Asfi_Zubi; Aftermath, YKS; Part 8 - Page 5

Part 7

The next morning when Zubia went to sit with Khalla, she seemed a little tense. On seeing her, she said.
"Zubia, wo driver ko nashta de diya hai. Wo puch raha tha k wo chala jae?"
Zubia nodded at her. After a little pause, Khalla continued.
"Wo Zubia. Rehan ka phone aya tha. Wo aj Peshawar aa raha hai."
Visibly distressed, Zubia hurriedly got up and started gathering her things. Even though Khalla tried her best to stop her, she had decided to leave before Rehan came.
Before sitting in the car, she made Khala promise not to tell him about her whereabouts.
"Maine bohat mushkil se ye zindagi banai hai. Ab mai ek baar phir se in logon ki waja se sab kuch khona nahi chahti. Apko meri kasam hai Khala Ammi, aap unko meray baray mai kuch nahi batain gi."

Throughout the way back, Zubia was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize, the long journey back had already passed. She was brought out of her reverie by the driver when he asked her.
"Madam ghar e jana hai na?" Zubya looked at him for a few seconds and then replied absent mindedly, "Ghar... haan ghar jana hai."

When Gaiti saw Zubia entering the door, she exclaimed pleasantly surprised.
"Aray Zubia! Tum to Eid mananay Khalla k pas gai thi. Ye Asfi bhi na! Zabardasti tumhe apne sath le aya wapis? Wo bhi to tumharay peechay peechay e Peshawar gya tha na."
Z: "Nai toh. Maine mil liya Khalla se aur aa gyi waapis. Wo Peshawar gye en?"
G: "Haan uski koi meeting thi hospital k silsilay mai. Chalo ye to acha kiya tumne. Saim tumhe bohat miss kr raha tha. Tum fresh hojao aur mama se milo ja k. Mai chae bna k layi. Driver ka wait kr rae thy. Kal Islamabad k liye nikl rae sub. Is baar Eid wahan krne ka plan ban gya e. Faryal log aur Dr. Shehroze wagera toh pehle e chalay gae en."

Asfi got off from the car and stretched out. He felt a little tired after the long drive. A ward boy came forward and greeted him.
"Welcome Sir! Dr. Rehman is waiting for you in his office."
Asfi entered the office and after pleasantries settled down on the sofa.
Dr. Rehman passed him a file and said.
"We have signed a contract with this company for the delivery of all the equipment and supplies for our hospital recently. I recommend you to try them. The guy is coming today for some final discussions. That is why I called you here. Dr. Sheroze said you were looking for some new options for your hospital. Before you go to Islamabad to meet the other supplier I want you to meet this guy. Ah look he is here. Hello! Mr. Rehan Khalil."
After the meeting was over and they were moving out, as if on a whim Asfandyar asked him.
"Kya apki family mai koi doctor hain?"
Rehan curtly replied.
"Gee nahi. Ap kiun puch rahay hain?"
A: "Wo actually... nevermind! I have a... I know somebody with the same sir name."
He mentally kicked himself for asking such a random question. Maybe he was clutching at straws, trying to get to know anything that would help him break her shell. He had decided not to contact her Khalla while she was there as he knew she wouldn't approve.

After his meeting with the doctors was over, Rehan made his way towards Khalla's house. He was going to see her after over a year. A lot had happened in the year past. He had started a new business of medical supplies which had taken off quite well. However successful he was at the professional front, personally he never felt at ease. There was always this nagging feeling that he had wronged his sister. After much deliberation he had come to the conclusion that, they should let bygones be bygones and start afresh. She was his only sister. Whatever she had done, it was not completely her fault. The realization had come to him a little too late. He now wanted to make amends.
He waited after ringing the doorbell. After a few minutes, Mohsin opened the door. He came in and greeted Khalla, who replied by just raising her hand in acknowledgment without looking at him. When he settled down next to her, she got up to leave.
"Khalla, wo Zubia."
"Ab kiun puch rahay ho tum uskay baray mai? Itna arsa jab uska khyal nahi aya to ab kiun aye ho?"
Rehan shifted uncomfortably in his seat and replied.
"Mai Bhai hoon uska."

"Esay hotay hain bhai? Baap ko maray abhi chalees din bhi nahi huway thay k tumne aankhen pher leen. Raat ke andhere main usay zabardasti ghar se nikal diya. Akeli bachi... Khuda na khwasta kuch bhi ho sakta tha. Ye dunya bohat zaalim hai. Kadam kadam par bheriye taak lagaye bethay en. Tumhain to khuda ne uska muhafiz bnaya tha Rehan. Ye tumne kya kiya?"
Rehan was shocked to hear this. All this time, he had been considering himself the bigger person for reaching out to her first. At loss for words, he meekly made an effort to defend himself.
"Usay nikala nahi tha ghar se. Mai ghusay mai tha usko bas mere samnay se door janay ko bola tha. Wo to khud he."
"Khud he kon apna ghar, apni chat chorta hai Rehan? Tum logon ne majbur kiya usay, tumhari biwi ne usay dhakay de kar ghar se nikala. Tum par koi asar nahi huwa uske bilaknay ka? Tumhara dil nahi kaampa ekloti behan ke sath ye ziadti krte huway?"
Now that he thought about it, things started to fall into place. That night, he recalled Zubia saying, "Kiun jaun mai? Mere baap ka ghar hai. Mai kahin nahi jaungi."
Why would she leave after being so adamant for not going anywhere else? That was the first time she had actually stood her ground in front of him.
Sheema was not really fond of Zubia but never in his dreams he could have thought, would she resort to this. Anger seared through him as he thought of how his little sister would have faced the ordeal; alone out in the streets at midnight. He could not put all the blame on his wife for he was equally responsible. The more he thought about it the more his guilt multiplied. Even when she lived with them, he had made her life hell with his misplaced sense of honour.
"Khalla mai us se milna chahta hoon. Us sy maafi maangna chahta hoon."
"Lekin wo nahi milna chahti tum se. Us ne kasam di hay mujhe, mai tumhe uska address nai de sakti. Bs tum itna sun lo, wo jahan hai boht khush hai. Usay tumhari koi zrurat nahi hai na he uski zindagi mai tumhare liye koi jaga hai."
Rehan returned to Karachi the next day, dejected. Despite his repeated requests and pleading, khalla did not relent.

