Part 6
Yes! The sms does come up in this one.
Asfand and Zubia were engaged in a simple but beautiful ceremony which was attended by close relatives from Usman's family, her Khala and their hospital colleagues. Yes, Rehaan attended too. On their mother's death anniversary he was very troubled and could not stop himself from reaching out to their khala to enquire about Zubia. She gave him a piece of her mind and surprisingly he agreed with almost everything she said. He reached out to Zubia and they started slowly but surely repairing their relationship.
Asfand and Zubia were experiencing one of the most beautiful times of their lives.
She realized to her surprise that he was actually not quiet when they were alone. It made her feel so special to be the one person with whom he spoke so much and shared his thoughts with..be it random observations about his day or some memory from his childhood.
When they were in the hospital and he was his usual serious self around others she felt a delicious thrill at the knowledge that only she was privy to his real nature.
She remembered an incident before their engagement...
...
Zubia had been invited to dinner to Asfand's house by Lubna so they could discuss her trousseau. Asfand and Zubia were seated outdoors as she had come in early to dinner.
"So when do mama, bhabhi and you plan to go shopping?" Asfand asked. "Next week" she replied.
They looked at each other and smiled. Marveling once more at how far they had come from their first meeting so many years ago.
"Zubia, I am not sure you want to marry me because I never did really hear you say yes. In fact I don't even know how you feel about me", he said.
Zubia coloured and looked up at him in surprise. Now what was he upto? She looked hopefully towards the house in case someone would walk over and join them.
He guessed the direction of her thoughts and smiled. "So tell me, what do you really think about me?" he asked looking at her directly
"I..", she started but could not continue.
"Maybe you want to refer to the sms you sent to me for inspiration?" he asked. She looked at him shocked. Never had he given any indication that he even received it and now..oh no...
Saying "Let me look it up for you" he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through.
"Please, that was a mistake..you know it was meant for Geiti" she said weakly...
"Oh so you mean to say you have no such feelings for me?"
Blushing hotly she opened her mouth to speak but could not come up with anything. When he continued to look at her meaningfully, she forced herself to look at him and tried again.".I mean..at that time..now it is different..oh you know what I mean"
"No actually I don't. Why don't I ask bhabhi since you say it was meant for her anyway..here she comes"
Surprised, she looked up to see Geiti bhabhi approaching them and Asfand getting up purposefully..
"Please! What are you doing?" When he ignored her and started walking ahead...she said frantically "please..you know I love you..please I"..she stopped because he turned around and smiled ..no smirked..or looked content. She could not figure out which one it was...
They were looking at each other when Geiti bhabhi walked up to them and said..dinner is ready..
They walked back with her quietly into the house.
Looking back she could remember very little of the dinner. All she could remember was Asfand's eyes on her, she trying to look anywhere else but at him..and failing miserably...
Suddenly there was the sound of thunder followed by rain..At that moment, Zubia and Asfand looked at each other...from the look in his eyes she knew he was also thinking of the night they spent in the rain..
"Asfand, please drive carefully on your way to Zubia's mess, the roads must be very slippery" she heard uncle say..
As they walked under the umbrella in the rain to the car, she was agonizingly aware of him, so close to her. They were silent on the ride back to the mess
She looked at him from under her eyelashes ..watching his strong hands gripping the steering wheel, the muscles under his shirt shifting as he changed gears...she could see the strong column of his neck, his shirt slightly open, his chest hair visible..she looked up to see that he was looking at her..while she was looking at him..oh lord...she blushed and looked away...
They reached the mess and he stopped the car. He turned off the ignition and turned in his seat to face her..She did the same..
Outside the car, it was very dark and the rain came down in torrents much like that night..
Finally he spoke, his voice sounding deeper than usual..."You wore the same salwar kameez that day" and gestured to her clothes
"Which day?" she asked in a soft voice.
"The day after the medical camp..after that rainy night"
"Oh I did not realize that. You remember what I wore? I thought you did not even notice me that day as you hardly spoke with me" she said with a hint of an accusation in her voice
He was quiet for a bit, then he said..".I could not stop thinking about you all night. As I was entering the hospital I could only think about you"... after a pause he added..".every night after that I thought about you"
His nearness in that cramped space, his words, that deep voice, his gaze, it was all too much and she could not meet his eyes anymore
Asfand ran his eyes over her delectable form slowly ...from the wisps of damp hair at her forehead, to her eyes that were lowered, dwelling on her lips and then lower ..her chest rising and falling with every breath she took...and then back to her lips...
"I think I should go" she said softly.
"Ok", he said quietly looking into her eyes..
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