Zoya's POV:

I offered first Namaz (Fajr) praying to Allah...

I usually don't ask anything particular to god as I'm blessed with everything ..
Loving Ammi (Mom) and Abbu (Dad)...

Caring family... Loving Daadi.. smiles, happiness...my life was content...

I had the best education, complete freedom to live my life the way I wanted... Abbu never restricted me from anything... Everything including wearing a hijab or not was left to me...

I was Abbu's princess ❤️

My Abbu is the most wonderful human being god has ever created...

I love him a lot...I learn everything from him... Honesty, truthfulness, love and care.

I have never hidden anything from my parents till date except ...

Hammad...❤️

Hammad is the man I fell in love when I was in 9th std...he is my cousin. My father's sister's son. He is 5 years elder than me... Although his cat eyes were extremely attractive I never considered him anything but yet another cousin until that evening in granny's house...

Hammad and Haroon were my aunt Nafisa's sons. I never saw him until I was 8. They lived in Switzerland and after Uncle Ashraf's death they all shifted to India. Dad would help Aunt Nafisa in managing uncle's business here in India as they shut their Perfume business there completely and began it on s small scale here. They were extremely rich compared to my Abbu. My Abbu was a simple dry fruits dealer and merchant who owned two small dry fruits and sweets shops here in Hyderabad.

Haroon was 2 years younger than me and studied in my school while Hammad was my senior and studied in a convent. His good looks and charms were already popular while I was still in school...
However Haroon was the cool buddy but Hammad was the overprotective way too traditional types.

I mean Abbu never asked me to cover my head...come on...I was a mere 14 year old then... But Hammad wouldn't let me board his car until and unless I cover my head. He was annoying!!! He would usually come to pick me up on Fridays as he, Haroon and Dad would go together to mosque on Fridays. And as Hammad would have to pass via my school it was his routine to pick me up.

But then one event changed everything.

I still remember...it was friday....

I studied in all girls school and there was a boy's school exactly opposite to my school...our school got over and I was waiting for Hammad as usual. He's never late but today he was 20 mins past and was still not to be seen. He doesn't like me standing near the road. He had yelled at me before...so I choose to stand in the school ground and wait for him.

When my friend Chandni came and whispered in my ears...
'Hey Zo...looks like Zafaar is going to propose to you today man... I see him at the boy's school gate... you better go inside the school he can't come inside due to security...

While I started shivering... I had heard that many guys had a crush on me but I was least bothered...I got some love letters too which I had burnt and thrown into dustbin. But this proposing and shit was too much!!!
And who's this Zafar guy!!! I was really irritated now. But next second I was shocked to see that he was standing next to me...he was smiling and he had a card and rose in his hand..I started walking away while he suddenly came infront of me...I already had tears in my eyes..I ran towards the road and crashed into a hard chest. I was shocked to see it was Hammad. He looked very angry and started blasting at me for coming out of school premises but when I started crying loudly he melted a little..next second he saw Zafar with rose and card. He understood what happened. Zafar obviously was scared and started going away seeing Hammad. But next second Hammad did the unthinkable...he went and stood infront of Zafar and warned him to stay away from me..
He announced
'She is mine and if I ever see you or anyone around I will teach you a lesson for lifetime? Clear???'

I was shocked at what he announced😲

I couldn't utter a word...we both never spoke anything after that incident.

We all went to my granny's house that night...while although we never spoke anything...his smile and his stares made me shiver...his gaze was not like before...
Things changed between us...

I also started turning into the Zoya he liked...I turned more traditional...I wore Hijaab for his sake, I became more religious...I stopped talking to guys.. infact even my other cousin's...

My dad being the man with an extremely modern setup was shocked to see these behavioural changes in me... although he didn't object anything... He had no idea what was making me this Zoya.

I and Hammad never spoke our emotions even once...but since that day I never had any problems. Ofcourse I avoided going out...I preferred to stay at home...it made me happy...I felt content being gazed by only one man.

My Hammad.

I joined college and he started working on his dad's perfume business.

One day I still remember when on terrace in granny's house... He caught my hand...I froze at his touch. But he held it tightly and didn't let it go...

It was my most beautiful memory ever.

Then Hammad left to Switzerland again in plans of reviving his dad's business there although dad denied him but he was always the 'I know everything' types...

He used to call me almost every night like I'm his priceless possesion which however started reducing.

But he still had complete control on my life. From my FB password to my mail password.

One day when i logged in FB I noticed a few sorry messages from my friend Radhika's account...it looked like Bobby messaged me from her account.

And when I tried looking for Bobby's account it said it was blocked. I was shocked. Then I unblocked his account trying to understand why this was done I  spoke to Hammad who yelled at me saying he commented on my picture and said I look beautiful.

