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Chapter 31
Zoya slipped out of her bed and made her way to Zaroon's room only to find the person in question sprawled diagonally across the bed on his stomach, sleeping soundly without a care in the world. It wasn't as if she had expected him to be up and about, she knew he was anything but a morning person. Going over to him, she shook his shoulder urgently. "Wake up, Zaroon!"
No response. She shook his shoulder with more vigor. "Zaroon! I said wake up."
He cracked an eye open and spared her a reluctant glare through the tuft of straight hair that fell haphazardly over his sleepy eyes before proceeding to cover his head with his pillow to muffle her wake-up calls, he mumbled. "Go away Zoe, lemme sleep."
Zoya pursed her lips as she yanked his pillow from over his head. Zaroon squinted at her through groggy, sleep-laden eyes and smiled slightly in an amused manner as he closed his eyes again and muttered, "I know you can be very loud and annoying but I am more than capable of sleeping without the pillow too, you know."
"Like I will let you!" Zoya told him before whacking the pillow at his head, making him groan in annoyance. He took the first couple of blows quietly but on the third one, his hand shot up without warning and yanked the pillow from her hand. He leisurely placed it under his head and draped an arm firmly across, to secure it from Zoya's further snatching attempts and muttered sleepily, "I won. Now scoot. Go and play with your Mr. Early-Riser Ahmed Khan."
"It is literally impossible for a person to be sleepy after all this!"
"Not for me." He contradicted calmly, with his eyes closed.
Giving up, Zoya dropped on the bed beside him with a sigh and as expected, Zaroon peeked at her with concern. Giving up this easily wasn't something Zoya usually did. He groaned as he rolled on to his back and asked with a hint of annoyance, "Now, what did that moron do so early in the morning?"
Zoya turned to look at him with surprise. "How did you know it had something to do with Mr. Khan?"
"Zoe, believe it or not, it's not a secret that your world resolves around that idiotic man these days. And it really doesn't take a genius to figure out that he is the reason behind your sadness. Yet once again." He added as an afterthought as he pulled himself to a sitting position against the headrest, rubbing his eyes and raking a careless hand through his hair, stifling a yawn in the process.
"Zaroon," Zoya said in a mildly surprised tone, surprised by the bitterness in his voice.
"What? You know I'm right. Ever since, I've arrived here I'm seeing you worried about one thing or another and all of them have one element in common. Mr. Asad Ahmed Khan." He spoke scornfully, which was something very unlike him.
"Zaroon, you're wrong. He's actually a very nice person and-" She began taking Asad's side and defending him instinctively, forgetting the mental dilemma she was in because of him.
"Zoe, do you really expect me to believe the words of a love-struck girl over my own eyes?" Zaroon retorted flatly.
Zoya's lips turned down slightly at the corners and Zaroon felt a bit guilty as he asked snappishly. "What?"
"Zaroon, you're my best friend. I don't want you to be at dagger's drawn with the man I love..."
"Zoe, I know it must be difficult for you to know that I want to use a dagger on the man you love," He said in his usual mischievous tone and Zoya looked at him, slack-jawed. "What? Don't look so horrified. I'm not planning on killing him. Trust me; he's not worth spending my whole life in jail. Na-uh." He shook his head in mock-seriousness. "I just want to cut a nice little hole in his chest and check whether he actually has a heart or not. Though I'm ready to bet anything, he hasn't got one. Empty-headed and heartless. Trust you to fall for such a man."
"Zaroon!" Zoya admonished him, punching his arm. He laughed lightly before his expression turned solemn.
"Zoe, to be honest with you, my patience with him is waning dangerously low. On one hand, he warns me to stay away from you and on the other hand, he refuses to accept his love. I mean, you seriously couldn't have chosen a more confused soul. How on earth do you expect him to understand your feelings when he doesn't even understand his own?"
"He warned you to stay away?" Zoya asked, interestedly while Zaroon scowled at the point she had chosen to pay attention to, from his long speech.
"Yes last night... said he'd break my face." Zaroon told her sounding annoyed, "Zoe seriously, how can you or anyone else for that matter live with such an emotionally-challenged man? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life spelling everything out for him?"
