Present Day: Dehardun, Siddiqui Mansion
"Here you go ammi," Noor said passing Roshnaq a glass of water along with her medicine and adjusted the pillows as she sat up. Her mother seemed to have aged drastically since the last time she had seen her and Noor had an inkling why.
"Thanks beta," Roshnaq said handing her the glass back after she had taken the meds and leaned against the pillows closing her tired eyes.
"You shouldn't have taken the trouble Noor. Your abbu makes a mountain out of a molehill," she said making a feeble attempt to sound light but Noor frowned.
"Ammi, you gave all of us such a fright and abbu has been out of his mind since yesterday," Noor chided her mother. "You have any idea what we have all been through over the last few hours?"
"And that is exactly why I said you are all overreacting. I am fine," Roshnaq replied but amended her words when she saw her daughter glare at her, "maybe a little stressed and at this age it is evident to have minor ailments Noor. But you? You should be taking care of yourself especially now that you are in your second trimester but instead you came all the way here to fuss over me. I don't know what Waseem was thinking."
"Ammi your son in law takes good care of me, so there is nothing to worry there. And if you think you can fool me with a cock and bull story, you are mistaken. I know something is bothering you from days now," Noor said looking her mother in the eye.
"And I don't need abbu to tell me that. Now don't tell me it has nothing to do with appi," Noor retorted as Roshnaq stiffened.
"Noor I am tired, I don't want to talk to about this," she replied in a rigid voice.
"Sorry ammi," Noor apologized realizing her mother had just been through a major ordeal and she was only adding to the stress.
"I didn't mean to hurt you but don't you think it's about time we all got a closure?"
Roshnaq said nothing but a lone tear escaped her closed eyes.
"I know what appi did was not right, at least not the way she chose to do it. It affected all of us, maybe Adi bhaiyya even more. But I only want to ask you one question ammi. What would you do or what would I do, if we had to make that choice? Would you still blame appi?" Noor asked her before wiping her own tears and walked out of that room, leaving Roshnaq to ponder over her words.
Noor walked past her parent's bedroom and went upstairs. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Over the last four years she had tried really hard not to allow herself to get weak but she could not shut away her appi's memories like the rest of them had done. She missed her elder sister a lot and it hurt her to see her loved ones hurting over her appi - be it her ammi, abbu or Aditya. She wished for once they could try to understand her appi and think from her perspective before passing a verdict on her.
She entered a room that had once belonged to her appi and looked at all the photographs that adorned the wall - pictures from their childhood days, along with several family photographs and in the center of it, was the biggest one of them all. A poster sized photograph of Zoya along with Adi taken on the night of their reception. They looked so happy gazing into each other's eyes rather than at the camera holding hands.
What have you done appi Noor thought sadly.
Noor walked over to the drawer and pulled it open.
21 years ago: Dehardun, Siddiqui Mansion
She cast a quick glance around before pulling open her desk drawer. From inside she pulled out a brand-new leather diary that was covered in a rumpled gift wrap.
For 13 year old Zoya Siddiqui, this little diary was her best Eidi ever. For an onlooker though this would be a mundane gift but for her it was the most special gift ever as it was the first Eidi she had received from her best friend.
She placed it open on her table and picked up her pen. For a moment she thought hard on how she could put it to its best use. Frowning she tapped the pen to her chin, thought for a long while when it finally struck her. With a broad grin plastered on her face, she bent forward and wrote the words:
Dearest Adi,
This is my best Eidi ever and thank you! 😊
As her feelings took the form of words that flowed freely over the page in the diary, she realized she had an intruder when she noticed a shadow fall on her diary. Snapping it shut she rounded on her 7 year old sister who jumped back startled and smiled her sweet innocent smile hoping her appi would not get mad at her. But Zoya was livid this time.
"It's bad manners to peep around," Zoya chastised her. "And why aren't you downstairs, playing with Arjun? Go away!"
