Ch 4 Page 7 - Through the flames (FF Ad-Ya) - Page 3

Chapter 4 - parents pain

Saying so the lady walked over opening the two books she tried her level best not to touch. The difference was noteworthy between the two! Zoya's was with a simple traditional cover design and a button-thread lock but brand new. Light weight and neat despite being an A4 sized one. Adhitya's thought was heavyweight, smaller and set with a rubber band cover - each in a different colour after the first finished. All damaged, smeared with many things and worn out. Setting Adhitya's according to the timeline she began reading the cut by cut inked writing of Adhitya Hooda.

As a physiatrist, insight seemed to be a strong point at the moment. She was going to use it to her maximum advantage... opening the pages she ran through the handwriting carefully trying to understand what was the situation at hand. The first one happened to Zoya's she had to be first... noting the diary date down she observed the handwriting, it was neat, slanting and thin. Reading the words she realized this was indeed her first one.

Dear Diary,

First time - cheezy. My name, Zoya Sidhaqui. I am fifteen and Adhitya gave me you' this diary to write. Why? He feels I need to write my emotions down are beyond me. He is around eighteen right now, all grown up. Guess that is supposed to be translation for listen to me or else' especially recently. He has been acting very strange recently, especially with everything going on but I listen to him anyway. Been doing so since I was five, don't know why so don't ask why, he is just great at convincing me. Been the case since we were kids. There he is sitting and glaring at me, making sure I wrote in you today. Don't worry he is going to be there tomorrow too leaning on the desk, hands crossed, smiling his stupid, fake smile...

See you tomorrow,

Love,

Zoya

Reading through the whole thing she smiled lightly, then picking up Adhitya's she was shocked. "What?

This life is hers,

this breath is hers,

my body is hers,

All I exist for is her and her alone.

My Zoya.

Turning the next page she began reading, "That was my imagination of how we will be when we grow older.

Turning the next page, she began reading,

Dear diary,

That was my imagination of how we will be when we grow older. I love her more than anything. I want to marry her when we grow up. Sounds crazy right? True though, I loved her since the moment I set my eyes on her. I did not know though till recently, about all of this. Even when we used to be kids she used to come to me for everything.

My Zoya looked completely stunning today. She was dressed in a simple white hacoba skirt with a dark blue sleeveless blouse and a white scarf with a little blue on it. Adding on to it those simple heels, wow, it was breathtaking, stunning, hot. Roshna started letting her use make up recently, she is learning. Just simple stuff, little eye liner in various ways, few shades of lip gloss and even nail polish. Never realised those small things will make her look like a woman. More of a woman especially with those filling outs - her body and mind.

Dinner tonight was thrilling, more than I could say, ever. Thirty minutes she spoke about the social architecture. She had spoken about so many small pointers even pa had not noticed and those where his pet projects. Her hands were all over the place, points too over so much time. Despite all of it her voice never raised about a point. I just sat there listening to the whole thing quietly. On top of that even mum was so impressed and she has been listening to Zoya for years now. She was the best thing that happened to our family after years. A real family dinner with pa and ma together. Mamu and Roshna also there. Arjun and Noor sat listening with aww, they were so cute. She was the best, the highlight of the dinner... who knew that a simple silver earring with blue stones seem so stunning?

It was such a nice dinner. She enjoyed everything I ordered for her, the sweet roles, they where always her favorite, she tried the cold coffee because I said I liked it last time, the rumali roti's and dham aalo. She even made a mmm when eating it, that was how much she liked it. Oh that kabab, juice flowed through her, she always loves zeera pulaoo with mixed vegetable raitha and pepper pappad. She loved it so much. We had finished it with dessert, her favorite kulfi. How could we not enjoy it? It was her birthday after all.

We had crossed so much. She was no longer the same little girl who came banging up our front door when she learned about the adoption. She certainly did not hide under the dinning table and I did not have to feed her. Today I gifted her a diary, today I got her write in it... those sleeveless tops and shorts for night dresses need to be made illegal though.

TNT

Adhi

The entry took her breath away for a moment. "Adhitya Hooda loved Zoya... ek minute adopted? Zoya Sidaquis ki asli beti nahi thi? (Adhitya Hooda loved Zoya... wait a minute Zoya was not the real daughter of Sidaqui's?)

"Nahi ma, unki nahi Zoya unlogon ki dosth ki beti thi. Uska pitha janam se pehel aur ma ko janam main khodhiya Zoya ne. Bahoth pyar karthi thi apni beti se issiliye uski ma ne Sidaqui's ko apni beti dhekar mar chuki thi. (No mom, not theirs Zoya but a friend of thier daughters. Father died before birth and mother little after birth. She loved her daughter a lot thats why she gave her to Sisaqui's to raise and died.) she turned around to find Adharsh standing there his eyes sad, again, almost painful, when he glanced at Zoya's diary there was a longing, "Zoya theen mahine se hosh main nahi aayi hai. Upar se tum log usse ek hospital main rakne ke liye mana karte ho. Kyun? (Zoya is unconscious for the past three months and she has not yet come to consciousness. On top of that you people are not willing to admit her to the hospital. why?)