"Zaroon, he's not like that. There are times when he understands me even before I say anything." She fondly remembered the sleeve-measuring incident from their shopping spree a day ago. "It's just that he has spent all his life despising love and it must be difficult for him to recognize his feelings now... If he has them for me and not for someone else, I mean." She added as an afterthought as the phone call from a while ago resurfaced in her memory, making her tone bitter.
"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Zaroon queried.
In a quiet voice, Zoya related the incident that had taken place this morning, about the phone call Asad had received and how she had accidentally eavesdropped on the conversation. She went quiet once she was finished, her eyes two pools of sadness and insecurity.
"I can not believe this!" Zaroon finally let out.
"Neither can I," Zoya agreed in a low voice.
"Maybe she was just a friend." Zaroon suggested.
"One doesn't talk that politely and sweetly with friends. Moreover, why hasn't he ever mentioned her name in front to me? I woke up and heard their conversation by chance. Otherwise, I would've never found out... Maybe, she is the reason he isn't interested in me." Zoya voiced her doubts uncertainly.
"Rubbish. Jokes aside Zoe, I don't think any girl in the world besides you has the stamina to endure Mr. Khan. He really isn't the most charming person who you would expect to go around, making friends especially with females."
"Then what do you think?"
"I don't think I have the ability left to think anymore." He sighed deeply and ran a hand over his stubble-darken jaw absentmindedly.
Suddenly he exclaimed, "Zoe, what if Tanveer is some small girl in the park that Mr. Khan has befriended?"
Zoya's eyes lit up with a small hopeful smile, "That is actually very possible. And that would explain the sweet tone he used to talk to her."
A slow small dawned on Zaroon's face before his forehead creased in concentration and he cocked his head to the door, "I think Mr. Khan's phone is ringing."
Zoya too heard the faint ringing and pushed herself to her feet. "I'll get it."
Zaroon nodded encouraging and watched her breeze out of his room. He had just thrown his head back and closed his eyes when Zoya was back waving Asad's cell phone frantically under his nose and pointing at the caller's ID, whispering loudly. "It's Tanveer!"
"What are you waiting for? Answer it!" Zaroon told her and taking a deep breath, Zoya did.
"Hello?"
There was complete silence on the other end. Zoya held her breath, hoping with all her heart that the voice at the other end would belong to a child's. There was the sound of a throat clearing before the voice of a young woman fell on Zoya's ears and she felt the world slipping from beneath her feet.
"Hello? Can I talk to Asad?"
Zoya felt as if some visible force was strangling her, gripping her so tightly that it constricted her lungs. She couldn't breathe.
"Hello? Anyone there? I haven't dialed a wrong number, have I?" The woman asked in a hesitant voice on getting no reply from the other end.
"N-No you haven't. I'm Asad's wife." Zoya spoke, trying to clear her swollen throat.
"Oh you must be Zoya. I've heard him talking about you. Oh, he's here. Never mind. Sorry for bothering you!" The women said cheerfully but before she could end the call, Zoya heard a shriek, some scuffling and Asad's playful voice saying, "Now that's one mighty hug, Tanveer... Choking... Not breathing."
Zaroon took one careful look at Zoya's pale face and cursed loudly, "I'm the one who's going to break his face!"
***
Asad entered the park and spotted Tanveer some distance away. Quietly, he walked up to her and tapped her shoulder. Giving a loud shriek, the little girl launched herself in Asad's arms, giving him a tight hug. Asad pretended to choke and let out in a mock-suffocating voice, "That's one mighty hug, Tanveer. Choking... Not breathing."
Tanveer laughed and pulled back to look at his face, "Asad Chacho, why haven't you been coming to the park?"
"Tanveer, first let your Chacho breathe." The young woman, Tayyaba admonished her daughter gently. "Asad Bhai, I just called on your cell but you had forgotten it at home."
"Oh!" Asad's hand wandered to his pocket instinctively and he discovered that it was indeed empty. "Why did you call me though? Anything important?" He asked as he tossed Tanveer in the air and she giggled blissfully.
"No, I just wanted to say that if you're busy, you don't have to come. Tanveer called you without my permission. She has been a very naughty girl lately." Tayyaba said in an admonishing manner and Tanveer's face fell.
