[Zoya woke up a few minutes after the sun rose, her eyes droopy and exhausted as ever. She slowly got off the bed and into the bathroom, and constantly began splashing her face with water, somehow hoping that it would wipe away her past.

She wiped the water off her face with her dupatta and slowly stepped outside the room, to find him fast asleep on the couch. Somehow, something had taken over her when she saw the way he slept.

She was mildly honoured by the fact that he gave up his bed and slept on the couch for a woman he had never known before, but something looked incomplete as he slept. She noticed the blanked that lay on the bed and she picked it up before returning to the hall and placing it over him.

She barely realised that he was such a light sleeper because the moment her fingers that held the blanket lightly grazed his skin, he instantly woke up, slightly startling her and him, and immediately, he was confused.]

Aditya: (Sleepy) Kya kar rahi thi...*yawn* Kya kar rahi thi tum?

Zoya: (Scared) K-Kuch nahi...Woh...Aap...Hume laga ki Aapko thank lag rahi thi isliye...

Aditya: (Pushing the blanket off him) Koi zaroorat nahi hai, Main theek hoon

Zoya: J-Ji...

[Quietly, she folded the blanket and then understood that it was time for her to leave.]

Zoya: H-Humaara jaane ka waqt Ho Gaya hai...Aapki madad ke liye bahut bahut shukriya

[Taking a sip of water, he silently nodded and she understood the cue. She hesitantly left his house, and slowly walked onto the Main Street, which was rather busy considering it was only 9 in the morning.

She took a few steps ahead until she felt something tug the end of her dupatta. Confused, she turned around to find a 3 or 4 year old girl looking at her mischievously. A small smile on Zoya's face as she saw the child and bent down to speak to her.]

Zoya: Beta, humaara dupatta chor do, Please

Girl: Nahi, Aap bahut sundar Ho!

Zoya: (Smiling) Thank you, lekin Hume jaana hai, beta. Aapki Maa kahaan hai? Aap apna raasta Kho gayi hai Kya?

[The girl giggled before running off, towards the traffic and crowd. ]

Zoya: (Panicking) Arre! Arre! Beta, wahaan mat jaao! Ya mere khuda, yeh kaunsi nayi musibat hai?

[Alarmed, Zoya ran behind the child and pulled her to one side before a truck almost ran her over.]

Zoya: (Angry) Yeh Kya tareeka hai bhaagne ka?  Hum nahi aate toh yeh truck aapse takraati Na? Chalo ab, Mujhe bataao tumhaara Ghar kahaan hai, Main tumhe chhodkar aaongi!

[Zoya picked the girl up in her arms, in hopes that the child would tell her the way to her home, but in vain, she didn't open her mouth.]

Zoya: (Irritated) Beta, Agar aap hume apne Ghar ka pata nahi bataayenge toh hum Aapko Ghar kaise lekar jaayenge? Kuch toh bolo!

[After god knows how many tries, Zoya was frustrated and after asking almost everyone on the street, she knew there was just one way out of this.

Aditya.

She hated that she had to go back and ask him for help again. She had already felt like a burden on him, but her humanity and maternal instincts didn't let her abandon the child just like that.

She sighed and walked back to his house, and after taking a huge breathe, she rang the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and needless to say Aditya looked at her and rolled his eyes.]

Aditya: Tum? Phir se? Aur...Tara?

Zoya: A-Aap isse jaante hai? Shukar hai! Hum kabse isska ghar dhoondne ki koshish kar rahe the!

Tara: (Smiling) Dita! Dita!

[Aditya smiled before taking Tara in his arms while Zoya looked on in confusion.]

Zoya: (Confused) Dita?

Aditya: Tara 'Aditya' nahi bol sakti hai, isliye Mujhe Dita bulaati hai

Zoya: Shukar hai koi toh isse jaanta hai! Aap Mujhe isska ghar Bata sakte hai? Hum jaane hi waale hi the Aur tab yeh bacchi humaare saamne aa gayi, traffic ki ore bhi bhaagne lagi! Pata nahi isski Ma ko isski fikar hai bhi ya nahi!

Aditya: Tara ki Nani isska khyaal rakhti hai

Zoya: A-Accha, sahi

Aditya: Tum jaa sakti Ho, Main Tara ko Ghar lekar jaaonga

Zoya: T-Theek hai...Shukriya...

[Zoya turned around and walked away. She walked and walked around town, her eyes and ears alert for any signs of danger around and she finally sat down on the bench, bewildered and confused about what to do next.

She had used up all her money to get the bus away from Auli so there was no way she could get out of Mussoorie, and if she wanted to, she had to earn it. ]

Zoya: (To herself) Ya Allah, ab aap hi bata sakte ki hume aage kya karna chahiye. Mussoorie se nikalna filhaal namumkin hai, lekin yeh zaalim Log humaare peeche hi padenge.

