Hi Guys,
Sorry (by now, you know its because of late updates)
More sorry about the way show ended, Heart goes out to you guys and
hope for closure and get to see the cast return. Please let me know your thoughts.
Last Part
If you can't even share an ice cream, how do you expect to share a life?
Ever since Aditya had posed that question, she hadn't been able to get it out of her head. Even after a car ride in complete silence, and now hours of sitting on her bed contemplating, she didn't have an answer. At least, not one that did not petrify her. She opened her palm and stared at the name. Aditya. Though she had washed her hand, his name was still there in faded red. She flashed back to the moment when he let her have a bite of his ice cream and traded his with hers.
You can share with Aditya.
As soon as that thought entered, she dismissed it. He was a friend, her best friend. There was a level of comfort that she shared with him and that was all. Beyond that, well there couldn't be anything more. She hit her head against the headboard and let out a frustrated sigh. There were enough complications and confusions in her life. She did not need to invite more. She had to deal with what was on her plate now.
The reminder from Arshad, about their lunch date tomorrow was left unanswered on her phone. The guilt hit her. Arshad had been nothing but respectful and kind. He had given her space and taken the time to understand and listen. He hadn't applied any pressure, unlike her Abbu. Abbu had been the only reason that she had agreed in the first place, and the only reason she continued. But she had been wrong. Though, she had told Arshad that she was not ready, he had requested for her to give him time. And she had. But it was unfair. She knew for certain that she couldn't do this. She didn't feel anything for him and knew she never would. Yet, she still agreed to meet him. Out of fear, she had said yes and had continued to give false hope. Scared and determined, tomorrow morning, she would have to speak to Abbu. And make him understand, she couldn't do this any longer.
Breakfast, as always, was a chaotic time in the Siddiqui household. Roshnaq and Noor were busy running back and forth. One preparing for breakfast and lunch for the family and the other struggling to remember her things before heading to the office. Only Waseem Siddiqui, seated at the head of the table, was relaxed. He skimmed the paper while lazily sipping his tea. After months of distraught and torment, he had finally found peace in the busiest city. It did not completely feel like home, but it came close. And he was willing to settle for "close if it meant that he could be by his daughter's side. She had been his pride and joy. Without her, no place felt like home and the family felt incomplete. With Yash, he had failed in protecting her, but now well he had another chance. This time would be different. He would not let anyone destroy her future. He would protect her, even if it is against herself.
Zoya approached her Abbu with great hesitation. She called out to him, but it came out as a whisper. She took a deep breath and tried again.
"Abbu"
Waseem turned and smiled at her.
"Good morning, beta. Come and have breakfast
He pulled out her chair, the one right next to him. She took her seat, but did not take a plate.
"Abbu, woh..I needed to talk to you about Arshad"
Waseem cut her off.
"Zoya, we have talked about it before. He is a good man. And you promised me that you will give it a chance.
"I have. But I can't anymore. And it isn't fair to Arshad, if continue knowing that I won't ever"
"Zoya!
Waseem's face was red now. His patience started to slip and he tried to rein it in.
"Zoya, beta, try to understand...please for my sake just give it more time"
Zoya, crestfallen, looked at the plea on her father's face.
Roshnaq had stayed quiet and observed the exchange between them. Stubbornness ran deep within both father and daughter. They were so much alike. Both stern, strict and blind. And each other's weakness. Zoya had found the courage to speak to Waseem, but Roshnaq saw it giving in.
"Waseem
Both Zoya and Waseem turned to Roshnaq in surprise.
"Arshad is a good man with a good family. But Waseem, look at your daughter...her smile...her eyes...don't you see. You are doing all of this for her wellbeing, her happiness. And she continues to go along with it for your sake, for your happiness. But, looking at her the past few days, her smile has disappeared and her eyes...read your daughter's eyes Waseem"
Roshnaq's words resonated with truth and Waseem couldn't look at Zoya any longer.
"Abbu, I am so sorry...I swear I tried my best, but my heart just...I can't seem to fight..."
"No, no...I wanted you to have your life and your future back and I thought Arshad...thought he was the right choice for you. But, you are my daughter after all...your heart is like mine...stubborn. Though, I still think Arshad is a good choice, you can't force your heart and I don't want you to. You aren't the one that needs time, I should have taken the time in understanding your decision and respecting it. I just want for my daughter what all fathers want...what was stolen away from her, and I don't know how to get it back for her"
Zoya broke and hugged Waseem tightly. Though Zoya had healed, Yash's betrayal had cast its shadow onto others. She wasn't the only victim. Her father had also lost the dreams he had envision for his daughter. And, in this moment, he let that hurt show. Reminding Zoya, that she still had pieces left to pick up.