"Ammi, I wanted to meet Asad Chacho and tell him that I'm starting school soon." She directed the latter part of the speech at Asad, looking thoroughly excited.
Asad gave a start. "Really? That's such great news!"
"Ammi says I'm a big girl now." She confided, nodding importantly.
"So when is the big girl starting her school?"
"On wenneshday." Tanveer told him in an all-knowing manner.
Asad laughed at her adorable pronunciation. "So I guess now that you're starting school, you will forget about your Asad Chacho?"
"No, never. You're the best Chacho in the whole wide world." She replied simply and Asad laughed heartily as he kissed her forehead.
"Chacho?"
"Yes Tanveer?"
"Ammi is angry at me." She told him while throwing an apprehensive look at her mother.
Asad bit his smile and quickly trained his face into a concerned expression before turning to Tayyaba. "Bhabhi, how can you be angry with such a precious little girl?"
"She called you without my permission, Asad Bhai and that too, so early in the morning. Yesterday, she was about to call you early as well but I stopped her. I told her it's wrong to call people so early but still she called you at 5 in the morning today."
Asad looked at Tanveer's pouting face and said affectionately, "Your Ammi is right. You should ask her permission before calling anyone. And there is a proper time for everything, even phone calls."
"I know Chacho." She nodded her head, playing with his collar.
"You do? Then did you do it?" He asked, surprised.
"Because I can't tell time yet." She confessed innocently. "I didn't know it was 5 o'clock in the morning."
Asad chuckled heartily and pecked at her cheek. "I have heard many excuses but yours by far is the best."
Tayyaba then softly intruded and desired to have some important talk with Asad so he asked Tanveer to play with the other kids.
"Asad Bhai," Tayyaba began once Tanveer was out of earshot. "I am really grateful to the financial help you've provided us with, ever since Talha passed away. And also for your special attention towards Tanveer, I can't thank you enough."
Asad shook his head with a humble smile, saying Talha was a good employee and it was the least he could do for his family.
"Asad Bhai, when I applied at your firm for work after Talha's death, you didn't give me a job, rather you entitled me to Talha's full salary every month and said being a mother, my job was to look after Tanveer." Tayabba's eyes softened and brimmed with grateful tears, remembering Asad's kindness to their family after the demise of her young husband. "But now, since Tanveer is old enough to start school, I want to start working for your company."
"But why Bhabhi? Do you people need more money? I can increase the amount sent to you every month."
"No, no Asad Bhai. You're embarrassing me. You've already helped us a lot. I just want to work now, so that I know that the salary I'm getting is well-deserved." Tayyaba explained timidly.
"I understand your feelings, Bhabhi." Asad nodded solemnly. "But Tanveer? Who will look after her?"
"She will be at school. She won't even feel my absence." Tayyaba reasoned.
"Okay, but I have a condition. You won't let your job affect Tanveer in any way. You will come to office after dropping her to school and leave early in the afternoon so you can pick her up on time and she doesn't feel neglected."
Tayyaba eyes swam with tears as she nodded. Without a doubt, Asad was an angel in disguise for their family.
***
Asad noticed that Zoya was ignoring him.
He didn't know the reason behind her aloof behavior and neither could he fathom it even after much speculation. She was completely fine with him during their shopping trip yesterday then what had happened to her today, he couldn't for the life of him figure out.
He watched her closely as she ate lunch, talking to everyone else on the table except him. He also noticed her strained smile and knew something was bothering her. What exactly was it; he didn't know. But he was going to find out. He discreetly excused himself and followed her as she went to the kitchen to get water for herself.
"Why are you ignoring me?" He asked in a quiet voice, making her jump and choke on the water she was drinking. He hurried over to her side and gently rubbed her back, while moving her hair off her face with his other hand.
"You okay?" He asked with unmasked concern in his eyes.
"I-I'm fine." She told him quietly.
He nodded as he took the glass from her hand and placed it at the sink. He then leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "Zoya, will you tell me why are you ignoring me?"
"Oh, you noticed." She said derisively and Asad was surprised at her tone.
"Of course I did. You aren't being exactly subtle, you know."
Zoya studied him for a while before asking, "Even if I am ignoring you, what does it matter to you?"
"What does it matter to me?" Asad repeated incredulously. "It does matter to me when you start ignoring me without any reason."
