*The Next Morning*

It was six in the morning when the alarm rang and Zoya and Aditya woke up rather groggily.

Aditya: (Yawning) Itni Jaldi 6 bhi bajj gaye?

Zoya: Humein aur sona hai (Yawning)

Aditya then puts his arm on Zoya and begins to cuddle her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Aditya: Chalo thodi der aur-

Zoya: Ji nahi! Uthiye, hume dedh ghante mein nikalna hai, chaliye, jaldi kijiye!

Aditya; Tum pehle nahalo, tab tak mai so lun

Zoya simply shook her head and went to the washroom for a shower, before she stepped out, with her wet hair in a towel.

Zoya: Jaayie ab, jaldi taiyaar ho jaayie, hum Noor ke kamre mein taiyar ho jaayenge

Zoya was about to pick up her clothes when Aditya pulled her close and placed his hands on her waist. He ever so slightly moved the towel from her hair, and let her wet tresses fall. He ever so slightly pushed her hair behind her ear, and she couldn't help but blush.

Zoya: Aapne waqt dekha hai? Chaliye, hume jaane dijiye

Aditya: Bohot sundar lag rahi ho

Zoya: (playfully) Subah subah masska maarne ki zaroorat nahi hai

Aditya: Accha toh aisi baat hai

Aditya gently leaned forward, before placing a kiss on her cheek.

Zoya: Ab jaayie bhi! Taiyaar hoke neeche aa jaayie, hum aapko wahin pe milenge

Aditya; Haan ji Zoya ji, ab aap jaayie!

*In Noor's Room*

Noor: Kitne waqt ke baad aapko taiyaar hote hue dekh rahi hoon, Aapi

Zoya simply smiled at her through the mirror.

Noor: Aap khush toh hai na? Mai jaanti hun, aapne shaadi Tara ke liye kiya tha lekin...

Zoya: Woh kehte hai na, upar wala jab kuch leta hai, tab kuch waapis deta bhi hai? Aisi hi baat hai, samajh lo

Noor: (Confused) Kya matlab?

Zoya: Aditya bohot acche hai, Noor. Samajhdaar hai, dil ke saaf, naik, aur bohot khyaal rakhte hai. Humara aur Tara ka bhi. Aapko pata hai, subah ki chai agar mai banati hun, tou bartan woh dhote hain, bartan mai dhoti hun, toh khaana woh pakaate hai, unke saath sab asaan lagta hai.

Noor: Aap bhi tou itni khil rahi hai, Aapi.

Zoya simply smiled on.

Zoya: Ab chalein? Sab neeche intezaar kar rahe honge

Noor: Haan Chaliye

Zoya fixed the jhumka and adjusted her sharara kameez, before she walked out of the room and down the stairs, to find Abbu, Ammi and of course, Aditya downstairs, waiting.

Aditya? Well, he was just left staring at her. A bit mesmerised by how ethereal she looked. How the kohl sat on her dove shaped eyes, how her earrings dangled as she walked. She had this grace, this magic around her.

*In the Hall*

Zoya: (To Aditya) Bohot acche lag rahe hai, aap

Aditya; Tum bhi, woh bhi hadd se zyada

Ammi: Chalein?

Abbu: Chalo, Chalo

*In the Car*

Aditya and Zoya couldn't help but exchange gazes through the car's rear view mirror, and shyly looking away.

The car reached its destination about two hours later, and Aditya got off first, whilst waiting for Zoya to get off. As she did, he walked up to her before carrying Tara in his arms.

Aditya: Mai kya itna accha lag raha hun ki tum raaste bhar mujhe taad rahi thi?

Zoya: Accha...mai taad rahi thi ya aap taad rahe thay?

Tara: Mumma, what is taadna?

Aditya and Zoya mischievously looked at each other before laughing. Aditya simply kissed Tara on the cheek.

Zoya: Ab chalein?

Aditya: Yaar Zoya, mujhe...mujhe bohot darr lag raha hai.

Zoya: Kyun?

Aditya: Tumhari family se pehli baar mil raha hun, pata nahi, agar mai unhe pasand nahi aaya toh? Kaise behave karun? Kya bolun? Kuch samajh nahi aa raha

Zoya: Uffo, kuch nahi hoga Aditya, hum sab hai na. Waise bhi, humare parivaar walay bohot maze ke hai, aap dekhiye

Aditya: Accha? Chalo phir.

*Inside the house*

Zoya's cousin, Sania, lived in a rather pretty home. Palatial, and so prettily decorated. Flowers and Flowers everywhere, music playing, and chaos, of course. Like any Indian function.

Sania rushed to the entrance of the house to greet Zoya and her family.

Sania: (Hugging Zoya tight) Zoya Aapa!! Itne saalon baad!

Zoya: (Kissing Sania's cheek) Kaisi ho Sania? Samajh nahi aa raha ki aapki sagai ho rahi hai...itni badi kab ho gayi?

Sania simply blushed and giggled. She then turned to the left of Zoya, towards Aditya, who was holding Tara in his arms.

Sania: Yeh Yas-

Aditya: Main...Namaste, Main Aditya hoon.

Sania looked at Zoya, a little confused

Zoya: Yeh Aditya hai, Sanu, humaare pati

Sania: Accha! Aap itne darr kyun rahe thay, Jiju!

A wave of relief took over Aditya's nervousness, and he simply smiled.

Sania: (To Tara) Aur yeh kon hai? Humaari bhaanji?

Aditya: Haan. Tara, yeh Sania Maasi hai

Sania immediately carried Tara in her arms.

