*A week later*
[Harsh was finally discharged a week later and the family got ready to head back home.
Zoya still couldn't believe everything was happening so quickly, and now, she was actually going to live in her 'in-laws' place for a few days, maybe a week, until Aditya felt like it was time to go back.

She didn't want to pressurise him into leaving for Mussoorie very early because she knew what an important time it was the family. They were finally reuniting 2 years later, and they deserved to spend all their time together.

They reached the house and Zoya and Aditya were about to enter when Anjana stopped them.]

Anjana:Pehli baar iss Ghar mein aayi Ho, Ruko.

[Anjana went inside and returned with a kalash of rice and a plate of sindoor in her hands.

Zoya was so surprised by this act, she didn't actually believe that she'd actually have such a welcome.]

Anjana: Ab aao, Chalo

[Zoya smiled before kicking the kalash and placing her feet in the sindoor and taking her first steps in Aditya's house.

Anjana picked up the aarti thaali and welcomed Aditya and Zoya.]

Anjana: Adi, jaao, Zoya ko apne kamre mein lekar jaao, jaao Zoya Beta, fresh Ho jaao, phir khaana khaayenge Sab

[Zoya and Aditya looked at each other in hesitation. How were they going to tell Anjana that they didn't share the same room? That they lived in separate rooms?

Zoya didn't want to embarrass him in front of his family, even it meant 'adjusting' for a few days.]

Aditya: Mom...Actually Zoya Aur Main...

Zoya: Haan, Aditya, Mujhe apna kamra dikhaao, Chalo!

[Aditya raised an eyebrow, trying to understand what Zoya was trying to say, but she responded with a reassuring nod.]

Aditya: Uh, Haan...

Anjana:Accha Tara, aap Kisske room mein rahoge? Dada-Dadi ke saath ya Mummy-Papa ke saath?

Tara: Dada-Dadi!

Harsh: Yeh hui na baat!

Aditya: Arre Wah! Badi jaldi loyalty change kar di!

Zoya: Aap bhi na, Chaliye!

[About 5 minutes later, Aditya and Zoya were in Aditya's room.]

Aditya: Sorry...Mom ko nahi pata ki hum dono alag——

Zoya: Koi baat nahi, Aditya

Aditya: Yakeen nahi ho raha ki Maa, Papa ne tumhe Aur Tara ko Itni jaldi se apna liya...Pata nahi tha ki yeh sab Itni jaldi...

Zoya: Hume bhi yakeen nahi Ho raha...Aur Tara Itni Khush hai...

Aditya: Haan, aur Ma Aur Papa bhi, itne Khush lag rahe they

Zoya: Haan Aur——

Anjana: (At the door) Zoya?

Zoya: (Getting up) Ji mummyji?

Anjana: Tumse Kuch baat karni thi

Zoya: Ji? Bataayie...

Anjana: Adi, baahar ja

Aditya: Kyun? Itni privacy?

Anjana: Mujhe apni bahu se baat karni hai, akele mein, ab jaa!

[Aditya left the room but stood besides the door, curious to know what their conversation would be about.

Ah, his bad eavesdropping habit would never go!]

Zoya: Kya Hua? Sab khairiyat? Baithiye...

Anjana: Haan, Tumhe yeh dena chah rahi thi beta

[Anjana placed a jewellery box and a smaller bangle box in her hands, to which Zoya looked at in surprise and confusion.]

Zoya: Yeh Kya hai?

Anjana: Iss Ghar ki bahu ka haq...Jo maine kabhi Pooja ko nahi diya tha.

Maine jo suluk kiya tha Pooja ke saath, usske baad toh shaayad mere bhagwaan bhi Mujhe maaf nahi kar paayenge...Usske antim sanskaar ke liye bhi nahi aayi thi...Roz bhagwaan se yehi kaamna kar rahi thi ki kissi na kissi tareeke se apne galtiyon ka praayashchit kar sakoon Aur phir tum aa gayi...meri adi ki zindagi mein...iss parivaar mein

Beta, Main jaanti hoon tum aur adi ke liye yeh shaadi sirf ek compromise hai, Tara ke liye, lekin Mujhe lagne laga hai ki tumhaari, Adi ki zindagi mein aana, rab ki marzi hai...Aaj, neeche Jab woh Sharaarti kar raha tha, Tab Mujhe laga ki mera baccha Laut aaya hai...mera puraana adi laut aaya hai...Thank you, beta...