"Trust me, Mr. Khan; it's not without reason." She looked at him carefully as if checking his reaction.
"Can I know the reason, then?"
"Don't you, Mr. Khan?"
"No, I don't!" He snapped, getting annoyed.
"You don't?"
"I DON'T!" He repeated firmly. "And I think I deserve to know what wrong I did to offend you in such a manner." His tone got higher with the building anger inside him.
Zoya was looking at him in a shrewd manner as if weighing whether to answer him or not, when Zaroon's voice floated from the dining table, "Hey Zoe, bring me a glass of water too, please!"
Quietly she turned to pour water in a glass and made to leave the kitchen with it.
"Where do you think you're going without answering me?" Asad held her wrist as she walked past him.
"Zaroon asked for a glass of water, in case you didn't hear." She told him calmly as she pulled her hand from his grip and left the kitchen.
"Zaroon, Zaroon, Zaroon!" Asad muttered darkly, seething with loosely-reigned anger and slammed his fist on the counter with a powerful thump, making the dishes bang into one another and rattle. He was far too angry to notice.
***
Zaroon watched Humaira moving towards the front door after the dance practice that day, which had continued until quite late today, as the Mehendi function was tomorrow and today was the last rehearsing day. He jogged after her, catching up with her on the car porch.
"Hey!" He smiled.
"Hello Zaroon Bhai." She smiled brightly. She liked Zaroon Bhai. He was cool and fun to be around. She had instantly liked him the first time they met only to realize that he treated her like a younger sister. She had accepted that and begun thinking of him like an elder brother.
"Humaira, can I ask you something?" Zaroon inquired with a solemn expression on his face.
"Sure Zaroon Bhai, go ahead."
"Why are you hell-bent on putting your life at risk?" He asked bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest and knitting his eyebrows.
"What do you mean?" Humaira's jaw dropped open.
"I mean why do you love jeopardizing your life?"
"I-I don't." She stuttered, surprised.
"No, you do. It's quite obvious." He insisted.
"Zaroon Bhai, why are you saying this?"
"Because you insist on walking home alone so late at night. Why don't you let Ayaan drop you off? Do you even realize how risky that can be considering how dangerous the situation of the country is these days?" He admonished her like an elder, caring brother.
"But nothing has happened to me, has it?" She protested lamely, staring at her feet.
"So you are waiting for something to happen, huh?" Zaroon cocked an eyebrow and Humaira blushed.
"I don't want favors from people knowing I would never be able to return them." She said softly, thinking of her humble background.
"Maybe they don't think they are doing you a favor. Maybe they are genuinely concerned for your safety."
"But-"
"Humaira, all I know is that if a young guy goes through the trouble of keeping an eye on you all the way to your house to make sure no evil befalls you and without even acknowledging it; you really have to be a nitwit to think that he is doing you a favor and expects something in return."
"What? I-I mean... Who?" Humaira let out disjointedly, too surprised to form a coherent sentence.
"I think you know who."
"Ayaan... has been... following me?" She let out slowly, with disbelief etched on her face.
"Yes, because Your Stubbornness refuses to realize how dangerous the world can be out there at night." He said 'Your Stubbornness' in a way people would say 'Your Highness'.
Humaira looked at a loss for words as she tried to make sense of what Zaroon was saying who suddenly laughed at her dumb folded expression. "I can vouch for him if you like."
"Huh?" Humaira let out confusedly.
"I can vouch for him that he's not a psychopath or anything." He laughed at his own joke before he turned serious. "Look Humaira, all I know is that if a young guy has been doing this for the last couple of days without even acknowledging it, he must truly care about you... I think you ought to give him a chance." Zaroon told her gently with a smile.
Humaira looked at him, slightly slack-jawed. "A chance at what?"
Zaroon mentally face-palmed himself. "A chance to drop you home for now. We'll see what happens later."
"And what exactly do you mean by that?"
Zaroon smiled even wider, his eyes crinkling around the corners before he gave her a wink and said, "You trust your Zaroon Bhai, don't you?"
Humaira merely smiled in response. Zaroon took that as a positive sign and opened the entrance door, stuck his head in before yelling, "Ayaan!"
