*A week later*

[Zoya's family returned to stay with Zoya and Aditya for a few days, and needless to say, Zoya was extremely excited.]

Zoya: Ammi, aapke haath ka khaana khaakar arse ho gaye hai! Aaj apni haath ka saalan aur paranthe banaayie, Please!

Aditya: Haan, Aunty...I mean, Ammi, Mujhe bhi aapka khaana taste karna hai!

Ammi: Haan, Haan theek hai, pehle saamaan toh lekar aao!

Aditya: Haan ji!

Zoya: Arre, Ruko Main taiyaar hokar aati hoon

Aditya: Bazaar ja rahe hai, Zoya, aur kitna taiyaar hona?

Zoya: Ji nahi! Aaj hum bahut Khush hai, hum pehle dargah jaayenge, phir bazaar, theek hai?

Aditya: Accha, theek hai

[Excited, Zoya rushed into her room and changed into a beautiful lush pink suit, but something was missing. She opened her wardrobe and pulled out the dupatta that Tara (Ahem, Aditya) got for her, and wore it, before looking at her reflection in the mirror and smiling at herself.

Zoya was so unbelievably happy, she knew she had to visit the Dargah today, she had to thank her god for always being by her side, protecting her and watching over.

When she walked out, Aditya was slightly stunned by how beautiful she looked, and even slightly blushed when he saw the dupatta she was wearing.]

Ammi: Mashallah, kitni khoobsurat lag rahi Ho!

Zoya: (Smiling) Shukriya, Ammijaan! Abhi hum nikalte hai! Chalein Aditya?

Aditya: Haan, Haan, Chalo

[After heading to the dargah, they made their way to the market, and Aditya was already dreading it.

He knew how much Zoya bargained.]

Aditya: Zoya, please iss baar Koi faaltu ki bargaining mat karna

Zoya: Janaab Aditya Hooda, paise pedh pe nahi ugte! Agar Hume lagta hai ki bahut mehenga hai, toh bargaining zaroor karenge!

Aditya: Hey bhagwaan! Waise...Dupatta kaafi Accha dikh raha hai, I mean, choice kisski hai...

Zoya: Hain na? Tara ki choice Bilqul sahi hai!

Aditya: Tara? Kya? Main apni choice ki baat kar raha tha

Zoya: Jaante hai, lekin yeh dupatta toh Tara ne chuna hai!

Aditya: Haan, meri choice toh dekhte hi thukra diya...

Zoya: Kuch kaha aapne?

Aditya: Nahi, Kuch nahi

[Not a day passed when Aditya would open his wardrobe looking at the brown packet, containing the jhumkas that he bought for Zoya 4 months ago.

Would they ever be with Zoya? Would she ever accept his gift?

Surprisingly enough, shopping for groceries didn't take long and soon, they were back home.]

Ammi: Yeh Kya? Itni jaldi?

Aditya: Hain na? Kya hai na Ammi, iss baar Zoya ne decide kiya tha ki woh kissi dukaandaar ke saath behass nahi karegi

Zoya: Haw! Chup rahiye!

Ammi: (Laughing) Accha Accha, Chalo Main khaana banaati hoon

Aditya: Main bhi aa raha hoon, help karne

Ammi: Arre, Aditya...

Aditya: Kuch nahi sununga Main, Chaliye!

[Zoya was so warmed by how close Aditya had gotten to her Mother, and she spent whole day with her dad and Sister, Noor.

But Aditya had also formed a bond with Zoya's Mother.]

Ammi: Zoya Jab bacchi thi, tab roz yeh paranthe khaane ki zidd karte thi...Haye, yakeen nahi aa raha hai ki Main phir se apni beti se mil pa rahi hoon...Thank you, Aditya

Aditya: Phir se thank you?

Ammi: Aditya, Main jaanti hoon ki tumhaari Aur Zoya ka rishta kinn haalaaton mein bandha hai...Tum hi ne toh mujhse kaha tha, ki tara ki khaatir tum dono ko shaadi karni Padhi

Aditya: Ji, woh baat sahi hai

Ammi: Aise Main ek shakhs ke liye Itna Sab Kuch karna, Jab aapke beech na pyaar hai, na Waise Kuch...bahut badi baat hoti hai

[Aditya didn't know why Ammi's words made him a bit upset.

So what if he didn't love Zoya, or if they didn't have any relationship of a sort?]

Aditya: Ammi, Zoya ne mere liye bhi bahut Kuch kiya hai, ussi ne Mujhe apni family se milwaya hai...Itna toh Main kar hi sakta tha

Ammi: Beta, rishte Lein-Dein par nahi tikte...Saaf niyat se tikte hai...Aur tumse milkar na jaane kyun, dil ko Itni raahat mil gayi hai...Zoya Jab Yash ke saath thi, tab usse bahut taqleef hua...Yash tha bahut hi Accha, lekin usske khaandaan wala bahut bure Log thay...meri Zoya ke saath bahut bura suluk kiya...Aur Jab Yash ka inteqaal Hua, Tab toh usska jeena haraam kar diya! Hume yeh Sab abhi abhi pata chala...Tunhaare phone call se pehle hume laga ki woh abhi bhi Yash ke saath hai...Bahut badi galti Ho gayi thi humse...

