a dramatic way.

Nikhat tittered on her comment. The comfort on her eyes gave a green signal to zoya to continue with her talk further.

"so, what is it?" zoya asked in a serious yet in a most friendly gesture.

"Hmm..." nikhat started fiddling with her fingers. Her eyes were dancing everyone but on zoya. Zoya could feel some insecurity with her question and nikhats gestures were a good evidence for her mild guesses.

"farhaan!" zoya said looking straight to her front. It's farhaan, right?" zoya asked looking straight and then her eyes moved on to nikhat to catch her reaction.

Nikhat felt a butterfly in her stomach on farhaan's name. She quietly nodded her head in a yes to response zoya's question.

"Hmm..?" zoya hummed her tilting her head to one side slightly, a gesture which says start talking.

"zoya...wo mera man bahot ghabra raha hai." Nikhat started softly.

"wo kyu?" zoya asked showing interest in this talking.

"zoya ," nikhat called her name.

"kabhi kabhi lagta hai... ke farhaan mujhse mohabbat nai karte. Ye nikah wo... shayad wo... -" nikhat sighed as she trailed of rest of the words.

"tumhe aise kyu lag raha hai nikhat.?" Zoya asked nikhat while supporting her face in one hand, resting her elbow over her lap.

"pata nai baji, per farhaan ki kuch bate mujhe aisa sochne pe mazboor karti hai.."

"jaise ki?" zoya asked deeply calculating nikhat's changing expression in mind.

"wo ... -" nikhat wanted to say that he left her now in their own ceremony party alone without saying anything as an instance but she thought to just seal her lips , for the better.

Zoya inhaled a deep breath before holding nikhat's hand in a supporting frame."aise mat socho nikhat. Ye sab shayad tumhare dimag ka khalal bhi ho sakta hai. " zoya said nodding her head in yes, while nikhat simply smiled sadly at her comment.

"ya koi sahi wajah hai to mujhse kaho. Main asad se bat krti hu... fir koi rasta nikal jayega." Zoya said as she touched nikhat's chin with other hand.

"kya... kya apko bhi kabhi aisa mehsus hua hai, baji?" nikhat asked hesitantly ,whereas zoya exactly knew whom she is dragging in to pitcher. Zoya smiled sweetly before starting her chant on her dream man.

"haan... lagta hai. Aksar lagta hai. Jab bhi wo mujhe waqt nai de pate , mera brains bhi aise utpatang se khichdi aksar banane lagta hai. But, fir main ye sochti hu, ke zoya aisa mat soch. He loves you... and you know why?..." zoya asked looking at nikhat with a wide smile; "kyunki main kahi na kahin, dil ke kisi kone me janti hu ke asad mujhse bahot mohabbat karte hai."

"Or ye baat unhone apse kai dafa ki-" nikhat said in a form of asking and now zoya felt where her insecurities have come from. Zoya smiled in an answer and nodded her head in no while looking on the floor.

"nai..aise baat nai hai." Zoya said looking at her front, her eyes refluxing the colour of lights shining in the quite garden.

"yahi to maze ki baat hoti hai nikhat mohabbat mein." Zoya took a pause before looking at nikhat with a small smile. "hume aksar humare dil se sunna hota hai..kano se nai." She said touching her ear and heart for stating the point.

"nikhat, allah ne hum aurto ko bahot masum banaya hai. Isliye hume mehfuz rakhne ke liye. Unse hum tak ki direct line yaha (touching her heart) yaha jod rakhi hai" zoya said looking at sky with a thankyou smile.

"koi tumse 100 bar bhi pyar ka izhaar kare, tab bhi yakeen dil uski niyat dekh kar he karta hai. Numbers ginkar nai. " zoya touched her fingers with the thumb counting the digits silently.