Noor ignored Zoya and tried to steal a glance at the object in her appi's hands which she was shielding from her view.
"Appi? It is Adi bhaiyya's Eidi na? Show me, I wanna see it," Noor begged her sister.
"Noor, it is not good to read someone else's diary!"
"But appi it is not a diary," Noor retorted stubbornly as Zoya opened her mouth to protest but she cut her across pointing at the diary.
"It says 'Dear Adi', not 'Dear Diary'!"
Zoya fixed her with a murderous glare but Noor was beyond caring as her curiosity got the better of her.
"Appi tell me na? What is it?" she pleaded her, bouncing on her feet while Zoya shook her head defiantly in a NO.
"Please appi? I promise I won't tell anyone," Noor assured her as Zoya sighed. She knew her curious cat of a sister would not let it go otherwise.
"Yes Noor, this is not a diary, as in not a diary-diary but I will be using it like one only when I need to," Zoya told her and added, "I had promised Adi that I will never keep any secrets from him but there are times when I can't tell him everything."
"But this is wrong appi. You promised bhaiyya na? You should not hide anything from him," Noor replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Yes, and whenever I hide something that I should not be hiding from him or don't tell him about it, I will write it in this book," Zoya explained but Noor scowled.
"It is still cheating! How will Adi bhaiyya know if you don't tell him but write in this diary?" Noor persisted as Zoya hmphed getting annoyed.
"Offo Noor! Adi will know about it one day, alright? Someday I will share this diary with him and he will get to know everything. Anyways, this is none of your concern OK?" Zoya told her strictly.
"Can I see it though, appi? Please?" Noor asked making a grab for it but Zoya held it high above her head.
"No, you cannot and this is only between me and Adi. No one else gets to read this," Zoya told her sticking out her tongue as Noor kicked up a fuss.
"And you will promise me that you will never try to read it. Promise?" Zoya asked her, extending her hand which Noor looked at ruefully and hesitantly placed her little hand in hers.
"Promise," she replied in disdain still in two thoughts about keeping it up as she hid the other hand behind her back crossing her index and middle finger which did not go unnoticed by her appi.
"Uh-huh! No way! You have to make a Noorie promise," Zoya told her as Noor stomped her foot in protest. For little Noor, a Noorie promise was the highest level of commitment she could ever make - one that she would never break but realizing this was important to her appi she finally gave her a consent.
"Noorie promise!"
4 years and 2 months ago: Hooda Penthouse, Mumbai
"Please Noor?" Zoya begged her, holding out the diary to her.
Noor stood with her back to Zoya refusing to look at her, angry tears pooling in her eyes.
"Why don't you do the honors yourself appi? After what you have done, the least you owe Adi bhaiyya is tell the truth yourself!" Noor replied in a shaky voice.
"Noor, you know I won't be able to... I... I don't think he will understand."
"As a matter of fact, I don't either appi. And I don't think anyone will understand," Noor retorted turning to face her.
"Why did you not tell anyone of us? What were you even thinking appi? Did you honestly expect everyone to accept your decision? You have any idea what ammi has been through ever since she found out? And Adi bhaiyya? You know how much he loves you. How can you do this to him? To us?" Noor demanded her.
Zoya stood there, silent tears streaming down her face as her sister's accusations hung heavy on her, like the weight of a giant boulder she could not shake off. She knew even though Noor was mad at her like everyone else, she would one day understand her and maybe Adi would too.
A few weeks later...
With trembling fingers, Noor held the diary remembering the promise she had made to her appi as she stood outside her brother in law's room.
Adi needs to read this. Promise me Noor, you will try...
And try she would even though she knew it was futile.
She could make out his silhouette against the window as moonlight filtered through it. It had been hours since he had stepped out of his room, like he had lost all sense of time and place. He had not even bothered to turn the lights on, preferring the darkness that had engulfed not only his room but even his life.
