Zoya woke up with a start when the taxi suddenly stopped. Their early morning flight meant that Zoya slept very little, and coupled with her anxiety of coming to Auli, she was exhausted pretty quickly. As she opened her eyes to what was in front of her, her heart stopped.

Aditya: Zoya, yehi ghar hai na?

Aditya gently woke Tara up, who was fast asleep in his arms.

Zoya's eyes couldn't help but water when looked at the little house in front of her. it's lightly cracked walls, the faulty lightbulb at the entrance, the gaudy 'welcome home' mat that Noor had won during their colony's annual lucky draw. The things that irked her, were now the ones that made her smile. The smell of the garden in front of her house. The way her mother would tend to her plants, like they were her own children.

She gently stepped out of the car and Aditya and Tara followed suit. Aditya stood behind Zoya, holding Tara's hand, and he could see the glimmer in her eyes. He knew this was her home.

Adity: (To the taxi driver) Ji bhaiyya, aap saamaan neeche rakh dijiye, aur yeh lijiye bhada. Thank you.

Zoya slowly walked up the stairs towards the house, when she heard the sound a man that sounded a little too nervous and excited.

"Arre jaldi karo Noor, Zoya aati hi hogi, chalo chalo!"

Zoya smiled. It was Abba. Of course.

The door suddenly opened, and Zoya was a little startled, but not until she saw Baba in front of her. In an instant, the stress lines on his forehead disappeared.

Abbu: Zoya? Tum aa gayi?

Zoya instantly runs to her father and hugs her tight, while Abbu gently kisses her forehead and places her head on his shoulder. The feeling of meeting your firstborn is one that is unparalleled.

Ammi: Zoya, tu aa gayi meri bacchi!

Zoya broke away from Abbu's bear arms and hugged her mom, before Noor joined in and hugged Zoya tight.

Zoya: Kaisi hai aap, Ammi?

Ammi: Tanha, tumhare bina! Tu bata, tu kaisi hai? Aur tu akeli aayi hai kya? Adi aur Tara nahi aaye?

Abbu: Aaye hai na! Yeh rahe!

Abbu warmly brought a nervous Aditya and lost Tara in, and almost immediately, Abbu picked Tara up in his arms.

Abbu: Aapko yaad hai, hum kon hai?

Tara: Nanu!

The family burst into laughter. Aditya, unsure of how to formally greet her parents, gently bent down to touch Abbu's feet, before Abbu jovially laughed and pulled him up, before giving him a hug.
Ammi simply walked over to Aditya and placed her hand on his head to bless him, while Noor embraced him.

Aditya sheepishly blushed before looking up to find Zoya smiling at him, and he smiled back.

Ammi: Aap log ne khaana kha liya? Adi bete, chal, mai tujhe khila dun, Noor, Tara ko saath lekar aana, woh bhi bhooki hogi bechari

Zoya: Ammi, hume bhi khilaayengi ya sara khaana damaad ke liye hi banaya hai aapne

Aditya: Obviously mere liye banaya hai, kyun Ammi?

Aditya simply winked at Zoya and she furrowed her eyebrows at him.

Ammi: Haan haan, ab chalo bhi!

*At the dining table*

Ammi excitedly watched Aditya and Zoya gorge on the food.

Aditya: Ammi, Yeh sabzi....aapke haathon mein jaadoo hai, seriously!

Ammi simply smiled before giving him some more food.

Ammi: Aaj Biryani nahi bana paayi, sorry, parso banane ka socha hai, mangni ke baad. Ghar ke kaam mein mai-

Aditya: kya keh rahi hai aap, yeh dal chawal aur sabzi toh mai roz khaane ko taiyaar hun!

Zoya: Sab natak hai ammi, pata hai raaste mein kitna dimaag kha rahe thay humara.
"Zoya, Ammi biryani banayegi na? Mere muh mein abhi se paani aa raha hai"

The family burst into laughter and Aditya looked at Zoya with a slight gaze of mischief, while Zoya simply winked back.

Ammi: Accha Tara, Ab Nani ke paas bhi aa jaya karo, aa jao meri jaan

Ammi held Tara in her arms and gently fed her, while Aditya and Zoya looked on and smiled.

*After Lunch*

Noor: Accha, mangni kal hai, Jiju kya pehenenge?

Aditya: Actually mere paas bas ek ku-

Ammi: Adi ke kapde mai lekar aayi hun. Beta, mere saath chalo.

Zoya; Aur mere kapde?

Ammi: Tumhare bhi lekar aayi hun, Noor ke kamre mein hai, beta, Noor, Zoya ko kapde dikha lo

*In Ammi's room*

Ammi placed a rather fancy kurta set in Aditya's hands.

