AsYa (KaBhi) TS: The Monster I Loved ||New updt part-6 page 45|| - Page 24

"..."

"Zoyaaa!"

"Hmm!" a startled Zoya turned her head towards Tanveer.

"Dhyaan kahaan hai teri! Kab se bula rahi hoon yaar." Tanveer eyed her with concern.

"Why? What happened?" Zoya raised her eyebrows questioningly.

They were sitting at the back side of the classroom. Zoya had been staring out of the window, hardly paying any attention to what was being taught in the class.

"Kya hua matlab? If you don't take notes, how am I gonna pass, baby? Aur Business management toh teri favourite subject hai na? After all you are going to be the next malkin'  of Siddique Constructions!" the annoying grin was back on Tanveer's face.

"Tannu, have some shame yaar. Ek din apna note khud nahi likh sakti?" Zoya gave her a deadly glare.

"Stop it you guys." Whispered Tanya from the back "If Mr. Joseph catches you talking in the class..."

"Arre at least we will be out of this boring class." Tannu grimaced.

"Zoya's looking kinda off today." Tanya observed.

"No, yaar it's nothing." Zoya tried to brush it off.

"Don't worry Tan. We all know what fixes up her mood, right?" Tanveer winked.

"Yayeee! Pizza time, tantanan!" Tanya's celebration was rather short-lived as Mr. Joseph shouted from the front "You, Tanya Basu, stand up."

Tanya had the expressions of a reluctant martyr as she stood up slowly.

"Yes Sir." She said meekly.

"Explain the supply-demand curve for a market." Mr. Joseph adjusted the spectacles on his nose.

"Supply-demand curve!" Tanya stared as if she was desperately trying to remember something from her past life. Then she stuttered "It's...it's a curve..." and stopped abruptly.

"Thanks for letting us know it's a curve. We feel much more knowledgeable now." Mr. Joseph's snide remark drew some nervous laughter from the crowd.

"Will you care to throw some light on SWOT analysis next?" Mr. Joseph was in no mood for letting go.

Zoya opened the last page of her notebook and wrote in big, bold font:

S: Strength

W: Weakness

O: Opportunities

T: Target

"Hang on! I know this one!" Tanya strained her eyes to read from Zoya's notebook and announced loudly "It's...Strange Wreck-less...Opportunist Tangent." Her face lit up as she looked hopefully at Mr. Joseph.

"It's WHAT!" Mr. Joseph's jaw dropped. He looked as if he'd been struck by sudden lightning. Thankfully, the final bell rang at that precise moment, bringing an abrupt closure to his, and Tanya's ordeal. When the three of them looked back from the threshold, they saw him slumped against the chair, clutching his chest.

*****************************************

"Zoya, has anyone told you that you have the worst hand writing ever?" Tanya fumed after the bouts of laughter gradually subsided.

"Allah Miyaan, ab galati meri hand-writing ki hai! How on earth did you invent that 'Strange Wreck-less opportunist tangent', Tani? Didn't it sound even the least bit strange to you when you'd said it aloud?" Zoya rolled her eyes, smiling at the same time.

"Kya karoon yaar, it all sounds like Hebrew to my ears!" Tanya scratched her head ruefully.

"Chalo ab bahut hasi mazak ho gayi, guys. Please concentrate on the menu card now and suggest something to eat." Robbie handed out the menu cards to each of them.

"I wanna have chicken italiano  pizza, with extra cheese." Tanveer pointed on the card gleefully.

"That extra cheese is already showing on you, honey." Zoya pinched her. "Mine will be veg pizza with a crusty base and..."

"Good evening, Guys. So what's the order for today's evening?" a familiar voice startled them all.

Zoya looked up from the menu card and suddenly found her gaze locked to a pair of deep brown orbs, filled with warmth, like molten dark chocolate.

Asad Ahmed Khan!

Her mind recited the familiar name once again, accompanied by the familiar sensation of restlessness she felt every time she'd seen him. Asad was not in his usual Jeans-shirt clothing, rather he wore a red T-shirt with 'Pizzateria' logo and a red cap. A few strands of unkempt hair fell on his forehead, making him look ten years younger than his actual age.

Robbie shifted awkwardly in his seat and muttered "We're yet to decide on it. Will let you know once we are done."

"Surely Guys. I will be there...in the corner, okay. Just give me a nod once you are through. By the way, you can try the new 'salmon sandwich'. It's really good." Six pairs of incredulous eyes followed Asad as he walked off to the counter.

"Ya Allah, yeh 'Sher Khan' yahan kya kar raha hai? Yeh humare college cafe ka waiter hai? Isn't he supposed to be a student of Architecture?" Tanveer's mouth was puckered in a perfect o-shape.

