In Love and War (29)

“Have you spoken to Tanveer?” Zoya asked Asad as she snuggled closer to him on the couch. He was busy trying to figure out how to play the DVD he’d brought along of Zoya’s favourite movie.

 

Asad looked at her. “Yes, I did the other day. I called her to check in and see how things were going” he answered. Zoya nodded minutely. “You’re ok with that, right?” he asked softly.

 

“Of course I am. I mean… I know better now” she said.

 

“Stupid thing isn’t working…” he muttered, before catching onto what she said. “Wait, you know better now? What about then? You didn’t honestly think…?” Asad trailed off.

 

Zoya rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what I was thinking… but just imagine if it had been the other way around?” she said. “What do you mean?” he asked her, narrowing his eyes at her before tossing the useless remote onto the couch across from them.

 

“Well, imagine it had been you walking in on… say, Ayaan and me… in that position… at the college” Zoya said.

 

Asad growled. “Don’t. Don’t even say it. You know… when we stopped at the temple that day… I saw you two holding hands and… I’d never been jealous of Ayaan in all the time I knew him. In that moment… I was completely green with jealousy” Asad admitted.

 

“I hadn’t noticed a thing… I thought you and Tanveer may have had a fight. Remember, I still thought she was your girlfriend then” Zoya pointed out.

 

“That was your assumption… Anyway, you were jealous too, right?” he asked, genuinely interested in finding out. Zoya closed her eyes. Even then… when she was denying her feelings so vehemently, she couldn’t deny to herself that she herself had been green with jealousy whenever she saw Tanveer draped all over Asad.

 

Like that day at the launch party, or that morning she’d walked in on them in the college they stayed at.

 

“Yeah ok… I admit. I was jealous. I didn’t want to feel that way. I thought she was your girlfriend, and I felt guilty I guess” Zoya said.

 

Asad pulled her onto his lap and looked at her confused. “Guilty?” he asked.

 

“Hmmm… ” Zoya answered, slipping her hands through the top of his shirt and holding onto his bare shoulders. “Guilty because I couldn’t stop myself from shamelessly fantasising about someone else’s man…” she breathed, placing a kiss on his lips.

 

“Aaah, the fantasies again…” Asad whispered. Zoya started unbuttoning his shirt slowly. “I was never anyone else’s man, Zoya” he said, nimbly untying the knot of her robe. “Hmm, I know now”

 

“Tell me about one…” he asked. “One of my fantasies?” she asked, swaying slowly atop him. “Hmm”

 

“Well, some of them were dreams… some imagined…” she purred.

 

“Just one baby” he whispered, moving closer to her exposed skin.

 

“Ok… the first time, I had this dream…” she breathed as she felt him leap beneath her. “You remember it…?” he asked softly. She nodded. “All… of it” she panted as she felt his tongue rove hungrily over her nipple.

 

“Tell me” he whispered against her breast, nipping it for effect.

 

“You had me pinned up against a wall… you were holding me by my shoulders, almost aggressively” she whispered. “And then… what did I do?” Asad asked, as he lifted her off him and got up from the couch, propping her up against the bare wall of the lounge.

 

Zoya’s eyes widened as she realised what he was doing. “You, uhh… you started kissing my neck… and I was, I was trying to stop you” she said as her feet touched the ground. Asad’s hands were kneading her butt as he started trailing kisses from her lips down her neck and back again.

 

“Like this…?” he asked. “Hmmm”

 

“Then?”

 

“I told you… that we can’t… and that I don’t like you…”

 

“But you didn’t stop… and neither did I?” Asad asked.

 

“No… “

 

Zoya needed more now. She remembered that dream like it had happened just yesterday. Just the thought of how far he’d got her, even in her subconscious, had her wanting him even more so now.

 

“You grabbed me and pushed your hips into me… I could, I could actually “feel” you…” she moaned, raising her leg up against his side. Asad obliged, once again grabbing her behind and lifted her slightly off the ground to thrust his hardness against her. “Feel this… this is what you do to me” he growled.

 

“Aaahhh… That’s what you said in my dream too” Zoya breathed heavily. She grabbed his face before he could swoop in on her breasts again, and kissed him. Hard.

 

When they broke from the kiss, Asad looked like a man on a mission. “Then?”

 

Zoya took his hand and guided him to move it against her heat. Asad looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “God… if I knew this was how you thought of us… I’d have made this dream come true long ago” he said, moving his hand inside of her and sweeping his tongue down her neck sensually.

