Chapter 1:
Mahi: "Maa please. Mujhe iss baare mein aur koi baat nahi karni hai, ye kitni baar kehna hoga aapse? Aur vaise bhi, aap kabse Zoya ki hitayshi banne lagi? Bada pyaar jaag raha hai apni Bahu ke liye?
Mrs Arora: "Mahi! Main Zoya se nafrat karti thi aur karti rahungi. Voh hi kaaran hai ke mera beta aaj mere paas nahi hai, lekin tum jo kar rahi ho vo theek nahi hai. Jaan pooch kar usse nuksaan pahunchaana, apne bhai ki company ko barbaad karne ki koshish. Mahi iss badle ki aag mein tum hum sab ko jala rahi ho.. aur ye main tumhe karne nahi dungi. Apne bete ko khoya hai maine, ab jitni bachi kuchi zindagi hai, usmein mujhe thoda chain to de do!
Mahi: "Oh please Maa, aapke ladle bete ne to koi kasar chodi nahi, humein barbaad karne ki. Company, property sab uss Zoya ke naam kar diya.. Main jo kar rahi hun apne future aur aapke chain ke liye hi kar rahi hun. Mera bas chalta to ab tak to usse maar chuki hoti main. Lekin nahi kar sakti... Mujhe to laga tha ke vo khud us company ko barbaad kar degi, business to chalaana aata nahi hai usse. Aur upar se vo Aditya Hooda! Mujhe laga tha ke vo bhi Zoya se nafrat karta hai, vo to company ko duba ke hi maanega. Lekin na to usse kuch hota hai, na vo mere ki plan ko safal hone deta ha. Magar koi baat nahi, ek baar Zoya saare papers pe sign kar de.. uske baad usse duniya se na sahi, iss ghar se dhakke maar maar ke nikaalne mein jo maza aayega.. ussi mein mujhe sukoon milega!
Mrs Arora: "Mahi tumhe kya ho gaya hai... tum aisi to nahi thi---
Zoya: "Mahi...
Both Mahi and Mrs Arora turn around at the sound of Zoya's voice. Zoya looks at the two of them with tears streaming down her eyes, while Mrs Arora looks down unable to meet her eyes with Zoya's questioning glance and Mahi looks uncomfortably around the room. How had she been this stupid? Zoya was in the house and she had openly said her true feelings out loud.
Mahi: "Zoya... tum...
Zoya: "Bas Mahi. Humne sab sun liya hain. Humein laga tha ke aap sach mein humein samajhne lagi thi. Humaari dost thi. Lekin humein hi galatfehmi huyi thi. Hum... aap...---
Zoya turned around and left from there, unable to form any more words and unable to take in the toxic surroundings anymore. She had tried. She really had, to get Yash's family to accept her. She knew that if she was one part of Yash's heart, his mom and sister were the second. She had thought that maybe, just maybe, they could come together and complete Yash, even if he was not there anymore. And with Mahi's support, she had actually begun to dream that maybe her wish would come true, that they would be a family. She couldn't have been further away from the truth. Maybe Aditya was right. Maybe she was a bewakoof'.
Zoya made her way to the place where she had built her shrine, where she felt her Yash the most. Zosh. Zoya and Yash. Atleast here they were together. Forever. Zoya stepped into the empty office, of course it would be empty. Who in their right minds would be in the office at 8:30 PM? She made her way straight to Yash's... uh, Aditya's... oh, screw it YASH's cabin. Aditya never spent any more than 5 minutes there anyway! She sat down on the chair, Yash's chair. Even though Aditya had been thorough in his removal of EVERY picture of Yash from the cabin, he hadn't done anything to the cabin per say. The simplicity of the design screamed YASH. Though not a lot, yet every corner of the office had its details, which Yash had chosen himself. Zoya would know. After all, she had picked all of them with him. She leaned back against the chair, trying to lose herself in the memory lane, but the scene from an hour ago kept coming to her forebrain again and again. MAHI? Mahi tried to sabotage her? Mahi tried to destroy her brother's company? Mahi wished to be able to kill her? Mahi? She just couldn't hold it in anymore, the thoughts, the betrayal, the hurt, the failure. She pulled feet on to the chair and wrapped herself around her legs. And then, she let go. She cried for the millionth time, for her lost love, for her lost family, for her failure as a wife who couldn't keep make her husband whole. She cried until there were no more tears to cry.
Tired, she leaned forward on to the large table, accidentally bumping against the glass top, and pushing a button that had been hidden just above the chest of drawers, hidden from the world, and visible to only the one who knew about its existence. Surprised and intrigued, she pushed against the button, and gasped in surprise as a small square on the table top rose to uncover a secret compartment on the table. Zoya reached inside and brought out what seemed to be some papers and a photo album. As she flicked through the papers and the album, her breath stopped, and her world came to a stand-still. And suddenly, all of the worries, hurt and betrayal that Zoya had felt 5 minutes ago reduced to a minuscule, for these pieces of processed trees had singlehandedly managed to ruin Ms Zoya's life once again.
Writer : MissRight
Chapter 2
The incessant ringing of the phone woke him up from his slumber. He hissed in irritation and turned away from the noise, putting his pillow on his head to tune out the noise, which, thankfully, does down a couple of seconds later. He had just sighed with relief at the peace, when the sharp shrill of the phone burst through his peaceful bubble once again. He groaned, before getting up and reaching for his phone. His expression of irritation turned to one of disgust when he saw who was calling him at the ungodly hour of 3:30 AM.
Aditya: "Mahi!? Ye mujhe iss waqt kyu phone kar rahi hai? Uthaon? Nahi yaar. Iss waqt iss ladki se deal karne ki patience nahi hai mere paas.
Aditya tossed the ringing phone on the bed before fluffing his pillow. He then looked at the ringing phone with an expression of indecision, and wondered why the hell was Mahi ringing him at this time.
Aditya: "Kahin Zoya? Nahi, aaj to usse Mahi ke saath jaate huye dekha tha maine. Aaj vo ghar ke ilaava kahin nahi gayi hogi. Mahi itni bewakoof nahi hai k Zoya ko apni nafrat ka pata chalne de.
Aditya dismissed the thought of the call being related to Zoya, trying to convince himself that she was probably fine, and Mahi was just being desperate in her vendetta against Zoya, still believing that Aditya would help her. In the mean-time, the phone stopped ringing, as it registered another missed-call. Aditya leaned back against the bed, as he mused over Mahi's ridiculous notion of them being after the same thing as each other. She was SO wrong. She hated Zoya because Zoya currently held the key to the company, the property and all the finances, which Yash had probably put in her name because he knew that, in the event of something happening to him, his mother and sister would most likely disown Zoya and leave her with nothing. If Aditya was honest, Yash was probably right about that, and Mahi was definitely proving her brother right. Aditya didn't hate Zoya, he disliked her. And that was because she displayed blind-faith over her husband and refused to believe what was probably the truth- that Yash was cheating. Well, you see, Aditya had a problem. At least Zoya knew what side she was on- her husband's. Aditya was stuck in the middle- he couldn't believe that Pooja would do that to him, with his father's history, and with her being his childhood, and best, friend. And yet when he thought about the night of the accident, and their entwined hands, her investment into Zosh- he just didn't know what to believe. And so he was stuck, and thus unable to move on. Neither from her death, nor from the "apparent cheating. It was his dilemma that was holding him back. He just needed answers. Black-and-white kind of answers. He didn't understand grey!
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Aditya didn't realise when he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
It was 8:00 AM when his eyes opened, due to the sunlight that fell straight on to his face. He had stopped sleeping in. He fumbled around for his phone, remembering that he had tossed it onto his bed sometime last night. Eyes widening in shock, he looked at the number of missed calls from last night. 4 missed calls?! That too from Mahi? A little concerned now, Aditya immediately called back on the number, and heard a sleepy Mahi on the other side.
Mahi: Hello?
Aditya: Mahi, kal raat ko 4 baar kyu phone kiya tha?
Mahi: 4 baar? Main kyu tumhe phone karungi? Sapna to nahi dekha tumne koi?