She found her resolve weakening with every step she took and now that she was finally here at his doorstep, she found it impossible to bridge the little distance that lay between them. She was not sure if she was ready to face him yet. How could she ever try to make things better when she herself was breaking apart from within? She retraced her step when her appi's face swam before her eyes. Gathering every ounce of courage she had, she approached him slowly.
"Bhaiyya?" she called out but she got no response right away. After a moment he tilted his head sideways ever so slightly in her direction.
"I... ummm... am sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"You wanted something?" he asked her in a dead voice.
"Bhaiyya I just wanted to give you this," she said and extended her hand forward holding the worn-out diary. Adi gave one curious glance at it but the moment he realized what it was he stiffened and turned his face away.
"Bhaiyya I know it is probably the last thing you want to do but at least hear her out once," Noor pleaded him but he said nothing.
"Please," she said her voice breaking. "Just once bhaiyya!"
He turned to face her and the vacant look in his eyes said it all for her. This was not the look of a man in agony but that of a man whose very essence had been snatched away from him leaving behind an empty shell in its stead.
"Nothing your appi has to say will ever set this right Noor," was all he said before he walked out of that room leaving her all alone. She clutched it closer to her and sank to the floor helplessly, crying her heart out.
Present Day: St. Theresa's, Mumbai
Aditya turned off the ignition after parking his Volvo in the parking space outside the school building which was now being used as a summer camp for kids during vacation. He opened the car door for Aliya and waited for her to get down as she looked up at him curiously and then pointedly towards the ground. Adi followed her glance back to the car and realized the source for hesitation was his SUV which was too high for that little girl to hop down. Smacking his head, he helped her get off the car and fetched her bag from the back seat. As they set off together for her drawing class, Aliya caught his hand and held onto it, swaying it back and forth gently. Adi let her hold onto it. It felt bizarre though for him. It had been a long while since he had been out with someone, let alone have that someone depend on him for every small thing. He was not sure if he was guiding her or if she was showing him the way, making him open the doors of his life he had closed a long time ago.
Aliya was beaming from ear to ear as she passed her friends who gaped open mouthed at her. All this while they had teased her that her father will never show up for anything but now it was their turn to get surprised. Her friends' mothers too gave Aditya an appraising look, whispering excitedly.
"So that is Aliya's papa!"
"I heard he is a commercial pilot."
"Never seen him before at all!"
"OMG! Isn't he drop dead sexy? Oh, those killer pilot looks!"
"I am pretty sure whoever she is, she must be one helluva sexy airhostess, his girlfriend? It's not possible he has been single all this while!"
Aditya felt his cheeks redden with all the blatant gossiping happening around him. Not like he was unaware of the effect he had on the opposite sex. He had airhostesses swooning over him all the time and he had become immune to it but it felt odd that even his child's friends' parents were ogling at him. He left Aliya to her teacher's care and walked away from there wearing his shades that earned him more glances his way. He breathed a sigh of relief when he stepped out of the building far away from the prying eyes of all those women and decided to grab a cappuccino at a nearby Starbucks to kill time until Aliya's classes got over.
Present Day: Kempegowda International Airport, Bangalore
"Here you go Dr. Arora and I hope you enjoy your flight," the airline agent said handing him his boarding pass. Yash thanked the agent politely and proceeded towards the security checkpoint.
After he had been through the security check and got his boarding pass stamped, he headed towards the boarding gate where announcements were being made. He checked his watch and saw he still had 30 mins to spare before the boarding started for his flight. Deciding it was time to treat his sleep deprived mind to caffeine, he headed towards the caf when he ran into somebody headlong.
"Am so sorry," he heard an all too familiar voice. Yash stood rooted to his spot as she picked up the phone he had dropped when he had collided with her.
"Here you go," she said, smiling as she straightened herself and held out his phone. She too froze when their eyes met. An awkward silence ensued as he experienced a gamut of emotions course through his veins while she stood there impassive with a haunted look in her eyes.
