*2 weeks later*
It had been 2 week since and Zoya and Aditya barely spoke to each other. Although Aditya would silently watch over Zoya, she was completely unaware of it.

Despite her injuries, Zoya was slowly recovering. She woke up the next morning and Slowly, yet gently, she tried getting up and walking, whilst holding on to the wall besides her, made her way to the kitchen.

She reached out to the steel vessel that was placed on the stove and not knowing that it was hot, picked it up before dropping it and screaming, and spilling hot tea all over her feet.]

Zoya: (Screaming) AHHH!

[Aditya ran into the kitchen and found Zoya on the floor, fallen, and rushed to her side.]

Aditya: Zoya! Dhyaan kahaan rehta hai tumhaara yaar?

Zoya: (Crying) Ahh...Woh...Garam tha, h-hume pata nahi tha...

Aditya: Koi baat nahi, Ruko, Main kapda lekar aata hoon

[Zoya was sat on the floor, her back against the wall and she watched Aditya return with a cloth in his hand and clean the mess she had made.

She watched how he was carefully wiping the mess from her feet with a cold cloth, and she failed to understand why he was doing so much for her.

After clearing the mess, he struck his hand out and Zoya looked at it wishfully, before looking at him.]

Aditya: Mujhe aise ghoorna bandh karo, haath do, Chalo

[Hesitantly, Zoya placed her hand in his and helped her stand on her own feet. Aditya then lowered his head before leaving, until she held his wrist, to which he looked at her in surprise.]

Aditya: (Leaving) Mujhe jaana chahiye, Sorry...

Zoya: Thank you

Aditya: It's alright, Itni badi baat nahi hai...

[She let go of his wrist and he left, leaving Zoya with many unanswered questions.]

*A week later*

[It was the same usual morning and Zoya went to Nani's house to wake up Tara and get her ready, but she decided to wake Nani up first before leaving like she usually would.]

Zoya: Chaliye Nani, hum Tara ko school lekar jaa rahe hai

[Zoya was surprised when she found that Nani was still fast asleep. She walked closer to her and gently touched her arm to wake her up, but all she felt was a lifeless arm.

Her heart began racing, and she placed Nani's wrist close to her ears and after not feeling any pulse, her heart sank.

Nani was no more.]

Zoya: N-N-Nani...N-Nani...

Tara: Zo! School ke liye late Ho raha hai! Chalo Na!

[Zoya's maternal instincts immediately kicked in and she pulled Tara close to her chest, before quickly running downstairs and waking up Kaka and Khala, who were sleeping.]

Zoya: (Crying) K-Kaka...Tara ko Bass 5 minute ke liye padkein, hum abhi aate hain...Khala, Ambulance ko bulaayein, abhi! Abhi!

[Crying, Zoya ran across the street to her home, and barged into the living room, where Aditya was sat, sipping his tea.

He immediately got up and rushed to her side upon seeing her cry, curious to know what happened.]

Aditya: Kya Hua? Ro kyun rahi Ho, Bolo! Zoya bolo!

Zoya: (Crying) N-Nani...Nani...

[Aditya and Zoya rushed to the hospital in the ambulance, but Nani was already dead by the time they reached.

How were they going to tell Tara, who was at home, with Ramu Kaka, that Nani wasn't going to return? That the one woman who single handedly raised her grandchild, was no longer there?]

Zoya: A-Aditya...Hum Tara ko kaise...

Aditya: Mujhe bhi woh samajh nahi aa raha...Lekin hum Tara ke saamne nahi toot sakte, Zoya...Tara bahut choti hai, usse Kuch samajh nahi aayega

Zoya: (Wiping her tears) Aap sahi keh rahe hai...

Aditya: Aaj shaam ko unnka antim sanskaar hoga, toh abhi Ghar chalte hai, Tara ko humaari zaroorat hai

Zoya: Haan, Haan...

[They reached home, and Tara looked at both of them, extremely confused.]

Tara: (Crying) Nani kahaan gayi Zo? Dita?

Zoya: Tara...Nani...Nani bhagwaan ke paas hai...

Tara: (Crying) Kya matlab? Woh bhi mummy papa ki tarah Mujhe chhod ke Chali gayi?

Zoya: (Hugging Tara) Aise nahi kehte meri jaan, Tara, tum bahut bahaadur Ho Na?

Tara: (Crying) Mujhe Nani chahiye, Dita! Zo! Meri Nani!

[Aditya and Zoya bent forward and hugged Tara tight, as she cried in both of their arms.
They didn't have an answer to any of her questions, because they themselves were so shocked by her sudden death.

That following evening, Nani's final rites took place and Tara moved in with Zoya and Aditya.

As shocked as Tara was, to the unusually new environment, Aditya and Zoya were equally surprised. They were only now going to face what they had really signed up for.

A week later, Aditya and Zoya signed Tara's adoption papers, which was written by Nani, and they were officially and legally Tara's parents.

But there was so much to being parents than just signing on pieces of paper, and Aditya and Zoya were going to face that.]

*A month later*

[It had been a month, and Aditya and Zoya had quite literally changed their entire schedules so Tara felt comfortable and settled in more quickly.

That night, they were sat the dinner table, and both of them noticed that Tara wasn't eating.]

Zoya: (Caressing Tara's head) Tara...Kya baat hai, khaana kyun nahi kha rahi Ho?

Tara: Aap dono Kab chhod ke jaaoge Mujhe?

[Zoya and Aditya looked at each other rather concerned, before both of them got up and knelt down, besides Tara.]

Aditya: Tara, Kya Hua? Yeh Kya puch rahi Ho?

Tara: (Crying) Dita...Main jissi ko love karti hoon, woh chala jaata hai...Aaj...Aaj school mein woh ladki ne kaha tha...

Aditya: Kissne kaha tha? Abhi Batao!

Zoya: Aditya...Shaant Ho jaayie...

Tara: (Crying) Pehle Mummy Papa, phir Nani Aur tum dono gaye toh?

Zoya: Meri jaan, meri zindagi...hum kahi nahi jaa rahe, Tara, Rona bandh karo

Aditya: Kissne kaha ki mummy papa nahi hai? Hum hai na? Main tumhaare Papa, Aur Zoya, Tumhaari Ma

Zoya: Haan Tara, aur Mummy Papa kabhi aapka saath nahi chhodenge

Tara: Pakka na?

Zoya: Pakka. Kyun, Mr. Hooda?

Aditya: Haan Mrs. Hooda, Bilqul!

Zoya: Accha ab Tara jaldi khaana khaayegi aur phir hum ek movie dekhenge, sahi?

Tara: Yay!

Aditya: Chalo, Chalo! Jaldi khaao! Dekho, Mumma ne toh khaana khatam kar diya hai!

[That night, Aditya and Zoya watched a Disney movie, Tara sitting on Zoya's lap, but somehow both of them couldn't get over what Tara had said.

"Pehle Mummy Papa, phir Nani Aur tum dono gaye toh?"

It was certain now. Come what may, Aditya and Zoya would be with Tara, protecting and watching over her.]

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I'm in a mood hence the double updates LOL

Hope you guys liked it!! Sorry if it seems too fast, I don't like dragging stories and no one likes really sad moments running for too Long.

Thank you for reading!

Love you ❤️