(Flashback) continues.....

Sahir & the Siddiqui's were silently having their meal at the table. Just then the door bell rang and Roshnaq got up first to open the door as she had already finished.

She opened the door and saw a courier boy standing at the door. He gave her the parcel, took her signatures and left.

Roshnaq closed the door and came inside holding the packet. She searched for the name of the sender on the envelope.

"Kya hai yeh Ammi", Zoya asked.

"Pata nahi beta, koi letter aaya h aapke Abbu ke naame pe Delhi se", Roshnaq told her reading the address on the envelope.

"Roshnaq zara dekh ke bataiye kisne bheja hai", Waseem asked her.

"Koi Harshvardhan Hooda ne bheja hai", Roshnaq told him reading the name of the sender on the packet

Hearing the name 'Hooda', Waseem immediately got up from his chair and went near Roshnaq. He took the envelope from her and looked at it.

Reading the name of the person who sent it, a smile appears on Waseem Siddiqui's face. It felt like he was waiting for it since ages. And finally it has come.

Seeing her Abbu so happy & teary at the same time, Zoya couldn't resist herself & asked, "Abbu, kisne bheja hai?".

"Zoya yeh khat hamare sabse purane aur sabse azeez dost Janab Harshavardhan Hooda ne bheja hai", Waseem told her.

"Pr humne to phle kabhi inke baare me nahi suna", Zoya curiously asked.

"Zoya beta aap bhut choti thi jab Harsh bhaisaab apni family ke saath Delhi shift ho gye the. Aapko to yaad bhi nhi hoga aap unke bade bete Aditya ke saath kitna khela krti thi", Roshnaq told her.

"Pr aap dono ne kabhi humse unka zikr nhi kia", Zoya asked.

"Beta kabhi mauka hi nhi mila", Ammi explained Zoya.

Seeing the Siddiqui's getting involved in themselves, Sahir felt lonely & ignored. He was completely unaware of what was going there and was least interested in knowing. So he decided to leave.

Getting up from the chair, Sahir spoke, "Zoya kaafi waqt ho gya h. Mujhe chalna chahiye. Ammi bhi akeli hai ghr pr".

"Beta aap abhi to aaye hai. Thodi der baad chale jayega. Aur Zoya ke Abbu ko aapse baat bhi karni hai", Roshnaq politely asked him to stay.

"Haan Sahir please kuch der ruk jaiye na", Zoya requested him. She then gestured him with her eyes to talk to Waseem.

Sahir nodded and went near Waseem. Looking him directly in his eyes, he says, "Aapko kuch jaroori baat karni thi mujhse".

Waseem spoke, "Bilkul sahi kaha aapne. Ab jo sawaal hum krne ja rhe h, usska jawaab decide krega ki aap Zoya ke layak hai ya nhi".

Hearing Waseem's words, Sahir felt a rush of anger down his spines. He thought to himself, Who is he to decide whether I am suitable for Zoya or not? I am here just because Zoya wanted. Sahir doesn't need anyone's permission to marry Zoya. Zoya is his and will always be his.

Sahir's attention then caught Zoya's eyes who pleaded him to agree to whatever her abbu says. Because she knew what he must be thinking.

Sahir nodded to Zoya and said to Waseem, "Puchiye, kya sawal krna chahte hai aap".

Waseem fired the very first question, "Kab se jante hai aap ek dusre ko?".

"4 saal se", Sahir replied with a smile remembering the day he met her for the first time.

Waseem throws the second question, "Kyon karna chahte hai aap hamari beti se nikaah?".

Sahir immediately replied, "Iska jawab aapko meri aankhon me dikh jayega. Zoya ke liye meri mohabbat aur Zoya ki aankhon me mere liye mohabbat baaton se zayada aankhon me jhalakti hai".

Sahir said these words while looking at Zoya who blushed hard.

Waseem then asked, "Kitni mohabbat karte h aap, saabit kr skte hain?"

To which Sahir replied, "Meri mohabbat beyhadh hai, bepannah hai, beintehaa aur bewajah bhi. Pr jiss mohabbat ko saabit krna pade, woh phir woh mohabbat kahan rahi".

Not Waseem but Zoya got really impressed by this confession of Sahir. Although she was well aware of Sahir & his ways but what is impressive is that everyday she learns something new about him. And yet she falls for him again and again.

He always talks like a Shayar. She fell for this 'Andaaz' of him only. His way of talking has always attracted her. And his deep ocean like eyes always makes her go & explore them.

Waseem sarcastically says, "Baatein achchhi kr lete hain. Aur kuch kaam bhi krte hai?".

At this question of Waseem, Zoya gets little tensed. She knew this question would come but she hadn't prepared for its answer.

"Abbu, Sahir Software Engineer hai pr abhi", Zoya paused.

But Sahir completed her, "Pr abhi jobless hu. Aur inshaallah jld hi kaam mil jaega".

Hearing this, Waseem stood up from his position and so does Sahir & Zoya.

"Aur kitne waqt se berozgaar hai aap?", infuriated Waseem asked Sahir raising his eyebrows.

"8 months se", Sahir replied calmly.

Waseem turned to Zoya, "Aur yeh baat aap ab bata rhi hai hume", his eyes full of anger.