"Ssshhh, Tannu! Keep your voice down. Actually, I know his story. It's kinda tragic...and long one." Robbie shook his head sadly.

"Go ahead. We are all ears." Tanya could barely hide the excitement in her voice.

"Asad was only seven when his abbu left them." Robbie began.

"Hold on! You mean his abbu died when he was seven? That's sad." Tanveer interrupted.

"No, I meant his abbu left Asad and his ammi for his second family. He decided to move on with his second wife and kids, abandoning his first wife Dilshad, little Asad and his sister Najma."

Zoya bit her lip and inhaled deeply. "That must have been horrible beyond imagination." She heard herself saying, realizing that she was thinking aloud.

"Yes, it was. Asad's ammi is a very strong woman. She raised her two kids, God knows with how much difficulties, made sure that they get proper education and grow up to be the fine human beings that they are today. I can tell that she'd more than succeeded in that, as I've met both Asad and Najma and know them personally. They are exceptionally well-behaved and matured individuals." Robbie continued.

"How do you know them so well, Robbie?" Zoya frowned.

"My friend Imraan is in love with Asad's sister Najma. I got to know this from Imraan. Besides, I've met Najma a few times and she came across as a really sweet and caring person." Robbie clarified.

"I dunno about his sister, but Asad himself doesn't come across as a simple guy. He's complicated and mysterious, if you ask me." Tanveer was clearly not convinced.

"Well, you should really put yourself into others' shoes before judging them." Robbie sounded a little annoyed "That guy has seen a lot in life. When he was ten, he started helping his mother with her works, at the same time taking care of his sister. He was a brilliant student, but had to give up studies in order to get a job early. After three years of continuous struggle, he's finally managed to establish his own business, Dilshad Constructions', named after his mother."

"That guy already owns a business! That's so awesome." Tanveer gasped.

"But what is he doing here in our cafeteria?" Zoya was still confused.

"When he joined college a few years back, he used to pay his semester fees by working in the cafeteria. Even after developing his own business, he sometimes serves here. He says it keeps him grounded, reminding him of his initial days of struggle." Robbie concluded as everyone let out a collective gasp.

"Shouldn't he be in the class room though?" Tanya was still struggling to grasp the fact that she's going to be served by someone who earned enough money to buy the entire place.

"He attends classes in the night shift. As I said, he'd to discontinue his studies for around two years, but considering his brilliant stint as a student and under the special recommendation of our dean, he's been allowed to rejoin and finish his course. This is his final year though."

An awkward silence followed the discussion. Even the chatterbox Tannu looked at a loss for words. Zoya's eyes were sore. She was blinking rapidly to hold back something that threatened to overcome her any moment.

Tanya was the first one to break the silence. "I still don't understand." She furrowed her brows.

"What's that now?" Robbie sounded exasperated.

"When does he sleep?" She said thoughtfully. "or is it that he doesn't need sleep at all?" she concluded with a know-it-all, meaningful smirk.

"Here she goes again!" Zain, who had so far been a silent listener, finally opened his mouth. "In the name of Allah, please don't start about him being some desi version of Edward Cullen or Damon Whatever now! I tell you Robbie, these girls and their obsession with those blood sucking emo vampires ...plain stupidity, man." He crinkled his nose in disgust.

"It's Damon Salvatore, you illiterate pr*ck...and this guy looks like Damon and Edward rolled into one." Tanya continued her drool-fest. "I can eat him up with ketchup." She giggled.

"Ya fine, whatever. Just because he's reserved and introvert, that gives you a right to call him Damon, Demon, Monster or something silly like that. Sounds really mature, wow!" Zain resigned with a shrug.

******************************

Zoya was the last one to leave the table after the meal. She carefully slipped a note inside the bill. It said: I AM SORRY : -( CAN WE BE FRIENDS?'

Even when everyone else was busy chatting, Zoya's eyes followed Asad. He carried the bill to the counter and took the money out. Zoya's heartbeat accelerated as he picked up the note and unfolded it. He casually threw a glance at it, his expressions unreadable. Zoya waited with bated breath, but to her utter dismay, Asad crushed the paper in his hand and threw it in the garbage bin.

************************************

After gorging on the pizza and sandwiches, everyone in the group was in a mood to carry on the festivities further. Hence, all of them hit the road in Zoya's Silver Honda Accord.

Zoya felt thankful to Allah that nobody seemed to have found her silence conspicuous as others' voices drowned it. She felt white hot surges of fury searing through her veins. It was the first time she'd said sorry to someone, and that guy just ruined her first confession like that!

How dare he!