Aditya: Lekin ab, Sab theek Ho Gaya hai...Aur yeh lo, khaana bann bhi gaya!

Ammi: Mera dil kehta hai, Aditya, aur shaayad Mere khuda ka bhi yehi kehna hai ki tum Zoya ke zehnaseeb Ho...

Aditya: (Confused) Zeh-Kya? Aap Log aise hi complicated words use karte Ho Kya? Abhi bhi Zoya ki ghalib waali urdu Mere sarr ke Upar se jaati hai!

Ammi: (Laughing) Koi baat nahi, Aapko bhi Urdu ke ustaad bana denge! Zehnaseeb ka matlab hai, Accha naseeb, ya angrezi mein Kya kehte hai...Haan, Good Fate!

Aditya: (Blushing) Oh, Accha, Accha

Ammi: Ab khaana lagvaayein?

Aditya: Haan Bilqul!

*At the dining table*

Tara; Wow...Nani, parantha kitna yummy hai!

Aditya: Tara, yummy nahi, 'lazeez' kehte hai...Kyun, Zoya?

Zoya: Haan Haan, tans dete rahiye Humaari urdu ko!

Ammi: (Laughing) Uffo, kitna daatogi usse? Bechaara!

Zoya: Accha! Badi jaldi sides badal diya hai aapne ammi!

Abbu: Uffo, Bass, Bass, ab khaana kha lein khaamoshi se?

Zoya: Ji Abbu!

[That night, it was soon time to sleep, and Aditya and Zoya understood it was time to change their sleeping arrangement.

Again.]

Ammi:Tara, aap Nana-Nani ke saath sona chahengi?

Tara: Haan!

Noor: Yeh Kya? Mausi ke ke saath nahi?

Ammi: Mausi ke saath Kal so jaayegi meri gudiya!

Zoya: Noor, hum aapke saath teesre kamre mein——

Ammi: Kyun? Noor koi bacchi thodi hai! Apne shauhar ke hote hue, kissi aur kamre mein sona mubaasib nahi hai, Zoya

Zoya: Ammi, lekin——

Noor: Appi, aap Kal so jaayega...Waise bhi hume Kuch kaam karna hai, toh aap khanakhaa pareshaan Ho jaayengi

Zoya: Accha, theek hai...Good Night.

[Soon, everyone else fell asleep, except of course.

Aditya and Zoya.

Aditya didn't even have to turn around to tell Zoya a word, and had already uttered the word he was going to say.]

Zoya: (Smiling) Chai?

Aditya: (Smiling) Puchne ki zaroorat hai?

[It was the same routine.
Sitting down, on the balcony, gazing at the night sky and basking in Mussorie's chilly weather, whilst sipping on chai.]

Aditya:  Sukoon hai?

Zoya: (Confused) Ji?

Aditya: Sukoon hai?

Zoya: (Smiling) Pehle toh nahi tha...Lekin dheere dheere aisa lagne laga hai ki Sukoon yehi kahi hai...Aur aap?

Aditya: Haan, mera bhi wahi haal hai

Zoya: Aapko pata hai, Yash ke inteqaal ke baad, Humne Kal ka socha nahi tha...Hum toh Bass marr marr ke ji rahe thay...Ek toh roz zulm senna...Aur phir mera aapse uss raat takraa jaana...Isse qaaynaat ki saazish samjhe ya kismat, Kuch samajh nahi aata...

Lekin aajkal, Jab uthti hoon, tab rone ka mann nahi karta hai, Aditya...Pata nahi, Kyun...

Aditya: Mere liye toh yeh Ghar makaan tha, Bass...Lekin ab...Ghar lagne laga hai...Bass Ghar ka soch hi Mujhe na jaane Kyun Itna Khush kar deti hai...

Zoya: Pata hi nahi tha ki haalaat itne badal jaayenge...

Aditya: (To himself) Haan, aur jazbaat bhi...

Zoya: Ji? Kuch kaha aapne?

Aditya: Nahi, Nahi

Zoya: (Getting up) Ab sone chalein?

Aditya: (Getting up) Haan Chalo...Aur Haan, iss baar 3-4 pillow beech mein rakhna, Warna Kal subah phir se Mujhe se lipat jaaogi...

Zoya: (Walking to the room) Haw! Tauba Tauba! Hum dekh rahe hai, bade buland Ho gaye hai aapke iraade!

Aditya: (Walking to the room) Mazaak kar raha hoon!

[But Zoya being the cute Zoya that she is, actually laid down 4 pillows between both of them and soon fell asleep, whilst Aditya laughed to himself, just wondering how Zoya ran into his life.

What would have happened if he refused to help her that night? What would have happened if he refused to fulfil Nani's wish?

Was Zoya meant to be a part of Aditya's fate all along?]

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Aditya and Ammi's banter low key makes me so happy idk why lol

But hey!! Hope y'all liked this!! Please vote if you did!! And let me know what you thought of it in the comments!

Love you!