Aditya: tum sachmein itni bewakoof hoy a Zoya se koi competition kar rahi ho? Tumhaare 4 missed calls hain tabhi to call kiya na. mujhe koi shaunk nahi hai Ms Mahi Arora, tumse baa karne ka.
Mahi: Zoya? Oh... ab samjhi. Tumhe phone maine nahi Maa ne kiya tha. Ek to samajhti nahi hai vo bhi. Kyu tension leti hain itna uss Zoya ka.. bhad mein jaaye vo. Aur tum Mr Hooda, phone rakho, mera Sunday hai.
Aditya: wait- suno Mahi!
But Mahi had already disconnected the call.
Aditya: to phone Mrs Arora ne kiya tha. Lekin kyu? Aur ye Mahi Zoya ke baare mein kya keh rahi thi? Kuch to gadbad hai. Uski Mother-In-Law ko phone karta hun... ek second, main kyu phone karun? Zoya ko jo karna hai vo kare. Tujhe kya Adi!?... lekin... Urgh! I hate you Zoya Arora!
He picked up his phone and scrolled through the contacts to find the number, pressing call'. It rang for an anxious two rings, while Aditya fidgeted in his place, before being answered.
Mrs Arora: "Hello?
Aditya: "Mrs Arora, Main Aditya Hooda bol raha hun.
Mrs Arora: "Aditya, shukar hai aapne phone kiya. Mujhe aapse ye poochna tha ke aapki Zoya se baat huyi hai? Kal raat se?
Aditya: "kal raat se? nahi Mrs Arora. Aakhri baar maine Zoya ko Mahi ke saath ghar jaate huye dekha tha. Lekin aapne mujhe subha 3 baje 4 missed calls diye. Zoya kahan hai Mrs Arora?
Mrs Arora: "nahi pata. Kal raat se vo kahin chali gayi hai aur ab tak nahi lauti.
Aditya: "aapki aawaaz se mujhe aisa kyu lag raha hai ke aap kuch chupa rahi hain. Poori baat batayiye Mrs Arora
Mrs Arora: "usne Mahi ko baat karte huye sun liya tha...
Aditya: "you mean aap logon ki sachchai pata chal gayi usse. Maine to pehle hi kaha tha usko, ke usse sambhal ke rehna chahiye. Log peeche se bhi waar karte hain. At least ab usse sachchai to pata chal gayi hai
Mrs Arora: "Mr Hooda! Tameez se baat kijiye. Maine sirf aapse ye poochna tha ke aapko Zoya ke baare mein kuch pata hai ya nahi, mere ghar ke maamle mein aapko dakhal dene ka koi haq nahi.
Aditya: "aapke ghar ke maamle mein mujhe dakhal dena bhi nahi hai. Usse bigaadne k liye to aap, aapki beti aur aapka cheater beta hi kaafi hain. Pata nahi kya dekha Zoya ne aapke khaandaan mein. Vaise Bewakoofon ki sartaj to vo bhi hai. To mujhe surprise nahi hona chahiye.
Without waiting for a response, Aditya cut the call and threw his phone on the bed. He should have picked up the damn call last night. Zoya had been missing for 12 hours now! Where could she be? Getting ready as fast as possible, Aditya picked up his wallet, car keys and phone and stormed out of the house, ignoring the calls of his mother and maa-in-law. He mentally ticked off the places that Zoya could go, worried that there was only one other place that he knew of where she could be- ZOSH. Aditya drove towards the office in record speed, surprising himself at being worried for her, but he chucked those thoughts out of the window. He could analyse his thoughts later but topping his priority list at the moment was seeing Zoya in the flesh to make sure that she was fine. He parked the car, and rushed into the office, where a few dedicated employees sat working on their projects. He answered their choruses of good mornings as he made his way into his cabin, anticipating seeing Zoya there.
What he walked into, however, was an empty office, with no sign of Zoya anywhere. He walked out into the main area, spotting Akansha at her desk, and made his way to her.
Aditya: Akansha! Tumne aaj Zoya ko dekha hai kahin?
Akansha: Nahi sir, maine to unko nahi dekha.
Aditya: Kisi aur ne dekha hai? Ho sakta hai vo tumhaare aane se pehle chali gayi ho?
Akansha: aisa ho hi nahi sakta sir, main subha se yahin baithi hun and office bhi maine hi aa ke khola tha.
Aditya: Are you sure? Tumhaari usse koi baat huyi hai aaj? Ya kal raat ko?
Akansha: Nahi sir, but kya hua sir? Is everything okay? Maine ma'am ko phone karne ki koshish to ki thi lekin unka phone switched off aa raha tha.
Aditya: Uh.. haan, sab theek hai. Main usse phone pe baat kar lunga. Thanks.
Aditya walked back into his office, and tried calling Zoya's number, receiving the same "switched off message every time. He thought of calling Zoya's mother in law to see if Zoya had returned home, though that was something that he would absolutely not be wanting to do, initiate contact with that family, but his worry for Zoya overpowered his dislike of the Aroras. He spoke to Mrs Arora, and banged he table in frustration when she informed him that Zoya had not returned, nor had she informed them in any way about herself. He was just about to throw his phone in anger when his eyes fell on a pile of papers right in front of his chair, with a sticky note stuck on top. He made his way around the table and pulled the pile towards him. He pulled the sticky note off the pile and brought it up to eye-level.
"Aap Sahi the was all that was written on the note. No explanations, no signature, but Aditya knew who the author of the note was. Zoya. She had been here. She had come to the office to find some peace and had discovered something that had probably stolen what little semblance of peace she had left. The still-damp papers were a proof of her heart-break, part 2 and 3 of which she had suffered in one night, courtesy her Mother-in-law and Sister-in-law, and the love-letters and Photos of her husband, in the arms of the woman who was, before her death, Aditya's wife.
At least Aditya found his answers.
Chapter 3
1 week. It had been one week and there was no sign of Zoya Siddiqui. No phone calls, no messages, no sightings and no interactions. And it was driving him mad. He had searched every nook and corner, every place that she could have been to. He had tracked down all of Yash's friends, and all the hotels. He had enquired at her house in Mussorie as well as her parents' house. She was nowhere. He still came to the office, stayed the entire time, in hopes that she would come back or contact someone, anyone, from the team. He would answer all his calls on the first ring now, regardless of the time, hoping that she was on the other side. Aditya was puzzled himself, as to why he was so concerned about her? But he didn't spend a lot of time worrying over this. He just knew that he had to make sure she was okay and that would only be possible if she was in front of him in the flesh. Rest everything, he could figure out later.
Actually, he knew. The reason for his unsettlement regarding Zoya's disappearance wasn't the fact that she had vanished without a trace, though that was a part of it. No. He was more worried about the way that she had disappeared. What she had found out before she went away. And that was her husband's unfaithfulness. Now, he had wanted her to open her eyes to the truth', of course, but he had always imagined a scenario where she would finally believe his words and admit that her beloved husband was unfaithful. He had always pictured himself there in the scene when she would be faced with the reality of her perfect world. And the fact that he had not been there thwarted him off his plans. She would have been shattered, her world would have come apart, and he wasn't there. If you asked him why he wanted to be there, Aditya would not be able to give you an answer, yet.
Plagued by all thoughts Zoya, Aditya got up from his chair, and made his way out of the office. He needed some peace. He needed to get away from this place. This place that was haunted by Zoya. Every nook, every corner had an essence of Zoya in it. He needed to get away. Aditya made his way to his car and drove out. Not really having a place in his mind, he aimlessly took turns, stumbling upon a small coffee house, which seemed like it was hidden away from the world. The sophisticated, simple design of the board that read Destiny' was the only indication of the presence of the place. Aditya parked his car and walked in the coffee house, making his way to the counter. There was a girl behind it, with her back turned towards Aditya. Sensing someone approaching, she finished what she was doing, and turned around, eyes cast down towards something in her hand and started speaking.
Girl: Hello! Welcome to destiny, aayiye aapke haath mein aapki kismet--- Adi? Aditya Hooda?