I couldn't understand what's wrong in that. I tried explaining him but he instead insulted me and yelled at me that I must leave FB..i felt bad ...I told him I'll delete my pics but he was so angry that he didn't talk to me for next 15 days.

This time even I was angry as it was very silly of him but even after a month when he didn't call me I deleted my FB account and tried calling him saving my pocket money as it was international call but he would just pick and drop my call. I tried sending emails to him
.. finally after 2 months he spoke to me..
Things went ok for sometime and later I discover that he had a girlfriend named Emmi... And I was shocked... when confronted he said she's just a friend...

But I was hellbent and I asked him for his FB and gmail passwords which he denied to give... He fought with me saying that I'm unnecessarily creating a scene and I don't trust him. While I tried to explain him that if he can have my passwords I can have his too...

But he told me...

He is a MAN!!!

It hurt me.. my dad never taught me such lame stuff. Infact all my Abbu told was... man or woman both are Allah's children. His creation and he loves everyone equally so who are we to differentiate.

But now I started feeling my thought process was been attacked.

But then they say right...

Blinded by love...

I was blind!!!

It's only one damn day I get a message from a random number saying she is Hira and she is a divorcee who had a 11 year old child and that Hammad was her boyfriend but after being in a relationship Hammad still doesn't want to marry her...

And all hells broke loose 🥺

Hammad is in a relationship???

With a woman who already has a child and is mostly elder than him too???

When confronted Hammad he said she's a Maniac but when I shared the sexts he shared with her he was fuming.

He said she is mad and she is not marriage material.

I froze 🥺

He had an affair and did sexting and stuff with her who knows what limits he crossed...when I broke down and cried je said
...

He's a man!!! And it's not like he left me..

I felt like a piece of damp cloth which is thrown into bucket soaking all the dirty water 🥺😢

In my croaked voice this time I said...
'Dont talk to me'

And I didn't talk to him for more than a month...

Finally one day Aunt Nafisa came home saying she wants to talk to my parents something important and it's related to Hammad's wedding...

My anger was still high but the thought that he seriously wants us to tie the knot made me happy...

I had to make sure my family knew about Hammad before aunt Nafisa came home...

So I told everything to Abbu-Ammi..

Although Abbu was very angry for hiding this from him ...he was more concerned
..
'Hammad is a complicated man Zo...
He still has a very backward mentality...
Can you deal with the extreme kinds? I mean he....he doesn't talk to his mother properly...
I seriously...I don't know...are you sure? You have lived in an extremely modern setup...'

While I hold Abbu's hands and say...
'He is my happiness...'

And Abbu smiled...

Aunt Nafisa came home but then came the shock when she told us that she had a proposal for Hammad...

It was from a gold merchandise owner Sazed Ali Khan...

My parents were shocked...

I broke down 😢

I couldn't stop crying when I tried reaching Hammad he told me he will talk to his mom and not to worry...
But next thing he did was come to India and get engaged to the girl of his mom's choice...

While confronting him he said he can still marry me😢

I wanted to slap him hard...
What am I to him 🥺

I quietly left his house...

It's been 3 months to this incident now...

Currently I'm working in a prestigious IT company in Bangalore!
Yesterday Abbu called me to come home...and told me that they have a proposal for me...

I denied in one go!!!

I didn't want to get into any marriage or relationship shit!

But Abbu requested me to come home once as this proposal was brought by Daadi... and I couldn't deny her...

I don't know who the guy is!!! I could only pray that I could talk to him... convince him!!!

But my today's dua (prayer) is only that I somehow get my life back on track...

This marriage is only going to bring troubles in my life!

I need peace...

I came out of a lifetime of relationship...

And I want to cry out hard...

I can't jump from one man to other like a kangaroo!!!

***

It was 11:00 am morning...

I could smell the delicious Hyderabadi korma and chicken biryani from my mother's kitchen while I'm still sitting in my bedroom...

Nervous!!!

Shivering!!

Tensed!!!

I hear voices and I realise...

They are here!!

Soon I hear Ammi ask me to bring cold drinks and mutton samosa she made...

I do the same...

As I'm extremely nervous...but I gather my guts after all I must request the guy to say a no!!!

And next second I'm shocked 😳

His face looks so similar...

And when Abbu announces ...

'Zo...he is Maahir... Maahir this is my daughter Zoya!!!'

No doubt!

It's him 😳

Mahir was my kg classmate...

We did our schooling together...

In 6th as our schools seperated into boys and girls schools...he moved to the boys school opposite to my girls school .. infact he was one of the guys from Zafar's class.

Which means he obviously has idea about Hammad and me!

This isn't going to be too tough I guess however I hope he doesn't open his big mouth in public and tell about me and Hammad.

Daadi doesn't know anything about me and Hammad!

Allah... I'm nervous 😰