ASYA FF - "Kaise Katan Birha Ki Ratiyaan"

Chapter 6

                            6
" Toota Taara Tha Mann Mera "

"Allah Hafiz! I'll see you guys at breakfast tomorrow." Zoya said walking out of Dilshad's room upstairs.
"Bye" The ladies of the house answered simultaneously.
She noticed him standing at the bottom of the stairs both hands locked behind his back, waiting.
"Jahapanah" Zoya said addressing him. She practically heard him rolling his eyes.
"Miss Faaroqui" he replied.
"Voh... actually, I was just wanting to make sure." Some seconds of silence passed.
"Make what sure?" she asked confused, he seemed to have reached the end of his sentence without making any sense.
"I texted you... just now" He awkwardly pointed at the phone in her hands. After the secret book discovery he was much too embarrassed to ask it to her face, so he had texted her from his room while she was upstairs. Of course, she texted him back, but he wanted to confirm still.
It was her turn to roll eyes. She wasn't going to be quiet about it.
"Allah Miyan, What's wrong with you? Mr. Khan aap bhi na, zarurat se zyada sharmaate hain. Fine, main hi 'make sure' kar deti hun. Yes, you may pick me up tonight."
"Shukr"
"But, I must clarify now" Asad's shukriya got cut off "You may only pick me up, if, you promise there would be food."
His fingers reached the bridge of his noise with her giggle.
It was all so stupid!
In the urgency to tell her how serious he was about marrying her and finally opening himself to her, he had forgotten to arrange dinner on the first date. It was only later in the car when her stomach made a low growling noise, he'd realized. Zoya had uneasily laughed it off but he couldn't.
Multiple face palms all at once took place. How could he forget?!
He could tell he was forgiven by his lady though; as he watched her eyes light up teasing him.
"Chaliye Mr. Khan, isi baat pe ek sheyar arz kiya hai"
"Ya Allah" It was a whisper but she heard it and glared.
Asad instantly switched to neutral face. He was on thin ice with her as is. He better learn appreciating her shayaris soon. In any case, he had to get used to them at some point; he hoped. He blushed at the thought.
"Arz kiya hai,
Taeh karna padta hai safar, jab bulava ho aya,
Taeh karna padta hai safar, jab bulava ho aya,
Date night toh ki, par khana hi nahi khilaya.
Shukriya. Shukriya."
He couldn't stop himself from pinching the bridge of his nose again. She exclaimed at him, 'Jahapanah!' and his tiny stifled laugh slipped through.
"You really need to enjoy finer things in life."
"Like your shayari?"
"Like my shayari."
Asad took her advice for once and looked at her like she was the finer thing he wanted to enjoy.
That shut her up.
He stepped back to give her way when she made a move to leave, but kept his eyes locked with hers. Zoya grabbed the door handle and he grabbed her arm. She stared back curiously.
"Maine...umm realize kiya ki jo teen shabd sabse zaruri the, vo maine kahi nahi abhi takk aapse" She waited with baited breath, heart thundering.
"I am sorry." She released her breath.
"I am really sorry for the way I behaved these past couple days. I have come to realize ... outfits mean nothing. Aap sahi kehti thi. Tehzeeb dil main hoti hai, jeans main nahi"
With that he freed her from his hold, but only literally.
He was trying to fix the ruins and show up as a better man, and she allowed him.

                                    🌼🌼🌼

Asad filled in all the blanks, healed the bruised parts, reached places she didn't know existed.
Fixing her hair she stole a glance at him now, driving with concentration, when his eyes met hers.
Zoya looked away to stare out the window of her seat. She hadn't meant to ogle.
A moment later she looked back and eyes met again.
Oh crap!
Not wanting to make it awkward, she refrained herself from turning to her side.
The refrain lasted all for two seconds. When they looked at each other the third time, a smile slipped through her lips, amused at whatever game they were playing.
He smiled, too.
He. Smiled. Too.
Asad looked back at the road but the smile remained for several seconds. Zoya knew because she couldn't stop staring at it. There was something about him letting his guard down that made her weak in the knees.
They parked in front of a corporate looking building and her brows knitted.
She was expecting a restaurant, foolishly, like a normal person.
Giving up on guessing, she walked behind him. It seemed to be a private building with high security that only he had access to. It was dark so she couldn't register much except the fact it looked like an office space. Trying not to trip in her saree, she followed him to the elevator.
Doors closed, Asad took his phone out of his pocket to text someone. She took the opportunity to study him while his attention was off of her.
She came to the conclusion that not just the man but even his looks were completely contradictory. Clad in a black suit tonight, he looked like the vision of two creators who were at war.
The strength in his bone structure and strong jaw contrasted with the harmless, inviting appeal of his lips. A single flick of hair couldn't decide if it wanted to get together with the rest or plop on his forehead. The casual posture was at war with the fierceness in his eyes. His composure flipping between engaging and indifferent.
One hand seemed to have moved towards her while the other gripped the wall of the elevator a little hard.
She heard him sigh when the doors opened.
Asad released a breath, almost gasping for air, putting space between them immediately as he stepped out.
Zoya's black saree wasn't making it easy on him. Her perfume clouded his senses and he took multiple breaths to clear his mind before he did something stupid. Guiding her onto a flight of stairs, he saw a flash of recognition on her face as she read the familiar sign on the building walls.
'Dilshad Architecture'
We were at his office?!
Asad closed the stair exit door behind them and let her surprised face take in the decked terrace.