"Adi?"
"Zoya?"
Arjun's echoing voice from far end got me stumbling back, away from Aditya in the most humiliating way possible. My face felt like it was suffering from the July heat. What just happened? I nervously pull my hair back and as much as my wondering mind wants me to run my eyes over and fetch Aditya's expression, I deny it. I rush back into the house leaving him behind. Despite having wobbly legs, I'm amazed, I'm able to walk straight without having them crumble beneath me.
When I return to the kitchen, covered in mists of rainwater, Arjun almost walks into me. I stare up at him in a daze. He gives me an odd look at first, then slowly looks past me and has an even more confused look.
"Why are you both wet?"
An image of us in each other's arms flashed in front of my eyes. This is a total nerve-rack. I try to quickly formulate an excuse. "We...We--" to my horror I get stuck and nothing useful comes out of my reckless brain. We didn't even do anything, why was I losing my mind?
"She was just showing me around the house. Let's leave, it's late." Strange, but I could feel his gaze on my back. I was so glad it was my back towards him and not my reddened face.
"Let's leave," Arjun continued to look between us in confusion.
"Zoya, Noor seems to be fine now. Let me know if you need something later." He hands me, a business card with his personal number scribbled on it. I manage a nod and strained smile.
I stepped forward to guide them to the front door, eager to escape any eye contact. Arjun steps out first with a "take care of Noor," and behind him, his brother follows. His scent swifts through as he passes me. I continue to smile at Arjun like a retard. I was exhausted to the bones and wanted this day to end already. I cannot take any more of adrenaline for today.
"Goodnight." My head without my permission snaps around and finds Aditya's eyes burning into mine. Flashes of balcony again came back. This time it felt as though he was suffering from those imagines too. I dismiss them with a curt nod.
Later, it is not until I reach my room do I realize, I was still wearing Aditya Hooda's jacket.
***
A sweet scent of peach tea faintly submitted its presence through my nostrils. While the icy breeze, touching chain of mountains blew through my hair captivating me to run my fingers through them. The first hints of the sun going down minutes before began to show. The dawning of partial darkness paints the dust of redness across the sky into a scenic vision. It is that time of the day again, where day and night clashed together. In no time, these leftover lights of the evening will be overcome by the sheer darkness of the night.
Just a few more moments left with the dusking sky...
There was an odd comfort in the stillness surrounding me. I could hear myself breathe. Perceptions regarding one's heaven have been the topic of discussion for as long as I can remember. For me, right here, standing at the open terrace of my home surrounded by clouds and mountains was it.
I lift my mug of tea to take a sip but instead, freeze, when two solid arms close around my waist from behind. I grip, the tea mug around my fingers in alarm
"Hmm...Your hair smells nice." Immediately my back slackens into his chest recognizing it to be Aditya's sinful voice, touching my ear. I tilt my head to accommodate him better and smile at the feel of his warm breath graze my neck.
Minutes pass by in the same entangled position until his clasp around my waist began to get a bit harsher. It seems familiar, yet strange at the same time.
"Aditya" I warn him. But he doesn't react to my warning. The pressure on my chest builds up with every breath I try to take as a reaction to the tightness around my waist. Nothing made sense suddenly. I try to focus, yet fail. I don't know why I was here. In between the struggle, the tea mug in my hands drops with a loud shattering noise tormenting me further.
"Aditya, what are you doing?" Words fumble in my mouth. Grabbing my hands together he restrains them from battling and struggling.
"ADITYA!" My voice was strained. Having had enough of his play, he yanks me around to face him...
The blood drains from my face. My legs go weak and I almost drop but get caught in time.
"Yash" I breathe out.
It wasn't Aditya.
I am so pre-occupied with the thought of Yash's presence that I do not realize until I feel his hand near my chest, tracing lines. I push at him but it is useless, his hold is much stronger.
"Are you cheating on me Zoya?" His voice thunders through me. I freeze, staring into his broken eyes.
"Yash" I try again. It was too late. I felt a loud thud against my chest.
The wind hit my face like flying daggers.
I was falling...
My eyes snap open, I stared up at my ceiling in horror. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. I make efforts to sit up but the sense of falling from a height still lingered making it difficult to move. Physically, I was slick with cold sweat. It took me a moment to realize where I was. After struggling for some time, I manage to lift my body against the headboard of my bed. Once I do so, I curl up into a ball and let my tears run down.
***
*Arjun Hooda*
The bond of family is said to be unbreakable, no matter the circumstances. Whoever said this, clearly hasn't attended any of the Hooda's dinner parties.
Our home garden, extending across from the entryway to the front of our house is as usually lit into, a burst of beautiful yellow colour lights. We have a typical South Mumbai home, a creamy mansion that takes up quite a lot of the area. It is also known to be one of the most beautiful architectural pieces. Few may even call it intimidating.
There is a light note of piano playing in the background. You might even notice, those small glass beakers presented with exotic flowers on each table. Crockery lined and arranged exquisitely.
My mother, the artist never misses these small details when it comes to dinner at ours'. She won't admit it but I can tell the number of hours and work she must have jugged in to get every detail right. You see those dribs of water, shining across the lawn? That means the grasses have been yawned and freshly watered hours before. Everything about this evening may seem nothing less than perfect to any random person dropping by for a meal. However, when is anything the way it seems.
Sipping through my third glass of gin and tonic for the evening, I am seated at the bar as an escape from the terrible legal case discussions.