Aditya's face snapped towards the girl as a wave of recognition hit him.
Aditya: Stuti Tooti-fruity? Kya ye tum ho?
Stuti: Aur kaun hoga duffer!! OH My GOD! Hoodiyaa! It's been YEARS! How are you!?
Aditya: abbe idhar aa!
Stuti came out from behind the counter and Aditya pulled her into a tight hug, picking her up and twirling her around. She laughed loudly at the familiar gesture, causing the other customers to look over at the duo. Aditya put Stuti down and grasped her hands tightly, with a genuine and wide smile on his face as he looked down at his once-upon-a-time best friend. Stuti looked over at the peering and interested eyes of her customers and with a wide grin, said
Stuti: "sorry everyone. Saalon baad puraane dost mile hain. Aap log apni coffee enjoy kijiye, aapki shanti aapko vapis mil rahi hai. (turning to Aditya) SO Mr Hooda, aap yahan?
Aditya: "Main to Mumbai ka hi rehne vala hun, TUM yahan kaise ho madam? New York se wapis kab aayi tum? How's life been? And why do I not know about you being back?
Stuti: "LAMBI Kahaani hai yaar! Phir kabhi bataungi. And for you not knowing, well vo teri galti hai. Regardless, now that I've found you, I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me Hoods. Acha, tu ruk, main cold coffee laati hun. The same right? Equal coffee and sugar, with cream?
Aditya: "you remember? Wow! Vaise acha hai. Orders yaad rakhne ke liye memory ki zarurat hoti hai. Maine to pehle hi kaha tha, tu kisi din kisi shop mein hi kaam kar rahi hogi. Dekh, sahi kaha tha maine.
Stuti: (slapping him on his arm) "shut up kameene! For your kind info, Main Destiny ki owner hun, employee nahi. Baaki ki galat fehmi aa ke dur karti hun. Sandhya! Please bahar aa ke counter sambhaal lo, mera ek friend aaya hai aur hum upar jaa rahe hain.
Handing over the responsibility to her employee and armed with 2 cold coffees, Stuti led Aditya to the employees only' area, which also led them to the stairs leading up to her house. Settling in the cosy space by the large window, Aditya and Stuti, the duo infamous for being the bane of every teacher's existence in school, caught up after being separated for 7 long years.
Stuti: "so Hoods. Kya pareshaani hai tumhaari zindagi mein?
Aditya: "what do you mean pareshaani'? My life is awesome
Stuti: "Oh please! Mujhe underestimate mat karo. Destiny is my baby and maine isse sirf special logon ke liye banaaya hai. Ye ek gift hai, jo sirf wandering souls ko milta hai. Jinhe zindagi se thoda sukoon, thodi shaanti chahiye hoti hai, sirf vahi iss jagah ko dekh sakte hain, ismein ghus sakte hain. and tum andar ghus paye, matlab kuch to gadbad hai. To batao.. kya hua hai?
Aditya: "gift, wandering souls, sirf problems vale ismein ghus sakte hain? tumhaare dimaag ka crack theek nhi hua abtak? Doctor ko bulaun?
Stuti: "urgh okay fine you caught me. You're right, mera crack theek nahi hua ab tak, but baby, admit it. Yahi mera USP hai.. aur issi vajah se tum mujhe itna pyaar karte ho.
Aditya: "yeah whatever
Stuti: "But on a serious note Adi. What is wrong? Teri aankhein thaki huyi lag rahi hain jaise saalon se soya na ho. teri hassi aankhon tak nahi pahunch rahi. Tu closed off hai, uncomfortable hai. Aur apne phone ko aise seene se laga ke baitha hai jaise Kohinoor ka heera usmein jada ho. I mean I'm phone conscious and aise to main bhi behave nahi karti. Plus, you're just giving the vibe, jaise tu kuch kehna chahta hai lekin keh nahi paa raha. Something is wrong Adi, and mujhse tu ye baat nahi chupa sakta. So its better that you tell me.
Aditya debated on whether to give her the crap of you haven't seen me in a long time' and I've grown' etc. but he knew it would not work. This was Stuti. She probably still knew him better than he did himself. There was a mountain of bullshit that he could have spewed at her and she would have looked through it all like Maanjhi, so he decided against it, just going with the truth. After all, their 4-year-old selves had a pact, to never lie to each other, that they had never broken, and he wasn't going to start now.
Aditya: "it's nothing Stuti, tu nhi samjhegi. It's a long story.
Stuti: "I have time. Now begin.
And so, Adi told her. Everything. Starting from his marriage, the accident, to meeting Zoya, to finding about Pooja's betrayal, to ZOSH, and Zoya's disappearance. All the while, Stuti silently listened. Once finished, Adi felt a little peaceful. This was the first time he had ever expressed himself after the fateful night. Just stated what happened. No anger, no explosion, just plain expression. Of what had happened to him, of how he had reacted, of what he felt and of the consequences of the turn of events. Once upon a time, Stuti had been his diary. There was only one other person who he could talk to like this, and that had been Pooja. She was his friend. His best friend. Ever since she had passed away, he had not had a friend. Someone who would just listen, without interruptions, without suggestion, and without unnecessary advice. He had wished fervently, at a point in his life when he was faced with a choice, of having both his best friends with him together. But he'd been denied that wish. He could have either had Pooja or Stuti. But never both at the same time. It wouldn't have worked out anyway to be honest, for Pooja and Stuti had never seen eye-to-eye. So, he'd chosen Pooja and Stuti went away. And now Pooja was gone. And Stuti was back. What a turn of events! Life truly was unpredictable. He was brought out of his musings a couple of minutes later when Stuti finally broke the silence.
Stuti: I'm sorry Adi. Tumhaare saath itna kuch hua and main yahan nahi thi. Jab tujhe meri sabse zyaada zarurat thi, main nahi thi. Mujhe past mein nahi jana.. abhi iska waqt nahi hai. Lekin tumhaare present aur future mein ab main humesha rahungi. Adi I'm not going anywhere now I promise.
Aditya: I missed you Stuti.
Stuti: I missed you too. Tere paas to phir bhi e kaur dost thi. Mera to ek tu hi tha. My best friend. And tu hi rahega. Always. Vaise, tell me more about this Zoya. Sach kahun to tune bichaari ko faaltu mein torture kiya hai Adi. She didn't deserve it. Just because she trusted her husband. Not fair.
Aditya: shut up. Usse dekh k mujhe uske cheater pati ki yaad aati thi aur Pooja ke dhoke ki. And itna andha vishvaas, she deserved it. Plus, mujhe jail bhijvaaya, na jaane kitne ilzaam lagaaye. Chalta phirta disaster hai vo aur-
Stuti: and tujhe abhi bhi uski itni parvah hai. Vo theek hai ya nahi, ye dekhne k liye teri jaan nikli jaa rahi hai. Uske whereabouts jaan ne ke liye tu maraa jaa rha hai. Bol le bol le Adi. Jitna jhoot bolna hai bol le. I can read you like a nursery rhyme.
Aditya: kya bakwaas kar rahi hai tu. Mujhe uski koi chinta-vinta nahi hai, I don't even like that woman.
Stuti: aaye haaye... tere dislike ki havaayein udhte huye dekhne mein bada maza aayega. But for now, utho and neeche chalo. Bichaari Sandhya ko jaana hai uski shift over. I have to take over till closing time now.
Stuti and Aditya made their way downstairs, where Aditya bid goodbye to his oldest friend, letting her carry on with her work, and made his way back to ZOSH, to try and keep the work going. His destroy-Yash plan had been put on an indefinite hold, since Zoya had gone missing. She would only have one reason to return now, ZOSH, if she still cared for the company, since her in-laws' betrayal had been the second-to-last straw, and Yash's betray, the last. Well, thinking about it, why would she even return to ZOSH? But Aditya kept the company afloat keeping the tiny ember of hope alive in his heart that maybe ZOSH meant more to Zoya than just Yash's company.
*****
The customers had left, and Destiny was closed for the day. Stuti stepped out of the little heaven, enjoying the evening breeze, and went for a walk. Not really paying attention to where she was headed, her head swarming with all that Adi had told her a few days back, she accidentally bumped into someone causing them to fall back. Stuti helped the lady up, apologising profusely.