"Pooja," he said hoarsely that jolted her out of her reverie. Wordlessly she handed him back his phone not bothering to acknowledge and turned to walk away.
"Pooja, wait!" he called out making her stop in her tracks.
"Please," he begged.
Four long years had passed since he had seen her or heard her voice and now that she was finally here, he wished he could buy himself some more time with her. Even as he wished this, he knew he had no right to do so, but a part of him could never let go of what he had once felt for her.
"It's been so long Pooja. I... ummm... never thought... anyways how have you been? You still look the same you did, last time I saw you," he said trying to sound light.
"What do you expect Yash? What do you want me to say?" Pooja asked him in a tired voice turning to look at him. There was disappointment written all over her face and he knew why and it broke his heart to admit he was the reason for it.
"Pooja, I know you will probably never forgive me for what happened but that's not how I wanted to leave things between us," he tried to explain at which she gave a mirthless laugh.
"Us? Was there ever an 'us' Yash? I don't know but what I do know is that I trusted you," Pooja replied and added, "but you did not trust me enough to confide in me. Zoya made her choice and so did you but if anyone paid the price for it, it was Adi."
Just then she heard someone call out her name.
"I need to go Yash. Have a good flight," she said and walked away to join her cabin crew. Yash stood there watching her go away from him just like she had walked out of his life all those years ago. Zoya would always stand between them like an impenetrable wall and nothing he ever did could change that.
10 years ago: Dehardun, Hotel Sheraton
An air of festivity hung in the air of Dehradun as hanging lanterns illuminated the vast garden of Sheraton decorated in white and gold drapes with white stargazers, orchids and lilies and matching centerpieces adorning every table. Waseem Siddiqui had left no stone unturned to ensure his daughter's wedding was the talk of the town and the whole of Dehradun had turned up to witness this grandeur.
In the center of it all, stood the newlywed couple who were the main attraction of the evening. Dressed in an off-white and gold sherwani, the groom looked handsome and dapper but what made him look radiant was not his inherent good looks but his beautiful bride, who looked ethereal in an iridescent gold lehenga with pink hues. Hair swept in side curls, with minimal makeup and elegant matching diamond jewelry to go with her outfit, she looked no less than an angel who had descended on the mortal realm to enchant humans.
Every man present in the reception envied the groom and Yash Arora was no different. Ever since he had set his eyes on the bride, he found it hard to tear his gaze away. To say he was mesmerized was an understatement.
Earlier in the day when his girlfriend Pooja had insisted he accompany her as her plus one to her best friends' wedding, he was least interested in showing up. He knew the real reason why she wanted him there was not to flaunt their on-off relationship but she did not wish to be lonely. Though Pooja never admitted this, he could make out she had never gotten over her feelings for her best friend who was marrying another best friend of hers. It was not easy for her and he decided to accompany her to be with her. He was not sure what future held for the two of them since their relationship had never been steady but he was certain of one thing he would always stand by Pooja as her friend.
Dressed in a maroon satin saree and with just a pair of jhumki for accessory, Pooja looked stunning as always and she held onto his arm as they walked towards the couple. She gave them a tight hug, wishing them all the best for their new life together as man and wife. As she extricated herself from the embrace she called Yash to join her.
"Guys this is Yash and Yash meet my best friends Aditya Hooda and Zoya Siddiqui," she said in a cheery tone before realizing what she had just said and amended, "Mrs. Zoya Aditya Hooda!"
Yash extended his hand forward and wished the couple as Pooja pulled Adi aside to have a word with him. Yash handed a bouquet of white stargazers to Zoya who smiled and added, "These are my favorite flowers, thank you!"
"Really? They are my favorite too!" he replied and added, "if I might, can I say something?"
"Of course," she replied encouraging him to go on.
"You are beautiful Mrs. Hooda," he complimented her to which she blushed and thanked him.
