Chapter 15

Zoya walked up to her desk in middle of the night. She picked up a frame in her hand and smiled to it.

asad main ammi ko batadungi..." zoya warned asad as she is trying to get off his grip.

"nai bataogi tum kuch bhi..." asad said serenly with a smile while griping her hands more tight.

"ammi... ammi..." Zoya started to call her mother while trying hard to get out of his grip.

"kya hua zoya bacche?" came out a worried dilshad looking at asad and then at zoya.

"ammi asad se kaho na mera haath chor de, mujhe ghar jana hai." Zoya requested dilshad with tears in her eyes. Dilshad sighed sadly as she exactly knew the reason behind asad's doing. She still tried to talk to him.

"asad , hath chor do zoya ka, dekho use kitna dard ho raha hai, or wo ro bhi rahi hai... chor do beta" dilshad looked at zoya and gave a weak smile brushing zoya's hair lovingly.

"nai chorunga, she will go away ammi. I won't let her go to New York" asad said grumpily.

"But she has to asad" dilshad tried to make him understand as she touched his chin to make him look at her.

At the age of 12 she was surprise to see these much love for his friend. The amount of tears zoya had cried on was nothing compared to the amount of tears he has been shedding all the while. His eyes went puffy because of crying yet he refused to leave her hand at once. Dilshad too wished to make zoya stay back here but she knows it would be straight selfish on her part if she asked gaffur to do so. As gaffur life was completely depend on zoya. But little did she know it's not only gaffur but now asad too had his life completely revolved around her. He was too much depended on her, his morning starts with bickering and ended with a good fight. If any one would have seen them fighting, they would have bet on him being enemy, but they weren't and dilshad very well knew this.

"ammi, bolona asad ko..asad please leave my hand or else I will bite you." Zoya warned him with her weak voice. She really wished to go with gaffur he was her father and best friend after all. Asad too had a separate place somewhere in the corner of her heart but at this innocent age she refused to think about it. As it is she was upset with asad as he forced his hubby sort of behaviour on her. He wanted her to call oji, ae ji' like his mother called his abu which obviously she refused it and this became the major part of arguments between them. He tried and behaved like his father behaving with dilshad. And she had enough of this hubby role with him.

"nai chorunga" asad declared while looking at both. He looked down at his grip on her and more tears welled up in his eyes.

"ammi!!!" asad yelled on the red mark and a painfull stinging sensation he felt on his hand with which he had holded her tight. Involuntarily his grip loosened and seeking the oportunity sshe ran away inside the home.

Asad rubbed the oval mark of her teeth on his hand while his eyes ran waters looking his empty hand.

"yaha dikhao asad" dilshad took his hand in her and ruubed it to soothe the pain. When the pain increased, she thought to better give him first aid as she really had bited him hard to loose.

"kya kar diya dekho, kyu nai sunte mere baat kabhi... kitne ziddi ho gaye ho asad tum din pe din" his mother scolded him while he payed no heed his innocent curious eyes were trying to search for zoya to hold up again and did not let her go.

Few minutes later gaffur came out with bags and lugages with zoya and humaira. The moment zoya's eyes laid on asad , her eyes widened up and she tried to get as close as possible to cover behind gaffur from asad.

Rashid and dilshad waved them bye and wished them happy journey. dilshad noticed the imapatient look in asad's eyes and tried to hold him back before this naughty kid go behind poor zoya again.

"lets click a pic before you leave" rashid suggested and everyone cheered in excitement.

Every one stood in a row where nikhat, nazma and ayaan were kneeling, humaira in gaffoors arm and beside him stood zoya than dilshad and an empty place than nuzhat. Asad stood at far waiting everone to adjust their position and once they done he quietly shifted his feet behind and stood between dilshad and zoya. Zoya shivered in fear as she saw him next to her.

"ok ready!" rashid asked while setting timer. He quickly ran towards his position and before dilshad could notice asad again took zoya's hand in his petite palm. Holding it tighter, zoya's turned her face at asad , while asad smirked in victory and that's how the picture was clicked which she had framed it in her room.

She took the frame at her eye level, carresing it with her thumb she slided it in to the front zip of her tourist bag. She then quietly walked towards the desk and opened the drawer. One by one she pulled out the letters asad had written to her in new york.

Dear zoya,

It's been two years sice you all have shifted to New York. But in this long time you haven't yet spoken to me once. Abu had called at your home on Tuesday; we all spoke with gaffur and humaira. I asked for you to gaffur uncle, but he said you were not at home. I know he lied because he makes this stupid groan before trying to lie which is a big flop. Plus I had heard your faint voice directing gaffur uncle to say you are sleeping. Please zoya, I want to talk to you. I want to hear you fighting with me again. What are you doing is not right zoya! You know after you left I did not let anyone stay in your room, I requested ammi to keep the room as it like you left it that day. I spend day's together making study excuse so as no one asks me anything. I also have replaced your Barbie set which I accidently broke with the new one in market. At least now you can call me. Or atleast pick up my call, I will ask ammi to dial your extention this teusday again. Please come on line.

