"MS. FAROOQUI!" he roared. Zoya was startled. She looked up and saw a raging Asad Ahmed Khan stomping towards her.
"M-, Mr.-, Mr. Khan..." Zoya was so frightened that she stumbled over her words. "Please mera yakeen kije, meine meethai mein kuch nahi milaya... Ayaan mera bhai jaisa hai, aur us nathe, Humeira bhi meri behen jaisi hai!" Her words came out in one long breath, her body shaking from fear.
"Aap itni laparwa kaise ho sak thi hai! Aaj aapki wajeh se hamari khandaan ki kitni bhezati hui! Aap is kadar la parwa ho sak thi hai, yeh meine kabhi socha hi nahi!" Asad bellowed. He had had it. This girl's mistakes were always overlooked as her being a bechaari, but no more. Not when his Ammi, whom she claimed to love, had been hurt because of her. Najma, him, her children were condemned to a live of misery. All because she didn't listen to him.
"Mr. Khan, please, meri baat sunihe. Mein-" started Zoya again, quivering still. But was cut off by Asad's bitter words.
"Aap kabhi nahi badlein gi! Meine aapse kaha bi tha. Aap wapas ajaie. Magar nahin. Apni zhid pe kaiam thi aap. Aap kheti hai na? Aap meri ammi ko apna manti hai? To phir aaj kya hua? Ye hai aapke pyaar karne ka tarika?" he accused.
Dilshad and Najma came running down the stairs. They had heard the shouting, and knew Asad would be mad.
Zoya saw Dilshad and a new set of waterworks started in her. "Phoopi mera yakeen kije, meine kuch nahi kiya.." Dilshad was about to say something comforting to Zoya, when Asad cut her off:
"Khuda ka shukar ki aapke abuu aaj zinda nahin hain, une aap par zaroor sharam aati agar une yeh din dekne par the!"
Asad's words echoed throughout the high-ceiling living room. They echoed in Zoya's ears. She was looking down, eyes wide, disbelief masking her face. She stared at his feet, and her gaze slowly made it's way to his face, searching it for remorse, or anything that mirrored it. Much to her horror, she found nothing of the sort. Instead her eyes met a seething lion's face, bitter with disdain. She could hear her heart break, those words growing fainter in her ears.
Kyun... mere abuu pe kyun gaye... All her fear had disappeared and was now replaced with anger, hurt and pain. Before she knew it, her palm made contact with his face. The same cracking sound heard in the Siddiqui mansion earlier was now resonating in the Khan villa.
His ammi and sister were in shock. They looked at Asad in astonishment, and then back at Zoya, with a heavy heart. They never expected to hear those poisonous words, let alone that horrible crackle.
Asad slowly turned his head back to face Zoya, incredulous. But she was no where to be seen. She had run to her room, her face damp from the tears, her throat dry from the sobbing.
He hates me. He has no respect for me. How... how can he say that? How can he THINK that? Am I really so bad, Allah Miyan? Is that why you didn't give me any of my parents? What fault is it of mine that I want to help others, and that my intentions never mirror the outcomes? How could I be so stupid to think that Mr. Khan cared for me. It was just a charade, to show that he was the perfect son. Only for his ammi. I'm such a fool. I can't stay here anymore. I have no reason to. Phoopi and Najma may never forgive me, but I have to leave. Zoya's thoughts ran wild, as she quietly decided she could no longer fathom the idea of having Mr. Asad Ahmed Khan any where near her.
"Asad tum Zoya par kyun chila rahe the!? Us bechaari ka kya kausoor hai? Tumne dekha na? She was just as shocked by what happened as everyone else!" Dilshad scolded her son. She couldn't believe what had just happened before her.
"Ammi woh kis kisam ki laparwa hai yeh aapne aaj dekha hai. Mein janta hoon ki woh zher kabhi nahi istemaal karegi. Lekin aaj uni ki wajeh se aapki, hamari itni bezaati hui! Us aurat ne aapko da-. Allah ka shukar kije ki mein va par gaya nahi. I barely stopped myself. But she, this girl..."
"But Asad, what you said... how could you... " retorted Dilshad. Najma came up near Dilshad and put her and on her shoulder.
"Bhaijaan, aap Zoya ko jaante hai. Aap unse phirse... how could you say that to her again! About her parents... I mean... " Najma was, for the first time in her life, genuinely baffled with her brother's behaviour.
"Ammi, tamatar, aap dono ko koi dukh nahi hua? Woh sab sunke? What Razia said about you, Ammi? How she cursed our family, Najma? You expected me to just sit silently and take it all?" Asad protested, flabbergasted at them siding with her.