"Please call me Zoya. So you and ummm... Pooja, huh? How did you guys meet?" she asked him.
"We met last year through my younger sister Mahi. She was in the same batch as her during her airhostess training and as for us, I would say we are still sorta testing waters," he replied. Even though this was their first meeting, he felt instantly at ease with Zoya and for an introvert like Yash, this was new.
On the other hand Adi scrutinized Yash as he chatted with Pooja.
"So tell me Poo, how did you fall for him? Doesn't seem to be your type at all," Adi said with a frown on his face looking at Yash curiously as he chatted with his newly wed wife.
"Why? What's wrong with him?"
"Hmm... nothing I guess. He is just one of those silent nerdy, broody types and I always thought you didn't do well with them," he replied shrugging as Pooja rolled her eyes.
"FYI - I am not technically, dating him. He is more of a friend to be honest and it is just a passing affair. So, it's not like it is serious or anything," Pooja replied as she took a sip from her champagne.
"And don't go by his nerdy look. He can be a real lady killer if he wants to. He is quite charming to be frank," she added as Adi scoffed but the next moment it turned into a scowl when his wife exchanged a laugh with Yash.
"If you say so," he replied and added, "listen Poo, don't get me wrong but on a serious note, commitment is not such a bad thing. I know you are not interested in getting married and I totally get it. But what's the harm in giving it a try?"
Pooja sighed. She hated it when Adi and Zoya fussed over her non-existent love life.
"Adi not everyone is meant to be in love and in any case, I am happy. It's not like I am saying never ever but right now I need my space and Yash understands that," she said firmly but Adi was not so convinced.
"Offo Adi, I really am happy alright? And I am not shutting the doors to my life. You never know. Maybe someday I will find the person I am willing to share my life with and you will be the first one to know if it happens," she promised him while he gave her a one arm hug.
"You mean when it happens," Adi replied as Pooja scoffed.
"Just want you to be happy Poo," he told her.
As they walked back towards Zoya and Yash who were now chatting animatedly, Adi heard Yash tell Zoya, "your husband is one lucky man."
"And he knows that," Adi replied startling them both, as they didn't realize he was nearby.
"Now if you don't mind can I borrow my wife for a dance?" he asked Yash as the DJ played a slow, romantic number.
Yash stepped aside graciously as Adi took Zoya to the dance floor. As they swayed to the music, lost in their own little world oblivious to the one around them, Yash looked at them pensively wondering if this was how it felt when you were in love. Maybe he would find out someday.
Present Day: Mumbai
As he waited out for the traffic jam to clear, he noticed his daughter stealing glances his way every now and then. When he turned to look at her, her lips pursed for a moment and she looked up hopefully clutching the drawing book closer. It felt like she was waiting for him to say something but what exactly it was he had to say or do, he had no clue. When his eyes fell on the book in her hand, he realized she was eager to show him what she had drawn today in the class and was only waiting for him to ask. Should he ask? He was no artist to make any suggestions to her.
Stop being such a dork Adi! She does not want you to be her critic his mental voice yelled at him.
"Ummm... so huh... what did they teach you today?" he asked her, trying to sound casual. Aliya opened her drawing book with excitement gleaming in her eyes and held it out for him to see. Adi could make out large dots scattered all over the page and in the middle of it all, was a little girl playing with her arms stretched out which he assumed was her.
"What is this supposed to be?" he asked her frowning and pointed to the dots.
"Snow," she replied gleefully and added, "chachi tells me it snows outside nanu's house!"
"But you need to go to Dehradun for that and your Arjun Chachu tells me you are scared of airplanes. So how will you see a snowfall?" he asked her, curious to understand her fear with flying.
"There are birds in the sky," she said in a barely audible voice.
"So?" he asked her puzzled wondering what this had to do with birds.
"What if the plane hits them? They will be hurt," she replied.
Aditya smiled despite himself at her innocent concern.
