*1 week later*

[The whole family was sat on the couch, casually talking whilst Tara was on Anjana's lap.]

Tara: Dadi, Mujhe ice cream khaana hai!

Zoya: Phir se? Aapke daanto ko kharab Ho jaana hai, Tara!

Aditya: Exactly, ab agle hafte khaayenge Tara

Harsh: Kyun? Chalo, Aaj toh ice cream banta hi hai! Itne saal baad mera pura parivaar ikatha baitha hai!

Anjana: Bilqul sahi! Adi, jaa, Mewar's se ice cream lekar aa

Aditya: Accha theek hai...Zoya, tum saath chalogi?

Zoya: Hum? Accha...Theek hai, Chaliye

[They both sat on the car and initially, the ride was solemn, until Aditya finally spoke.]

Aditya: Mewars meri bachpan ki jagah thi...Jab bhi exam mein Main ya Arjun top karte thay, tab hum Sab yahi se ice cream khaate the...

Zoya: (Smiling) Accha...

Aditya: Tumhe ice cream pasand hai? Mewar's ka ice cream Itna Accha hai, I swear!

Zoya: Haan Hume pasand hai...

[About 10 minutes later, the car stopped in front of the shop.]

Zoya: Arre, Hume yaad dilaayie ki ghar jaane se pehle hume Kuch samaan lena hai...2 dinn mein waapis jaa rahe hai na, socha ki kal Biryani banaayenge

Aditya: Haan, theek hai

[They spent the next 20 or so minutes picking out ice cream, and while Zoya was slightly appalled by how expensive it was, she then realised that Aditya's family was quite rich.

They got back into the car and Aditya drove to the market, where they both got off.]

Aditya: Waise Ghar mein bahut naukar hai, woh yeh saamaan laa sakte hain

Zoya: Ussmein Kya maza hai? Pehli dafa Mumbai aayein hai, Hume bhi dekhna hai!

Aditya: Accha Accha, theek hai, Chalo

[Zoya walked to the butcher shop, whilst Aditya stood outside, patiently waiting.]

Zoya: Bhaiyya, 1 kg mutton kitne ka hai?

Butcher: 900 rupay, ji

Zoya: (Shocked) Kya?! 900?! Kyun, kaunse heere jade hai issme?

Butcher: Oh madamji, yehi bhav hai...Balki hum toh aur sasta bech rahe hai!

Zoya: Haan, Haan, aur hum toh kal paida hue they na? Chaliye, sahi daam lagaayie

Butcher: Madamji, 900 rupay, fixed price hai

Zoya: Humaare Mussoorie mein 3 kg 500 rupay mein bechte hai! Aur aap 1 kg ka yeh daam Bata rahe hai!

Butcher: Aisa Ho hi nahi sakta! Mutton ka bhaav badh gaya hai! Agar Mussoorie mein utna bhaav hota toh Main apne naam badal Dunga!

[Meanwhile, Aditya was wondering what was taking her so long. He entered the shop and saw Zoya arguing with the butcher.]

Aditya: Zoya, Kya Hua hai?

Zoya: (Talking to the butcher) Yakeen nahi aa raha hai na? Lijiye, humaare shauhar se poochiye!

Aditya, Mussoorie mein mutton kitne ka hota hai? Bataayie!

[Aditya looked at Zoya rather confused, and wondered why she was raising her brows so much.

Mutton ka bhaav? How the heck was Aditya was supposed to know?]

Aditya: (Confused) Mujhe Kya pata? Itna time kyun lag raha hai?

Butcher: Dekha! Madamji, lena hai toh lijiye, warna aap kahi aur jaa sakti hai!

Aditya: Arre chal Kya raha hai?

Butcher: Main ek kg mutton 900 rupay ke liye bech raha hoon aur aapki biwi ko laga rha hai ki Main jhoot Bol raha hoon

Aditya: Hey bhagwaan, Zoya yaar jaldi karo, Please!

Zoya: Ji nahi! Aapko paiso ki kadar hi nahi hai!

Aditya: Jab woh saste mein dene nahi waala toh behas karke time waste kyun kar rahi Ho?

Zoya: Haan theek hai! Kahi aur jaayenge phir

Butcher: Iss bazaar mein ek hi dukaan hai, mera!

Aditya: (Giving him the money) Haan toh yeh lijiye, aur jaldi de dijiye

Zoya: (To Aditya) Paise waapis lijiye! Hum khud paise de sakte hai!

Aditya: Hey bhagwaan! Itni confusing woman maine apni Zindagi mein nahi dekha hoga!

[Zoya took the mutton from his hands and walked ahead angrily, while Aditya followed.]

Zoya: (Turning around) Matlab aap andhe hai Kya?

Aditya: Excuse me?

Zoya: Hum itne ishaare de rahe the, Phir bhi aap Kuch nahi Bol paayein! Yeh mutton Itna mehenga ki isse bech doon toh unhi paison se hum sona khareed sakte hai!

