Present Day: Hooda Penthouse, Mumbai
Things had taken a turn for the better in the Hooda household over the last few weeks. Aditya was often seen lounging in the living room rather than lock himself up in his room like a refuge. The wall around him which once seemed impenetrable was beginning to crumble, albeit gradually. He no longer sought excuses to evade Aliya, who was only too thrilled to have her father around her. Even though it would be a long while before he could finally open all the closed doors to his life, his little girl had managed to unlock some of them and this was a start. Arjun and Noor were more than happy at this new development but they hid their excitement, lest they overwhelmed Aditya. They knew he had taken a huge step but from here on, they had to give him his space and encourage him to take baby steps. They allowed him to be as involved as he chose to be with Aliya's life. On Adi's days off work, Arjun and Noor invariably had an appointment with the doctor or Arjun was held up with a very important client case during which Adi obliged to care for his daughter - be it picking her up from school or her drawing classes and caring for her needs. He went about these tasks in a mechanical fashion but each moment spent with her, made him learn a new aspect of her life, making up for the lost years.
Today however Arjun and Noor were back to their routine and they were driving back home after attending a birthday party hosted for Aliya's friend.
"The Kapoors surely know how to throw a party na?" Arjun asked his wife who was checking in on their niece now sleeping soundly in their backseat.
"I don't know Arjun and in any case I am not a huge fan of these lavish parties. Birthdays are meant to be a happy occasion but off late, it's become another excuse to flaunt your status quo. I couldn't wait to call it a day," Noor replied yawning.
"And at any rate it did nothing to make Aliya feel any better," she added ruefully. Aliya had been upset the whole evening ever since she found out that her favorite puppy Snowy had been adopted. Aliya had grown fond of the puppy and the thought that she would not be seeing her again had broken her little heart. Arjun and Noor knew how much Aliya craved for a puppy and they would have happily bought one for her. The only problem here was Adi, who was not ecstatic to have furry beings trotting all over his house. So they did not have a choice in this matter.
For a while neither of them said anything.
"Arjun do you think this will last?" Noor asked Arjun breaking the silence as he looked puzzled to note that his wife's tone had taken on a different note.
"What's the matter Noor?"
Noor hesitated.
"Ummm... Actually I am really happy Adi bhaiyya is making an effort to be a part of Aliya's life and this is what we both wanted all along. But..."
"But what?" Arjun asked her sensing her discomfort. She seemed to struggle to find the right words.
"Don't get me wrong Arjun but what if he... you know?" she said exhaling a breath. "I mean, with Adi bhaiyya you can expect the unexpected."
"Noor why do you always assume the worst? It's a good thing na that bhai is no longer running away from Aliya anymore? And things will not change overnight. We need to give him his space. Am sure he will come around eventually," he told her in a soothing voice. Where it concerned Aliya, Noor's motherly instincts bordered on overprotectiveness and he was well aware of that. But he could not deny that the same thoughts had crossed his mind as well.
Noor smiled wanly.
"I know Arjun but no matter how hard he tries, he will never be able to move on till he lets go of his anger for appi. All these years we never spoke of her hoping someday bhaiyaa would get over it but how has that helped? It only made matters worse. He needs a closure Arjun and till then he will never be able to accept Aliya wholeheartedly."
Arjun said nothing. He knew his wife was right but he also knew none of them - be it himself, Noor or her parents could do anything about this. The pain was his brother's alone and only he had to come to terms with it himself.
When they arrived an hour later, they heard a muffled yip coming from inside their penthouse. Arjun and Noor exchanged confused looks as Aliya groggily rubbed her eyes and strained her ears to catch the sound.
"Chachu is that a puppy?" she asked eagerly as Arjun shrugged his shoulders.
"Not sure sweetie. Maybe our neighbors adopted one?" he quipped.
"No Arjun. It's coming from inside our home," Noor frowned trying to listen harder.
"I guess bhai has forgotten to turn the TV off. Anyways let's get inside," he suggested. As he inserted the key into the keyhole he heard a weird noise like the door being scratched from inside. Feeling slightly anxious, he opened the door when a furry ball collided with them almost knocking him over as Noor yelped and Aliya squealed. When he looked down he realized with a start that the furry ball was not exactly a ball but it was a -
"Snowy!!!" Aliya screamed in delight as she lifted her in her tiny arms and hugged her close as Snowy wriggled her tiny paws and lifted her head to lick her face making her giggle. Arjun and Noor were flabbergasted to say the least and they wondered what was the puppy doing in their home? On a closer look they realized this was the same puppy Aliya had grown fond of but what was it doing here of all places? They got inside the home wondering what this was all about when their eyes fell on a basket lying on the sofa in their living room that had a pink ribbon tied to it. As if on cue, Aditya walked into the living room with a steaming mug of coffee in one hand and a bowl filled puppy food in the other, which he placed on the floor next to the dining table. Snowy jumped out of Aliya's arms and wagging her tail, scampered towards Adi. She licked his outstretched hand once before digging into the bowl like she had not eaten for days.
