*A few days later, in the evening*

Zoya: (Walking to the kitchen) Arre, aap aa gaye? Sorry, Tution abhi abhi khatam Hua tha, shaayad nazar nahi aaya hoga...

Aditya: Koi baat nahi, Main abhi 5 minute pehle hi aaya, doosre darwaaze se

Zoya: Accha...Aap chai piyenge?

Aditya: Chai...Haan, theek hai

[Zoya proceeded to boil the milk and tea leaves while Aditya just watched her, silently.]

Aditya: Tara kahaan hai?

Zoya: Woh abhi so rahi hai, ek ghante pehle hi school se aa gayi thi

Aditya: Accha

[Aditya noticed the phone which had white earphones connected to it placed on the platform, besides Zoya, and he looked rather confused.

Since when did Zoya start listening to music? ]

Aditya: Woh earphones...Tumhaare hai?

Zoya: (Embarrassed) Huh? H-Haan...K-Kuch nahi bass y-y-Yunhi...

Aditya: Tum Itna Sharma kyun rahi Ho?

Zoya: H-Hum? Nahi, Nahi...Woh...

Aditya: Tumne gaana sunna shuru kiya hai?

Zoya: Thoda, Thoda, Bass...

Aditya: (Excited) Seriously?! Wow!

Zoya: Kya Hua?

Aditya: Kuch nahi...Accha, yeh bataao, kaunsa gaana sunn rahi Ho abhi?

Zoya: Woh...

Aditya: Kya?

Zoya: D-Dil hai ki...

Aditya: Maanta nahi? Mera favorite gaana?

Zoya: Haan...Bass abhi abhi pasand kiya hai...

[Aditya didn't even know how funny he looked with the wide smile on his face, he didn't even know why such a small, irrelevant thing made him so happy.]

Zoya: Kya Hua? Itna kyun muskura rahe hai?

Aditya: Kuch nahi, Bass Maan lo meri song choice amazing hai

Zoya: Theek hi toh hai...

Aditya: Haan Haan, obviously tum admit nahi karogi ki meri choice acchi hai

Zoya: Accha ab hume tang mat karein, hum...hum chai bana rahe hai

[Zoya poured the tea in the two cups and placed one of the cups besides Aditya before screaming loudly and sitting on the platform with her feet up.

Aditya looked at her in confusion, trying to understand what had happened to her.]

Aditya: Tumhe Kya Ho gaya?

Zoya: W-Woh...C-Cockroach...Eeeks!

[Aditya turned around and saw a tiny cockroach on the floor. He laughed to himself before picking it up and Zoya looked at him in horror.]

Zoya: K-Kya kar rahe hai aap? D-Dekhiye, humaare kareeb mat aayie! H-Hum Bata rahe hai...

Aditya: (Coming closer) Warna?

[Zoya screamed and jumped off the platform before running out of the kitchen while Aditya chased her, holding the live cockroach in his hand. Sneakily, he placed the cockroach outside on the grass, besides the window, but Zoya, who thought the cockroach was still in his hand, continued running away.]

Zoya: (Scared) Humne kaha tha...D-Door rahiye, w-Warna...

[Zoya tried running, until she tripped and almost fell backwards, before he quickly caught her in his arms, and noticed how distressed she looked. Carefully, he brought her up to her feet, until she tried running again, but this time, he held her shoulders in his grip, slowly coming close to her.]

Zoya: Chhodiye hume...C-Cockroach...

Aditya: (Pulling her close) Ghar ke baahar hai

Zoya: (Embarassed) Oh...S-Shukar hai...

Aditya: Mere hote hue, tumhe kissi cheez se darrne ki zaroorat nahi hai

[Somehow, Aditya's words had such a nuanced affect on Zoya, even she didn't understand how she felt by those words.

Yet, his proximity would do something to her.

But Aditya...Aditya didn't know why he said those words. Why he felt like he had to reassure Zoya, and tell her that he was there, for her?]

Zoya: C-Chai...Thandi hui hogi...H-Hum lekar aate hai...

[She went to the kitchen and returned with two cups in her hand, before handing one over to him.]

Aditya: Woh...Tumse Kuch puchna tha

Zoya: Ji kahiye?

Aditya: Kapoor sir ne Kal dinner pe bulaaya hai, hum dono ko...

Zoya: Kapoor sir? Oh Accha, jo hume uss function par mile the?

Aditya: Haan, wahi

Zoya: Accha...Theek Hai, hum chalenge

Aditya: Sach mein?

Zoya: Aapko baar baar tassali ki zaroorat kyun hoti hai?

Aditya: Main bass puch raha tha...Kabhi kabhi yakeen hota hai, isliye

Zoya: Kyun yakeen nahi hota hai? Aapko kyun lagta hai ki hum nahi aayenge?

Aditya: Woh...Pata nahi...

Zoya: Khair, chhodiye, Hume bataayie, aapka dinn kaisa guzra?

Aditya: Theek tha, Bass bahut kaam hai

Zoya: Woh toh hogi hi, zimmedaari badh gayi hai

Aditya: Haan, yeh bhi sahi hai

[Their conversation soon died and it was just blissful silence with both of them sipping their teas.]

Aditya: Tum sukoon paane ke liye Kya karti Ho?

Zoya: Matlab?

Aditya: Matlab jaise Main uss thele ka chai peekar, gaane sunnta hoon...Waise tum Kya karti Ho?

Zoya: Hum? Hum likhte hai

Aditya: Seriously? Kya likhti Ho?

Zoya: Shayari, Nazm, waghera...

Aditya: Wow...Kuch suna sakti Ho?

Zoya: Kissi Aur dinn...Humne bahut waqt ke liye na Kuch likha hai, Na kissi ko sunaane ki himmat ki hai

Aditya: Kyun?

Zoya: Hume bahut sharam aati hai...Humaara mizaaj hai hi Sharmila...Lekin hume humesha darr hai ki Log Kya sochenge

Aditya: Log toh humesha baat karenge Zoya...Lekin tumhe Bass wohi karna chahiye jisse tumhe khushi milein

[Zoya was beginning to notice how her name rolled off his tongue. How the way he said 'Zoya' had such a calming effect, how it sounded so soothing.]

Zoya: Hum Tara ko dekhkar aate hai, woh uth gayi hogi

Aditya: Haan, theek hai

[Zoya saw Tara was fast asleep and returned to the living room, where Aditya was sat.

She couldn't believe that she told Aditya about her poetry, that she wrote. She had always been so scared of showing anyone this side of her, because she feared judgment so much. She feared what people would think of her, she feared their remarks.

Just as both of them were sat down, the doorbell suddenly rang.]

Aditya: Main dekhta hoon

[Aditya got up and headed towards the door, before opening it and not quite believing what he saw.]

Aditya: (Shocked) Arjun?

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