 

“More…” she breathed as he stroked faster. “I want a happier ending this time!” Zoya urged him and heard Asad chuckle.

 

“I fantasised, too. That night at the college. I imagined slipping into bed with you… doing this…” he murmured as his fingers erotically moved inside of her  “… and this” he whispered as he flicked at her nipples with his thumb. “Yesss” Zoya moaned, still up against the wall, at her sexy husband’s mercy.

 

“… I wanted you so badly. That night… I visualised what I would do to you… how you would encourage me… I wanted to breathe you in… I wanted to touch you, everywhere. I wanted to hear you scream my name as I made you come…” he grit out.

 

“Now…” Zoya moaned, rocking her hips and urging herself further into his hands. Asad moved against her, their entire bodies aligned. “Now?” he asked as he kissed her. “Please… Asad” she begged. He moved his finger harder and faster inside of her as she wrapped one arm around his neck to pull him closer.

 

Oh God! Yesss… Asssaaaddd!!!” Zoya cried out as shudder after shudder racked her body. She fell limp into Asad’s waiting arms and he carried her to the couch.

 

“I think I might have to tell you all of my fantasies now…” Zoya told him, her face alight with that special glow that she got whenever they made love. Asad chuckled. “The re-enactment was that good, huh?” he asked.

 

“Completely… and here I was, thinking that you’d never match up”

 

“Hmmm… let’s hear another one and I’ll see if I can do just as good a job with it” Asad said, as he straddled Zoya on the couch and rotated his hips against her. “Asad… Hmmm…” Zoya moaned as she felt him stirring again.

 

“Well, there was this other one…” she started telling him.

 

**********

 

Naren got back into the SUV once he’d done another perimeter check after the reporter had left. He got comfortable, switching the radio to a cricket match that was on, and reached for the flask which Zoya had given him earlier. He poured out the last cup and decided he would return it to Mrs Khan a little later.

 

He sensed some movement behind him and was about to twist to check what it was when he was hit over the head.

 

“What the fu…” he groaned out before slumping back in his seat. Just to be on the safe side, the intruder held a medicated cloth over his mouth for a minute to really and truly knock him out.

 

Then he moved him over to the passenger seat with much difficulty and silently rolled the SUV out of the long driveway.

 

Once he’d managed to get the car out, he moved the driver to the back seat and drove off to the outskirts of the town, where he’d seen the abandoned farmhouse on his drive in. Dragging the bodyguard through the unlocked gate, he made his way to the dilapidated shed on the property.

 

The bodyguard was still unconscious and so he took his own sweet time, handcuffing him to the burglar bar of the window.

 

He’d alert someone to get him when the time was right.

 

For now… he needed to be out of the picture.

 

**********

Shaista was beyond p*ssed off as she drove back to Bhopal. This was her big chance and she’d blown it. But she couldn’t afford to get arrested.

 

No… she’d get her story one way or another. When the Khans got back to Bhopal – Shaista Mistry would be waiting…

 

**********

“Babe!” Asad called out to Zoya from the bedroom. She left the food she was prepping for their dinner and ran to the room. “What is it?” she asked worriedly as she stepped into the bedroom.

 

Asad was sprawled on the bed with her iPad. “The story… it’s out” he said and she sat next to him as they scrolled through the article.

 

“This is just part one. We need to find the b*stard!” Asad hissed.

 

“Hmph! Stupid witch blows her mouth constantly and then when they call her for a comment, she’s got f***all to say!” Zoya grit out angrily.

 

Asad almost smiled at his wife but he knew her anger stemmed from blaming them for his shooting. And he would never make fun of her for what she had gone through because of them.

 

“Come here” he said, pulling her to sit between his outstretched legs. “Don’t let it get it to you… we will fix it. I will sort all of it out. For now… let’s just enjoy this little victory and our last night here, together” he whispered as he massaged the knots of tension in her neck.

 

Zoya threw her head back and did as Asad said. She closed her eyes and tried blocking it all out.

 

He was right. For now, she would cherish this time alone with her husband.

 

**********

Zoya woke from her nap feeling very refreshed. She turned on her side to see her husband still fast asleep. Then she remembered she had been prepping their dinner for later. Although, looking out the window at the setting sun, she figured it may soon be dinnertime anyway.

 

Zoya slipped out of bed stealthily, not wanting to wake Asad. She would wake him later once she was done with her prepping for the barbeque they had decided to have this evening. She had loved their time here and was sad that it was ending, but a barbeque in this balmy weather would be a perfect ending to a perfect few days.