"Or ek baat batao tumhe. Ke tumhare ye jo bhaijaan hai. Jab maine inhe qubool kiya tha. Use pehle unhone kabhi mujhse mohabat bhari baatein nai ki. Na he humne kabhi romantic sa koi waqt guzara. Tumhare bhaijaan se I LOVE YOU' expect karna he gunah tha." Zoya said dramatically in a face palm.

"per maine inki zubaan ki nai.. inki dil ki suni.. inki dhadkan ki zubaan samajhne lagi. Inki narazgi ki wajah pehchanne lagi. Inki khamoshi ko lafzo me dhalne lagi. Or dekho dheere dheere hum ek sath ho gaye."

"Or ab ap dono ka nikah bhi hone wala hai. Apki jeet" nikhat said with a beautiful smile on her face.

"pyar ki jeet...humari jeet" zoya said touching her ring from the tip of her finger.

"iska matlab ...ke farhaan mujhse pyar karte hai" nikhat said with a hope beaming in her voice.

Zoya dint answer her question this time. She just left it on nikhat to think and decide on it.

Zoya smiled at nikhat for the last time before getting up from the bench. She dusted mud off her clothes and gave a hand to nikhat to help her too.

"nikhat?" zoya looked at nikhat who was still carrying a confuse and a worried look on her face.

"baji.. agar dil ne negative sa koi jawab diya to? Ya dil se koi jawab he nai aya to?" nikhat asked looking at zoya for answer , clearly asking about farhaan again.

"to main or asad to hamesha he hai tumhare pas . hum sab theek kar denge." Zoya said with a childlike innocent smile. "or tum ye jan lo ke main tumhari honewalo bhabhi bad me, or tumhari dost pehle hu. And for your kind information ye jo tumhari dost hai Ms Zoya farooqui she can fix up anything. Hain na?" zoya asked with a smug .

"ji... bilkul"nikhat replied cheerfully . zoya felt relax on seeing , smile returning back on nikhat's face. She silently thanked allah for helping her with the task.

"chale?"zoya asked nukhat again offering her hand to hold.

"ji" nikhat happily took her hand and embraced her blissfully in a sisterly bond and they walked back inside the villa with a beautiful content smile.

"are wo rahi tanveer" Rashid declared as every eyes in the room turned up to see tanveer entering the villa from main entrance.

Abdul quickly walked towards her and soon stood right above her face. "kaha chali gai thi tum?"

"wo abu... hum... hum khuli hawa khane gaye the." Tanveer made an excuse hiding her dry tears by rubbing a finger below her eyes.

"theek hai... ab chalo chalte hai" abdul said in a stern tone and then thrown a fake smile at the crowd in the party.

"are asad tum waha kyu khade ho." Said a guest from the crowd.

Tanveer and abdul turned to look at asad who was standing in the corner of the farthest wall in a dim light. While asad was looking distraught with his head down ,red swollen eyes and a pale face. Eyes locked on floor. It was the first time tanveer had seen asad in real and not in some news recorder played on tv box.

Rashid quickly stood beside asad in few steps and supported him with a hand over shoulder. He gave a fake smile to world as the flash of camera blinked on their faces.

"are Rashid miya, asad ki tabiyat kuch na-gavar dikh rahi hai. Kya hua hai bache ko" asked a very aged uncle from the group stood nearby.

"wo .." Rashid let out a nervous laugh; " wo party se shayad thodi thakaan ho gai. Abhi main ise bahar he bhej raha tha. Khulli hawa khayega to theek ho jayega." Rashid again laughed for no reason as his finger digged his collar to roll in a circle.

Rashid thought something and then signalled a sign language to abdul through eyes.

"beta tum kyu na ... abdul or inki beti tanveer ko ghar chor ate ho" Rashid said looking at everone near him.

Abdul gave a wry smile before nodding his head in yes. "haa asad ye theek rahega. Or isi bahane thodi bat chit bhi karlenge. Kafi arsa ho gaya tumse mile. Kai bate karni hai hume tumse." Abdul looked at Rashid with a cunning smile in the end.