Arjun and Noor both looked like they were struck by lightning. A dog in their home and to top it off Adi was being perfectly normal about it. Noor excused herself and dragged a reluctant Aliya to freshen up.
"Oh boy, for a tiny little thing, she sure does eat a lot," Adi exclaimed shaking his head, crouching next to the puppy and added, "I had fed her just an hour ago and what's wrong with you?" he asked Arjun who looked like he had seen a ghost.
"Bhai you brought her?" Arjun finally managed to have got his voice back.
Adi just shrugged his shoulders casually like it wasn't a great deal.
"But you don't like dogs!" he persisted.
"They are not so bad," Adi replied offhandedly. Arjun knew that Adi was terrified of animals of any form or shape. Every time Zoya or Pooja had tried to convince him to get over it, he was adamant on not being anywhere near them.
"You remember Bozo? Pooja di's maltese? She had to chain that poor thing outside every time you went to her place because you would create a ruckus if it came anywhere near you. Like it were a ticking time bomb that would set off anytime," Arjun teased him laughing at a distant memory as Adi scratched the puppy's ears absentmindedly.
"Honestly bhai, how did this happen?" he asked him amused at his brother's sudden change of heart.
"You are not gonna drop this, are you?" Adi asked him warily as Arjun shook his head grinning. Adi rolled his eyes in exasperation at his brother's morbid curiosity in this matter and since he seemed to be in no mood to relent, he decided he might as well confess the truth.
"Ummm... well, you remember I have been to the orphanage a fair few times now with Aliya? She loves dogs and it makes her happy being around them and she loves this little one in particular," he said pointing to Snowy who was now nipping at Arjun's heels.
"Sort of got used to her there and instead of taking her to the orphanage every now and then to play with the puppy, I thought we might as well keep her with us and ummm..." Adi said fumbling for words and pursed his life thinking of what to say next.
"Ummm... yeah saves us all the trouble. You know, we don't have to make frequent visits to the orphanage any more now, huh?"
Adi tried to make it sound casual but Arjun could see beneath the surface. His brother was able to give up an aversion he had harbored for years for the sake of his daughter. He did care. A lot more than he liked to show. Arjun smiled to himself. Not only was his brother making an effort to care for a child he had neglected all these years but he was also learning to live life again. He was being more accepting and accommodating. Arjun had given up hopes a long time ago but now he realized maybe after all these years, Adi too yearned for solace. He may have held onto the past all this while but now Arjun could see a glimmer of hope where there had been none a few weeks ago. Maybe they could all put it behind them after all.
9 years ago: Hooda Penthouse, Mumbai
Zoya humphed as the pleats of her red chiffon saree with delicate zardosi work came undone for the tenth time that evening. She let them drop to the floor in frustration. Served her right for being over enthusiastic she cursed inwardly.
"I look like a hot mess," she groaned looking at her reflection. Both her ammi and Sakshi had advised her to opt for a lehenga or an anarkali suit since they were well aware of her saree draping skills. But she had been adamant. She wanted to wear a saree for her first karva chauth. In the past Pooja or her ammi had come to her rescue but now she had none. To top it off, she had also gallantly declined Sakshi's offer to help her, assuring her she will manage. She had wanted everything to be perfect today. But right now it felt like the universe was conspiring against her as she glanced at the mirror.
While she struggled with the saree yet again, she heard an all too familiar snigger from behind. She turned around to glare at her husband who was casually leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking handsome as ever in an off white kurta with gold foil prints all over it. Few buttons at the top were left open that gave a peek at his well-toned chest and right now he had his signature smirk stamped all over his face. Its criminal Zoya thought to herself with envy that her husband looked effortlessly handsome while she looked like a turkey in a badly draped saree jutting out in all the wrong angles. And to think she went to all this trouble just to impress him!
"It's not funny Adi," she snapped at him as he pretended to look like they were dealing with a serious crisis here.
"Absolutely Zo. I mean what could be a matter of life and death than draping a saree? This is darn serious," he said solemnly shaking his head but the very next instant broke out laughing, holding on to the doorframe for support.
"Laugh all you want Captain Hooda!" she fumed at him before removing her saree that now lay discarded on the floor and plopped down on their bed, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.
"Zo, I am sorry yaar!" he tried to placate her while trying hard not to laugh and antagonize his already irate wife further. "You should have accepted Sakshi Aunty's offer when you still had the chance! Now don't beat yourself up over it. It's no big deal," he tried to assure her and she sighed after a moment, shoulders slumping in defeat as she looked at the saree sprawling in front of her despairingly.