Sania: Taaya Ammi aur Abbu kahaan hai? Aur Noor?

Zoya: Andar honge, Chacha-Chachi ke saath!

Sania: Accha, aap sab aayie, aayie na Jiju, aapko Atif se milaati hun.

Aditya met with the rest of Zoya's family. Her uncles, aunts, cousins, everyone from her rather big family, and they had accepted Aditya almost immediately.

Zoya's uncle: Kaam kya karte ho, Aditya?

Aditya: Ji, mai Air Force mein kaam karta hun

Zoya's uncle: Sarkari naukri? Yeh sunnkar bohot khushi hui, bete, aaj kal ke naujawaan sarkari naukri se kaafi duur bhaagte hai

Aditya: Ji sir, lekin unki bhi koi galti nahi hai, Agar mujhe apne kaam se pyaar nahi hota, toh mai bhi shayad kuch aur kar raha hota...

Zoya's Uncle: Hmm...yeh bhi sahi hai, khair tumse milke bahot achha laga, bete

Aditya: Mujhe bhi, sir.

Sania: Uffo abbu, shaadi ka mahol, aur kaam ki baat kar rahe hai, humari sagai ka kaam kon karega? 2 ghante mein mehmaan aane walay hai!

Zoya: Kya kya bacha hai karne ko? Batana zara!

Sania: Zoya, tu mere saath chal, taiyaar hone mein mujhe tumhari help chahiye hogi, Jiju, aap atif aur farhaan ke saath bazaar jaayie, mithai leni hai na!

Aditya: Ji madam

Sania then pulled Zoya away, while she looked behind at Aditya, who was walking away in the opposite direction.

*In Sania's Room*

Zoya watched over Sania, who was a little too excited for her engagement.

Zoya: Tum khush ho na Sanu?

Sania: Khush? Mai double, triple, usse bhi zyada khush hun! Meri sagai ho rahi hai, Aapa, apni best friend ke saath!

Zoya smiled at Sania's excitement and thrill.

Zoya: Itna pyaar karti ho kya Atif se?

Sania: Yeh kya sawaal hai? Aap Adi jiju se pyaar nahi karti kya?

Zoya's face went blank after hearing that question. Did she love Aditya?

Sania: Kya hua? chehra kyun utar gaya aapka?

Zoya sat down to explain the whole story to Sania, why she ran away from home, and how Aditya walked into her life, and how her marriage to him came to be.

Sania: Haan, toh?

Zoya: Toh matlab?

Sania: Matlab, toh kya? Jiju ko jaane hue 5 minute hi hue hai, aur unki aankhon mein bhar bhar ke pyaar hai, Aapa.

Zoya: Jaanti hun, Sanu

Sania: Aap bhi na, kabhi kabhi mere samajh ke bilqul bahar hai.

Zoya: Yeh sab chhodo, aur taiyaar hone pe zyada dhyaan do. badi aayi humein lecture dene!

Zoya watched Sania get ready, but her words kept ringing in Zoya's mind.

*An hour later*

Zoya: Yeh baal theek karo, aur kajal peheno. Aur yeh-

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was the house helper.

Sania: Kya baat hai chhotu?

Chhotu: Zoya didi, aapko Aditya jiju bula rahe hai, keh rahe thay ki koi kaam hai

Zoya: Kya kaam?

Chhotu: Woh toh hum nahi jaante didi, woh lawn mein khade hai

Zoya: Accha...theek hai, hum aa rahe hain. Sanu, mai jaaon?

Sania: Haan, haan, jaayie na, puchne wali kya baat hai?

Zoya walked out of Sania's room and towards the lawn, but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly she felt some grab her wrist and pull her to behind a pillar, and her heart dropped.

There Aditya was, with his hands on her waist.

Zoya: Yeh kaam tha?

Aditya: Haan, kyun?

Zoya: Aap bhi na...Adi koi dekh lega aur-

Aditya: Kya kaha tumne? Adi?

Zoya: Humara matlab hai Aditya...

Aditya: Nahi, Adi kaho na, apna lagta hai

Zoya: Humaare saath flirt karne ke liye bulaya tha kya?

Aditya: Haan, kyun, nahi kar sakta? Mai tumhara...kya tha? Shauhar hun, nahi?

Zoya: Aap bhi na, humein jaane dijiye, koi dekh lega, bohot badi musibat ho jaayegi

Aditya: Sach mein jaana chahti ho?

Zoya: Nahi...humara matlab hai Haan, waise bhi, sagai shuru hone wali, sab humein dhund rahe honge, chaliye

Aditya: Accha theek hai, Chalo

Aditya and Zoya walked over to the main hall, and helped the boy and girl seat themselves, before watching over the engagement ceremony.

Zoya: (To Aditya) Kitne khush lag rahe hai na dono? Sania ko dekho, itni khushi maine kabhi nahi dekhi hogi uske chehre pe!

Aditya: Apni best friend se shaadi karne wali hai, khush toh hogi na? Jaise maine apni best friend se shaadi kar li hai

Zoya instantly turned to look at Aditya after his remark. His best friend. Had she really become his best friend? His confidante? Zoya knew that Aditya loved her, but this was perhaps the first time she believed it and saw it in him. She was beginning to notice how much he adored her, how much he cared about, how much he respected her.

Zoya didn't say much, except she gently stood closer to Aditya and held his arm. Like he was hers, only hers, and Aditya simply smiled.

Maybe love did have its own way of figuring things out.

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