"Zoya humari family hai. Adhitya, Noor aur Arjun gaye hai humare javaab dundne. Almost sabkuch mil chuki hai baaki bhi mil jayegi. Yeahi hai na tumhara javaab Adharsh lekin aur kithni dhinon thak yeah kahani bharoge humari kaanon main? (Zoya is our family, Adhitya, Noor and Arjun have gone trying to find answers. Almost everything has been obtained few others things are needed. This is your answer right Adharsh but how much longer will you fill us on this story?) he looked away, sadly, when Suri marched in, "Arjun on line one - speaker main dal rahi hoon. Ma's aap dhonon bhi. (Arjun on one one I am placing it on speaker. Mom's you too.)

Adharsh looked behind her, Vasundhara too walked in confused, Adharsh pointed them to a seat and switched on the speaker, "Arjun you are on speaker. What is the report?

"Adharsh kaam hogaya. Bhai ko control main lekar aane ke liye unfortunately hume Zoya ki zarurath padegi. Are you ready? (Adharsh work is done. To bring brother under control we are going to need Zoya. Are you ready?) the voice was not soft and breezy but firm and clear cut. It was Suri who answered, "Ready. Lekin in paanch saalon main jo kuch bhi hua hum Zoya ko patha nahi chalne dhe sakthe hai. Doctor ne kaha ussse kuch waqth main hosh tho aajayega. We need to be careful (Ready. Though what happened in the past five years Zoya should not find out. Doctor had said that we can get her back to consciousness we need to be careful.)

Shanthi felt like her heart was going to break into a thousand pieces, they were involved in everything that happened to Zoya? Tears filled her eyes and so did Vasundhara's, silently they left the room to their owns needing time...

Shanthi's eyes fell upon a photo that hung on the wall on the side of the stairs, it was a picture of Zoya, Adharsh and Suri together clicked by Adhitya...

They had told everyone that she was a goose that lay golden eggs' for the company leading them to get more money. A lot more money, indeed she did but there seemed to so much more in the space between. She would come over when she pleased and every time they would go to drop her. Never allowing her to go alone, it was always Arjun or Adhitya who dropped her, More importantly they knew instinctively, when she would come, no calls or message! How could the Hooda's be cool with it? Initially she too resented her like Vasu but slowly the story changed, especially with the kind of relationship she shared with her daughter, time and again - the girl always sat at her feet. At times she would eat out of her plate, being fed as they spoke about almost everything in the world. How many times had she seen them chatting away on the phone at the middle of the night when Adharsh was busy on business calls. How many times had she complained about being lonely in such times, It was Zoya who had taken it away... tear filled she stared at the photo trying to make sense of everything but unable to understand anything. The constant flirt Adharsh who used to call almost all women baby, honey or sweetheart addressed her as beta from day one unconsciously. Even Suri called her beta more times than ever, if someone said Zoya was her nalan' or sister-in-law, she corrected them saying, beti daughter. Why? What kind of a relationship did they have? This photo seemed to have the answer for everything, one side Suri and the other Zoya, Adharsh was in the center holding both. The intimate photo even got it's own place on the wall of their home...

"Aise kaunsi relationship hai aap logon ke beech main? (What kind of a relationship do you have in between them?) she wondered aloud when Vasu joined her, "Main bhi vaho soch rahi thi. (I was also thinking the same thing.)

"Haan aur tume vo dhin yaadh hai? Jaab Zoya ko peheli baar chai par lekar aagaye the dhonon. she nodded. That day before Zoya sat down with Adharsh, Suri and Adhi, she was with Zoya was behind them chattering away, "Mrs. Dhavan Ms. Nak I mean Suri ko movie ke liye lekar ja sakthe hai kya? Actually Adhi ko aise moives bhilkul pasandh hai hai lekin hume akele jaane ki ijazath nahi hai. Upar se humari dhevar aur behen dhonon busy hai.

(Mrs. Dhavan Ms Nak I mean Suri can I take her to a movie? Adhi does not like such movies but I am not allowed to go alone and my brother-in-law and sister are busy.)

"Tum shadhi shuda ho Zoya? (You are married Zoya?) asked a surprise Shanthi, "Nahi Mrs. Nakshathra, lekin bachpan se hum Adhithya se pyar karthe hai aur humari kahani ki wajay se Noor aur Arjun ka bhi sagai hogayi thi. (No I loved Adhitya since childhood and thanks to us my sister Noor and Arjun also got engaged.)