"What are you doing, Zaroon Bhai?" Humaira asked, looking flustered. Zaroon merely shrugged his shoulders and waited for Ayaan to come out.
"Ayaan, do me a favor, will you? Please drop Humaira home. It's not safe, going alone so late." He suggested casually as soon as Ayaan made an appearance who looked at them both in surprise, not believing his ears for a minute.
"S-Sure. Let me get my car keys." Ayaan couldn't hide the wide smile that dawned on his face. "On second thoughts, do you want me to walk you home? Since you have a preference for it and because the weather is very pleasant tonight?" He blurted out before he could stop himself and felt his ears burning.
"Sure." Humaira agreed timidly with a smile. Ayaan exhaled in relief and smiled warmly at her before gesturing towards the gate. He turned and gave Zaroon a grateful smile.
Zaroon simply winked back.
***
Zaroon looked out of his bedroom window to see Zoya quietly strolling in the garden by herself and his face drooped slightly. Zoya had been subdued all day today; nothing he said was making her smile. As he made to leave his room, his eyes fell on a card and flower peeking from his suitcase and he smiled before picking them up and making his way outside.
He sneaked up to her quietly and without warning yelled a loud "Zoe!" in her ears, startling her so much that she jumped half a foot in the air and screamed as if her life depended on it. Zaroon started laughing heartily as Zoya began landing punches on his arm calling him all the bad names she could think of, as was the usual way of her retaliation.
"Stop laughing like a hyena. What was the point of doing that?" She snapped in annoyance.
"It was an attempt to make you come out of your Zombie mode," He replied simply, falling into a step beside her.
She glared at him and he laughed unfazed. "Your face can't get any longer today, Zoe. Metaphorically speaking, of course." He grinned before he stopped and looked at her with an amused smile. "By the way, you have given Mr. Khan such an extreme case of cold-shoulder today that the poor chap has begun to doubt his own existence in this world." He chuckled and Zoya smiled slightly, unable to remain unaffected by his infectious laughter.
"Oh my! Did I just detect the hint of a smile on your face, Zoe? I thought you were boycotting all forms of laughter today."
Zoya slapped him on his arm, trying to hide her smile again.
"Ouch. Trying to break my bones, are you? Why such a wimpy blow on my poor arm?"
Zoya shook her head in wonder. "You don't give up, do you? You don't even need any probing to keep blabbering."
"What can I say? It's a talent." He said animatedly, spreading his arms wide.
"Sure, if you say so. Ever wondered why all your talents are annoying?" Zoya's tone was patronizing.
Zaroon ignored her and instead said, "Zoe, close your eyes. I want to show you something."
"What now?"
"On second thoughts, shut your mouth first and then your eyes."
Shaking her head, Zoya did. After a while, she heard him asking her to open them and found Zaroon on his knees before her.
"Zaroon, what the hell are you doing?" She let out incredulously.
Smiling sheepishly like a little boy, Zaroon flourished a rose from behind his back and seeing it, Zoya burst into laughter, realizing Zaroon was enacting the proposal he had offered to her when they were in third standard. The proposal that had landed him in detention because Zoya had ran to their class teacher and informed her of Zaroon's antics.
Presently, she saw Zaroon with the same plastic, floppy rose from all those years ago, on both his knees instead of one and laughed even harder. Zaroon smiled more widely and extended a card to her and Zoya eyes widened when she realized it was the same card. She took the card from his hand, trying to control her laughter when saw the elephant on the front, with a caption "I Love You, Zoe!"
Her laughter returned with full-force. Tears of mirth streamed down her eyes. "What were you thinking when you drew an elephant on a card meant for proposing someone?"
Zaroon pretended to look sheepish and fidgeted his hands like he was still 8 years old before returning to his present self, he remarked, "What makes you think I was thinking anything at that time? If I had been thinking, I wouldn't have proposed to you in the first place!"
Zoya laughed even harder and hit him on the shoulder.
"You can accept my flower now, you know." Zaroon suggested with his eye-crinkling smile and Zoya did, shaking her head in amusement. "I can't believe you still have all this."
Zaroon shrugged. "It feels great to find out that you aren't the same ruthless girl you were before, who threw my card on the ground, refused to take my plastic, scented rose and ran to tell the teacher instead." He laughed as he offered his hand to Zoya to pull him up and she did.