Ammi: Neele rang ka hai, tum pe bohot accha lagega

Aditya: Ammi, Yeh bohot mehenga lag raha hai

Ammi: Aur hai bhi, lekin parivaar mein paise aur mehengai ki baat kahaan se aa gayi? Kal mangni mein yehi pehenna, theek hai?

Aditya simply hugged Ammi, like he would with his own mother.

Aditya: Thank you.

Ammi; Pata hai, aaj Zoya ko maine kabhi itna khush nahi dekha hai, uski aankhein...chamak rahi thi...isliye thank you tou tumhe bolna chahiye.

Aditya: Aapki beti hai hi aisi, Ammi, sab ko khush kar deti hai

* Meanwhile in Noor's room*

Noor: Aaye haye, yellow mein aap bohot hi zyada sundar lagengi, Aapi

Zoya: Accha? Hmm, chalo dekhte hai.

Noor: Kal jaldi uthna hai, waise.

Zoya; Haye allah, aaj bhi jaldi uthna pada!

Noor: Aapke kamra taiyaar hai, aap jaake araam kar lein

Zoya: Haan, Tara bhi thaki hui hogi, uske saath leti hun

Noor: Tara, Abbu-Ammi ke kamre mein soyegi, Tara ne kaha hai.
arre unka bhi mann hai, ki woh apni naati ke saath waqt bitaayein

Zoya: Accha theek hai, tou phir mai chali

Zoya yawned and walked into her old room. She found her old books, her bed, pictures untouched. It was as if she'd never left the room.

Zoya heard footsteps and knowing it was Aditya, quickly hid behind the door, and as he entered, she grabbed his arm and pulled him close, and he stood there startled and almost surprised by her newfound bravery.

Aditya: Pagal Ho gayi Ho kya?

Zoya: Kyun miyaan, mere parivaar walon ko mujhse chheenne ka iraada hai kya?

Zoya simply raised an eyebrow, and Aditya slowly walked towards her, before her back hit the wall behind her.

Aditya: Mai toh hun hi itna charming.

Aditya winked at her, and she raised her brows before playfully pushing him away.

Aditya: Tara kaha hai?

Zoya: Abbu-Ammi ke kamre mein, woh wahi pe sona chahti hai

Aditya: Accha?

Zoya: Haan.

Zoya began lifting her bag and placing it on the table next to the bed, while Aditya took the moment to scan the room. He walked past the dusty bookshelf's, and in them, he found a shade of Zoya that he was unfamiliar with. Her books. Christie, Austen, Dickens, Faiz. He surmised that a lot of her wisdom came from these classics. He picked up a photo, in which Zoya looked young and naive. Perhaps 15 years old.
Zoya turned around to find Aditya looking at her stuff.

Zoya: Yeh school ke aakhri dinn pe liya tha.

Aditya: Oh sorry, Mai bas aise hi dekh raha tha

Zoya; Koi baat nahi, dekh lijie

Aditya then found a photo of Zoya with another man, with the both of them dressed in a wedding attire. He looked up at Zoya to find her tearing up.

Zoya: Yash.

He closely looked at both of them in the picture. The smile on Zoya's face, the way she glowed, the way Yash too, smiled. They looked nice together.
Would Zoya smile this way with Aditya? Would she ever?

Aditya gently put the photo back and turned to find Zoya sat on the bed, silently crying to herself. Aditya rushed to console her.

Zoya: I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. Aapko pata kya lag raha hai.

Aditya simply pulled his phone out and showed Zoya a photo of his wedding photo with Pooja.

Aditya: Pooja.

Zoya gently touches the screen, and looks closely at Pooja. She was so beautiful. Maybe a lot more than Zoya, well that's what Zoya thought.

Zoya: Pooja kitni sundar hai

Aditya: Haan.

Zoya looked up to find Aditya tear up, and her guilt slowly melted away. They both were just as hurt and as broken as they were before.

Aditya: Tumhe sorry bolne ki zaroorat nahi hai, Zoya, maine bhi toh Pooja ki tasveer rakhi hui hai, nahi?

Zoya hugged Aditya tight, so tight that he lost his balance and fell back on the bed, but Zoya didn't let go. They laughed before she rested her head on his chest and hugged him.

Zoya: Thank you, Aditya

Aditya: Kyun?

Zoya: Aise hi

Aditya: Thank you, Zoya

Zoya: Kyun?

Aditya: Aise hi

Zoya slowly got up before placing a kiss on Aditya's cheek, and watching him blush like a child.

Would Zoya learn to fall in love with Aditya? Only time could tell.

For now, she was grateful that she had him. By her side.

Always.