Relief spread on both their faces as they warmed slightly to the girl, "Oh kithni cute hai yeah baathen. Aur yeah Mrs. Mrs. ka rat kya lagakar raki ho aunty bulao na. (Oh so cute and what is this Mrs. Mrs. you keep using call us aunty.)

"Sure tho bathaiye na kya Ms. Naksha- Suri humare saath movie lekar jaa sakte hai? Mr. Dh- Adharsh ne tho kuch javaab hi nahi dhiya. (Sure so tell me can I take Suri to a movie with me I asked Mr. Dhav- Adharsh but he did not answer at all.) the elderly women could not help but smile, "Adharsh na Suri ka koi bi decition nahi letha kyun Adhitya tumhari? (Adharsh does not take any decision for Suri ever why does Adhitya ever?)

"Actually meri Adhitya meri zindagi ka pura zimidhari letha hai aur sari decisions vahi letha hai. Chahe vo kapde hai ya khaana lekin ajeeb baath hai ki jo hum apne maan main soch rahe the vahi karthe hai. Aur jaab shopping jaathe hai na agar hume kuch pasand aathi hai puuchne ki zarurath hi nahi padthi thi usse pehele Adhitya use humari shopping bag main dal chuke hote. Padayi exams ke waqth kabhi kabhi bukar hojathi thi, Adhitya puri raath humare khyal rakte the. Exams ke timetabile nikalthe hi dhava bhi thiyar kaarthe the, upar se audio notes ki aur diet ka bhi. (Actually my Adhitya takes the entier responsibility for my life and takes all the decisions. It could be clothes or it could be food but strange thing is that whatever it is I wanted he gets it. When we go shopping and I like it before I could even ask for it Adhi has it in our shopping bag. Exam and study times I used to get fever, even before the time table was printed Adhitya got the diet and medicine's ready for me.)

"Yahaan thak ki tumhari periods ka cycle ke baare main tum se zyadha aachi thara Adhitya ko patha hai. Tume yaadh dhilane ke liye kaha, ki agle hafthe koi movie nahi usske baadh ja sakte ho bacha. Date aajayegi. (To an extent that your periods cycle is known better by Adhitya than you. He told me to remind you, next week no movie your date is round the corner you can go after that.) when the elderly woman's' eyes grew wide in shock Zoya hit her head, "Oops... Adharsh aap ke haath main kya hai? (Oops... Adharsh what is it in your hand?)

"Kuch kapdon ki brosures hai tumhari aur Adhi ka usne pasandh karliya order dhedhenge, measureemnts dhedo tailor ko. (Clothes brochures for you and Adhi he has chosen go give the measurements to the tailor.) he added patting her cheeks lightly, "Chai ban gayi? (Tea is ready?)

"Hum lekar aathe hai aap jayie. (I will get it you go.) Zoya replied, "Jaldhi kar zyadha pattar pattar karne ke liye maath ruk jaana. (Quickly, don't hang around for a chatter.)

Back in reality they looked at each other confused, "Kithni pyari thi na, bholi thi aur jaan se bhari hui lekin uss Adhitya ki pyar main pagal thi. (How innocent and sweet she was, full of life and filled with a mad love for Adhitya.) Vasu's words where filled with sadness and Shan continued it with a even sadder note, "Aur Adhitya jisne humesha kisi ko bhi maar giratha tha Zoya ke tharaf aank utakar dhekne ke liye ussi Adhitya ne Adharsh ke kareeb lekar aaya. Aur Suri jisko Adharsh ko kisi bhi ladki ki kaareeb dhekti hai tho pagal hojathi thi vahi Suri kithni raathon Adharsh ko Zoya ke saath bijwathi thi. (And Adhitya who would pound a person to death for just looking at Zoya actually brought Adharsh and Zoya closer. Also Suri who could not stand a woman in Adarsh's life her self sent him with her several times at night.)

"Lekin aise achanak gayab kyun hogaye the? (But why did they suddenly disappear like that?) asked Vasu again... Shanthi rubbed her head out of pain, "Muje nahi patha kyun lekin dhaal main kuch kaala zaruur hai. (I don't know why I feel this but there seems to be something really strange about the whole thing.)

"Muje bhi aise hi lagtha hai. Lekin agar Zoya ki baath bhi bachon se kholthe hai tho naraaz hojathi hai kare bhi kya? (Even I feel the same thing but what can we do even if we mention Zoya a little bit to the kids they get angry but what can we do?) she sighed upset, just then in walked in Joydeep, his eyes filled with sadness, "Yeah humari family ko kya hogaya hai? Uss paagal Zoya ke liya humari puri family bikar gayi hai. (What has happened to our family? Due to that mad girl Zoya our entire family has been broken.)

A sudden walking sound came as he kept a hand on the cheek with surprise in his face, "Bhaabhi?

"Meri bachi ke baare main ek shabdh bhi bola na tho tere paas bolne ke liye zubaan nahi hoga. (Say one more word about my daughter you will not have a mouth to speak.)