Stuti: oh shit. I am so so sorry! Aapko lagi to nahi maam?
Lady: nahi, hum theek hain. aapko to nahi lagi?
Stuti: nahi main bilkul theek hun. Im so sorry, mujhe pata nahi mera dhyaan kahan tha. Mujhe dekh ke chalna chahiye tha.
Lady: nahi koi baat nahi. Humein bhi dhyaan rakhna chahiye tha.
Stuti: chaliye koi baat nahi. Vaise mera naam Stuti hai.
Lady: Hum Zoya Siddiqui hain.
Stuti: Zoya? Arre wah. Actually, mera ek dost hai, vo abhi kuch din pehle hi apni kisi friend ke baare mein baat kar raha tha, jiska naam bhi Zoya hai. Aapse milke bahut Khushi huyi Zoya.
Zoya: aapse bhi. Ab hum chalte hain.
Stuti: Arre Zoya. Ruko! Actually, main aapko apne caf mein invite karna chahti hun. Maafi maangne ke liye. Vo vahan uss gali mein mera chota sa coffee house hai- Destiny. Please vahan kisi din aayiye. Coffee on the house. Mera sorry bolne ka tareeka.
Zoya: arre iski koi zarurat nahi hai Stuti. Maafi ka to koi sawaal hi nahi hai. Galati to dono ki thi.
Stuti: Zoya please. Aapse sach kahun to aapse baat karne mein mujhe bahut maza aa raha hai. Hum ajeeb tareeke se mile hain issiliye situation aisa hai. Agar hum kahin aur mile hote to aap ab tak meri dost ban chuki hoti. Please. Aapko jab bhi mauka mile, vahan zaroor aayiyega.
Zoya: acha theek hai. Hum aayenge. Lekin abhi humein jaana hoga.
Stuti: sure. Bye zoya.
Zoya: bye Stuti.
*****
Stuti was cleaning up a table, when she felt two arms gripping her shoulders.
Stuti: Adi tum bachpan se mujhe aise hi daraane ki koshish karte aaye ho aur aaj tak kaam nahi kiya. Why do you even try?
Aditya: don't worry. Ek din tu daregi.
Stuti dekhenge. Ab vaise tu aa hi gaya hai to meri madad kar de. Closing time hai ab koi nahi aayega. Aur koi aaye to usse bol dena ke caf is closed. I'll just go and in clean up.
Stuti disappeared behind the employees only' door, while Aditya settled on one of the soft beanbags scattered around the floor. The bells hung on the door chimed, indicating the entry of someone.
Aditya: I'm sorry caf band ho chuka hai. Vaise bhi shaam ho chuki hai raat ko ulluon ki tarah jaag ke kya karoge. Jao so jao aur kal subha aana coffee lene.
Person: hum coffee ke liye nahi, Stuti se milne aaye hain. kya vo yahan maujood hain?
Hearing the voice, Aditya's head jerked up in recognition. This was the voice he had been yearning to hear from the past 2 weeks! His head whipped around, and his eyes locked on to the person who he had been desperate to see. There she was. Fine, safe, sound, and significantly weak, he observed the last one with a displeasure. But she was here. In front of him. In flesh. Zoya.
Chapter 4:
Aditya for a few minutes couldn't believe his eyes. She was there. Of all places, he found her in the coffee shop. In Destiny. Zoya couldn't believe who she was standing in front of. After all her efforts, life had brought her back in front of the same person who she had been running from. Yes, it was Aditya that Zoya had escaped from. She had always stood proudly in front of him, convinced that she was right, and he was wrong. That her Yash was loyal and faithful. But finding out about her having been in another dimension than the truth altogether had shaken her to the core. The thought of facing Aditya in the morning had been unimaginable. How could she stand to face the man whose life had been destroyed by her husband? Whatever choices Pooja made, Zoya couldn't account for them. But Yash? He was her husband. Everything that he had, he owned, he did, she was an equal partner, at least from her point of view. So, in a way, she was an equal partner along with Yash to have destroyed Adi's life.
And how did it matter anyway now? He was right, she was wrong, and she let him know. She knew that he too, somewhere in his heart needed a proof, either of Pooja's innocence or of her guilt. That concluding factor was all that was missing for him to get closure. That missing link kept him hanging between the pages of his life. Unable to come back to the last chapter, or to move on to the next. So, when she found out, she left him the closure and a note accepting her defeat. He wanted her to believe the fact that he husband was unfaithful, and so she did. "Aap sahi the that was all that was left to say, so she did. Which is why, now, standing in front of him knocked all thought out of her, making her stand rooted to the spot. Aditya however, had no such trouble. On the contrary, after the initial shock wore off, he jumped up from the chair he was sitting on and crossed the room in 4 long strides. He gripped Zoya firmly by the shoulders and pulled her into his chest, resting his chin on top of her head, letting out all the tension and worry he had harboured over the past several days. Seeing her alive, in front of him made him so relieved, and he felt like he could breathe freely again. He pulled back, and gave Zoya a look from head to toe, making sure that she was fine, and unharmed. It was stupid, he knew, for she was standing right there, but he couldn't stop himself.
Once fully satisfied, the feeling of relief passed, making way for anger to come up to the surface. He gripped her tight again, feeling a little satisfied at her little gasp of pain. She should feel it. It was nothing compared to what he had felt over the days. He won't even wish that desperation, that uneasiness on his worst enemy (read: Yash, not that he could feel anything anymore, but still).
Aditya: Kahan chali gayi thi tum? Huh? Bina kuch kahe, bina kuch bataye, ek din raat ko ghar se nikalti ho aur gayab ho jaati ho. Aur peeche kya chod ke jaati ho? Ek note!?
Zoya: Adi-
Aditya: Shut up! Chup! Ek dum chup! Tumhaara phone band hai, koi ataa pata nahi. Na Zosh aa rahi ho, na kisi ko contact kar rahi ho? Mumbai ke baare mein bhi vaise kitna jaanti ho tum? Tumhe pata bhi hai kya ho sakta tha? Main jaanta hun tumhe Yash-Pooja ke baare mein sab pata chal gaya. Lekin ye to maine tumhe pehle hi kaha tha. Tumhaari hi akkal pe patthar pade huye the. Nahi, matlab mujhe nahi samajh aa raha. Bewafa vo tha, dhoka usne diya, galati usne ki, kisi ko tarapna chahiye to usko. TUM kyu apne aap ko faaltu mein saza de rahi ho? Bina bataaye akele Mumbai jaise sheher mein. Kuch ho jaata tumhe to?
Zoya: to hum bahut khush hote.
Aditya: ZOYA!!! Dobaara aisi baat apne muh se mat nikaalna. Bas bahut ho gya. Tum mere saath vapas chal rahi ho.
Zoya: hum kahin nahi jaa rahe hain. aur behtar hoga ke aap bhi vapas chale jaayein. Goodbye Aditya.
Aditya: Zoya, main pooch nahi raha hun, bata raha hun.
Zoya: hum bhi aapko bata rahe hain. hum vapas nahi jaayeinge. Koi vajah nahi hai humaare paas vapas jaane ki. Humaare ammi-abbu ko to humne pehle hi khud se juda kar diya tha. Yash ke parivaar vale humse nafrat karte hain, aur ZoSh Yash ka sapna thi. Vo Yash, jinse ab humaara koi naata nahi hai. Aur agar Yash se naata nahi hai, to ZoSh mein vapas kyu aayenge hum. Hum yahin theek hain. aapko vapas jaana chahiye.
Saying this, Zoya quickly walked out of Destiny. Aditya, not the one to give up so easily, followed her, first out of Destiny, and then to where she had set base, her place', which was a small lodge. He made sure to leave a gap between them both to stay out of sight of Zoya. This was why I was unable to track her down, Aditya thought. The place was so tiny and hidden between the lanes that it was highly unlikely that many people would know about its existence. How she had managed to find it was beyond his imagination.