Zoya: Mummyji, ab aap hume sharminda kar rahi hai...Thank you ki baat hi nahi hai, Humne Aisa Kuch kiya hi nahi hai...

Anjana: Sharminda Mujhe hona chahiye...Beta, yeh bahu ka shagun hai...Yeh tumhaara haq hai, aur main yeh chooda apne haathon se Pehnaana chahti hoon

[Tears rolled down his eyes when Aditya saw Anjana put the bangles on for Zoya. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening.

Neither could Zoya. She remembered the way she was mistreated by Yash's family, and now, she was finally getting the love and respect that she was worthy of.]

*A couple hours later*

[Zoya scanned the entire house trying to look for Tara, but couldn't find her anywhere. She decided to ask Arjun, and knocked on his door before opening it.]

Zoya: Tara? Oh! Sorry! Aap dono Yahaan par hai? Hum Kab se Tara ko dhoond rahe hai, kahi mil hi nahi rahi hai!

[Arjun and Aditya were sat on their respective bean bags playing video games, just like the old times.]

Arjun: Tara mom Aur dad ke saath park gayi hai, aap baithiye na! Aap khelengi?

Zoya: Kya hai yeh? Video game? Hume khelna nahi aata

Arjun: Arre bahut simple hai, yeh lijiye, Bhai ke saath kheliye. Yeh aage jaane ke liye, yeh peeche jaane ke liye aur yeh jump karne ke liye

[Zoya hesitantly sat and held the controller in her hands, before she started playing and slowly got a hang of it.

But Aditya, obviously being the overconfident one, fell on his face when Zoya won the race.]

Zoya: Haw! Yay! Yay! Hum jeet gaye! Hum jeet gaye!

Aditya:Aisa Kuch nahi hai, Maine tumhe jitne diya, isliye jeet gayi tum...

Zoya: Accha? Chalo, re-match karte hai phir!

Arjun: Bhai, sambhaaliye, Bhabhi kaafi acchi hai!

Aditya: Oye Bhabhi ke chamche!

Arjun: Main abhi aaya...Bhabhi, Bhai ko haraa dijiye, aap Mere team mein Ho!

Zoya: (Laughing) Haan! Haan!

[They began playing the game again, but once again, Zoya won and Aditya was left more stunned than ever.]

Zoya: Yay! Phir se jeet gaye!

Aditya: What nonsense, tumhe jitne diya, isliye jeet gayi tum!

Zoya: Aap yeh kyun nahi maan lete ki aap buri tarah haar gaye?

Aditya: Aisi Koi baat nahi hai, Haan Haan, theek hai tum jeet gayi...

[Zoya smiled to herself and upon seeing the happiness on her face, Aditya felt something happened to him. Just seeing her smile made him feel so weirdly 'fuzzy', almost like he could lose another 100 games, just so she could win and smile like that again.

Jeez, how filmy was Aditya getting?!]

Zoya: (Getting up) Accha ab hum jaa rahe hai aap aur Arjun yeh——Ahhh!!

[Zoya tripped over the leg of the coffee and fell straight on the couch, on top of Aditya, before he securely placed his hands on her waist holding on to her.

Just the mere sensation of his touch, and the fragrance her hair left, when it lingered over his face made both of them slightly quiver, but they were too focused on each other's eyes to even acknowledge what was happening to them.

Rather gently, Aditya took one of his hands off her waist and carefully pushed her hair behind her ears, just so he could get a better view of her doe shaped eyes, and Zoya shyly kept looking down, too scared to make any eye contact.

Both of them soon realised, and Zoya got off, before looking away rather embarrassed, and Aditya too, looked down, trying his hardest not to blush.]

Aditya: Woh...Um...

Zoya: Hume kitchen jaana tha...Nahi, kamra...Nahi, K-Kitchen...

Aditya: Haan, Haan, Main uhh...Arjun ko bulaata hoon! Arjun! Arjun! Pata nahi kahaan gaayab Ho jaata hai yeh!

[As Zoya left the room extremely embarrassed, Aditya looked at his reflection in the mirror before shyly smiling at his reflection and covering his face with his hands. For some reason his heart just wouldn't stop fluttering, and this feeling felt so foreign to him!

Hmm, Time was a wonder, wasn't it?]

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