The entire place is filled with guests, some family and some known lawyers for years. Yes, in case it hasn't been mentioned earlier, we come from a long line of lawyers. Our law firm, Hooda & Sons is known to be one of the best in this city. If any law student ever aspires to work, their first choice is our firm. This legacy has been passed down year after year. Only when it reached my brother, he tossed it out of the window and literally flew away as a career choice. Unfortunately, my forefathers are not one of those do what you want with your life, we'll be happy' people. They are more of throwing things around in disappointment type of people.
I carelessly toss an almond into my mouth and take out my phone from my pocket. I skim through few messages from work then scroll down a bit more in hope that I would find a reply from Noor. It had been a week since that night of messed up events. I have been messaging and calling her every single day but something had gotten into her. She wouldn't take my single call. Frustrating woman!
Scanning the area for my brother, I find my mother approaching me. She's wearing one of her famous cocktail gowns. Bottle green dress that flows behind her as she walks. My mouth automatically lifts into a genuine smile. Anjana Hooda, no matter what day and age, always steals the evening.
"Will you please put some food into that stomach, Chiku."
I flinch.
"Ma! Can you not call me that here with people around?"
"Call you what?" She playfully asks.
I try hard to keep a hard face but fail immediately. Giving her shoulder a tight grip, I pull her closer. "This place looks great," I tell her knowing no one must have mentioned it to her yet.
"Hmm. When are, you planning to come back home?" I give her a sympathetic look. She must be lonely around here.
"Sorry, I am planning to soon." You know he needs me. I say convincingly. It wasn't easy juggling between two houses but I have managed to somehow do so over the years.
"Has your brother left? It's just been half an hour." It breaks my heart to see those eyes filled with a longing sadness.
I tighten my grip, "no he's inside the house."
"Oh. Madhav's study room?"
"Yup. Let me go get him, after all, it's his party" I begin to slide away when she holds my arm. "I'll go, you need to push down some food" she warns me and walks away.
Already knowing how this is going to end up, I feel an uneasy spark in the pit of my stomach. Either Aditya is going to storm out of this place or mother will lock herself in her room for the rest of the evening. Having witnessed this kind of showdown for years now, I already had a growing feeling of the following events. It haunts me till today that I cannot find the reason behind this ugly dispute between them. Aditya dismisses it every time, calling it a silly disagreement but something inside me doesn't believe him. They still treated me like the small boy of the house who wouldn't be able to handle the emotional burden of relationships. If only I could have come back earlier that summer afternoon...
I picture that day again. A few years back, it was a regular summer day.
In the morning, at breakfast, my mother had informed me about my brother's visit that evening from his university in Delhi. My mother had taken hours to prepare his room the way he would want it. I remember passing each hour at school, with such difficulty. Even though I didn't make it obvious to anyone but I missed hanging around my brother. Since he had moved to Delhi, I use to feel an emptiness in the house. I would wish every day that his semesters would end faster so he would come back home to us. But that never ended up happening.
When I came back from school in the evening, the entire house was all over the place. All the staff members seemed a bit shaken up. My mother did not speak to me or any other family member for few days. My father tried but failed as well. More importantly, Adi was gone. After that, he never made it back home, only occasionally like today if he was forced to. Time and again, I keep making excuses to ask about that day but neither my mother nor Adi, no one speaks of that afternoon...
I gulp down the last bit of my drink and charged towards the house. Today would be a good time to get all those answers.
** **
It feels a bit juvenile to be approaching your own house with soft steps. I hear muffled sounds coming from the end of the hallway and already guess what was happening. At first, it is difficult to comprehend the words but as I walk closer it becomes easier to hear them.
"I said, I am not hungry. Will you please stop pestering me?" I close my eyes in disappointment hearing my brother's voice.
"Why did you come here then, today?" Mom's voice cracks.
"Because Arjun wanted it and I don't want him questioning about things I cannot answer."
"Adi please..."
"We should stop before your husbands' image gets trashed, I don't want to create a scene." I could hear the controlled anger in his voice.
"He is your father too." I can already see her in tears.
"HE IS NOT MY FATHER!" I flinch with his roar.
Goosebumps rise on my skin. This is wrong. I shouldn't be standing here. I should be inside consoling my mother, saying something to stop my brother from breaking her again. I feel a presence of someone's footsteps behind me, before entering the room.
I twist around and find myself facing, Harshvardhan Hooda. The hallway is slightly darkened so I see hints of my father staring at me. By his look, I can tell he is not happy with the occurrence in the room either. He holds my helpless stare for a beat before sidestepping to enter in.
"Dad, I don't think you should---" it was too late.
"Behave yourself, Aditya!" He storms into the room. Here we go again. The next few minutes are going to go in a blur. You are about to witness the classic, Hooda showdown. The little child in me wants to run for cover but the mature side of me forces me to follow my father. As soon as, Aditya watches me enter he looks away a little. I think I detect a hint of grief but it is swiftly covered up by a sarcastic laugh.
"Now this is called a Birthday reunion in my dead father's room, right Mr. Hooda?" They both spit fire from their eyes as they stare at each other. Before it gets uglier than it already was our mother steps between them.
"Adi..." she places her hand on his chest.
"Thank you for a wonderful birthday dinner mom, have a nice evening" he retorts, moving her hand to his lips and placing a kiss before exiting. The wall felt like it was closing in on us as I watch my mother break down in my step-father's arms.
***
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
