Hello! Welcome to the nakli nikaah of Asad and Zoya (:
Yes Boss: Part 32
"Mr Khan, bohut bohut mubarak ho aapko. Sorry for arriving a
little late, I hope I haven't missed the ceremony," Mr Bhatawdekar greeted Asad
as he shook his hand firmly. Dolly offered her congratulations and shook his hand
as well, as Asad kept an unsure smile plastered on his face. He found himself
adjusting the collar of the forest green sherwani that his mother had bought
for this occasion, unable to quit his nervous habit.
"Oh don't worry, you're just on time, Qazi Saheb didn't
arrive too long ago either. My sister has just gone to escort Miss Fa... um, Zoya
from her room. They should be here soon..." Asad clarified, trailing off as a
hush spread across the guest, everyone's attention at the room door that had
just opened. After a short pause, Zoya walked out of the room, with Najma and
Anu on either side of her, and Monica, Narges and RK following close behind
her.
Asad swallowed slowly as he took in the breath-taking sight
of Zoya in a beautiful green sharara, matching his clothes, with her dupatta
covering her face slightly from the top, her quivering lower lip visible below it.
He watched Dilshaad walk up to them and run her hand lovingly over Zoya's face,
before taking her arm from Najma and leading her to the platform put up in the
centre of the living room for the nikaah.
"Bhaijaan, umr bhar dekhte rehna Mona darling... I mean bhabhi
ko, but for now, at least take your seat for the nikaah first," Ayaan commented
from behind him playfully, earning laughter from whoever was within earshot.
Asad quickly tore his eyes away from Zoya and stared at the ground, biting his
lower lip a little as he tried to stop himself from smiling. Ayaan grabbed his
arm and led him towards the platform, as the rest of the men, including Prasad,
Hemant and Mr Bhatawdekar followed suit behind them. Dolly walked over to the
other side where the rest of the women were, as the crowd naturally began
segregating gender-wise.
Zoya climbed carefully onto the platform, staring intently
at the mehndi on her hands once she was seated. She had just put it on in the
morning, in a small function with only Dilshaad, Najma and a few other people
that Dilshaad had invited, like Anu, Monica, Narges and RK. They'd all chosen
to stay the whole day thereafter and help with the rest of the preparations for
the evening.
She stared at the skin between her index finger and thumb,
where the mehndiwali had very artistically hidden Asad's name, written in Urdu.
The girls had giggled uncontrollably at that point, laughing about how Asad
would be unable to find his name and he'd have to give Zoya whatever she wants.
Najma had gone to find Asad after that, to come and look for his name, but he
wasn't in his room. When Najma called him up, he had told her that he'd gone to
do some urgent work, making Dilshaad really mad. Zoya ignored the prickling
that began at her eyes when Najma conveyed the news to everyone. She was sure
his urgent work had something to do with that Mr Tripathi and those wretched
papers.
Zoya sighed softly and clenched her palms into tiny fists
before resting them in her lap, trying to shake those thoughts out of her head.
She continued staring at her lap, refusing to look up. She hadn't seen him
since last night, after their encounter. He didn't come the whole day, no
matter how many times Dilshaad called him to yell at him. At one point of time
in the day, she was sure he'd run away somewhere to hide from the police and
avoid the nikaah. She was wrong though, because apparently he came home an hour
before this, and stayed in his room till the guests arrived. She hadn't seen
him because she was in her own room, getting ready, and she was just getting
all the updates from Najma.
Once the crowd had settled down, the Qazi Saheb began some
prayers. Zoya found herself drawing small circles on her thigh as she
contemplating whether or not to look up. She could see Asad's knees, since he
was sitting across her, but that was all. Suddenly, she saw Asad's hand rest on
his knee tentatively, before his index finger lifted a little, pointing
upwards. Oh, so he knew exactly where she was looking, and where he'd prefer
for her to look. Zoya huffed slightly before turning her head away completely, choosing
to stare at the cushion on her side instead.
"Kya aapko yeh nikaah qubool hai?" the Qazi Saheb asked
Asad, after confirming the sum for Mehr. Asad stared intently through the
translucent gold curtain separating him and Zoya, willing Zoya to look up at
him. He could hear the Qazi Saheb repeat the question, but Asad remained mum,
and murmurs began to start around the room.
"Bhaijaan, kya hua?" Ayaan hissed into his ear from the
side, but Asad remained stoic, staring at the curtain continuously. The Qazi
Saheb asked the question for the third time, a little more insistent this time,
when Zoya finally looked up, worry evident on her face.
"Qubool hai," Asad finally announced confidently, when Zoya's
eyes finished tracing its way to his face, their eyes meeting through the
glittery curtain. Zoya blinked away the tears of relief that flooded her eyes
as soon as the sound of his husky acceptance entered her ears. She wasn't even
sure why his rejection worried her so much... didn't she want to end the charade
herself last night?
"Kya aapko yeh nikaah qubool hai?" the Qazi Saheb asked Zoya
in turn, snapping Zoya out of her thoughts. She looked at the Qazi Saheb
dazedly for a moment, before turning back to Asad. He nodded at her ever so
slightly as soon as she made eye contact with him, and her lips naturally
parted at that time, poised to answer.
"Qubool hai," Zoya whispered, as she openly drowned in his
intense gaze. The guests erupted into a buzz of excitement as congratulatory
greetings filled the air, while Asad and Zoya continued staring at each other
through the curtain with bated breath, as the gravity of what had just
transpired began to sink into them.
XXX
I know it's a short update... but I just wanted to end it there haha, seemed right (:
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