"Were you heart-broken by my rejection?"
"To be honest, I was more worried about the detention... And by the next day, I had realized I can get way better girls than you." He laughed. "So I came to you with an apology which you accepted and then-"
"We went to play on the swings together." Zoya completed his sentence, giggling.
"Thank God, you're laughing now. I feared I was going into depression looking at your long face all day today."
Still laughing, Zoya gave him a grateful hug. "I don't know how you do it, Zaroon but you always have a remedy to cure my mood. And I love you for that."
Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled back. She found herself looking at Asad's enraged face and the next thing she knew, Asad had punched Zaroon straight in the jaw.
She watched in silent horror as Zaroon fell back on the grass, his lip sprouting blood. She screamed.
***
Asad was threading his room restlessly, mulling over Zoya's words from the kitchen when he heard her shriek in terror. He ran to the window worriedly only to find her raining punches on Zaroon who was laughing heartily and Asad's anger resurfaced. Seemed like the 'best friends' were only having some fun.
He watched with tightly gritted teeth as Zaroon and Zoya started strolling together, laughing occasionally with Zoya hitting him on his arm in an admonishing and carefree manner. He noticed with a sinking heart how happy and relaxed she looked in his company. Why couldn't she be like that with him?
He looked down at his clenched fists and it hit him with a start that he was jealous. He was jealous of Zaroon and the easy camaraderie he shared with Zoya. Asad was surprised to find himself accepting it easily. Accepting that it hurt him to see her sharing a close equation with some other man. Accepting that he wanted to be the one who made her laugh and filled her life with happiness...
Suddenly his eyes narrowed dangerously as he saw Zaroon going down on his knees in front of Zoya and Zoya laughing joyfully. He saw him extending her a card, which she accepted and read with a dazzling smile on her face. He saw her accepting the rose in Zaroon's hand...
Blind fury took over Asad's senses. He found his clenched fists shaking with uncontrolled wrath. He strode out of his room and made his way to the garden only to find Zoya and Zaroon hugging each other.
The last shard of his self-restraint snapped.
Moving forward, he disentangled Zoya from her so-called best friend and punched him with all his strength right in his face. Zaroon fell on the grass holding his jaw, his lip bleeding profusely. It wasn't enough to alleviate Asad's anger. He wanted to end it one way or the other.
He saw Zaroon's lip press in a dangerously thin line, his eyes narrowing with unconcealed anger as he pushed himself to his feet. Asad smiled in a sadistic manner, pleased that Zaroon was reciprocating. His blood was boiling. All he wanted to do was to beat the man in front of him to a pulp.
He watched as Zaroon raised his arm to strike with a suddenness, Asad was not prepared for and he geared himself up for the blow when Zoya stepped up in front of him, screeching at Zaroon to stop, her voice sounding hysterical.
"Get aside, Zoya." Asad ordered, gently shoving her aside but she refused to bulge.
"Zaroon don't!" She screamed, tears cascading down her cheeks as she shielded Asad with her body.
"GET. ASIDE. ZOE!" Zaroon yelled, his voice quivering with anger, his breath coming in short gasps.
"Please Zaroon, DON'T!" She repeated loudly. "For me," She almost whispered the last part and Zaroon took a long look at her before he dropped his hand to his side. Zoya's words had dawned on him that if he hit Asad, he would be hurting Zoya. In fact, if anyone of them was wounded, Zoya was going to be the one who would be hurt the most.
He stood there with his chest heaving, his fists clenched as he desperately tried to get a hold over himself. Then without sparing them a glance, he turned and stomped inside.
Zoya turned to Asad and screamed, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, MR. KHAN?!"
"What the hell is wrong with ME?!" Asad repeated incredulously. "That guy had the audacity to propose to MY wife in MY house and you're asking what the hell is wrong with ME?!" He yelled with just as much fervor, gripping her by her elbows.
"Are you crazy, Mr. Khan? That was a joke! Zaroon was just trying to cheer me up!" She yelled, her voice trembling whether due to exhaustion or panic she didn't know. "Let go of me! I have to see whether he is okay or not!" Zoya jerked her arm free and ran inside the house, leaving a bewildered and seething Asad behind.