Zoya looks down and tears continuously rolls down her eyes. The guilt of hiding the truth is clearly visible in her eyes. She never hid anything from him. But this time she did it purposely. She knew that her Abbu wants a well-settled groom for her.

"Aapne jhoot kaha humse Zoya", Waseem said while getting emotional. He was really hurt that for the first time Zoya lied to him.

Sahir can't see Zoya crying and being insulted especially when she did all this because of him. So he stepped in between while Waseem was scolding her.

"Aap raaii ka pahaad kyu bana rhe hain. Mane kaha na I am trying. Aur jld hi job mil jaegi", Sahir said making an attempt to control the situation.

"Aap khamosh rahe, hum hamari beti se baat kr rhe hai. Humare aur hamari beti ke beech me bolne ka haq humne kisi ko nhi dia hai", Waseem shouted at Sahir and turned again to Zoya.

"Zoya hum aapse pooch rhe hai. Aapne humse yeh sach chupaya, kiske liye?", Waseem said.

He turned to Sahir and pointing at him, he continued, "Iss insaan ke liye aapne apne Abbu se jhooth bola. Aaj inki ahmiyat humse zyada ho gyi hai".

But Zoya kept crying without even daring to look up at her Abbu's eyes.

Sahir had enough of it now, so he again barged in between the duo.
"Bas bahot bol liya aapne, aur bahot sunn liya Zoya ne. Main kisi ki bhi wajah se Zoya ki aankhon me aansoo nhi dekh skta", Sahir said with voice of full of anger.

"Wah! Ab yehi sunna baaki reh gya tha. Koi bahar wala aa kr hume chup karaye. Ab kya kahengi aap Zoya?", Waseem dramatically said.

Zoya finally looks up and says, "Abbu hume maaf kr dijiye. Hum Sahir se bahot pyaar krte hain".

"Zoya aap kya bol rhi hain aapko pata bhi hai? Abhi jo aap ko sb itna aasaan lg rha h, baad me aapko pachtana padega. Aur hum inke saath aapko zindagi bhar tadapne ke liye nhi chod skte", Waseem told her firmly.

"Abbu hum Sahir ke saath kase bhi reh lenge. Hume bas aapka saath chahiye", Zoya pleads him while tears continue falling from her eyes.

"Paagalon jaisi baatein mt kariye Zoya. Hum aapko iss nikaah ki manzoori kabhi nhi denge", Waseem says coldly.

Unable to tolerate the drama going around, Sahir finally says "Nikaah to yeh ho kr rahega, chahe aapki manzoori se ya bina manzoori ke", threatening Waseem.

"To aapko lgta hai aap humari nazron ke saamne humari hi beti se bina hamari ijazat ke nikaah kr skte hai?", Waseem asked Sahir.

"Haan aur himmat hai to rok ke dikhana Mr. Waseem Siddiqui", Sahir said challenging Waseem.

"Ek baar Zoya se to puch lijiye ki woh aapke saath chalengi bhi ya nhi", Waseem said with confidence evident in his voice.

"Dekhte hain", Sahir smirked & forwarded his one hand to Zoya while not taking his eyes away from Waseem.

Waseem stares Zoya while Sahir was still watching him confidently. Zoya looks at Waseem & then at Sahir. After few seconds of thinking, she gave her hand in Sahir's hand.

Waseem looked at Zoya in disbelief who didn't dared to look back at him and says "Yeh umeed nhi thi aapse hume". A lone tear escaped from Waseem's eyes.

Zoya finally gathers courage and looks him in his eyes. She spoke with her wet voice, "Sahir hamari zindagi hai. Hum unke bina nhi reh skte. Hum marr jayenge".

"Mil gya aapko apna jawaab. Zoya ne mera saath chuna hai, aapko thukra kr", Sahir says in victory.

Sahir and Zoya holds each other's hand to go while Waseem is still shocked of what just happened. Sahir's words rings in his ears, "Zoya ne mera saath chuna hai, aapko thukra kr".

Sahir-Zoya were about to make their way outside when Waseem stopped them, "Zoya agar aapne ek kadam bhi bahar rakha to hamara mara hua mooh dekhengi".

Zoya froze at her place listening his words. She turned to go back to Waseem but Sahir held her hand. He shook his head asking her not to leave. But she anyway frees her hand & went leaving behind a crying Sahir.

Zoya went near Waseem and hugged him, "Agar aap yehi chahte hai to yehi hoga Abbu. Pr hum aapko nahi kho skte", while weeping.

Waseem puts his hand on Zoya's head caressing her, "Hume pata tha hamari bachchi itni khudgarz nahi ho skti".

Zoya cries her heart out as she feels pain of losing her love but didn't say anything.

"Hum ussi se Nikaah krenge jise aap hamare liye pasand karenge. Hum Sahir se saare rishtey tod denge. Pr aap wada kijiye ki aap kabhi dobara aisi baat nahi kahenge", Zoya asked for his promise.

"Waada", Waseem said putting a hand of Zoya's head.

Zoya then did something that came as a shock to Sahir. She went near him and said, "Aaj ke baad hum kabhi nahi milenge".

She then ran into her room crying while Sahir stood there blankly not knowing what to do.

(Flashback Ends)

Sahir picks up his blazer and having a last look at the lake which is looking beautiful even in the dark, he leaves for his house.

**********

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