"Guess you are right. What was I even thinking? I thought you would love to see me in a saree but I can't even drape one," she muttered burying her face in her hands, more angry at herself this time.
Adi shook his head smiling at her as she fussed over her saree. He always found it cute when she sulked like a child. He stepped inside the room going over to Zoya, careful not to tread on her saree.
"Here let me help," he said gently extending a hand to her which she pointedly ignored.
"Yeah right!" Zoya scoffed rolling her eyes. "What do you plan on doing? Put this saree on me?"
"Yep, that's the plan," he said picking up the saree she had discarded not a moment ago, as Zoya's jaws dropped.
"You've got to be kidding me! You may be a man of many talents Captain Hooda but being a saree stylist is not one of them," she said incredulously getting ready to call his bluff.
"Try me," he challenged her as she scrutinized him for any sign of mischief but he looked every bit serious about it like he claimed.
"Grab me some pins, will you?" he told her ignoring her dubious look as she frowned but got up from the bed and did as she was told.
"So now instead of flying a plane, you drape sarees for airhostesses do you?" she mocked him, placing the pins on the table and stood facing him.
Any cocky remark Adi would have come up with, died in his throat as he cast a glance at his wife and that was when he noticed she was dressed in nothing but a golden sequined blouse and a red petticoat to match the saree. A mischievous glint shone in his hazel eyes as he surveyed his wife.
"Well, every husband should be equipped with certain skills," he said in a playful tone taking a step closer while Zoya caught on to his mood. The saree he was holding onto slid through his fingertips making its way to the floor once again where it lay all forgotten.
"No Adi," she warned him but he promptly ignored her protests. Zoya took a step back nervously but he snaked an arm around her bare waist and pulled her hard, the motion nearly causing her to collide with him and loose balance but he held onto her.
"Especially those skills that let them have their way with their sexy wives," he mused and without a warning started tickling her.
"Oww... Adi..? NO! STOP IT!" Zoya chortled as she doubled over while Adi continued with his onslaught. Zoya managed to shove him aside and made a run for it as Adi chased her all across their bedroom. When Adi finally cornered her, they both lost their balance and tumbled onto their bed, panting and laughing hard, holding their stomach.
"Damn," Zoya huffed. "Is this your idea of draping a saree captain?" she asked Adi inclining her head towards him as he turned to her side pushing himself up on his elbow and tucked in a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"Not my fault Mrs. Hooda. When you have a hot wife, you will not feel like draping a saree on her especially when it is more fun to undo it," he replied with an impish grin as Zoya rolled her eyes.
"In any case, looks like I won't be able to wear this saree tonight," she said shaking her head and got off the bed.
"I'll probably wear the new anarkali suit ammi gifted me for Eid."
"Zo, hang on!" Adi called after her hopping off the bed.
"Turns out you were bluffing after all. You don't know a thing about sarees, do you?" she taunted him making her way to the cupboard.
"On a serious note Zo, I can really do this," he told her earnestly holding up the saree.
"Adi not again ya!" she whined. "I got your idea of draping a saree. So thank you but no thanks," she replied resolutely and opened their cupboard.
"Just give me five minutes alright? And I promise I will behave this time," he assured her. Zoya was not convinced but she decided to humor him.
Adi started by tucking in the end of the saree to right side of her waist and brought it round the back neatly tucking it to her petticoat. Every time the back of his fingers brushed the bare skin on her waist she felt a tingle shoot through her body but she held still closing her eyes. A gamut of sensations coursed through her veins as his fingers made contact with her sensitive skin but Adi on his part though went about the task on hand deftly, seemingly unaffected unlike her. When Captain Aditya Hooda took on an assignment it was mind over matter for him and he was certainly not fooling around about his skills with the six yard. After pleating the pallu, he flung it over her shoulder and shifted his focus to making the front pleats which he secured with a pin and tucked it near her navel. He adjusted them neatly ensuring they fell straight. Finally he adjusted the pallu and pinned it to the blouse at the back of her shoulder. Once he was done, he took a step back admiring his handiwork.
"Done," he proclaimed proudly as Zoya opened her eyes and turned to see herself in the mirror. She was completely at a loss for words as she stared at her reflection only to see Adi had draped the saree on her like a pro.
"Wow Adi! But honestly where did you learn?" she asked him eagerly surprised that he had draped it so neatly. He could probably give even Pooja a run for money in this area of expertise.
"You remember my friend from college, Robbie? Rabindro?"
"That Bengali friend of yours?" Zoya replied recollecting the guy she had met on the night of their reception.
"Yeah the same. So every time I accompanied him to Kolkata for durga pooja or any other family event, he insisted I wear a dhoti. So sort of, you know got a hang of it and then some time back I had googled how to drape a saree. It's no rocket science. To be honest it's fairly easy," he said winking at her before his tone took on a serious note.
