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"Good morning Ma'am. What can I do for you?" The receptionist asked without losing her professional front. The girl looked pale as if she was scared for her life. I wanted to ask her if she would be fine but decided to not to interfere in the matters of a stranger.
"Can I meet Mr. Hooda?" I requested in a firm voice, even though the atmosphere of the firm was making me apprehensive.
"Do you have an appointment, Ma'am?"
"I am afraid, I don't have one," Lightly biting my lower lip, a nervous action of mine I stared at the girl for a help.
"Give me a second; let me check if I can let you in."
"Sure, thank you."
She went to her computer and keeping a steady gaze there, she asked, "What is your name?"
"Zoya, Zoya Aro...Siddiqui." I cringed at my slip up. With a pain in my heart, I realized that I have yet to come to the reality that I am no more an Arora but a Siddiqui.
"Excuse me?" She looked up, asking me to repeat.
"I am Zoya Siddiqui." This time my voice was solid, lacking any hint of contempt.
The receptionist gave me a smile, which never reached her eyes. Once again, I wondered what could possibly have made her morning that bad. "I am sorry Ma'am; I do not think I can put you into the busy schedule of Mr. Hooda."
My hope fell down there. He was the last hope I had in this town. "You mean I cannot meet Arjun today?"
"Yeah..." She trailed off feeling guilty, but soon a puzzled look took over on her face, her eyebrows met at the center. "Did you just say Arjun?"
"Yes," I was puzzled by then. "I told you I want to meet Mr. Arjun Hooda."
Irritation swiped through my veins but I kept it under check. I was not a person who would get frustrated for silly things but since two weeks my all resolve was braking, and I was getting bitter to my life and to the whole world. However, who wouldn't be bitter when your whole realm crumbles down in front of your eyes and everything you can do is, watch holding your fingers crossed until every piece vanishes into thin air.
She stood up, keeping a hand on the countertop. "No, you said you wanted to meet Mr. Hooda." Her stiff posture was unsurprising to me, but her calmness was. She looked too normal for a person battling her own. I could clearly see her inner turmoil with a single glance of her eyes.
Avoiding the eyes, I asked. "What difference that makes?" With one more minute of eye contact, I would rush to her side and pull her to me, to soothe her pain. My mom always told me that I was an idiot to think about everyone around me but that was what I am. That made me Zoya Siddiqui.
"Huge,"
"How?"
"I thought you wanted to meet our chief and that's why I said you cannot meet him today. I can let you in to meet Arjun sir." She replied, and the small smile tugging the corner of her lips when she said Arjun sir, didn't go unnoticed by me.
Arjun sir has an admirer. I smirked; nothing will do badly if I tease the guy a bit, will it?
As the girl instructed I went to the elevator. Arjun's office was at the third floor. After entering the lift with a couple of woman and men, I took a far corner, trying not to hear their conversation, which was impossible when they talked loud not caring their surroundings.
***
I knocked on the door twice before getting a reply from inside. Never in my life had I thought I would have to meet my best friend from college like this, as a client and lawyer.
I opened the door to be welcomed by the sharp light. The room looked beautiful, and it screamed the Arjun I met nine years ago. He was nowhere to be seen. As I look around, I saw a wall length rack of books, mostly law books, a table stood in the center of the room, directly in the line of the door. The door opens to the view of the table and a chair. There was a two-seat couch, a coffee table, and a half-opened door. A typical cabin for an advocate.
"Sorry for letting you..." I heard a voice I recognized as Arjun from behind me as I was looking through the plants the corner of the room had. He loved nature.
I turned; a small smile crept on my lips watching his face turn whitish, as he saw a ghost. "Zoya? "
"Yes, Arjun."
I had no time to blink; I was in the arms of my best friend before I could even breathe. He squeezed the life out of me. "What brought you here? Oh, my god, I cannot believe it." He spoke loudly.
"Leave me," I mumbled to his chest,
"Opposes sorry, he slackened his grip but did not take his hands off me. Putting them on my shoulder, he placed me in an arm's length and studied me. He looked into my eyes, and slowly yet steadily, his eyes took a concerned look, with a frown on his forehead. "What's the matter Zoya?"
That was what Arjun for me. He could see through me and it was always pointless to lie to him. "I came to ask a favor," I replied looking anywhere but him.
"Come, let's sit." He pulled me towards the couch. "By the way how's Yash?"
He had to ask that, hadn't he? Obviously, he would, after all, Yash was another best friend.
He might have noticed the stiffness of my body because his own went rigid as he was expecting I would come asking for a favor. I thought to put a stop to his misery.
"I not only come to you because you are my friend, but because you are a lawyer."
His eyes darkened, fury was visible. "Don't tell me he..." Arjun trailed off, I know it was difficult for him to utter those words.
"I want to file a divorce."
There the truth came out, but what I didn't know was, the person stood near the door, hearing what I said. I wish I had checked before I spoke.
***
Next part - Aditya will make an entry.
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