" Okay, Aditya, you win..."
To say Aditya Hooda was taken aback was an understatement, it was impossible to believe that the innocent Zoya who had set out on a mission to defend her cheater-pati had now completely given up on her mission. It was so...unlike her. Aditya had known Zoya for long enough to understand that when she was committed to something she would never step back. So why now?
Zoya understood the confusion on Aditya's face yet felt no need to explain herself or her actions anymore. She had lost too much in too little time to muster the courage to do meager things like justify herself.
" Abbu, I know I was never your perfect daughter and leaving was a decision I made all by myself, but can you take in this stupid daughter of yours who makes even stupider impulsive decisions?"
She said with a pleasant smile.
Waseem embraced her before reprimanding her for asking permission to come back to her own home. Noor and Roshana came rushing in a big family hug, reminding Zoya that she wasn't alone anymore. Just as they prepared to leave Zoya stood in front of the Hooda family.
" I'm sorry for all the commotion I've unknowingly caused in your lives. Believe me, it was never my intention to hurt anyone, although living in my alternate reality with a blind eye to the present, I did. But please believe me when I say I will never do such a thing again. I would rather die than dig up the remnants of the past now. " She addressed Aditya and his entire family.
" Even though we started off on a pretty bad note, courtesy of my cheater pati, we've had some pretty absurd memories together that I'll never forget."
She smiled at Aditya.
She took a few steps toward the door of the house to join her family, before throwing a final smile at Aditya
" Aur!... Rahul aur Anjali phir se dost ban gaye...I hope."
Aditya stood there dumbfounded.
**
There was absolutely no way in hell that Aditya Hooda was buying that act. After a few hours in his room, he had come to the conclusion that there was no way Zoya was actually over her mission to prove her cheater pati and his cheater wife's relation was pure. That girl was definitely up to something and he was underestimating her cleverness this time. So he did what no sane person would ever do.
**
Zoya hit play on her old radio before slipping into the bathtub and letting the unfamiliar feeling of relaxation overcome her. For once, she wasn't cuddled up in bed talking to pictures of Yash, or worse...crying herself to sleep after trying to figure out what she was lacking as a wife. Now her life was just hers...Not Yash's, just Zoya's.
Her tranquillity was broken by the sound of a shattering vase. She jumped out and quickly put on her bathrobe, grabbing her a nearby flower vase as a weapon, she ventured into her room.
" ADITYA HOODA WHAT THE F***"
Aditya clenched his eyes at the frustration of getting caught red-handed searching through Zoya's room.
" What are you doing in my house at midnight? She fumed as she resisted the urge to hit him in the head with the vase in her hand.
" I'm not f***ing stupid, Zoya! He wailed. " Do you really think I bought your act today? What was that all about, huh? You think I don't know you're planning some secret way to redeem your cheater pati again.
" For God's sake, Aditya. Get out of my house, have some shame. How could you just sneak into my room while I was in this condition? She pointed to her robe.
Aditya gulped as he realized the severity of the issue as he took a minute to appreciate the view in front of him. Zoya was in a baby pink bathrobe barely covering her thighs. Her hair was dripping wet in loose curls. Her sexy long legs giving him rather lustful thoughts.
But now wasn't the time...
" I'm not leaving! He retaliated " not until you tell me what you're up to.
" What do you want me to tell you Aditya? I'm not up to anything. Please leave me alone. I just want to be happy.
" Do you expect me to believe that the girl who spent 6 months crying over her dead husband who cheated on her and then went on a tangent to prove their affair as paak suddenly wants to live her life now? Adi grabbed her shoulders securely.
She pushed him off of her and turned around to mask her tears that threatened to spill any minute.
" Yes! You should! Because that girl is gone, Aditya. She's dead alongside her husband. From today on, I am choosing myself. I'm choosing myself over a man I met and lost. I'm choosing happiness over sadness and I am choosing to live! She exclaimed as she stared at the floor in front of her, letting her tears follow a path of their own.
" I want to be happy like you, Aditya. She turned and looked at him. " You forgot Pooja and every last thing attached to her so easily. I want to do the same.
" I'm only 28, Aditya, why should I live my life in the memories of a man that never truly loved me? I just want to do everything I missed out on. I want to enjoy the happiness of a family I lost for five years, I want to catch up with friends I lost contact with, I want to be happy!
As she spoke, he couldn't help but notice the twinkle in her eyes masked by her tears. Maybe he was wrong after all, this wasn't the Zoya he had known a few days ago. The Zoya that irritated him to no end. This was the girl that snuck around the office taking photos of him, the girl that mischievously poked him with a needle to teach him a lesson. And he couldn't thank the heavens above enough for bringing her back.
" And you know what? I want to fall in love. I know I will, because Allah has made someone for everyone and I know my someone wasn't Yash, Allah wouldn't be that cruel to me. She chuckled.
.
Little did she know what Allah had in store for her...