 

She planned to sit outside on the ornate wrought iron chair overlooking the lake with a glass of wine in hand, while Asad manned the barbeque. It was going to be just perfect. She couldn’t wait.

 

After finally getting done with marinating her tandoori chicken, Zoya went on to make a small salad and got out some snacks, and a bottle of red wine. She peeked into the bedroom to see Asad still asleep. She noticed a figure by the window and remembered that the bodyguard still had the flask. She wanted to get it back from him and make him some more.

 

Slipping on her sandals, she made her way outside to the SUV. “Hey! Give me the flask from earlier, I’ll make you more coffee” she said in her friendly manner when she saw the bodyguard standing against the car. He quickly turned to face the car, looking in through his window.

 

He shuffled to reach the flask and handed it to Zoya without turning to face her. Zoya thought that was odd. Sure, he wasn’t the friendliest person earlier but this behaviour is just strange.

 

“Uhh, ok” she muttered and walked back to the cottage. She quickly brewed a fresh pot of coffee and poured it into the flask. She couldn’t help but check on Asad again. Still fast asleep; holding onto her pillow as if it were her.

 

She grinned to herself. Damn, her husband was cute!

 

When she got back to the SUV, the bodyguard looked much more relaxed, leaning lazily against car and looking down, his arms folded across his chest.

 

“Here. More coffee” Zoya said. He took the flask from her hands without looking up at her and she turned to walk away.

 

But she didn’t get far.

 

She was grabbed from behind and a hand was put over her mouth so she couldn’t scream. Then she got the sickeningly chemical smell from the tiny cloth held over her mouth, before she fell into unconsciousness.

 

**********

 

*evil laugh*

 

“Oh Khan… So you don’t care where I am, right? Well well, let’s see how that changes when you realise I have your precious wife… Let’s see what you do then” Ritesh muttered to himself smugly as he eyed Zoya up and down in just her robe.

 

He walked up to her. “Zoya Zoya Zoya… we could’ve avoided all of this if you hadn’t humiliated me in public. And then, to top it all off, you and Khan getting married and acting like two lovesick puppies… it’s more than any man could take” he said angrily as he ran his hands through her hair and tugged a handful aggressively. Zoya was too knocked out to even stir at his rough manner.

 

“You escaped once, sweetheart. Not going to happen this time. You and your f***ing husband are going to pay for what you did to me… what you took away from me” he whispered as he fingered the rope bonding Zoya’s hands and feet to the chair he’d found.

 

**********

“Zoya…?” Asad called repeatedly as he made his way out of the bedroom. Repeatedly, he called her name as he scanned the small cottage. She was nowhere. He went to the kitchen and found dinner prepped. Asad was confused. Suddenly fearful, he made his way into the backyard but there was still no sign of her.

 

He held his arms out. “OK, babe. You got me. Stop hiding now…” he called out. He expected to hear her mischievous giggle anytime now.

 

“Zoya…?” he called again, his voice quivering frantically. He ran back into the house, and started looking in the wardrobes of the rooms. Not there. Bathrooms…? No, not there either. “Wait, she must be out front” Asad said to himself as he tried to stay calm while walking through the house. “Y’know, this isn’t funny, ok? You’re scaring me… I think you should stop now. It’s really not very nice, Zoya” he said looking back into the house before stepping outside.

 

“What the…?” Asad said to himself as he realised the security van wasn’t parked in their driveway anymore. No longer thinking clearly, Asad ran the half mile from the cottage to the front gate of the driveway. Nowhere. The van was nowhere.

 

Running back into the house, he grabbed his mobile and called the bodyguard. Voice mail. He threw his phone onto the couch in frustration and fear really gripped his heart as he looked around the cottage helplessly, one more time.

 

He got his mobile again and dialled Zoya’s mobile. He could hear it ringing in the kitchen. Half hopeful, he ran there, wishing he’d find her doubled over in laughter at the scare she’d given him.

 

But no. She was nowhere.

 

He instinctively knew she wasn’t there. Besides her lingering fragrance and all her stuff in the cottage, Asad couldn’t feel her presence.

 

Instinctively, he knew. He just knew.

 

Holding his phone tightly, he dialled Ayaan.

 

“Ayaan… she’s gone. Zoya is missing!” he whispered desperately into the phone as tears stung at his eyes.