Without wasting one more minute, Rashid actually escorted asad , abdul and tanveer towards the door. He waved his hand in a bye whispering "fi-aman-ulla' on tanveer's "khuda hafiz"

Asad was in no mood for this service yet he dint want to disgrace his father's words and so he quietly walked at the closest car followed by tanveer and abdul behind. He took the keys from the driver and gave him an off for the day. The driver happily obliged him wishing allah hafiz to the trio he left for his home.

"hum is gadi se jayenge?" asked abdul in a bad shock looking at the small car ahead on him.

"ji, koi problem?" asad asked hoarsely , not meeting their eyes.

"nai beta koi nai." Abdul said with a fake huge smile plastered on his face.

Asad opened the passenger door for them to sit in but as soon as tanveer bent her knees to get inside abdul exclaimed in horror.

"ya allah main ek zaruri kaam bhul gaya. "he said looking at asad.; " beta tum tanveer ko ghar chor doge. Mujhe abhi isi pal office ke liye ravana hona hoga." He said looking at the watch ;" darasal ek file me office bhool aya hu. Tum dono ghar jao main office se file leke wahi milunga."

"agar office jana hai to main apko waha chord deta hu." Asad offered him being gentleman.

"are nai beta kafi time lagega mujhe waha tum jao. Main manage karlunga" abdul insisted asad to drop tanveer. Tanveer rolled her eyes as being his daughter she exactly knew when his father is faking things.

"theek hai. Agar ap yahi chahte hai to."

Asad went to his side of the car and waited till tanveer settled herself on the co-driver seat next to his. Asad too adjusted himself on the car locking the belts over them , he started the engine to hit the road with tanveer.

"unhe koi kaam nai tha.' Tanveer finally broke the long silence they were sitting with.

Asad looked at tanveer with a tense eyebrows "matlab"

"unhone jhut bola. Mere abu. "tanveer pause looking at asad; " unhe koi kaam nai tha"

Asad continued to look at her with a quizzical look, while she continued unhappily in a stern voice.

"wo chahte the ke hum akele rahe kuch waqt . ek dusre ko jaan sake" tanveer said in a stern voice and with a blank expression.

Asad struggled juggling his concentration between tanveer and the road from time to time.

"apko pata hai?" asad questioned with a confuse look adorning his perfect features.

"haan. Or ab apko bhi." Tanveer said while looking at asad with a confidence.

Asad gave her a surprise look while he looked back on road thinking something.

"apka chehra sab byan kar raha hai." Tanveer again answered to the silence question of how does she know that he knows about the deal.

"dariye mat mujhe bhi apse nikah krne ka koi shouk nai hai" tanveer said with a poker face eyes locked to her front.

"to fir... ap apne abu se kyu nai bol deti" asad asked quickly looking at tanveer with a hope in his eyes.

"nai bol sakti." Tanveer replied with a sigh.

"per kyu nai, jab ap bhi mujhse nikah nai karna chahti to keh dijiye apne abu ko. Shayad wo samajh jaye or ye nikah rokde" asad tried to make sense, as he was trap in situation at least she could help them.

"aisa kuch nai ho sakta." Tanveer said sadly with a drop of layer forming in her eyes.

"kyu nai." Asad asked curious to know the reason behind her no.

"kyunki kuch galti ki saza , khamoshi hoti hai. Umar bhar ki khamoshi." Tanveer said as her voice dripped pain with every word that fell from her mouth.

Asad felt bad for her and could not stop himself from asking. "kis cheez ki saza?"

"ek dhoke baaz se pyar karne ki." Tanveer said with hatred in her voice.

"pyar?" asad looked at tanveer with surprise.

"haan pyar" tanveer confirmed him again; " I am pregnant, asad." tanveer let the truth come out as she closed her eyes , not wanting to see the disgust look from asad , like everyone who knew this fact gave her on breaking this news.

"pregnant?" asad asked with a tense eyebrow.

"yes asad,I am pregnant"