*The next day, in the evening*

Zoya: Nahi Beta, yeh sentence formation galat hai... 'ki' ki maatra choti honi chahiye, yeh dekho...Aa gaya samajh?

[Zoya was so engrossed in tutoring the kids that she didn't notice Aditya had entered the house, until she heard his footsteps on the wooden flooring of the living room.

She looked up at him and gave him a slight smile before one child pulled the sleeve of her Kurta for her attention.]

Zoya: Haan, Haan, Bolo, Kya Hua?

Kid: Yeh sahi hai Kya?

Zoya: Haan, yeh sahi hai! Shaabash!

Kid: Toh Main Ghar jaaon?

Zoya: Hmm...Theek hai, lekin homework complete karna hai, sahi?

Kid: Yes ma'am!

Zoya: Aur seedhe Ghar jaana, kahi bhatakna nahi hai!

Kid: Okay! Bye miss!

Zoya: (Smiling) Bye!

Kid 2: Miss, Main bhi Ghar jaaon? Mere Papa waapis aa gaye honge!

Zoya: Woh sum pura karo, phir chale jaana, theek hai?

Kid 2: Ok miss!

[In about half an hour, the kids went home after the tuition, and upon seeing the time, Zoya rushed to her room, pulling the dupatta over her head.

She rolled the mat out before she sat down to pray, and Aditya who was just passing by her room couldn't help but stop in his tracks. This was probably the third time he had stood to watch her pray. He didn't know why he found himself so drawn towards her praying. The radiance that set on her face as she prayed was something he just refused to understand.

What was it that she was praying for, with so much faith, so much belief, so much trust? What did her lips silently murmur to her god, and beyond all, why was he so curious to know what she prayed for?

He shrugged his thoughts when he heard the doorbell ring and saw Tara at the door.]

Aditya: Arre? Aa gayi Tara?

Tara: Haan!

Aditya: (Taking her bag) Aaj school kaisa tha?

Tara: Good tha...But Dita, meri nayi teacher bahut khadoos hai

Aditya: Accha?

Tara: Haan! Itna homework deti hai!

Zoya: (Laughing) Toh isliye khadoos hai?

Tara: Haan Zo-Zo!

Aditya: Yeh Kya? Tumne dabba khatam nahi kiya?

Tara: Dita, Mujhe yeh sabzi pasand nahi hai!

Zoya: Jo sehat ke liye Accha hai, woh toh Bilqul pasand nahi aata hai aapko, Tara!

Tara: Kal se khaaongi, pakka!

Zoya: Kal se Aapko sandwich denge, sahi?

Tara: Haan, Ok! Waise Zo-Zo...

Zoya: Hmm?

Tara: Maine bahut dinn se chocolate nahi khaya hai...

Zoya: Accha? Aur Kal chocolate ice cream Kissne khaya?

Tara: Woh alag hai...kyun, Dita?

Aditya: Haan, Of course, different hai!

[Zoya glared at Aditya, while he cheekily gave Tara a hi-five and picked her up in his arms.]

Zoya: Aap hi bigaad rahe hai Tara ko!

Aditya: (kissing Tara's cheek) Haan yaar, meri beti ko nahi bigaadunga toh aur kisse bigaadunga? Kyun, Tara?

Tara: (Hugging Aditya) Yay!

[Zoya smiled at the sight in front of her. She saw how genuinely happy Tara and Aditya looked, and that made her so happy.]

Zoya: Accha hum bazaar jaa rahe hai, kissi ko Kuch chahiye?

Aditya: Tum kyun? Hum saath chalenge, Aur phir baahar dinner bhi karenge, kyun Tara?

Tara: Yay!

Zoya: Accha ji? Aur aapka homework Kaun karega?

Tara: Waapis aakar karungi, Zo-Zo, pakka!

Aditya: Haan Haan kar legi, Chalo Na Zoya!

Zoya: Uffo...Accha theek hai, chalo

[Soon, the three of them walked around the market, but as they walked, Tara's eyes fell on something.

She saw a jewellery and clothes vendor on the right side of the street and pulled Aditya's hand towards it. Zoya walked a bit ahead, not knowing that Aditya and Tara had stopped behind.]

Aditya: Kya Hua?

Tara: Woh dupatta dekho Dita!

Aditya: Tumhe aise kapdo ka shaukh Kab se padha hai? Waise bhi, woh dupatta tumhaare liye bahut bada nahi hai?

Tara: Uffo! Main Zo-Zo ki baat kar rahi hoon Dita!

Aditya: Kya?

Tara: Zo-Zo par yeh dupatta accha dikhega, nahi?

Aditya: Shaayad...Kyun?

Tara: Toh unnke liye le lo na!

Aditya: Kyun?

Tara: Aise hi!

Aditya: Chocolate khaakar tumhaare dimaag mein kuch Hua Hai shaayad

Tara: Dita!