Aditya: Oh god, mutton hi toh hai!

Zoya: Haan, Haan...Aapko paiso ki kadar hi nahi hai! Ab jaldi Chaliye, bahut time waste kiya hai aapne!

Aditya: Oh, Maine time waste kiya hai? Aur tum jo pagal ki tarah andar behass kar rahi thi, woh Kya tha?

Zoya: Accha, toh ab paiso ki kadar karna pagal waali kaam Ho gayi hai, sahi?

Aditya: Oh god——

Zoya: Haan! Haan! Ab style Marne ke liye angrezi mein baat kijiye, hum jaakar sabzi laakar aate hai!

[Aditya annoyingly followed Zoya as she bought the rest of her groceries, and he was irritated by how particular Zoya was about such things.
After 20 minutes, they sat back in the car, still clearly bitter and annoyed by each other.

Geez, they could just fight at the drop of a hat.]

*In the car, driving*

Aditya: Congrats, ab ice cream doodh bann gayi hai! Kal ke chai mein kaam aayegi!

Zoya: Tans dene ki zaroorat nahi! Pighla nahi hai yeh!

Aditya: Tans? Ek kaam karo, jab bhi baat karni Ho, tab urdu ki dictionary saath lekar aana!

Zoya: Kyun? 2-3 urdu shabd seekh liyein toh qayamat aa jaayegi Kya?

Aditya: Qayamat? Tumse badi qayamat Kya Ho sakti hai?

Zoya: Haw! Nihaaiti badtameez insaan hai aap! Aap pagal Ho gaye hai!

Aditya: Bilqul sahi, lekin sentence thodi incomplete hai...Main tumhaari wajah se pagal Ho Gaya hoon!

Zoya: (Looking outside) Kamzarf!

[They finally reached home, and the rest of the family looked at them in confusion, wondering what took them so Long.]

Anjana: Kahaan gaye thay tum dono?

Zoya: Darasal mummyji hume Kuch aur saamaan bhi lena tha, isliye der lag gayi...

Aditya: Kya hai na Ma, Kuch logo ke paas behass karne ke liye bahut fursat hai...

Zoya: Aur Kuch Log, cheezon ki kadar hi nahi karte...

Arjun: Yeh Cold War Kya chal raha hai?

Zoya: Mummyji, Hume bataayie, Yahaan 1kg mutton ka Kya daam hoga?

Anjana: Yehi...Kuch 600 rupay...par kyun?

Zoya: (Looking at Aditya) Nahi, Nahi, Bass kissi ko bataana chah rahe thay...

Arjun: (Confused) Mutton? Iss baat pe jhagda? Wow...Tum shaadishuda log iss par behass karne lagte Ho? Mujhe toh nahi karni hai shaadi, Bhai

Aditya: Oye, Chup kar!

Anjana: Accha ab Chalo, ice cream khaate hai

[That night, soon the whole family was fast asleep, except Aditya and Zoya.]

Aditya: Tum bed par so jaao, Main sofe pe so jaaonga

Zoya: Koi zaroorat nahi hai, Hume sofe par so jaayenge

Aditya: Humesha behass karne ki zaroorat hai Kya?

Zoya: Shuru apne ki thi! Aur Waise bhi, hum humesha sahi hote hi hai...

Aditya: I can't believe tum mutton jaise stupid cheez ko lekar gussa Ho!

Zoya:Baat paison ki hai!

Aditya: Mujhe bahut neend aa rahi hai, ab phir se behass nahi karna hai mujhe!

Zoya: Toh Humne sone se kahaan roka hai? Hum sofe par jaa rahe——

Aditya: Dekho, bed kaafi bada hai, beech mein 2 pillow rakho, aur so jaao

[Zoya folded her arms and looked away, while Aditya sighed and propped two pillows in the centre.]

Aditya: Yeh lo, ab so jaao! Tum biwiyon ka toh Haq hai, nakhre dikhaane ka!

Zoya: Haan, aur aap shauharein toh sati savitri hote hai, nahi?

Aditya: (Annoyed) Good Night!

[Both of them slept, their backs against each other, but Aditya was still thinking about his argument with her.

For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about one line she said.

"Yeh mutton Itna mehenga ki isse bech doon toh unhi paiso se hum sona khareed sakte hai!"

He silently laughed to himself, not even realising that he was supposed to be angry at her.]

Aditya: (Laughing to himself and whispering) Pagal...!

[Who knew liking someone, even whilst fighting with them would mean finding tiny acts of their behaviour funny and adorable?!

Sigh.]

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I've been wanting to write such a 'nok-jhok' chapter for so Long! If you've read my other books, then you know that I loveeeee these kind of tiny fights, I find them so cute!

Hope you guys liked this! Please vote if you did!

Love youuu ❤️ Lemme know what you think!