"A plane flies very high, it cannot hit a bird," he assured her.
"It flies higher than a bird?" she asked him, her doe eyes widened in surprise.
"Much higher," he told her, a small smile playing on his face that almost reached his eyes.
"You can see the clouds?" she asked him excited.
"Yes, and you can also see mountains and the sea too," he replied taking a right turn as the traffic eased up a bit.
"Pa will you take me then?" she asked him, her earlier fear all forgotten with her pa's assurance. Instead it was replaced by a renewed enthusiasm to explore a world she had only seen in TV or pictures.
"But you are scared of flying," he pointed out keeping his focus on the road.
"If Aliya's Pa is flying the plane, Aliya will not be scared," she told him, her sweet voice brimming with happiness and trust - a trust that put her fear to rest. Aditya was taken aback at the unwavering faith his child was willing to place in him when he had practically been nonexistent in her life for all intent and purposes. He was still grappling with the ropes of fatherhood that had been thrusted upon him in Arjun and Noor's absence - a responsibility that should have been with him right from the start, if only he had not turned his back on it. A herculean task lay ahead of him and he felt lost. His daughter was willing to take two steps forward to bridge their distance but could he take even one?
"Pa, will you take me to nanu's home?" she pleaded him again as her eyes lit up with hope.
"Alright," he told her after a moment's hesitation and her face split into a wide grin. But that was not enough to assure her. She held out her pinky and asked, "Pinky promise?"
He stiffened hearing the last word and it took every ounce of restraint to keep his focus on the road. The word promise had brought in a rush of memories that evoked a dull ache which seemed to consume him with every passing second.
"Promise me Zo, we will be together always," a 5 year old Adi asked a little Zoya who did not think once before placing her hand in his.
The scene changed and he stood with his back to her as she begged him to hear her out.
"Adi please..."
"What about the promise you had made all those years ago Zo? All this while you made me believe we were together but there never really was an 'us', was there? There was just you and then there was me and you made sure of that!"
Promises were meant to be broken and it was nothing more than a shallow pretense, meant to lure you into a bubble which would eventually burst leaving you with nothing but bitterness. He no longer believed in making any promises for a future no one could ever be sure of but even as he repeated that to himself for what felt like a gazillionth time, he could not bring himself to break the heart of his daughter which he had done countless times in the past. He realized it meant a great deal to her and besides she was just a child. And it was a harmless gesture at the end of the day, nothing more he convinced himself. He could do this and it was not like anyone would hold him to it. But somewhere deep down he knew if he ever gave her a false assurance, he would end up breaking her heart in the worst possible manner. And what would that make him? He would probably end up doing that, one way or the other but for now he could give her what she wanted.
"Ok, pinky promise it is," he replied in a non-committal tone, wrapping the pinky of his left hand around hers and continued to drive.
As per Arjun's notes, he had to take Aliya to the orphanage as a part of their Friday ritual and it also happened to be her favorite place. She loved playing with the kids there but what she loved most about that place was Becky - a golden Labrador that belonged to one of the staff who lived adjacent to the orphanage. 7 weeks ago, Becky had had a litter of five adorable puppies, one of which was almost white that was Aliya's favorite. She had christened it 'Snowy'.
Becky came bounding towards Aliya wagging her tail and jumped all around her making her squeal in delight. Aliya threw her arms around Becky and hugged her tightly as the dog licked her face in affection making her giggle. Aditya watched all of this, maintaining a safe distance as he was wary of dogs but he could not help smiling as he saw Aliya play with the dog and the puppies that were swarming all around her. Aliya petted each one of them and took the white one in her arms and brought it to show Adi who took a step backwards nervously.
"Hmmm... I don't like dogs much Aliya," he told her gulping and eyed the little puppy in her arms with discomfort.
