Asya FF ~ Now That I've Found You

Final chapter

Final chapter 

Good and Strange

A relaxed laugh danced in his eyes seeing her nervous. Heat spread in a swamping wave as she watched his gaze slide down to her mouth and hold there. Her lips parted. Asad moved back immediately as if stepping away from a live wire. He couldn't get distracted. Talk first.

He took her by the hand to a bench nearby. Zoya looked back at the romantic table set as they moved past it.

Asad had a hunch that everyone was huddled nearby with their eyes glued to that spot. The powerpuff girls were enough as is, but with his Ammi and her family watching, the nerves were stretched tight more than necessary.

Wind pushing through leaves and branches, he anticipated a storm coming in. Eclipsed from the world by the grand trees, they sat in their shadows on the cold bench with a black coffee.

Asad started.

"I owe you an apology. It was a sweet gesture. The gift. Sorry my reaction came from a wrong place"

And the pity lecture hath started. Brace yourself Zo. Do. Not. Cry.

"But I do think you are wrong when you say I didn't let past hinder my future. On the contrary, I believe that's all I have been doing. Let it dictate my decisions" He finally, courageously, looked at her.

Zoya was in a trance. He continued. No more lies, he repeated in his head over and over.

"When you first blazed into my life, you had a lot of opinions. Opinions that really were just things that no one was bold enough to tell me. Your blatant rejection of my behavior made me look at it and evaluate. I realized in the process that it was indeed history dictating actions."

He sipped on his coffee, slowly building courage for what he was about to say next.

"I don't know what you think and why you think we are sitting here. All I know is that I lied today" Her forehead wrinkled. "Lied about my health, lied to get everyone out of the house, lied to get you to wear the saree I had wanted you to"

It must be some kind of temporary insanity caused by the weather, there was no other explanation. Immediately she felt the quivering sensation return to her skin and settle in her stomach.

"But that was not the only thing I lied about." Zoya instinctively closed her eyes while he stared at her beautiful face as realisation dawned.

Is he really...

"Zoya" she opened her eyes to his sweet whisper.

***

He enjoyed these times when he was just a passive observer to her beauty, holding no responsibility to things that went around him. Her eyes seemed to tear up but this time there was no hurt.

Setting the mug down, he ran his fingers across her cheek, holding her still, looking deep into her widened eyes "I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't want you to leave, Miss Faaroqui"

Lightning flashed then, a burst of silver filtering through the towering trees. She jolted in his hold as thunder boomed its cannon fire.

"It's only thunder"

"It just startled me," she responded, her eyes on his. "I'm not afraid of storms."

When rain poured and whipped itself in their faces, they sat still - unmoving. Asad started to feel very hot, but the heat was internal, nothing to do with the seasons.

He felt a magnetic pull towards her, his body urging him to bring their heads together and experience something more profound.

"Why?" she said conclusively, after giving much thought on what to say.

Rain dripping down into his coffee cup stopped when his figure hovered over it to reach her face closer. Fingers now sliding to the nape of her neck he admitted lastly "Because you are the only thing that keeps me afloat."

Zoya nodded at Asad's assent slowly breaking into tears. He smiled and smiled some more.

She hadn't said a word. She didn't need to.

It was subdued, that crackle of electricity as he continued gazing down at her, his own tears making their relieved way out.

Brushing back the damp tendrils of her hair, he sat for several minutes with her to let the glorious change sink in.

***

Zoya Faaroqui had never had a dream so vivid or been able to feel every sensation. Even now as she sat in front of him fully aware of the realities, she couldn't but help believe that at any moment she might wake up from this.

Desperate to not let it all fade away she stood up forcing herself to see everything around her. Even though she wanted to anything but.

A wave of heat rose in her chest as she stretched her arm out to feel the rain on her skin, her face, her heart. She could feel the droplets making their way through the crevices of her body, crevices of his face.

She touched it. He was real and this was happening.

He laid his hands on her hips as the rain beat and splashed, sliding them up her body, smooth and easy, pulling her closer by the waist. There was no music. Just their breathing. And they moved to the tunes of that. Drenched in each other and the pouring torrent, the next flash of lightning didn't make her jolt.

She rolled with the thunder, accepted it, sinked into its lovely flood of pleasure. Being held, being touched.

Lunatic and lost he found himself lowering his head, pausing—one long breath—then fit his mouth to hers.

Hearts coated in agony by circumstance snapped to life, universe became whole again and suddenly it all made sense. Crossed paths and magnetic moods, they escaped to another world.

His fears didn't go away, they just lost their powers with her. Asad saw her now.

Hands fisted in the back of his coat, she took what he gave. No, she had never been afraid of storms.

Stealing every breath and breathless himself, bolts of ice and heat made their ways across both their bodies. They had awakened something tonight that could never be put to sleep.

When he eased back she felt wonderfully swayed by the surrounding whirlwind. It was impossible to think.

Running on the wet grass barefoot, she made a dash for the door, pulling him with her, laughing a little and a little shy.

Rain cooled her heated skin, made her feel more alive. "You know, this is a really nice first date, Jahapanah" she said once they reached cover.

"It's nice. Being close to you without pretending I'm not trying to be close to you."

"It's strange knowing you want to be."

"Good strange or bad strange?"

"Good and strange."

***

Apologize for any typos! I might have failed to properly proof - read.