"Thank you Abbu! And I promise, I will find a way to make it right. I will get back everything that was snatched away"
The entire day had passed, and Zoya had not done any work at all. The entire afternoon she had locked herself in her office and thought about that morning. Her Abbu had finally understood her and released her from the obligations towards Arshad. But she felt herself in a dilemma. Even after all this time, that betrayal still left its affect. Piece by piece, she had slowly put herself together. She had learnt to trust again. Again, she let people in, found new courage, laughed and smiled. Even more, she found a new passion, a career and new independence and freedom. All of this, and yet it wasn't enough. To love again?
Ugh..she needed Aditya. He would know or at least help in figuring it out.
She grabbed cell and dialed his number.
He picked up on the first ring.
"Zoya, hi! I am kind of in the middle..."
"Aditya, please I need your help. This morning, I talked to Abbu about Arshad and he..."
"Zoya, I am sorry, but I can't. I am actually with someone right now. I will call and explain later. I am sorry"
Zoya felt dejected, but didn't want it to show.
"It's okay Aditya. We can talk later"
"Tonight? Ice cream? I will pick you up"
"Yes, definitely. See you then"
She could wait till tonight to see him and sort all of this. She tapped the pen at her desk. She could be patient, it's only a few hours anyway.
Noor and Arjun came strolling in.
"Appi!"
"Hmm Zoya looked up at them.
"Appi, a warning has been sent out for heavy rain. The rest of the office is getting ready to leave. We should also head out."
Zoya nodded and started gathering her things.
"Oh, wait. Let me just call Aditya and let him know not to come"
Zoya waited as his phone rung, but he didn't pick up. She dialed him again.
"Zoya, I don't think bhai will be able to pick up. He is with Sanjana"
Zoya grip on the phone tightened. "Sanjana?"
Arjun nodded. "Mom's friend's daughter. Mom emotionally blackmail bhai into meeting her. She is kind of pretty"
Noor turned to Arjun and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Uh, nothing compared to you."
Noor smirked and held his hand. She had trained him well.
Zoya had tuned out. He was with someone else...with Sanjana.
"Appi, let's go?"
"Huh?
"Let's go. Otherwise we will get stuck"
Appi started pulling Zoya, but she just stood unmoving.
"I just remembered, there is some urgent work I need to finish. You guys go, and I will come later"
"Appi, you will be stuck. Just come with us and you can finish your work tomorrow"
"No, it is important. I will be okay. But you go home. I will be there soon enough"
Noor hesitated. It didn't feel right leaving her, but she also knew her appi's stubborn streak. There was no moving it. Noor left with Arjun, reluctantly.
Lunch with Sanjana had gone longer than he had expected. He had planned to meet her, and quickly tell her that he had no interest. In his mother's match fixing and plotting, the poor girl had gotten mixed up. And he felt guilty, but he had tried his best to gently let her down. It took a long time, but he had finally explained himself and gotten out of there. He just wished he had been able to pick up Zoya's call. He had missed her.
He had heard the warning sent out in the city and immediately thought of Zoya. It was already dark and raining hard. He hoped that she had made it out in time and was home safe. He called her and waited. After a couple of rings, it went to voicemail. He called her again, and again but still didn't get through. He dialed Noor and she picked up on the second ring.
"Noor, is Zoya home?"
"No, and I worried. She refused to come with me and said she had to finish up some work."
"So, she is still in the office? Did she not know about the warning?"
His worry grew. He stared out the window and it was chaos. Please, please god let her know be stuck in this. Let her be safe.
"I told her. But she still didn't come with me. I spoke to her a while ago, and she said would wait out the storm in the office."
"Wait, so she knew about the warning, and STILL DIDN'T GET OUT?"
Aditya slammed his fist against the wheel. How could she intentionally put herself in danger? Did she not realize how many people would worry? She was stubborn and now he was fuming mad.
"Thanks Noor"
He hung up without waiting for response and dialed Zoya. Still ,he did not get through to her. He had reached his limit. He slammed the gas, and kept re-dialing her number. She could ignore his calls, but he would see how she could ignore him if he stood right in front of her.
Zoya was a wreck. She had waited till the office was completely empty and darkness had engulfed it. And then, she broke. She crumbled against the wall of her office and cried her heart out. Now, with puffy and blood red eyes she watched has her phone ring. He hadn't stopped calling, but she just stared at the phone and made no move it pick it up. Even if she had, she didn't trust herself to talk to him. What would she say? What could she say? She had no right in...yet she felt tormented by the image of him with someone else. And she didn't know how to process and deal with it.
Despite the traffic and chaos, Adtiya had made it to Zosh in record time and bee lined to her office. He stopped short at the door. He saw her phone ringing and spotted her crouched on the floor staring at it. She didn't pick up her phone. His worry turned into anger. He punched in her number and watched. She just stared at the ringing phone, but did not move. He fisted his hand.
"You phone is ringing"
Zoya looked up in shock. Aditya was completely drenched, with his leather jacket and shirt dripping on to the floor. But he didn't notice. He just glared at her. He took slow, calculated strides towards her.
