Asya FF ~ Dekh Dilne Seekhli Baatein Sufiyana ~

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Kaise mujhe tum mil gai...kismet pe aye na yakeen

Her pahjebs tinkled lightly every time she walked. She had been pacing back and forth trying to brainstorm for the last ten minutes.

Ya Allah! What was she even supposed to do?

Asad hadn't really said much past their engagement and she didn't know what was to say there regardless.

She stood at the foot of the bed awkwardly, deciphering what to do with herself. Her heart raced and thundered as she looked at the giant heart fabricated of roses in the middle of his bed...their bed!

She gulped.

Zoya moved towards it slowly and ruffled the shape of it distastefully with her hennaed hand.

But her barely controlled hysteria threatened to spill out as she looked at the glass of milk beside their bedside.

Forget about getting to anything after the milk was done, Jahapanah toh dudh main hi nuks nikalne baith jayenge...Yeh to thanda hai, dekho glass kitna ganda hai...uff!

And the cherry on top – it was raining again.

Wow Allah Miyan! Kaha is romantic raat main, unromantic miya ke saath fasa diya.

She looked at the bathroom and took the opportunity to touch up her face­–even though she was going to pretend to fall asleep in just mere seconds– and try to clear her head a little while she was at it.

She knew it was a little saas - bahu serial type; the dulhan dramatically falling asleep on the wedding night but nothing else made sense to her. This was the only one solution that deemed perfect.

Every night in the last two weeks, she hadn't been able to sleep a wink thinking about this day – well most specifically night.

She had thought she wouldn't be able to utter those two words...words that would bind them together for a lifetime, but her heart had surprised her. It was crazy how she was so unsure but so sure of this nikaah at the same time.

It had been a relief hearing it from him; for a moment there she had panicked thinking he wouldn't say it. But as soon as their eyes had made contact through the shimmering parda, he had...staring right into her soul.

Zoya shivered.

She made her way back to bed and gently laid down on the edge, barely on it, pretending the bright red petals beside her didn't exist.

They might as well get neon arrows and point them towards the bed.

Incredibly foolish!

xx

Phew! Finally, they left him alone.

The girls walked away bursting in a fit of giggles yet again counting the mound of cash. He shook his head looking at his baby sister in the mix who was obviously on her bhabhi's side.

Wow! He still couldn't believe that had happened...

It had been a night of waking dreams, endless banter and silent promises. He opened the door to his...their room and was instantly greeted with an aroma of roses and sandalwood. The candlelight in the corners twinkled and flickered as the rainy breeze floated through the room. He locked the bolt on the door trying to control his breathing...and failing miserably.

He still hadn't look up at the bed. His ears turned red and hands clammy thinking about the person who graced it. He was going to tell her tonight! No more hiding, no more guessing. He had to do this. For him, for her, for them.

But his carefully woven fantasies of overdue confessions turned to dust as his gaze fell upon her sleeping form.

Asad's face fell immediately but eyes softened a second later.

Well, it isn't Zoya if not unexpected.

He kneeled down in front of her and tucked away an errant strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering on her skin longer than necessary.

"Mrs. Zoya Asad Ahmed Khan" he whispered

Asad then quickly changed and laid down next to Zoya but only after clearing the copious amount of flower petals from his...their bed and straightening the sheets.

He had really been in a dilemma. The bed or the settee?

He didn't want to put distance between them by sleeping on the settee but didn't want to scare her by being close if she didn't want it...yet. He hoped there was a yet.

But after a vigorous ten-minute debate, Asad had come to the conclusion of grabbing a different comforter for himself but still settling down on the bed next to her.

Yes! Middle ground!

As his eyes took in her figure with her back towards him, his mind tossed him back into the most unforgettable week of his life.

..........

"Zoya, why couldn't you just agree to what I say" he heard her Aapi say

"Aapi, maine kaha na, I don't want to talk about it"

"Arre, but what's the problem? Nikaah yaha kare ya New York main, what's the big deal?"

That again? He had heard her Aapi complain recently about Zoya not wanting to get married in New York instead. He didn't know when the idea had originated, only that it had caught on like fire, everyone was on board...everyone but Zoya.

Did she not consider him important enough? Was she ashamed of showing his akdu self to her known? Why was she separating him from that aspect of her life?

Since the day her Aapi and Jeeju had made an appearance, everyone had jumped into the same wagon–even him. Wouldn't it be just great to have a destination wedding! But no... not his bride. She had VERY firmly shut down the idea, aggressively almost.

"It is a big deal Aapi, you don't understand" Zoya whined outside in the kitchen

"How? I thought you'd be excited to come home Zoya. What is this?"

He immediately dropped what he was doing and listened as closely as he could from the tall window in his room.

"I will be always excited to come home Aapi, but Mr. Khan's family is here"

Was that it? She knew everyone in the family had passports, right?

"Zoya, baby family bhi toh saath hi ayegi. What are you even babbling about?" Aapi laughed.

Zoya didn't

"I am talking about Ayaan" Asad's ears perked "His brother Aapi, his sisters, his whole family is here. Regardless of everything else, I will never put such distance between them ki who chah kar bhi na mil paye" she finished in a soft voice as his eyes moistened.

He fell in love with her all over again. He had thought of it but brushed it off instantly. His Ammi and Najma were too excited about the first trip abroad.

But she had understood him...understood his heart.

He wiped an errant tear, but his heart felt full as he picked up his suit that lay on the chair.

He had an engagement to get ready for.

..............

xx