Knocking on her door, he waited impatiently outside, shifting from one foot to another. As soon as Zoya opened the door, he pushed past her and walked in, making himself comfortable on the small bed. Zoya stared at him with stony eyes, waiting for an explanation.
Aditya: hum vahan pe baat kar rahe the. Jab baat karte hain to sirf bolte nahi, sunte bhi hain. tumne jo bolna tha vo tumne bol diya. Ab meri sunogi. Tum vapas aa rahi ho. Yahan pe nahi rahogi. And iss par koi behes nahi sununga main. Tumhaare ammi-abbu ke saath tumhara kya relationship hai kya nahi vo main nahi jaanta. Lekin jahan tak sawaal raha tumhaare sasural ka, to technically, nikalna un logon ko chahiye, tumhe nahi. Yash ki saari property, saare ghar, saare assets sab tumhaare hain. tumhaari Mother-in-law ya Mahi ke nahi. And ZoSh meri company hai, Yash ki nahi, aur tum ZoSh ke liye kaam karti ho. YaSh ka sapna nahi hai vo, Yash mar chuka hai. Uss company mein investment mera hai. Aur mera paisa mujhe vapas karne ka vaada Yash ne nahi, tumne kiya tha Zoya Arora-
Zoya: SIDDIQUI!
Aditya: Kya?
Zoya: Siddiqui. Zoya Siddiqui. Arora nahi. Zoya Siddiqui.
She had repeated this to herself many-a-times after the night of the truth revelation. But saying it out loud to someone was like a nail in the coffin. It was somehow making it more final. Stamping over herself the maiden name she carried once upon a time, and realising the loss of her marital name, she felt as if a part of herself had been stolen from her, never to be returned again. And it was as if a dam wall broke through, she unleashed the flood of tears that she carried within herself. She sunk to the ground, falling down to her knees, as sobs burst through her lips. Her head bowed even lower towards the ground at a fast speed, when strong firm arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders, pulling her back up and keeping her from banging her head against the hard floorboards. She looked up through her blurry and teared eyes, at Aditya who now sat on his knees right beside her, straight into his eyes which were filled with concern. She let out cries of pain, looking up into his eyes, before throwing her head against his chest, hands covering her face as her tears wet her hands. Aditya pulled her tighter against him, into his arms as if trying to keep the hurt from getting to her. He rested his cheek on top of her head, as sobs wrecked through her, letting out the hurt, the pain of betrayal from the one she had loved the most. She cried for what felt like years, before finally calming down a little, her sobs reducing to a few every minute, but the stream of tears still steadily flowing through her eyes. Aditya leaned backwards to rest his back against the side of the bed, pulling Zoya with himself to a more comfortable position. He pulled her back onto his chest, his right arm going around her mid-back pulling her against him and his left arm caressing her hair, while his head rested on top of hers. Sitting there on the floor of a small lodge, in Aditya Hooda's tight hold, protective posture and comforting silence, she let out the agony that her soul had been feeling, for what seems now like a very long time.
Chapter 5:
She stood on the balcony of her brand new flat, overlooking the hustle-bustle on the road below. The noise from the traffic, surprisingly soothing her down. Never had she ever imagined in her life, that she would find peace anywhere other than her small hometown up north. She had always lived there, never stepped out, well, never felt the need to, actually. After finishing her education, she had met, fell in love and married Yash in a not-very-long span of time. Her father's influence was such that she never had to wish for a second time for anything. It would be presented before her even before the words were out of her mouth. She was comfortable, she was happy, and she was content in her own little cocoon. Yash's presence in her life had never made her feel any different. She had not grown out of her shell and Yash never tried to bring her out of it. He had said that he loved her just the way she was. Now, that might have been true at one point, but it wasn't the truth for the entirety of their marriage. Maybe he had fallen in love with the simple, sweet, nave girl, but later on, those qualities of hers were probably more useful to keep her in the dark. But she wasn't the same anymore, and had Yash been a part of her life now, he wouldn't have been able to hide his secrets now. But then, if Yash was still a part of her life now, maybe she wouldn't have evolved.
It had been 1 year. 1 year since she had found out that her Yash wasn't hers. That he was not the loyal, loving husband that she had thought him to be. She didn't blame him anymore, to be honest. He was not a bad person, just one who had committed a mistake. Maybe she was also at fault for him straying. She had tried her best to be the most ideal wife, but maybe their ideologies on what the ideal partner was were different. He never said anything, because he loved her too much and didn't want to upset her. And she didn't understand his silence. But there was someone else who did. And it's okay. She just wished that he'd told her. She would have let him go if he'd just have said something. Anyway, it's all in the past now. She's moved on. For real this time.
Zoya thought back to the events that took place after that day in the lodge. After letting her cry her heart out, Aditya had explained to her, very patiently one might add, that it was Yash who was weak enough to cheat. That Zoya need not punish herself. Even though Zoya had been resistant, Aditya had somehow brought her out of the lodge-in-the-middle-of-nowhere and moved her to a hotel in an area closer to the office. The revelation of truth had somehow brought the two of them to one side, removing all sorts of complaints and grudges that they had harboured in their hearts for each other. Their dynamics had changed. She had taken a few days off, recollecting herself, after which Zoya returned to ZoSh, now renamed as ZoYa, with a new sense of self, this time doing the work for herself and not in Yash's memory. Yash aside, she had really started to enjoy event planning herself. The dcor, the food, the arrangements to make an occasion perfect! It gave her an adrenaline rush, a thrill. And watching someone enjoy an event that she had brought to physical reality was extremely satisfying. So, she joined the company back, renaming it to ZoYa (with a capital "Y keeping the Ya of Aditya. She had wanted to rename it to Zo & Adi, but Aditya had refused, because he didn't want any part of the company. He was only investing because of the financial gains, and he had nothing else to do for the time being, with him being suspended [there was someone who had mentioned this Zo+Ya idea on the forum once, I don't remember who it was but hey, the credit goes to you! ]).
Aditya had joined ZoSh with an intention of burning it to the ground, but things had changed. Drastically. He had helped Zoya rename the company, paying off all the loans that ZoSh was under so they could close the company officially, and transfer everything to ZoYa. Aditya was now a 50% partner, with Zoya the owner of the other 50%. Aditya was the finance, and Zoya was the workforce. And needless to say, now that the owners of the company were not at loggerheads with each other, ZoYa had flourished. It was in the top 10 event management companies of Mumbai, slowly making its way to the top. There was a steady flow in of contracts and the workforce had doubled, with the kind hearted Zoya retaining all of ZoSh's employees as well as hiring new ones for ZoYa. Her professional life was good.
So was Aditya's. Now that Zoya knew that the reality, he felt oddly at peace. It was like he was finally able to turn that last page of the horrifying chapter in the book of his life. He had become calmer, the outbursts of anger almost going down to 0, except when a certain Miss Arora was in his vicinity. Mahi had always managed to irritate him to the limit, but his punching bag, that time, had been Zoya. Now, however, that they were on the same page, and not to mention the surprising friendship budding between them, being around Zoya lifted Aditya's spirits considerably and hence, Zoya was almost never at the receiving end of his frustration. On the contrary, everyone now sought Zoya whenever Mahi had managed to rile him up, because Zoya was the only one in the entire office who could calm the monster down.
Letting Mahi work in the office had been Zoya's idea. Aditya, of course, had disapproved. He had very explicitly told Zoya all about Mahi's planning since day 1. Had he told her all of this a month back (from that day), she would have smacked him across the face and walked out arm in arm with Mahi. But she knew the truth now.
"Zoya ye ladki saanp hai. Sabse pehle tumhe hi dasne aayegi Aditya had said.
Zoya: Aditya hum maante hain ke Mahi bharose ke layak nahi hai. Lekin jis bhi halaat mein ho, unki Maa ne humein uss samay apne ghar mein panah di thi jab hum bilkul bikhre huye the. Hum un dono ko yun nahi chod sakte.
Aditya: Vo sirf iss liye di thi kyunki vo ghar tumhaare naam pe hai. Na to unhe tumpe koi daya aayi thi na hi tumhaari koi fikr thi.
