Asya FF ~ Nobody But You ~

Chapter 4

Zoya turned just in time to see him walking in.

"What happened to Ammi?", he asked regardless. He had missed her voice.

"She is okay now. Just low blood pressure." Zoya didn't know what was more loud, her heartbeat or her accelerated breathing.

Geez! get a grip Zoya. Just because this was the first time in 92 hours and 15 mins now she had looked him in the eye, doesn't mean she had to hyperventilate. Incredibly foolish!

"Did she- "

Zoya cut him "She just ate. The dr. suggested some more bed rest and less stress" Mr. Stress Ahmed Khan she had wanted to add.

Asad couldn't put a finger on what he was feeling exactly.

He was furious upon Mr. Rashid Khan's bail, anguished to see his brother go against him, agonized over his Ammi's health- which he knew in the back of his mind was partly because of his behavior- and relieved to finally be able to gaze into a set of beautiful brown eyes.

At least her hide and seek would be over now. Thank god!

He took a long deep breath and turned towards the door. He knew he wouldn't have to tell Zoya to take care of Ammi. She was as furiously protective of her as he was.

He basically tumbled down the stairs. His feet sluggish, his body tired and mind worn out. But as tattered as he was, he still caught on to the end of a hushed conversation someone- he registered it as Tanveer- was having while he walked back to his room.

"I told you not to mention it here", Tanveer whispered, her eyes furious.

"Well then let me make myself clear Miss Tanveer, I do not care about your long held secrets from your family. You are no longer a patient of Ms. Das, she will get all your ultrasounds delivered to this address. Please make the remaining payment and you can come and collect all of your other file details", the nurse stated, the same one who had come to see Dilshad, Asad instantly recognized.

" I am not paying that witch one more dime and don't you dare deliver them to this address here. I have given you a different one thousands of time, you useless piece of trash." Asad couldn't believe it was the same Tanveer talking that he knew.

"Mam please, there is no need to raise your voice" the nurse said raising hers. "If you wish to get it delivered to a different address, go and talk to the reception instead of wasting my time" And with that she walked off without sparing one more glance her way.

A confused Asad watched the conversation unfold and saw a furious Tanveer run back to her room furiously punching in some numbers on her phone.

His intuition flickered. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He had not been able to put it into words the last few days but he was growing extremely uncomfortable of the way Tanu was treating him. He had not missed her bizarre stares, 'accidental' hand brushes and an almost instant change of her whole demeanour around him. He thought he was imagining it, that being away from Zoya was driving him crazy in the literal sense of the world.

But he had just witnessed something so unlike herself that he had to know. For his sake and for his family's.

xx

Asad had just got off the phone with Prasad when the shrill voice of his ringtone broke the silence around him.

"Bhai"

It was Ayaan on the other side. He had called to apologize. Again.

After giving in to the deal of him marrying Humaira, Razia had finally got Rashid bailed out. But what Ayaan had lost in the transaction was the love that shone in the eyes of his bhai– or so he thought.

"Bhai", he repeated

Nothing.

" Look, I know you are mad at me but you have to understand bhai, he's my father" He's our father he had wanted to say.

" I know Ayaan. I understand"

"No bhai you have to lis.." Wait. What

"Bhai, are you okay?", Ayaan asked seriously worried. If his bhaijaan had let this go just like that, that only meant for a bigger problem.

" Yes Ayaan. I just need some time alone"

Ayaan didn't really know what to say except for he would be there for him no matter what.

"Thanks Ayaan. I have to go"

Asad stood paralyzed at the same spot after the line disconnected, unable to move even an inch. Right after he came across the strange Tanveer-nurse encounter, he had told Prasad to hire a personal detective and fish out all detail possible.

He had expected days even weeks before they got any meaningful news- desperately hoping not to hear any.

But what he had not known that Tanveer was quite famous in the detective world. Prasad had incidentally hired the same detective who had happened to be one of Tanveer's victims'.

The results were instantaneous, disclosing all her previous dirty laundry including the new details involving her factory and pregnancy. Asad couldn't believe his ears. He did not know what he expected but it was not this. Knowing Tanveer all too well, the detective had suspected her of upcoming seduction plans tied to Asad.

He had to get her out of the house but how?

Did he have the courage to simply tell her he knew the truth without hurting someone in the room? What would he do if she lied? Did he have enough strength to not strangle her for lying to her whole family straight through her teeth? Allah! What would her betrayal do to Ammi? And Najma was just a kid. And to think he had to use her to ignore his Zoya. How did this vile woman end up in his life? Why was all this turmoil all of a sudden turning his life upside down? Whatever happened to normal!

Knock. Knock

He fiercely hoped it wasn't her. He could break something.

Another knock. He ignored it so it would go away.

"Mr.Khan", said a soft voice.

If anything could have brought Asad out of his paralyzed state covered by his clouds of rage, it was just one voice.

Her voice.

Asad almost took off the door in a hurry to gaze into the eyes behind it , instant relief gushing through him.

He couldn't believe she had actually come to talk to him. She hadn't looked him the eye after that fateful day. He desperately needed her right now. Needed her to tell him that everything would be okay.

"Zoya"

Whoa! Zoya! ZOYA! Did he just call me by me first name with his insanely hypnotic eyes that are now suddenly boring into mine?

Zoya forgot how to breathe for the moment.

"Did you need something", Asad asked softly

" I..I.. um just wanted to know if you wanted coffee. I was making some so umm.. just you no dinner so asking everyone", she finished her incoherent sentence with an awkward laugh still dizzy from his intense stare.

"If only you'd join me"

"Huh"

"If only you would like to join me.. you know for coffee", he added after she gave him another blank stare.

OKAY! Either he is on drugs or he has now officially become crazy, possibly from one of his rage fits because of the court drama. Wonder if anger management enrolment is better for him or a just a therapist...

"Zoya"

"Hm", was all she could manage.

"Are you okay?", she looked like she was about to faint.

"Yes" , her voice shook

"Yes , you are okay or yes you will join me for coffee"

"Both", she managed to reply through her erratic breathing.