Asya FF ~ Now That I've Found You

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I promise...no more lies

A little situation and a little ego had managed to keep most of her bottled up. Zoya had stuffed it all down in a mental box, crammed a lid on it. But during the trip, she kept tripping over it.

All day. Every day.

And today, well today the box was overflowing. The looming goodbyes had succeeded to break that composure.

She wasn't a runner from truth, from reality. Always letting life teach her lessons, her father's death told her to live with no regrets. Everyone told her she would repent coming to India. Maybe, but she would never have to wonder. She'd taken destiny in both hands and milked what was left for her.

Therefore, the same verdict had been announced for her poor barren love life. Attempts made and truths expressed, she would not go out without a chance.

If he was minutely smart, he'd understand.

If he wanted unfinished, unfinished it shall be. Strong and solid, she had spoken her heart. If he truly saw something with her, this would be a signal enough.

Allah Miyan! please let this man be intelligent.

Something inside her said he felt what she did. God knows what was holding him back but an emotion existed.

In his eyes, his smiles, his touch, his distance, anger.

That letter was going to either open a door or close one. Permanently.

And with that thought, she flipped the lights and settled into her bed for an early afternoon much needed nap.

He found himself in front of a door.

Unable to turn the knob, Asad merely stood there for a minute. Taking a deep breath, he knocked and entered.

"I have decided" he simply said.

"Okay. And?"

"I am ready to say it. But I would need your help"

"I thought you'd never ask" Noshini smiled.

***

"Are you okay?"

Asad noticed she'd been staring at the floor for too long.

"Yes, I, uh, just processing." She couldn't believe her tactics had worked. Her best friend would be so proud of her.

Clearing her throat, she announced standing up from the bed "I am glad you feel this way Asad. And thank you for trusting me with this. Of course, I would be more than happy to help. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was hoping you would nudge me in the right direction. I mean, Zoya is your best friend and girls share all kinds of sloppy cheesy fantasies so maybe you can enlighten me."

Noshini couldn't discern from his sincere expressions if he was mocking or simply being his Jahapanah self.

"I suggest you don't talk like this in front of Zoya"

Though his frown cleared, nervousness settled. He was doomed, wasn't he?

Jahapanah self, Noshini deducted.

"Look, Zoya is pretty simple. A nice candle lit dinner finally served with a plate of honesty would do fine."

"I haven't been dishonest with her" He was abruptly annoyed.

"Of course, you have" she scoffed. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be doing this right now. Actually, I'll tell you what we would be doing if you kept it up. You'd have been choosing gifts for the future groom to be"

His jaw clenched. Clearly getting on nerves was a shared treat between the two friends "Excuse me?"

"I don't know what you thought would happen if you didn't ask her out", said Noshini savagely "Look, let's just agree you haven't been completely honest and move on."

"Fair" he took a deep breath. The girl wasn't wrong. "Where do I start?"

"Do you have a pen?"

Asad handed her one as she settled cross legged on the bed grabbing a piece of paper.

"We are going to need a list."

***

Zoya balanced the fork on her upper lip making a pout with her mouth sitting at the dinner table. When it dropped again, she sighed.

Where were they?

"What are these children doing? Asad went to get Najma and Noshini twenty minutes ago. We are going to be late for the function" Dilshad echoed her thoughts moving past kitchen towards the stairs.

Zoya fixed her clothes for the millionth time. She didn't want to admit it but the black saree she picked was deliberate. He'd broken his composure seeing her in a saree once maybe it'll happen again.

At this very moment tomorrow, she'd be trapped inside a metal box flying towards the Atlantic Ocean. Pausing she pushed that thought and dejection away.

Fairy tales, she mused. She'd always been a sucker for them. Maybe more of a sucker than ever now, she admitted. Now that she'd known real loss.

She wondered what life would look like if they were brave enough to take that chance. Would there be adventure? Prodigious passion? Insufferably all-consuming love?

Fantasies danced behind her eyes when Zeenat got called up by Dilshad. Zoya looked at the clock. She'd already been daydreaming for fifteen minutes.

"Do you want coffee, bacha" Anwar asked.

"Thanks, Jeeju, I am okay"

"ANWAR" Zeenat called out from the top floor.

"What is going on up there?" Zoya was about to get up when she was pushed back into the chair "I saw you wrestling with those things coming downstairs. Let's keep all bones intact" Anwar smiled as he jogged towards his wife's voice.

Zoya looked at her heels and groaned. Noshini had picked the tallest and thinnest possible. Her jeeju wasn't wrong. Considering these a broken ankle seemed to be in predictions.

A few minutes past while up the stairs, Anwar reeled.

He looked at the room and the faces in it. To make sure he'd heard what he'd heard, he repeated

"So, what you children are saying is that this is a fake function set up to get us out of the house so Asad could take Zoya on a date in the backyard."

"Yes" replied Noshini.

"And you deliberately got us all ready in traditionals so Zoya would pick the saree that Asad had chosen first"

"Yes" said Najma

"And this was all done because Asad and Zoya apparently... like each other very much." He looked at the man directly for the answer this time.

"Yes"

"When were you planning on telling us Asad?"

"Yes" He stammered "I mean, tonight after talking to Miss Faaroqui. I wanted to make sure... although now I realize I should have asked for permission first. I... didn't want to get anyone's hopes up in case she..."

"Had it not been Khaala coming in to find you kids planning and plotting, we would never be able to take part in this joy"

Suddenly, a wind of delight moved through the room. Dilshad was giddy with happiness when she had learnt her son was indeed in love with her pyaari Zoya. And now Zeenat's misty eyes and Anwar's smile said they wanted it as much as everybody else.

In a blissful trance his mother held Asad's hand "This is such a dream come true, son. I mean Zoya...it's Zoya...we just love her so much."

Asad smiled and said out loud for the first time, confident, sure.

"I love her too, Ammi"

***

Thank you all for waiting. I hope I didnt go off rails too much with this one. Lil diff from typical asya maybe. Hope you'll like it. Happy Reading ❤️