Aditya stepped inside, confused. Her words were beyond his comprehension.
Forgiveness!
Like hell!!
"Your shining star is back home Anjana, feed him sweets! He has made us all proud!!" Harsh spat throwing papers over Aditya.
His hands came to his defence, unconsciously.
He gritted his teeth.
" That's the sort of welcome I expec..."
However he stopped when his eyes fell on the photos scattered across the floor.
"You've gone astray, I know. But you've become a fool too! Couldn't you've pursued your fantasies in a more private place!?" Harsh shouted.
Aditya felt his brow twitch.
" God forbid if these pictures got leaked, my promotion to the Chief Justice will be suspended for the worse! All the hard work will go to vain, just because you couldn't keep your damned testosterone in control!"
"Mr. Hooda, I have full faith in the fact that you won't let these pictures leak! Because honestly I could care less!!" Aditya shrugged and started leaving for his room when his phone buzzed.
Annoyed, he pulled the phone out only to be surprised by the caller ID.
Zoya
"What!?!" He barked annoyed on the phone.
"Why are you always so rude! Forever in this angry young man mode? You should try better to keep up that pretence".
Aditya's eyes widened as her voice echoed in the hall.
Shit. The phone was on speaker.
" Last night..."
"Oh!! So mashuka sahiba is on the phone! Raat kam pad gyi thi!!" Harsh asked aloud.
" Is someone sta..."
And with that Aditya cut the phone.
"Ye kya badtamizi hai, Mr. Hooda! People with your kind of status don't talk cheap about a woman! Especially based on some misleading truths. I for one don't feel an iota of need to explain myself or these photos but let me warn you, you'll be better off keeping your cheap games to yourself. Because I won't be fooled by the likes of you and I won't let you pull Her in, either!"
Aditya challenged, his hazels spitting fire.
She may have tried her level best to look unfazed by the truth, but he knew better. That hollow laughter has been a proof enough that the only hope she had been clinging too, was murdered brutally by the cruel hands of Truth.
Harsh smirked as Aditya hurriedly collected all the photos and set them on fire, fire that his Hazels mirrored too...
There's that look! The look that says all, that protectiveness for Her! You don't realise yet but you'll lose again! But this time it won't be your trust, it will be your Heart, you're entire being..Jise tum bepanah nafrat kehte ho, vo bepanah mohabbat ki shuruat hai Adi.
As Adi hurried to his room, Anjana turned harsh towards herself.
" Now, what is this new game of yours!!"
His eyes softened. This new look of harsh's eyes baffled Anjana.
" This is the Final Game Anjana. If I succeed, we'll get Our Aditya back".
Throwing his shirt to a corner, Aditya punched the bag relentlessly.
Why were they paying?
Why were they being framed when their respective partners were the cheaters?
His phone ringed.
But he ignored it.
Why him?
Ring...
Why Her?
Ring...
This was the woman who fought with him to prove her cheating spouse innocent..
Ring...
This was the woman who failed to hate her dead husband because she had loved him too much!
Ring...
And with a final strike, punching bag fell on the floor. Picking up the jar of water, Adi emptied it all on his face.
Ring...
His eyes scrutinized his image in the mirror.
Broken indeed.
It was when he spotted something below his left shoulder blade. Leaning his eyes down, he inspected the mark.
Lipstick mark?
And the memories from early morning came rushing back.
Ring...
"Who the hell?"
Irritated, Adi picked up his phone only to see the root of his troubles video calling him.
"Finally, you picked up!" Zoya exclaimed before her eyes fell on his bare body and she yelped.
" Please put something on!!"
" Not happening! " he shot back.
"Kaise besharam in..."
He cut her in between and continued, " Not this time, meri sharafat ka faayda tum utthao or besharam main! Bada hi kharab zamana hai!!" He exclaimed making an innocent face.
" Humne kya kiya!" Zoya asked bewildered, at his innocent face Acting.
" Let me show you!" And with that Adi pointed his forefinger to the lipstick mark under his shoulder blade.
Zoya's eyes widened and she stammered, " I...I...didn't do it..on .purpose, i.."
" Tumne mujhe Napkin samajh rakha hai!! Jab dekho kisi signature ki tarah apne lipstick marks chipka deti ho", he asked raising his brows.
Her mouth opened wide. This overbearing man!
" FYI...I didn't do it on purpose!! " she shot back, narrowing her eyes at his jerkish self.
" Even if you wanted, you couldn't! " he smiled cutely. The kind of cute that irritated her.
" I would never want to!"
" Because I won't let you!"
" Because I will never want to!"
" Even if you wanted, I'll never allow!"
Zoya slapped her forehead annoyed. It would've been easier to bang her head on the wall than thinking of making a proper conversation with this man!
" Aapse baat karna is impossible!"
"Toh mat karo na, mujhpar bhi ehsaan karo!" He smiled cutely as she cut the call
"ADI"
He turned around to see his mothers enterring inside.
"Beta, ye lipstick mark?" His mother asked bewildered as Sakshi stayed mum.
Adi bobbed his head side to side trying to contain his frustration at the amount of attention that good-for-nothing dumbo's lipsticks marks were garnering!
" I'll be back" , he smiled and hurried into the bath and tried his best to scrub off the mark but to no avail.
That trouble maker China doll!!!
He stepped outside, tired.
" I'm telling you, lipstick mein feviquick milai thi usne! The mark is as impertinent as her!" He chuckled wearing another shirt.
" Adi...are you fine?" Sakshi asked.
" I am more than fine.. " he replied in a sing song voice, and started to leave.
"Adi..."
He stopped in his tracks on hearing his mother.
" Some marks never leave, especially in case of matters related to heart... "
His eyes widened at the implication but he refrained from letting his tongue run amok and left quickly.
Book Talk
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Cricket
Real Estate
Cryptocurrency