Best friend,

Asad

(Your Thakur)

The thin blue page in her hand slowly wetted with the drop of tears directly falling from her eyes, she cautiously picked one by one letter refreshing all the memories she had to take away with her back to New York. Yes she is going back to America. The decision is made. After the long and thick argument between gaffur and rashid finally the thin pool of relationships, broke in to several pieces.

The last word still drummed in her ears said by gaffur to rashid as a challenge.

"meri bati mera guroor hai rashid, uske daman pe daag lagani tumne baat bhi kaise sochli, tumhara beta asad agar tumhara chand hai. To meri betiyaan meri rooh hai or rooh kabhi maili nai hoti rashid. Tumne itni galeez baat kehkar apni soch ka saboot diya hai. Tum or tumhare aulad ne meri bachi ka man dukha ke acha nai kiya rasdhid. Main ye zakhm ko kabhi bharne nai dunga. Or agar tum sochte ho ke meri zoya tumhare bete ke liye tadpegi to bhool jao. Meri beti itni kamzor nai, ke raste ki rukawto se darkar kadam peeche kheech le. Wo jeeyegi rashid khush rahegi or tumhare bete se zyada khush rahegi. Ye ek baap ke diul se nikli badua hai ; jis tarah aj khoon ke ansu mere bahe hai, tum bhi sukoon ki zindagi kabhi nai jee paoge, tumhari aulade bhi khush nai rahengi, kabhi nai..dekh lena tum" with that gaffur had signed the curse he had given with the broken piece of vase beside him.

"dekhlena" he said it again.

Remebering the whole arguments where rashid had practically insulted gaffur and zoya's dignity her character and other aspect where shouldn't be brought in to pitcher with disgrace, the last damn of patience in her broked up. With anwars help and a soft discussion, she agreed to go back to America forever leaving the pain ful memory here between these four walls.

Here , asad to got the news from ayaan, ever since the announcement made he was pratically isolated by the family. No one had talked a word to him. No one had asked even for water for him, no one pratically had bothered of his absence of dinning table. I deserve it' he whispered softly again gulping one more bottle of vodka in one sip, raw. The burning of vodka was nothing compared to the burning he felt on his soul. His soul is broken yet he had these smile masked showing the people he is not affected by anything happened in the house, where the reality had been far worse than what he showed.

He took up the empty bottle in hand and threw it with a force in air , making it in to several tiny pieces kissing the cold floor he is sitting on. The glass slipped on floor while a tiny particle pierced his palm making his hand bleed lot of blood. He stood up on his feet and taking another bottle in hand he threw it in air making it to break kissing the floor. He smiled on the far memory of a zoya and her first time in New York.

"zoya may I have a dance with you?" he asked breaking altaf and zoya in between dancing floor.

Altaf got aggressive but zoya pushed him back with one hand and muttered some calming words to him. "its ok! He is just asking for a dance" she said looking at asad's hand still in air to hold by her.

Altaf gave a nod and zoya quickly looked back at asad with a frown. She slipped her hand in his and he guided her other frame over his shoulder while slipping his hands around her waist. He looked at the DJ with a smile and aired up a thumbs up behind her back. And instantly the sprang up jazz and rocks turned in to a very soft music. There were no lyrics to it just the flow of piono and drum. He smiled to himself as this always had been his favouriste music ever since he concluded that the feeling he had for zoya was not friend ship but Love.

Zoya pulled away a little so as to see his face while he just smirked on her confused and angry expression.

"asad hum bache the.." zoya said reffering the nikah at her childhood which they played.

"per hum aj bache nai hai." He simply said turning her body in circle.

"tumhe daisy kaise lagti hai, you know she is sweet and your types too." asad looked at zoya with a hurt but quickly covered ith with a smirk.

"or tumhe main kaisa lagta hu, you know mhy best friend says I am sweet and perfect." He said referring to the talk she had with humaira last night about asad.

Zoya huffed in annoyance as she mentally planned to yell at humaiara for leaking the discussion they had in private. The sudden change in her expression left asad amused.

"zoya..." he started but than thought to trail of the rest as her closeness was more important to him than anything.

" you are still close to me" eh whispered softly in her hears making her heart beat go wild with his seducive voice.

He smiled on the effect he had on her and planned to make her understand the feeling through his action and so he chose the steps which had maximum closeness and minumum parting.

Surprisingly she too enjoyed it and danced with him for the first time after they had grown up and that too with out any complaints.

Smiling again on the far memory asad stood up and hallucinated of zoya being in his arms. Not bothering about the floor covered with broken glasses he grooved his body on the silent music played by nature.

The floor turned slowly from white to red and soon the pieces of glasses disappeared behind the thick colour dripped from his bare foot but still he kept dancing with zoya, in hallucination.

He took a turn in circle and posed as if catching zoya in his arms, his turn made the near by all small big glasses break his skin deeply inside and he stopped taking a bow at no one in particular.

Then suddenly his started muttering few words in pure drunken state "now you will hate me zoya" he said walking over pieces to reach for another bottle.

"you have to because i am a bad boy"he said sipping on bottle .

Immediately his mother face came forward him with the word she used in disgust.

"you are selfish asad"

"SELFISH"