"Pa, she is very sweet," Aliya assured him. "She won't bite," she promised and before Adi could protest she caught hold of Adi's hand and guided him gently to pat the little puppy that licked his hand. Hesitant at first, he followed his daughter's lead and realized it was not so bad after all, as the puppy wriggled and tried to touch his fingers with its tiny paw. In that moment, seeing the undiluted joy on his child's face, he felt a strange sense of calm take over him that soothed his agonized soul. Something he had not experienced in a long while and for once he chose to live in the moment, leaving behind the ghosts of his past and uncertainties of future.
Later that night, when it was time to put her to bed he carried her upstairs as she clung to him half asleep. Gently he placed her on the bed and covered her with her Disney princess duvet. As he made to turn off the lights he heard a shuffling noise. When he turned around, Aliya was sitting up straight in her bed rubbing her eyes.
"Pa, won't you read me a story?" she asked him in a sleepy voice. She picked up a book from her bedside table and held it out to him.
"You need to sleep Aliya," he told her firmly ignoring her outstretched hands.
"Chachi reads me a story every night before I sleep," she insisted.
"Close your eyes and try to sleep," he said and switched off the lights. When he was about to leave, he heard a soft whimpering followed by a stifling sob. He turned on the lights only to see her big doe eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
He sighed.
10 years ago: Dehardun, Siddiqui Mansion
"I swear Noor, your appi will be the death of me," Adi muttered climbing in through the window as she helped him in.
"All the best!" Noor whispered with a hint of sarcasm. "This is just a trailer I suppose. You need to put up with her for the rest of your life from tomorrow! Enjoy!"
"If I am caught by your abbu, your appi will become a bewa before becoming my biwi," he said tiptoeing across Noor's room and out into the first-floor corridor.
"Bhaiyya it's your fault. Why do you entertain every whim of appi's?" she hissed as she accompanied him keeping an eye out to ensure no one catches them. It was highly unlikely given that everyone was tired after the festivities and it was 2 AM already.
"I will ask Arjun the same question when the time comes," he said winking at her as Noor blushed scarlet.
"Sorry to disappoint you bhaiyya but your baby brother is such a mood killer. He is so dumb, he won't even get the cue if I shout from the rooftop. Arjun is just so..." she said struggling to find the right word.
"Arjun?" Adi prompted and they both started giggling when the door to Zoya's room opened and she frowned at the pair of them giggling away to glory.
"If you're done, can I borrow my would-be husband?"
"Possessive, huh?" Noor teased her elder sister holding onto Adi's arm tightly. "Well you should get used to it appi. After all, saali is aadhi gharwaali right?" she said giving Adi the hi-fi as Zoya threw them the daggers.
"That's it," Zoya said pulling Adi into her room. "If you are so interested in becoming an aadhi gharwaali find another appi for yourself," she retorted.
"How rude?" Noor pouted as Zoya shut the door on her younger sister's face.
"You look cute when you're jealous," he teased her as she glared at him.
"Yeah? Try murderous!"
"I guess I won't get to find out because your abbu will do the honors himself if he sees me in his precious daughter's bedroom. Honestly Zo, what were you thinking?" he asked her as she dragged him and made him sit on her bed.
"Offo Adi, stop being a kill joy. All I want right now is this moment and don't ruin it please," she said hugging him as he laid down on the pillows holding her close.
"What happened Zo?" he asked her worried to note a tinge of sadness in her voice.
"Tomorrow we will be starting a new chapter of our lives Adi. It's just that I will miss all these moments that we stole for ourselves. It felt special like it was meant just for us but all of that will change now, won't it?" she said in a forlorn voice.
Adi took her both her palms in his hand that was adorned by an intricately beautiful henna design and kissed it.
"Nothing has to change Zo," he assured her. "We have the rest of our lives before us to make new memories."
Zoya smiled.