Zoya: Jo bhi karan ho Aditya, lekin unhone humein apne ghar mein rakha. Humaara khayal rakha. Aur vaise bhi, hum unke jaise nahi hai jo bina parvah kiye unhe dar dar ki thokar khaane ke liye chod dein.
Aditya: Arre lekin tum de to rahi ho, unhe ghar rehne ko. Already kitna kuch kar rahi ho, ye karne ki zarurat nahi hai tumhe. Tum kyu unki itni chinta karti ho? Unhe tumse koi farak nahi padhta. Aur Mahi ko ZoYa mein rehne diya to vo phir se company ke khilaaf planning karne lagegi. Tab?
Zoya: Hum unhe muft mein nahi rehne de rahe, na hi unke naam kar rahe hain vo ghar. Bahar jaa ke bhi vo kiraaye par rahenge na, to iss ghar mein kyu nahi? Aur iss ghar mein Yash ki yaadein hain. humaara un se koi naata na ho, lekin unhi maa ka to hai. Hum kisi ki baddua ke saath apni zindagi mein aage nahi badhna chahte. Aur jahan rahi Mahi ki baat, vo ZoYa mein ek normal employee ki tarah rahegi. Uske paas koi aur power nahi hogi.
Aditya: Aur agar usne phir kuch karne ki koshish ki to? Vo ek baar tumhe maarne ki koshish kar chuki hai. Dubaara bhi kar sakti hai. Acha chalo murder to phir bhi door ki baat hai. Aur koi chaal chali toh?
Zoya: To aap hain na? Mujhe samajh nahi aati ye plotting lekin aap to samajhdaar hain. jhat se pakad lenge Mahi ko. Aapke hote huye mujhe kisi baat ki chinta nahi hai.
That had very conveniently shut Aditya up of any further argument he was about to make. Though he still disagreed, Zoya had stood her ground. Mahi had a problem with both her bosses, yes. They had a problem with her, definitely. But she was good at her work. And Zoya respected that. Mahi's motivating factor had been the insurance money. Now that all the financial troubles of ZoSh were resolved, and the company dissolved, there was nothing that Mahi could do. So the best option she had was to work for ZoYa as any ordinary employee, which is what she had been doing for the past 11 months. She stayed out of Zoya's way and Zoya stayed out of hers. She deliberately came into Adi's way though, leaving no stone unturned to annoy him. And succeeded most of the times too. Which then left the entire office hunting Zoya down and ushering her into Adi's office. Ah fun times!
Time had flown by- planning events, making new contacts, friends, colleagues. It was as if Zoya's life had finally been put on play' after having been paused for so long. She had reconnected with her parents, sorting out all the differences. Aditya had invited them to Mumbai, without Zoya's knowledge. She had told him about their history, the problems with Yash and the obstinance of both her and her father that had drifted them apart from each other. Aditya spent the day with her parents, showing them around Mumbai, and filling them on with everything that had happened. He had hidden them in the office of ZoYa where they had seen their daughter go about her work, engrossed deeply into it, with a twinkle in her eye that had been missing for a long time. It's true, one smile on their child's face can make parents forget even a thousand sorrows. So that evening, when Zoya was in her cabin, working on some designs, the sharp knock on her door followed by Aditya's and then her father's, and mother's and Noor's entrance had filled her life back with everything that she had lost. Her parents. After a lot of tearing up, and apologising and promises of love, Zoya's parents had spent an entire week with Zoya in her rented apartment, before bidding her goodbye and leaving Noor with her sister who had managed to find an internship in the city. While bidding them goodbye, Wasim Siddiqui had pulled Aditya aside, hugged him, and whispered "You have my blessing. A stumped Aditya had been unable to say anything, much less deny that there was anything going on between him and Zoya, but in hindsight, he was definitely glad he'd not said anything now.
Lost in her thoughts, the memories and the story of her life, Zoya was brought out of her reverie by a sharp knock, which by now she had realised was Aditya's signature style. Smiling widely, she opened the door to reveal the handsome Mr Hooda leaning on his arm against the doorframe, clad impeccably in his Pilot's uniform, his badges glowing on the crisp white shirt. he looked up, and flashed Zoya a cheeky grin, with the "Aditya Hooda wink following suit.
Zoya: Hello Mr Hooda, Aapki flight kaisi thi?
He wheeled his bag in without answering, and set it by the door, before twisting 360 degrees on one foot, and pulling Zoya by her hand towards him. She stumbled into him, the force affecting her balance. Her free hand landed on Aditya's chest and he put the hand that was clasped in his, on his chest. Both his free hands now landed on Zoya's waist, pulling her closer to himself, as he smiled down at her.
Aditya: Flight to theek thi, lekin remind me k main next time se long overstay wali flights na lun.
Zoya: Hatiye! Har baar yahi kehte hain, aur phir kisi na kisi long duration flight ko pakad lete hain. Aur to aur, aapki in long distance flights ke chakkar mein humaari bhi jaan atki rehti hai.
Aditya: Acha sorry na baba. Ab to aa gaya hun. ab agle 1 maheene vaise bhi kahin nahi jaunga, Mrs Hooda.
Zoya: Miss Siddiqui, Mr Hooda. Mrs banne mein abhi time-
Unable to hold on longer, and without letting her complete her sentence, Aditya brought his lips down over hers, effectively shutting her up. Feeling each other so close to themselves, both Aditya and Zoya mentally thanked their God. After the roller-coaster that their life had been, finding each other had been the most challenging, and the most satisfying turn that their stories could have taken. And they couldn't have been more grateful. Life was good, and it would be even better, for they had built their story from the scratch. After having burned down in their previous relationships, they had risen from the ash.
THE END.
Aditya for a few minutes couldn't believe his eyes. She was there. Of all places, he found her in the coffee shop. In Destiny. Zoya couldn't believe who she was standing in front of. After all her efforts, life had brought her back in front of the same person who she had been running from. Yes, it was Aditya that Zoya had escaped from. She had always stood proudly in front of him, convinced that she was right, and he was wrong. That her Yash was loyal and faithful. But finding out about her having been in another dimension than the truth altogether had shaken her to the core. The thought of facing Aditya in the morning had been unimaginable. How could she stand to face the man whose life had been destroyed by her husband? Whatever choices Pooja made, Zoya couldn't account for them. But Yash? He was her husband. Everything that he had, he owned, he did, she was an equal partner, at least from her point of view. So, in a way, she was an equal partner along with Yash to have destroyed Adi's life.
And how did it matter anyway now? He was right, she was wrong, and she let him know. She knew that he too, somewhere in his heart needed a proof, either of Pooja's innocence or of her guilt. That concluding factor was all that was missing for him to get closure. That missing link kept him hanging between the pages of his life. Unable to come back to the last chapter, or to move on to the next. So, when she found out, she left him the closure and a note accepting her defeat. He wanted her to believe the fact that he husband was unfaithful, and so she did. "Aap sahi the that was all that was left to say, so she did. Which is why, now, standing in front of him knocked all thought out of her, making her stand rooted to the spot. Aditya however, had no such trouble. On the contrary, after the initial shock wore off, he jumped up from the chair he was sitting on and crossed the room in 4 long strides. He gripped Zoya firmly by the shoulders and pulled her into his chest, resting his chin on top of her head, letting out all the tension and worry he had harboured over the past several days. Seeing her alive, in front of him made him so relieved, and he felt like he could breathe freely again. He pulled back, and gave Zoya a look from head to toe, making sure that she was fine, and unharmed. It was stupid, he knew, for she was standing right there, but he couldn't stop himself.
Once fully satisfied, the feeling of relief passed, making way for anger to come up to the surface. He gripped her tight again, feeling a little satisfied at her little gasp of pain. She should feel it. It was nothing compared to what he had felt over the days. He won't even wish that desperation, that uneasiness on his worst enemy (read: Yash, not that he could feel anything anymore, but still).
Aditya: Kahan chali gayi thi tum? Huh? Bina kuch kahe, bina kuch bataye, ek din raat ko ghar se nikalti ho aur gayab ho jaati ho. Aur peeche kya chod ke jaati ho? Ek note!?