"But I can't promise I will be a gentleman next time you want me to do it," he teased her as she playfully smacked his shoulder and turned to survey herself once more.
"Thanks Adi! This is perfect!" she said smiling looking at his reflection but Adi didn't look so pleased.
"Ummm... It's not perfect. Not yet," he said and walked over to their cupboard and from inside the drawer, he pulled out an antique jewelry box.
"These will go perfectly with your saree," he told her handing her the box.
"For me?" Zoya exclaimed loudly as Adi nodded.
She opened the box and gasped. Inside it was a beautiful pair of antique gold jhumkas with red rubies studded in them along with pearl droplets. How she had loved these when she had seen it for the first time...
"Hmmm... Zoya... these are not exactly new. It's..." he trailed off but Zoya did not let him finish his sentence.
"They are beautiful Adi!" she said eyes brimming with tears.
"I always loved it when aunty wore these. I had made ammi promise me she will get the exact the same earrings made for me when I grew up," she said smiling through her tears.
"I still remember how beautiful Anjana aunty was. It's no wonder she looked good in anything she wore and these jhumkas? I could never figure out if they made her look beautiful or she made them feel so special," she said admiring them but realizing something she hesitated.
"Are you sure you want me to have them Adi?" Zoya asked him knowing what it meant for him to hand over something so precious that once belonged to his mother to someone else. Even if it was her.
Adi said nothing but leaning over he pressed a soft kiss to her temple.
"Am sure Ma would have wanted you to have them," he told her cupping her face in his hands and wiped the tears off her face gently with his thumb. Taking the box from her hands, he made her face the mirror and put the jhumkas on her.
"Perfect!" he remarked looking at her reflection in the mirror but Zoya scrunched her face thinking hard and shook her head in a no.
"Now what?" he asked her puzzled.
In reply she took his hands from behind circling her waist and leaned into his arms.
"This feels perfect!" she said gazing into the mirror, a contented smile playing on her lips as he smiled back kissing the top of her head.
Present Day: Hooda Penthouse, Mumbai
Looking into the mirror, Aditya tightened the knot of his tie, pulling it up to his collar and adjusted his hair once more before heading downstairs. Being a long haul pilot, it meant he got to fly all over the world but it also meant spending a great deal of time away from home which included a lazy Sunday as well. He knew both Arjun and Noor would be asleep since it was still 6 am in the morning and decided to grab his breakfast at the airport but he was surprised to see it laid out for him on the dining table.
"Good morning bhaiyya," Noor greeted him as she filled a glass with orange juice and kept it beside his breakfast of scrambled eggs and a toast that resembled a -
"Well the smiley was not my idea bhaiyya. Our little chef deserves the accolades for that one," Noor smiled seeing Adi frown at the toast that had been cut into a round shape with eyes and a smile drawn using a ketchup sauce.
"But Noor there was no need to take all this trouble. I would have grabbed something at the airport," Adi insisted.
"It was no trouble at all bhaiyya and besides when you get a direct order from the home minister, you don't really have a choice," Noor replied shaking her head.
"Truth be told, if she could have her way she wouldn't have waited till morning even. Since it was already late by the time we arrived I had to put her to bed. But she made me promise that we will surprise you first thing in the morning."
As Noor recounted how pleased Aliya had been ever since Adi had brought home the puppy, Adi barely listened to her words scanning the room for something. Or rather, someone.
"Aliya is downstairs in the lawn playing with Snowy bhaiyaa," she said answering his unspoken question.
"Oh!" was all Adi said pursing his lips. But as he ate the toast Noor could swear she saw the ghost of a smile on her brother in law's face.
After finishing his breakfast, Adi thanked Noor and was about to leave when he felt a gentle tug on his pant. When he looked below, he saw his daughter standing before him, still in her pink floral night suit looking up at him hopefully. She seemed a tad bit nervous too as she beckoned him to come closer. Wondering what it could be this time, Adi obliged and sat on his knees so that he was now eye level with her. Before he could ask her anything, she took him by surprise by flinging her tiny arms around him and held on for a moment resting her head on his shoulder. This simple gesture of affection threw him off guard entirely and he was not sure how to reciprocate to it. It had been years since he had felt anything remotely warm touch his frozen heart but today as his child hugged him pouring in all her love and gratitude into it without expecting anything in return, without expecting him to hug her back even he felt some of that ice begin to melt.
"Thank you Pa," she whispered into his ears before planting a kiss on his cheek. Pulling back she smiled a brilliant smile, her warm chocolate brown eyes twinkling with a joy that knew no bounds and ran back into the kitchen with Snowy at her heels.
While Aditya's mind tried to process what had just happened, his heart felt a fuzzy warmth for the first time in many years and then, he smiled. A smile that reached his eyes and made him feel alive again.
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Book Talk
Cricket