You don't know me, Asad Ahmed Khan! So far you have seen the Zoya Farooqui in me, now you will see Zoya Siddique. I am my father's daughter...and I will make you pay for this. Nobody messes with Ghaffur Siddique's daughter like this!

Zoya chanted under her breath, dangerously swerving the car through the busy streets of Bhopal.

"Kya kar rahi hai, Zoya? Speed kam kar. You are scaring me, girl." Shouted Tanya at the back.

Zoya inhaled deeply, trying to get a grip over herself. She lowered the car's speed, driving with more caution and steadiness. Everything went fine for a few more minutes, until she caught the glimpse of an approaching vehicle in the car's mirror.

It was a red and black 'Thunderbird', identical to the one Asad Ahmed Khan was riding when he left the Cafeteria.

Zoya faintly remembered the bike's number plate having the digits 0 & 9. She deliberately slowed her car and signaled the biker to go ahead. The bright yellow headlight of Zoya's car revealed the name plate of the bike. It read 0990.

Zoya pressed hard on the accelerator. The car zoomed ahead and aligned itself with the bike.

"Zoya, what the hell are you doing?" cried Tanveer.

"Are you freaking crazy?" Zain's voice seemed distant and subdued. Zoya ignored her friends' frightened protests and leaned her head outside the glass window.

"Hey, Asad Ahmed Khan! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOURSELF, Haan?" Zoya shouted at the top of her lungs.

"ANSWER ME! WHAT HAVE I DONE? DID I F*CKING KILL SOMEONE? IT WAS JUST A BOXING MATCH...A SILLY, STUPID, FRIGGING BOXING MATCH." Zoya's voice was hoarse with suppressed tears and anger.

"Zoya, stop the car, RIGHT NOW!" Robbie tried to take the control of steering wheel from her, but she shrugged his hands off.

The bike rider didn't even bother to look at them. He (or she) accelerated the bike farther and was about to get out of sight, but Zoya was persistent as hell.

"I SAID SORRY, YOU STONE HEARTED MONSTER. BUT YOU WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED, Will ya? NOW I HAVE NOTHING EXCEPT THIS FOR YOU." Zoya's middle finger danced in the evening breeze, ignoring horrified shrieks of her friends.

Suddenly, the car's headlight revealed a white ball of fur at the middle of the road ahead. A little girl, calling out 'Snowy, Snowy, come back!', came running after it. Zoya let out a terrified scream and applied the break with all her might. The car skidded dangerously close to the child, stopping barely a few inches away from her. Everyone inside the car let out a collective cry. Zoya's head collided hard against the car's windshield.

In front of her dazed eyes, she saw the bike rider screeching to a halt. He took the helmet off, revealing a shock of thick black, unkempt hair underneath, recognizable even from a distance. He gently took the child's hand and helped her cross the road, cradling the dog in his other hand. Then he strode to the car and stood outside the car door. His heavy breath was fogging the glass window as his eyes scanned inside to check if everyone was unharmed.

Next moment, he opened the car door with one swift movement and dragged Zoya out forcefully. Before Zoya could open her mouth, a hard slap across her face nearly threw her out of balance.

"You had to win this race too, huh? Nothing stands between Zoya Siddeque and her victory, right? Not even your friends' lives, not even that little kid! Everything has to be just about you...and everything should revolve round that pathetic, selfish reason you call your life." Every word of him was like a merciless sword, slashing through Zoya's mind.

He didn't raise his voice, not even once. But Zoya felt those words echoing in her heart. She stood there, tending to her cheek as blood rose to her face. Silent tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes.

********************************

After Asad was gone, a chilly silence had fallen over the group. Nobody dared speak for a long while and just kept staring at each other. Finally, Tanveer broke the silence.

"He shouldn't have raised his hand on her. After all, she is from a respectable family. "

"I beg to differ, but did she behave like someone from a respectable family?" Zain's voice was grave.

"He had been exceptionally rude to her from day one. Don't forget that." Tanya frowned.

"Nobody behaves like that with Zoya Siddique. Period." Concluded Tanveer. "I think it's him who should apologize."

"He will." Zoya spoke suddenly, taking everyone by surprise. There was no trace of tears in her voice, rather it was eerily calm, like the silence before a storm. "Jis hath se mujhe thappad mara hai, ek din ussi hathon se mujhse saza ki bhikh mangega woh!

"I will make his life so painful, that he will beg for mercy. One day he will be at my feet. Yeh vaada hai Zoya Siddique ka." Zoya's eyes were burning with a steely flame.

"But, how?" whispered Tanveer. She looked a little unnerved by her words.

"Don't ask 'how'. Ask 'when'.

Teddy 💔