When Zubia entered Lubna's room, she was talking to Faryal's mother on the phone.
"Haan Asfi to direct wahan se he ajae ga Islamabad. Chalo ye to achi baat e keh Nikkah ki sab tyariyan ho gyi en... Waqei sai baat hai, sab kuch saadgi se ho to zyada behtar hai... Haan hum log bas nikal rahay en thori der mai."

Lubna heard a knock on the door and turned. A wide smile appeared on her face on seeing Zubia. She hurriedly ended her phone call and greeted Zubia.
"Beta saari tyari ho gyi?" Lubna asked Gaiti as she walked in.
"G Mama. Sab ho gya e. Bus Baba aa jayen to nikaltay en."
Gaiti replied.
When Lubna asked Zubia to accompany them she politely refused and said had to go to the hospital.
"Kisi ko to wahan par rukna hai na."
G: "Tum is liye wapis ayi ho? Asfi se to mai puchti un. Ye koi tareeqa hai bhala tumhe chuti se wapis bula liya wo bhi Eid pe! ...Ab uska phone he nai mil raha."
They left when despite a lot of cajoling Zubia did not agree to accompany them.

She sat in the Doctors common room. The day had not been very busy sans two emergency cases which she and Dr. Haroon had managed to handle easily. He was now busy dealing with a few patients while she sat alone. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear her phone ringing.
"Toh akhir wo Faryal se shadi kr rahay hain. Shayad sahi kehte hain, pehli muhabbat nai bhool sakta insan. Ye sab kuch jo ho raha hai meri apni waja se e toh hai. Kiun main itni badnaseeb hoon Ammi keh koi kamil khushi mere hisay mai nahi aati.

Her phone kept ringing while she silently mourned over the loss of the love of her life, oblivious to her surroundings.

"Zubia."
Hearing her name, she looked up to see him standing there. May be, she was hallucinating. How could he be here?
He was actually there, she realized, when he sat down beside her and started his tirade.
"Tum is tarha, achanak wapis yahan kiun agyi? Wahan, tumhari khalla ke ghar kya huwa tha? Aur phir jab Mama aur Bhabi ne bola tumhain sath chalne ke liye to akelay yahan ruknay ka kya maqsad hai? Main kitni der se tumhain phone kar raha hoon. Phone kiun nahi utha rai tum? Ab chup kiun bethi ho? Kuch to bolo."
She kept looking at him trying to comprehend what was happening. Why was he here? Why was he saying all this to her? Why would she go with his family to witness him getting married to someone else? Wasn't he supposed to be in Islamabad?
"Ap yahan... apko to Islamabad nahi jana tha?"
She answered his myriads of questions with another question.
A: "Jana tha lekin jab mujhe Bhabi ne tumharay is karnamay ke baray main btaya to main us taraf janay ke bijae foran yahan aagya. Wo to ulta mujhe daant rahi theen ke maine bulaya hai tumhain yahan."
Z: "Lekin aapka wahan pohanchna zruri hai. Wo aap... Faryal... shadi."
A: "Faryal ki shadi mai mera kya... wait... tumhe kis ne keh diya mai us sy shadi kar raha hoon."
She looked at him with a blank face, feeling stupid but light at the same time, while he smiled back.
"Suno tumhain farq parta hai na?"
He spoke while she felt as if she'd melt under his gaze. The last time she'd heard that tone from him, they were on the phone and she had conveniently cut the call. She couldn't think of a way to escape the situation when Dr. Haroon who had just entered came to her rescue.
"Dr. Zubia aapko pata hai... arey Dr. Asfandyar! Aap kab aye?"
"Dr. Haroon mai aur Dr. Zubia Islamabad ke liye nikal rahay hain. Dr. Shahab parson wapis ajaenge, phr aap leave pai jaa sktay en. Chalo Zubia."
He made his way out without waiting for her reply. She followed him out. When they were out of Haroon's earshot, she called out to him.
"Mai aapke sath nai ja rahi Islamabad."
Asfi turned backed, kept looking at her silently for some time, and then spoke.
"Kiun tumhain darr lagta hai? Tumhara raaz khul jaega."

Originally posted by: Jaren93.

"Kiun tumhain darr lagta hai? Tumhara raaz khul jaega."

Originally posted by: octaverider

OH SHIT! Why you always do this to me?????? Why?

Originally posted by: SanFrangirl

Asfi has a detective's soul.

Does he know anything about her or is he just trying to trip her up to make her react.