"For the past hour, I haven't stopped calling you. It's chaos outside, accidents after accident, and all those people stranded and stuck and you could have been.. I thought...a million scenarios crossed my mind. I was worried sick and you couldn't even pick up your damn phone"
His voice was dangerously low.
He stood before her with crossed arms and frowned at her. She broke away from his stare and tried to walk past him. He grabbed her wrist and pushed her against the wall. She tried to break away from his grip, but he tightened his grip.
"Aditya, I am fine". She tried again to pull away. "Aditya, let me go"
"Not until you tell me what's wrong"
"NOTHING...nothing is wrong. Now, let me go". Zoya looked turned away.
Aditya gave her a once over and landed on her red, swollen eyes.
"Clearly. Why aren't you picking up my calls?"
Zoya bit her lip, and refused to answer and avoided looking at him
He inched closer, until he was only a breath away from her. She squirmed under his stare.
"You are avoiding me. Why?"
"You didn't pick up my call either"
"Yes, yes I did. And I let you know that I couldn't talk because I was with Sanj...in the middle of something"
"With Sanjana" Zoya spat out.
Aditya let go of her in surprise.
"You know? How?"
"Doesn't matter. Just leave! I am sure she is waiting for you?"
"Wait, what? Who is waiting?" Aditya was beyond confused now.
"SANJANA! She is probably waiting for you. Just Leave!!" Zoya fumed and pushed him away.
The it dawned on him. She was mad at him because of a lunch. A single lunch with someone else, and she was mad him. If possible, he was even angrier. He grabbed her hand and yanked her to him. She tried to free herself, but he just locked his arms tighter. Their proximity was a distracting, but he was still fuming.
"You have no right, no right...not after Arshad"
She pushed against him.
"Arshad. That was different. That was nothing..."
Aditya face grew dark. He grabbed a hold of her and walked her against the wall.
"NOTHING?? nothing" His voice was low, dangerous and strained with pain.
"Day after day, I watched you with him. I watched you share meals, stories, laughter, your feelings. All of those, which I had thought were only mine, you shared. I imagined him holding your hand, flirting with you, being close to you, and had nightmares that he had become your future. And through all of it, I had to stand by silently and be your best friend."
He had stared hating those words. And he was done with it. He had made his choice, and now she had to make hers.
"You only imagined for a moment and I have been suffering since...and you are telling me it was NOTHING. How do you not see? Sanjana, a girl I met for the first time, she could see. So, the person closest to me, you, how can you not? I am not your best friend, or at least I am not only that."
He brought his lips closer till he felt her breath against his. She stilled.
"A friend would not spend every waking moment thinking of you, wanting to be with you, ever moment wanting to kiss you. A friend would not be this close and still think it's not close enough. Zoya, you are not looking at a friend."
Aditya let out a breath. He was done running and buying time. It was now or never. He gently took her face in his hands and pleaded.
"I have made my choice, Zoya. Friendship, love, happiness, dreams...everything that you promised would return in my life, all of them have. And it's you...its always been you"
Zoya stood like a statue. She hadn't moved, but her was racing and her mind dazed.
"I am tired. Tired of running, of excuses. Am done with unanswered questions and unsaid moments. It's all or nothing. You have to make your choice. Just say it once, and I am yours, only yours, forever. Please Zoya, just say it once." Aditya pleaded.
She wasn't sure exactly how long she had remain silent, but it must have been too long. Aditya had taken her silence as her answer. With a last pained look, he stepped away and turned his back to her.
""Goodbye Zoya". Aditya turned to leave.
A new sense of fear and panic set in Zoya. He was walking away, leaving her forever. She felt sick, as if diving head first into a dark void. She screamed.
"I LOVE YOU"
He stopped dead in his track. He had imagined that, hadn't he? He slowly turned and looked at her in disbelief.
"Tum mujhse door nahi ja sakte. Mujhe samjh mein agya hai..ki humare beech main kya hai. Humare beech mein dosti hai...lekin sirf dosti nahi hai. Humare beech mein...humare beech mein mera sab kuch hai, meri puri duniya bas thi hai, Aditya. Please, please.."
He closed the distance between them in a single bound. Zoya's back hit the wall, but all she felt were his lip crashing against hers. In the next moment, Zoya's hands were in his hair, pulling him even closer. Her kiss held a sense of desperation, urgency. As if, in the next moment he would leave and she couldn't let him. Zoya finally broke the kiss, but still held him. She dug her nails into him. He would stay, she wouldn't let go for him.
Aditya broke into a huge smile.
"You love me"
Zoya smiled up at him, but then turned serious. She kissed him again.
"I love you" Zoya smiled.
"If I had known before, I would have agreed to meet Sanjana a lot soone..."
Zoya smiled disappeared and her eyes narrowed. She grabbed him by the collar and yanked him.
"MINE! No Arshad, no Sanjana and no one else. Understood?"
Aditya held back his smile and nodded.
"I have made my choice. I chose you, Aditya, always. And I have chosen to be yours, forever."
THE END
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