Zoya: Adi-
Aditya: Shut up! Chup! Ek dum chup! Tumhaara phone band hai, koi ataa pata nahi. Na Zosh aa rahi ho, na kisi ko contact kar rahi ho? Mumbai ke baare mein bhi vaise kitna jaanti ho tum? Tumhe pata bhi hai kya ho sakta tha? Main jaanta hun tumhe Yash-Pooja ke baare mein sab pata chal gaya. Lekin ye to maine tumhe pehle hi kaha tha. Tumhaari hi akkal pe patthar pade huye the. Nahi, matlab mujhe nahi samajh aa raha. Bewafa vo tha, dhoka usne diya, galati usne ki, kisi ko tarapna chahiye to usko. TUM kyu apne aap ko faaltu mein saza de rahi ho? Bina bataaye akele Mumbai jaise sheher mein. Kuch ho jaata tumhe to?
Zoya: to hum bahut khush hote.
Aditya: ZOYA!!! Dobaara aisi baat apne muh se mat nikaalna. Bas bahut ho gya. Tum mere saath vapas chal rahi ho.
Zoya: hum kahin nahi jaa rahe hain. aur behtar hoga ke aap bhi vapas chale jaayein. Goodbye Aditya.
Aditya: Zoya, main pooch nahi raha hun, bata raha hun.
Zoya: hum bhi aapko bata rahe hain. hum vapas nahi jaayeinge. Koi vajah nahi hai humaare paas vapas jaane ki. Humaare ammi-abbu ko to humne pehle hi khud se juda kar diya tha. Yash ke parivaar vale humse nafrat karte hain, aur ZoSh Yash ka sapna thi. Vo Yash, jinse ab humaara koi naata nahi hai. Aur agar Yash se naata nahi hai, to ZoSh mein vapas kyu aayenge hum. Hum yahin theek hain. aapko vapas jaana chahiye.
Saying this, Zoya quickly walked out of Destiny. Aditya, not the one to give up so easily, followed her, first out of Destiny, and then to where she had set base, her place', which was a small lodge. He made sure to leave a gap between them both to stay out of sight of Zoya. This was why I was unable to track her down, Aditya thought. The place was so tiny and hidden between the lanes that it was highly unlikely that many people would know about its existence. How she had managed to find it was beyond his imagination.
Knocking on her door, he waited impatiently outside, shifting from one foot to another. As soon as Zoya opened the door, he pushed past her and walked in, making himself comfortable on the small bed. Zoya stared at him with stony eyes, waiting for an explanation.
Aditya: hum vahan pe baat kar rahe the. Jab baat karte hain to sirf bolte nahi, sunte bhi hain. tumne jo bolna tha vo tumne bol diya. Ab meri sunogi. Tum vapas aa rahi ho. Yahan pe nahi rahogi. And iss par koi behes nahi sununga main. Tumhaare ammi-abbu ke saath tumhara kya relationship hai kya nahi vo main nahi jaanta. Lekin jahan tak sawaal raha tumhaare sasural ka, to technically, nikalna un logon ko chahiye, tumhe nahi. Yash ki saari property, saare ghar, saare assets sab tumhaare hain. tumhaari Mother-in-law ya Mahi ke nahi. And ZoSh meri company hai, Yash ki nahi, aur tum ZoSh ke liye kaam karti ho. YaSh ka sapna nahi hai vo, Yash mar chuka hai. Uss company mein investment mera hai. Aur mera paisa mujhe vapas karne ka vaada Yash ne nahi, tumne kiya tha Zoya Arora-
Zoya: SIDDIQUI!
Aditya: Kya?
Zoya: Siddiqui. Zoya Siddiqui. Arora nahi. Zoya Siddiqui.
She had repeated this to herself many-a-times after the night of the truth revelation. But saying it out loud to someone was like a nail in the coffin. It was somehow making it more final. Stamping over herself the maiden name she carried once upon a time, and realising the loss of her marital name, she felt as if a part of herself had been stolen from her, never to be returned again. And it was as if a dam wall broke through, she unleashed the flood of tears that she carried within herself. She sunk to the ground, falling down to her knees, as sobs burst through her lips. Her head bowed even lower towards the ground at a fast speed, when strong firm arms wrapped themselves around her shoulders, pulling her back up and keeping her from banging her head against the hard floorboards. She looked up through her blurry and teared eyes, at Aditya who now sat on his knees right beside her, straight into his eyes which were filled with concern. She let out cries of pain, looking up into his eyes, before throwing her head against his chest, hands covering her face as her tears wet her hands. Aditya pulled her tighter against him, into his arms as if trying to keep the hurt from getting to her. He rested his cheek on top of her head, as sobs wrecked through her, letting out the hurt, the pain of betrayal from the one she had loved the most. She cried for what felt like years, before finally calming down a little, her sobs reducing to a few every minute, but the stream of tears still steadily flowing through her eyes. Aditya leaned backwards to rest his back against the side of the bed, pulling Zoya with himself to a more comfortable position. He pulled her back onto his chest, his right arm going around her mid-back pulling her against him and his left arm caressing her hair, while his head rested on top of hers. Sitting there on the floor of a small lodge, in Aditya Hooda's tight hold, protective posture and comforting silence, she let out the agony that her soul had been feeling, for what seems now like a very long time.
Chapter 5:
She stood on the balcony of her brand new flat, overlooking the hustle-bustle on the road below. The noise from the traffic, surprisingly soothing her down. Never had she ever imagined in her life, that she would find peace anywhere other than her small hometown up north. She had always lived there, never stepped out, well, never felt the need to, actually. After finishing her education, she had met, fell in love and married Yash in a not-very-long span of time. Her father's influence was such that she never had to wish for a second time for anything. It would be presented before her even before the words were out of her mouth. She was comfortable, she was happy, and she was content in her own little cocoon. Yash's presence in her life had never made her feel any different. She had not grown out of her shell and Yash never tried to bring her out of it. He had said that he loved her just the way she was. Now, that might have been true at one point, but it wasn't the truth for the entirety of their marriage. Maybe he had fallen in love with the simple, sweet, nave girl, but later on, those qualities of hers were probably more useful to keep her in the dark. But she wasn't the same anymore, and had Yash been a part of her life now, he wouldn't have been able to hide his secrets now. But then, if Yash was still a part of her life now, maybe she wouldn't have evolved.
It had been 1 year. 1 year since she had found out that her Yash wasn't hers. That he was not the loyal, loving husband that she had thought him to be. She didn't blame him anymore, to be honest. He was not a bad person, just one who had committed a mistake. Maybe she was also at fault for him straying. She had tried her best to be the most ideal wife, but maybe their ideologies on what the ideal partner was were different. He never said anything, because he loved her too much and didn't want to upset her. And she didn't understand his silence. But there was someone else who did. And it's okay. She just wished that he'd told her. She would have let him go if he'd just have said something. Anyway, it's all in the past now. She's moved on. For real this time.
Zoya thought back to the events that took place after that day in the lodge. After letting her cry her heart out, Aditya had explained to her, very patiently one might add, that it was Yash who was weak enough to cheat. That Zoya need not punish herself. Even though Zoya had been resistant, Aditya had somehow brought her out of the lodge-in-the-middle-of-nowhere and moved her to a hotel in an area closer to the office. The revelation of truth had somehow brought the two of them to one side, removing all sorts of complaints and grudges that they had harboured in their hearts for each other. Their dynamics had changed. She had taken a few days off, recollecting herself, after which Zoya returned to ZoSh, now renamed as ZoYa, with a new sense of self, this time doing the work for herself and not in Yash's memory. Yash aside, she had really started to enjoy event planning herself. The dcor, the food, the arrangements to make an occasion perfect! It gave her an adrenaline rush, a thrill. And watching someone enjoy an event that she had brought to physical reality was extremely satisfying. So, she joined the company back, renaming it to ZoYa (with a capital "Y keeping the Ya of Aditya. She had wanted to rename it to Zo & Adi, but Aditya had refused, because he didn't want any part of the company. He was only investing because of the financial gains, and he had nothing else to do for the time being, with him being suspended [there was someone who had mentioned this Zo+Ya idea on the forum once, I don't remember who it was but hey, the credit goes to you! ]).