Najma had had it. "Bas kije, Bhaijaan!" Her sudden anger shocked him. "Isme Zoya ki kya galati hai? Woh to aapko apne chote bhai ke sagaai mein shamil karna chati thi, thaki aap itna bada din na miss kare unki zindagi mein! Aur aapne un sab bhato ki sazaa unko kyun di?" she blurted out, in tears. She loved Zoya dearly. She knew how pure her soul was, and was tired of her brother's constant humiliation of her.
"Najma, sambhalo apne aapko! Asad yeh tumne thik nahi kiya. Mana ki un logo ne badi batameeze se baat ki hai, lekin hum unke jaise itna kyun girein?" They both walked over towards Zoya's room, leaving Asad, stunned and alone with his stubbornness.
* * * * * * *
"Zoya! Zoya, darwaza kholo, beta! Please!" Dilshad and Najma knocked on her door, repeatedly, worried that Zoya wasn't answering. After a few minutes, Zoya decided to give in.
"Zoya, tum thik to ho na? Tume kuch hua to nahi?" Dilshad gave her a once over, and as her eyes made their way back to Zoya's face, she noticed her left cheek's unusually red coloration.
"Tumhare chere pe kya hua? Ya itna laal kyun hai?" asked Dilshad, her voice full of worry. Zoya realized what she meant. She took her Phoopi's hand away from her cheek, and gave her a weak smile.
"Kuch nai, Phoopi. This is just a rash. Bhurka ki wajeh se," assured Zoya. I hope Phoopi kuch aur na puche, she thought to her self.
"Ok. Beta, Asad ki baaton ka bura mat manna. Woh hamari chinta mein kuch bhi bol de tha hai. Tum theek to ho na?" said Dilshad, hoping Zoya was ok. She knew how much weight Asad's words held for Zoya, and how much they could hurt her.
"Phoopi, Mr. Khan hamesha mujhse aise baat kar the hain. Is bar bhi vahi hua. Meri baat to sun the nahi. Woh mujhse nafrat kar the hain. Aur kya ho sak tha hai? I'm used to it." Zoya tried to sound cheery. She didn't want to break down again in front of Phoopi and Najma. "Please don't worry about me Phoopi. I'm a strong girl. Vaise bhi, yeh pehli bar nahin. Don't worry," she reiterated, with a slight smile on her face.
Dilshad didn't believe her, but understood that she needed to be alone. "Theek hai. Kisi bhi cheez ki zarrot ho, to mujhe bulalena, ok? Chalo Najma, Zoya ko aaram karne dete hain." They started to turn towards the door, when Dilshad heard Zoya's voice.
"Phoopi?" Zoya called quietly, as she looked down. "I'm so sorry Phoopi. Meri wajeh se... Uno ne aapke baarein mein... uno ne kya kya kaha... Agar mein nahin gai hoti... Najma... I'm sorry..." As she said this a tear rolled down her stinging cheek.
Dilshad's eyes started glistening, as did Najma's. She went over to the bed and sat next to Zoya. "Beta, isme tumhari koi galati nahin hai. Tumne jaan buchkar to yeh nahi chaha? Aut to aur, tumhe kaise pata hota ki us meethai mein zher tha? Ek baat yaad rakhna. Mein tumse BILKOOL naraz nahin hoon. Hmm?" She was amazed at this girls heart. Despite being verbally bashed by her son, she was worried only about her Phoopi's feelings.
Dilshad put her fingers under Zoya's chin and lifted her face so she could see her eyes. Upon seeing Zoya's tears, she took her in her arms. Najma sat on Zoya's other side, and the three ladies shared an embrace for a few moments.
"Phoopi, I'm ok. Aap meri fikar mat kije. Aap ne bi bohut saha hai. Aap bhi ja ke aaram kije. Tamatar, inne le jao," instructed Zoya.
They both hugged her one last time and left her room.
Zoya walked over to the door, and locked it again. She turned around to face her bed, and leaned her back against the door. Again she slid to the ground, tears pouring out of her like waterfalls. Meine faisla le liya hai. Mein ab is ghar mein nahi reh sakti hoon.
ŞİMDİ OKUDUĞUN
Mere Jazbaat
Hayran KurguBased on the Indian daily soap, Qubool Hai, it's the story of Zoya (the female lead) and Asad (male lead) and their journey to understanding and accepting each other. In the show Zoya gains a good understanding on Asad because she lives with his fa...