Aditya: Usse yeh pasand nahi aayega, Tara

[Aditya knew Zoya would have loved the dupatta, but he still remembered her reaction after he gifted her the jhumkas.

He couldn't forget the way she shouted at him, which was probably justified on her part, but the jhumkas still lied in his cupboard, and would probably never even be worn.]

Tara: Pasand aayega!

Aditya: Nahi aayega...Faaltu ka zidd karna chhod do, aur chalo

Tara: Nahi! Mujhe woh dupatta chahiye, aur Main Yahaan se kahi nahi jaaongi!

Aditya: Tara...Yaar, please, yeh kissi aur dinn khareed lenge, abhi nahi

Tara: Kissi Aur dinn lena hi hai toh aaj Kyun nahi? Apni princess Zo-Zo ke liye Itna nahi kar sakte?

Shopkeeper: Le lijiye sahab! 700 ka hai! Isse accha dupatta puri Mussoorie mein nahi milega!

Aditya: Hey bhagwaan...Accha, de do

[They walked back and found Zoya further up, waiting for them.]

Zoya: Kahaan gaye the aap dono?

Tara: Kahi nahi! Bass maine Kuch toys dekhe the, Bass!

Zoya: Accha...Main Thoda saamaan le liya hai, toh ab dinner ke liye chalein?

Tara: Haan, Chalo! Chalo!

[Dinner was normal, as usual, but Zoya began finding herself more and more comfortable with Aditya and Tara. It obviously took time but slowly, Zoya began seeing a tiny family form.

They reached home at around 9:30, and Zoya was sat on the couch reading a book when she saw Aditya and Tara walk up to her, holding a packet.]

Zoya: (Confused) Kya Hua?

Tara: Dita aur maine aapke liye Kuch liya tha!

Zoya: Kya liya?

Tara: Yeh dupatta!

Zoya: Wow...Tara, yeh toh bahut khoobsurat hai!

Tara: Dita ki choice thi!

Aditya: (Embarrassed) Kya? Nahi!

Tara: Haww, jhoot Mat Bolo! Zo-Zo, Dita ne yeh pasand kiya hai, Maine bass buy karne ki zidd ki thi!

Zoya: Bahut khoobsurat hai, Thank you...

Aditya: (Embarrassed) W-Welcome...

Tara: Accha ab Tara apna homework karegi, Bye!

[Tara ran into her room, leaving Aditya and Zoya by themselves.]

Aditya: Sorry...Mujhe pata hai tumhe gifts pasand nahi hai, Tara ne zidd——

Zoya: Hume yeh bahut pasand hai, Aditya

Aditya: Chalo Accha hai, Mujhe toh laga tha ki mujhe phir se koi daant padhti!

Zoya: (Glaring) Accha? Haan Haan, hum toh Yunhi daant te rehte hai na?

Aditya: Exactly!

Zoya: Hum mazaak kar rahe the!

Aditya: Lekin Main nahi!

Zoya: Hum sone jaa rahe——

Aditya: Chai peeyein?

Zoya: Hmm...Theek hai

[That night, they sat on the balcony floor once again, drinking tea and just enjoying the solitude that Mussoorie's weather brought with it.]

Zoya: Ek baat puchein?

Aditya: Haan, pucho

Zoya: Aapko humaari daant Itni buri lagti hai Kya?

Aditya: Kabhi kabhi

Zoya: I'm sorry...Uss dinn ke liye...Hume samajh nahi aa raha tha——

Aditya: Tum apni jagah sahi thi, Zoya, Don't feel bad

Zoya: Phir bhi...Humne aapke iraade ko galat nazariye se dekha

Aditya: Raat Gayi baat gayi, bhool jaao usse

Zoya: Aaj mausam Bahut Accha hai na?

Aditya: Haan...Aaj Kal yeh mausam zaroorat se zyaada khoobsurat lagne lagi hai...

Zoya: Aisa kyun?

Aditya: Pata nahin...

[Sometimes they'd talk for 10 minutes straight, sometimes they'd just be so quiet, and they both didn't even realise that this almost-daily-event of drinking tea was something both of them had gotten used to.]

Aditya: Kabhi kabhi lagta hai ki chai peena toh sirf ek bahaana hai tumse baat karne ka...

[Aditya immediately realised he was thinking out too loud and Zoya looked at him, and he saw the slight smile form on her face before she started giggling.]

Aditya: (Embarrassed) Pata nahi kya nikal gaya muh se...

Zoya: (Giggling) Agli baar 10 baar sochna padega, kyun?

Aditya: Mazaak bana rahi Ho?

Zoya: Hmm...Aisa hi kuch soch lijiye!

Aditya: (Embarrassed) Main...Main sone jaa raha hoon, Good Night

Zoya: Arre, chai nahi peena hai?

Aditya: Nahi, Nahi!

[That night, as both of them tried to sleep, they couldn't help but laugh at the other's antics.

Time was a wonderful thing, wasn't it?]

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