***
Dilshad stopped Zoya as she burst into the house. "Zoya beta, what happened to Zaroon? Why is he bleeding?"
"Ammi, he and Mr. Khan got into a fight. Let me go and check on him." She excused herself and ran to the guest room to find Zaroon throwing his things in his open briefcase. Blood ran down his lip but he seemed not to notice.
"Zaroon." She went over to him and held his arm but he jerked it away, focusing on his packing. His anger was palpable. Zoya could feel it radiating from his body in waves. She wasn't used to seeing him angry and it scared her.
"Zaroon, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" She whispered, tears making their way down her cheeks once again.
"Why are you sorry, Zoe? You didn't ask him to punch me!" He spoke roughly.
"But he punched you because of me. This is all my fault." Zoya's voice broke as she slumped on the couch, holding her head in her hands and broke into soft sobs of helplessness.
Zaroon's anger melted on seeing her so depressed and dejected. He remembered her words from this morning and realized how difficult it must be for her to see her best friend and her husband fighting and that too, in such an intense manner. With a sigh, he went over to her and sat down on the couch, wrapping his arm around her and she turned to cry in her chest instead, while he asked her to calm down in an incredibly leveled and pacifying tone.
"Let me clean your wound." She sniffed, pulling away from his hug and wiping her tears.
"I'm fine." He said shortly, standing up and resuming his packing.
"No, you're not. And why are you packing? You're not going anywhere."
"I'd rather be anywhere in the world right now than in this house, Zoe." He replied curtly. Zoya knew his anger was still raging within him but he was careful not to show it to her. He knew she would get upset even more.
"Please Zaroon." She pleaded quietly.
"Don't ask me to stop, Zoe. My pride and anger won't allow me at stay here any longer. I don't want to end up having another scuffle with Mr. Khan."
"But-"
"I don't want to hurt you more than I already have, Zoe." He replied sharply.
"You haven't done anything!" Zoya insisted.
"After all that happened today, you're still saying this?"
"It wasn't your fault!"
"Nothing you'll say is going to make me stay, Zoe. I'm sorry." He said abruptly as he picked up his suitcase in one hand and made to leave the room, only to find Dilshad in the doorway. He nodded and forced himself to smile, uttering a thanks and Allah Hafiz to the motherly figure; he had come to adore.
"Why are you saying your thanks right now? You're not going anywhere." Dilshad remarked.
"No Aunty, I really can't stay here any longer." Zaroon answered apologetically.
"I won't allow my guest to leave so late at night." Dilshad laid her verdict.
"But Aunty-"
"Zaroon, you call me Aunty and I would be very disappointed if you can't even honor such a simple request of mine."
Zaroon hung his head, saying nothing due to a mixture of reverence and embarrassment and Dilshad cupped his face in her hands gently. "Tell me yourself beta, have I ever treated you as anything other than a son? Then how can a mother allow her son to leave at a time like this and in this condition?"
"Come with me." She took him inside, made him sit on the bed and began cleaning his wound with a disinfectant. Once she was done, she turned to him with a solemn expression . "I don't know why you two fought but on behalf of Asad, I would like to apologize-"
"Aunty, please. You don't have to apologize to me. I respect you as I would respect my mother and it doesn't look befitting for a mother to apologize to her son."
Dilshad smiled and caressed his hair and Zaroon smiled finally; suddenly filled with utmost respect and love for this amazing woman in front of him, whose motherliness was all-encompassing, all-embracing. Her maternal love as soothing as sunlight was showered upon everyone in her reach and Zaroon, who had always longed for a mother, found himself absorbing it hungrily like a dry, parched land on a rainy day.
***
Zoya returned to her room late that night after spending some light-hearted time with Dilshad and Zaroon and in a considerable better mood than before. She found Asad sitting stiffly on the edge of the bed, rising to his feet as soon as he saw her. She ignored him and went to take her night-suit from the closet.
"Zoya?" He called out but she was in no mood to reply. Losing his patience, Asad grabbed her arm, not callously and made her turn towards him.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you." He told her sharply. She merely looked at him without replying, waiting for him to proceed.