"I have never doubted that Adi. Not even for a moment. I know we will be stepping into one of the most beautiful phases of our life but we are also leaving behind something that has been amazing and I wanted to hold onto it. Tomorrow I will be Mrs. Zoya Aditya Hooda and as much as I love that, I love being Adi's Zoya more," she said burying her face in his chest. He kissed the top of her head and held her close for a moment before he tilted her chin upwards to face him.
"Zo, tomorrow the world will know you as Mrs. Hooda but I want you to remember one thing - you will always be my Zo and nothing will ever change that," he promised her as she snuggled closer to him and fell asleep, a contented smile playing on her lips.
Present: Mumbai
Arjun tried to placate his wife who looked like she would have murder on her hands tonight. She was beyond furious.
"What the hell were you thinking Arjun Hooda?" she hissed angrily at him as they drove back home from the airport.
"Noor, calm down please," he begged her as the cab driver turned around to see what the commotion was all about but one cold look from Noor, he turned his focus back onto the road and let the couple fight it out. Besides warring couples was not an unusual sight for him.
"All you have done is spin a web of lies from morning. First you conspire with Pooja di, lie to me that Sakshi Aunty will come over and then lie to bhaiyaa that Sakshi Aunty is out of town and if that was not enough you ask Radha Tai to lie about her husband being sick and you leave that little child all alone with a man who never bothers to acknowledge her presence for an entire day. Is that it or did I miss out on anything else?" she scolded him while Arjun wished he could disappear right now.
"Noor, I was only hoping bhai would spend some time with Aliya, you know... Just break the ice..." he tried to reason but his words only seemed to fall on deaf ears.
"Right! So you decided you will plan an Aditya-Aliya day out? A miracle that would set right everything in a day?" she asked him scathingly as he opened his mouth to argue but no words came forth. The rest of the drive went by in a deadly silence that Arjun knew spelled doom for him. When they reached their apartment, Noor snatched the spare key from him and without waiting for him to respond she walked away leaving him to fumble with the fare he had to pay the driver. In his anxiety, he dropped his wallet several times and finally after what seemed like eons he managed to pull out some notes and without waiting for the driver to pay him back the change he ran off, hoping his good will of tipping the driver would buy him some luck with his wife. He was certainly in dire need of it tonight.
He trailed after his wife who promptly ignored him all the way up to Aliya's bedroom. However, she came to an abrupt halt outside the room making Arjun nearly bump into her. Noor stood rooted to the spot and blinked her eyes several times to make sure she was not hallucinating.
"Noor?" Arjun called out but she motioned for him to keep quiet. He peeked over her shoulder and what he saw made his jaw drop as well.
Aditya was sleeping soundly on Aliya's bed with a book lying open on his chest as it rose and fell rhythmically with every breath he took and next to him was Aliya who had fallen asleep snuggling up to him, clutching her bedtime teddy in her arms.
Arjun was not sure what he had expected to see but he was certainly in for the biggest and most pleasant surprise in his life while on the other hand his wife was simply awestruck.
They were both grinning from ear to ear unable to contain their joy at the sight before them which was nothing short of a miracle - a miracle that he had managed to pull off and now it was his turn to give his wife the third degree.
"So, you were saying something?" he asked his wife smugly who looked guilty for her earlier outburst.
"I am a classified liar and an idiot to boot. I have no common sense, I can't think straight and what else? Am I missing something here?" he said in a sarcastic voice scratching his chin while Noor looked mortified.
"I am waiting," he said smirking as Noor cleared her throat.
"Well, sometimes my idiotic husband too is capable of taking me by surprise with his stroke of brilliance," she replied and kissed him on the cheek.
P. S - Sorry about this ridiculously long chapter 😆 But I will be closing this story in another 3 updates maybe. I know you will all have questions on Zoya and given the story revolves around her, she will certainly make an appearance as she has her story to tell 😳 Your comments are all that motivates me to continue writing and constructive criticism is more than welcome 😳 So please don't forget to hit the like button if you enjoyed reading it and would love to hear your thoughts too 🤗
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