Kuch toh ishaara dein, Mere khuda, meri mushkil aasaan kar dein

[She looked around and saw an elderly woman struggle with heavy shopping bags, and instinctively, Zoya rushed to help her.]

Zoya: Maa ji, aapki thodi madad kar lein? Laayie, Hume woh bag dijiye

Elderly woman: Arre nahi beta, Humaara ghar yahi par hai, hum sambhaal lenge

Zoya: Iss Umar mein Itna kaam sehat ke liye Accha nahi hai, dijiye, woh bag dijiye

[The elderly woman handed the heavy grocery bag to Zoya, and together, she helped the woman home.]

Elderly woman: Shukriya Beta! Darasal humaara saara kaam ek aaya karti thi, lekin woh 2 mahine pehle hi humesha ke liye apne gaaon chali gayi

Zoya: Oh, Accha, Accha

Elderly woman: Haan Beta, ab inn taango mein pehle waali taakat nahi rahi hai. Upar se Humaari 3 saal ki poti bhi hai, jisska khyaal rakhna hai. Haan kabhi kabhi humaara padosi, jo Air Force mein kaam karta hai, usska khyaal rakhta hai, lekin baar baar Accha thodi Na lagta? Woh bhi bahut busy hota hai apne kaam mein...

[Was this Allah's signal to Zoya?

Immediately, Zoya spoke, in hopes that perhaps she could work.]

Zoya: Maaji, jaante hai ki aap Hume Bilqul nahi jaante lekin humaare haalaat bahut kharaab hai, isliye aapse kuch puch sakte hai?

Elderly woman: Kya baat hai? Tumhe paise chahiye?

Zoya: Nahi, Nahi, Aisa kuch nahi hai

Elderly woman: Toh phir?

[Zoya narrated her entire story, including how she was running away from her in-laws and she desperately needed a place to hide away from them and a means to earn money.]

Zoya: (Crying) Hum bahut bharosemand hai, Maaji...Aapko iss ghar mein ek kaam nahi karna padega! Hum aapki poti ko sambhaalenge, ghar bhi sambhaalenge Aur——

Maaji: Arre nahi, iss ghar mein mulaazim hai. Mujhe filhaal sirf aaya ki zaroorat hai. Tumhe ek kamra milega rehne ke liye, aur tumhe meri poti ke saath saath, sabzi- wagerah lena bhi jaana padega. Kar paaogi?

Zoya: Haan! Haan, Maaji, aapko shikayat ka mauka nahi milega!

Maaji: Toh theek hai phir! Kal se tumhaara kaam shuru, sahi?

Zoya: (Hugging the woman) Thank you, Maaji, aapne humaari jaan bacha di! Thank you! Thank you!

Maaji: Koi baat nahi beta, Ruko, Main tumhe apni poti se milwaati hoon

[The woman looked around the house and after not finding her grand-Daughter, was about to head out until the doorbell rang.

She opened the door and a wide smile was plastered across her face. Zoya walked a few steps ahead to get an idea of what exactly was going on.]

Elderly woman: Arre Aditya beta! Main Abhi tumhaare paas aane waali thi! Mujhe laga hi tha ki Tara tumhaare paas hogi!

Aditya: (Entering) Badi sharaarti hai Tara! Aaj market ki ore bhaag rahi thi! Shukar hai uss aurat ne usse bacha liya warna———Tum?

[Zoya's eyes glared in embarrassment, and immediately Tara ran towards her and threw her arms around her.

Nani was needless to say, confused.]

Tara: Nani, iss didi ne mujhko market se bachaaya!

Zoya: (Embarrassed) Woh...

Nani: Kya? Sach mein?

Aditya: Haan, Tara sahi keh rahi hai

Nani: Ab toh Mujhe yakeen Ho Gaya ki tum Tara ki aaya banne ke liye Bilqul sahi Ho!

Aditya: (Confused) Aaya?

Nani: Haan Beta, yeh Zoya hai, Tara ki nayi Aaya

[Aditya looked at Zoya rather suspiciously, while she nervously kept looking down.

For some reason, Aditya felt something very fishy about Zoya. But then again, Aditya was a part of the armed force, and he was taught to never trust anyone just by the first glimpse.

It was his second nature to doubt anyone and everyone.]

Aditya: Mujhe chalna chahiye, bahut der Ho gayi hai

Nani: Theek hai beta, Ho sake toh Aaj raat ke khaane ke liye aa jaana

Aditya: Ji

[Aditya and Zoya shared a brief glance before he left the house.

That glance made two things certain.

Aditya didn't trust Zoya and Zoya was somehow fully aware of that.]

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Hope you guys liked chapter 2 of Judaai! Also for anyone else following the show, how freaking CUTE WAS THEIR CHEMISTRY TODAY UFF LIKE TOTALLY QAATILANA

Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you think in the comments and vote if you liked it!

Love you!

Chandni ❤️