"I didn't realize that idiotic boy was just fooling around with you, okay?" He tried justifying himself, knowing in the back of his mind that it was actually Zoya, whom he had hurt with his punch.
"Without even confirming what was going on, you decided to throw punches around?" Zoya questioned in return.
Asad's eyebrows knitted together as he bit out each word slowly, "I saw a guy on his knees before my wife! Do you really think I would've had the patience to think straight at that moment?"
"Wife, huh?" Zoya asked slowly and Asad's face blanched.
"Believe it or not Zoya, I have begun respecting our relation, however temporary it might be and I want others to do the same." His voice got angrier as he continued. "All day today, you have been ignoring me without reason and then I see that moron on his knees before you, that was the last straw for me, okay? My patience had been tested to the utmost degree all day long and you can't really blame me for losing my head at that moment."
"I was ignoring you without reason, was I? You have begun respecting our relation? You expect me to believe that? This morning, I caught you conversing with a girl in the sweetest manner before rushing off to meet her and you expect me to show no reaction to it?"
"What girl?" Asad asked incredulously.
"Don't play dumb, Mr. Khan. I heard her name, Tanveer."
"For God's sakes Zoya! Tanveer is a 4 year-old child!" Asad ran a hand through his hair in extreme frustration. For a minute, Zoya was taken by surprise before her anger returned with a ferocity at his blatant lying.
"I talked to her Mr. Khan after you left! And don't you dare tell me that I talked to someone else by mistake because her name was on the caller ID."
"You talked to her mother, Tayyaba! She told me she spoke to you since I left my cell home. And in case you are wondering, why I was talking to her, she is the wife of one of my deceased employee. I help them financially." Asad let out in one breath, his chest heaving with pent-up emotions.
Zoya was suddenly hit by a wave of mortification as she found herself believing Asad's words without the shadow of a doubt. She stared at him with wide eyes, unable to speak anything. To ashamed to even justify herself and her actions.
Asad was fuming even more now as he began pacing in the small space before her agitatedly. "I can't believe you thought I was... involved with another girl." He spoke in a voice full of revulsion, his eyes betraying the hurt he was hiding inside him.
It hit Zoya at the moment, that she had hurt him terribly without even intending to.
He stopped in front of her, making her look into his eyes. "You think this low of me, Zoya? That I would go around having extra-marital affairs when I'm already married to you? How can you even think of me stooping low to that extent? Is that what you've judged my character to be after staying with me for a whole month?" His questioned in a voice full of disbelief and pain and Zoya found herself lowering her abashed eyes to the ground, unable to meet his gaze.
"I may be rude, discourteous, harsh and even ungentlemanly at times but I'm not unfaithful. I have never even thought of any other girl ever since you came along..." He shook his head and gulped visibly.
"I don't know why it matters to me so much what you think of me... but you have really hurt me, Zoya." He told her in a low, wounded voice before leaving the room and Zoya was left staring into space, wishing she could somehow go back in time and reverse whatever had transpired during this long day. Instead of coming together, it seemed things were unraveling out of control.
The milky moonlight streaming in through the curtains made the single tear on her cheek, twinkle gaily.
***
PRECAP: Should I give one? Okay, I should, to keep you guys hooked to my FF of course 😆 So *drum rolls* Wait for it... Zoya confesses her love in front of Asad!! 😲 😆
Anyway, arghhh!! I don't like ending my chapters on a sad note *pouts* 😒 But my hands are now aching and my eyes are half-closed because I was up almost all night yesterday studying and I still haven't slept 🥱 So yeah, my brain is now not cooperating 😆 And the last part was written while listening to Humsafar Song after ages and I think the second stanza influenced the ending a lot 😆 I love those lines. Hayye so beautiful and sad
Adawatain theen, taghaful tha, ranjishain theen magar,
Bicharne walay mai sab kuch tha, bewafayi na thi 😳
There were feelings of animosity, indifference and anguish between us,
My departed lover, had been everything, but unfaithful.
I know, I didn't need to explain the Tanveer part in detail but I hate giving half-explanations and half-scenes that don't make perfect sense 😆
And I think that is all for now 😉
Leave me a humungous amount of love, I took out time during my midterms, okay? I deserve some sort of a reward 😆
Love ya all,
Fari ❤️
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