Aditya had joined ZoSh with an intention of burning it to the ground, but things had changed. Drastically. He had helped Zoya rename the company, paying off all the loans that ZoSh was under so they could close the company officially, and transfer everything to ZoYa. Aditya was now a 50% partner, with Zoya the owner of the other 50%. Aditya was the finance, and Zoya was the workforce. And needless to say, now that the owners of the company were not at loggerheads with each other, ZoYa had flourished. It was in the top 10 event management companies of Mumbai, slowly making its way to the top. There was a steady flow in of contracts and the workforce had doubled, with the kind hearted Zoya retaining all of ZoSh's employees as well as hiring new ones for ZoYa. Her professional life was good.
So was Aditya's. Now that Zoya knew that the reality, he felt oddly at peace. It was like he was finally able to turn that last page of the horrifying chapter in the book of his life. He had become calmer, the outbursts of anger almost going down to 0, except when a certain Miss Arora was in his vicinity. Mahi had always managed to irritate him to the limit, but his punching bag, that time, had been Zoya. Now, however, that they were on the same page, and not to mention the surprising friendship budding between them, being around Zoya lifted Aditya's spirits considerably and hence, Zoya was almost never at the receiving end of his frustration. On the contrary, everyone now sought Zoya whenever Mahi had managed to rile him up, because Zoya was the only one in the entire office who could calm the monster down.
Letting Mahi work in the office had been Zoya's idea. Aditya, of course, had disapproved. He had very explicitly told Zoya all about Mahi's planning since day 1. Had he told her all of this a month back (from that day), she would have smacked him across the face and walked out arm in arm with Mahi. But she knew the truth now.
"Zoya ye ladki saanp hai. Sabse pehle tumhe hi dasne aayegi Aditya had said.
Zoya: Aditya hum maante hain ke Mahi bharose ke layak nahi hai. Lekin jis bhi halaat mein ho, unki Maa ne humein uss samay apne ghar mein panah di thi jab hum bilkul bikhre huye the. Hum un dono ko yun nahi chod sakte.
Aditya: Vo sirf iss liye di thi kyunki vo ghar tumhaare naam pe hai. Na to unhe tumpe koi daya aayi thi na hi tumhaari koi fikr thi.
Zoya: Jo bhi karan ho Aditya, lekin unhone humein apne ghar mein rakha. Humaara khayal rakha. Aur vaise bhi, hum unke jaise nahi hai jo bina parvah kiye unhe dar dar ki thokar khaane ke liye chod dein.
Aditya: Arre lekin tum de to rahi ho, unhe ghar rehne ko. Already kitna kuch kar rahi ho, ye karne ki zarurat nahi hai tumhe. Tum kyu unki itni chinta karti ho? Unhe tumse koi farak nahi padhta. Aur Mahi ko ZoYa mein rehne diya to vo phir se company ke khilaaf planning karne lagegi. Tab?
Zoya: Hum unhe muft mein nahi rehne de rahe, na hi unke naam kar rahe hain vo ghar. Bahar jaa ke bhi vo kiraaye par rahenge na, to iss ghar mein kyu nahi? Aur iss ghar mein Yash ki yaadein hain. humaara un se koi naata na ho, lekin unhi maa ka to hai. Hum kisi ki baddua ke saath apni zindagi mein aage nahi badhna chahte. Aur jahan rahi Mahi ki baat, vo ZoYa mein ek normal employee ki tarah rahegi. Uske paas koi aur power nahi hogi.
Aditya: Aur agar usne phir kuch karne ki koshish ki to? Vo ek baar tumhe maarne ki koshish kar chuki hai. Dubaara bhi kar sakti hai. Acha chalo murder to phir bhi door ki baat hai. Aur koi chaal chali toh?
Zoya: To aap hain na? Mujhe samajh nahi aati ye plotting lekin aap to samajhdaar hain. jhat se pakad lenge Mahi ko. Aapke hote huye mujhe kisi baat ki chinta nahi hai.
That had very conveniently shut Aditya up of any further argument he was about to make. Though he still disagreed, Zoya had stood her ground. Mahi had a problem with both her bosses, yes. They had a problem with her, definitely. But she was good at her work. And Zoya respected that. Mahi's motivating factor had been the insurance money. Now that all the financial troubles of ZoSh were resolved, and the company dissolved, there was nothing that Mahi could do. So the best option she had was to work for ZoYa as any ordinary employee, which is what she had been doing for the past 11 months. She stayed out of Zoya's way and Zoya stayed out of hers. She deliberately came into Adi's way though, leaving no stone unturned to annoy him. And succeeded most of the times too. Which then left the entire office hunting Zoya down and ushering her into Adi's office. Ah fun times!
Time had flown by- planning events, making new contacts, friends, colleagues. It was as if Zoya's life had finally been put on play' after having been paused for so long. She had reconnected with her parents, sorting out all the differences. Aditya had invited them to Mumbai, without Zoya's knowledge. She had told him about their history, the problems with Yash and the obstinance of both her and her father that had drifted them apart from each other. Aditya spent the day with her parents, showing them around Mumbai, and filling them on with everything that had happened. He had hidden them in the office of ZoYa where they had seen their daughter go about her work, engrossed deeply into it, with a twinkle in her eye that had been missing for a long time. It's true, one smile on their child's face can make parents forget even a thousand sorrows. So that evening, when Zoya was in her cabin, working on some designs, the sharp knock on her door followed by Aditya's and then her father's, and mother's and Noor's entrance had filled her life back with everything that she had lost. Her parents. After a lot of tearing up, and apologising and promises of love, Zoya's parents had spent an entire week with Zoya in her rented apartment, before bidding her goodbye and leaving Noor with her sister who had managed to find an internship in the city. While bidding them goodbye, Wasim Siddiqui had pulled Aditya aside, hugged him, and whispered "You have my blessing. A stumped Aditya had been unable to say anything, much less deny that there was anything going on between him and Zoya, but in hindsight, he was definitely glad he'd not said anything now.
Lost in her thoughts, the memories and the story of her life, Zoya was brought out of her reverie by a sharp knock, which by now she had realised was Aditya's signature style. Smiling widely, she opened the door to reveal the handsome Mr Hooda leaning on his arm against the doorframe, clad impeccably in his Pilot's uniform, his badges glowing on the crisp white shirt. he looked up, and flashed Zoya a cheeky grin, with the "Aditya Hooda wink following suit.
Zoya: Hello Mr Hooda, Aapki flight kaisi thi?
He wheeled his bag in without answering, and set it by the door, before twisting 360 degrees on one foot, and pulling Zoya by her hand towards him. She stumbled into him, the force affecting her balance. Her free hand landed on Aditya's chest and he put the hand that was clasped in his, on his chest. Both his free hands now landed on Zoya's waist, pulling her closer to himself, as he smiled down at her.
Aditya: Flight to theek thi, lekin remind me k main next time se long overstay wali flights na lun.
Zoya: Hatiye! Har baar yahi kehte hain, aur phir kisi na kisi long duration flight ko pakad lete hain. Aur to aur, aapki in long distance flights ke chakkar mein humaari bhi jaan atki rehti hai.
Aditya: Acha sorry na baba. Ab to aa gaya hun. ab agle 1 maheene vaise bhi kahin nahi jaunga, Mrs Hooda.
Zoya: Miss Siddiqui, Mr Hooda. Mrs banne mein abhi time-
Unable to hold on longer, and without letting her complete her sentence, Aditya brought his lips down over hers, effectively shutting her up. Feeling each other so close to themselves, both Aditya and Zoya mentally thanked their God. After the roller-coaster that their life had been, finding each other had been the most challenging, and the most satisfying turn that their stories could have taken. And they couldn't have been more grateful. Life was good, and it would be even better, for they had built their story from the scratch. After having burned down in their previous relationships, they had risen from the ash.
THE END.
