Song for this chapter:

*A few weeks later*

Aditya: Jaldi karo Zoya! Function ek ghante mein shuru hone wala hai!

Zoya: *from inside the room* Haan! Abhi aaye.

Aditya continued adjusting his tie but stopped when he saw Zoya walk out of her room, running her fingers through her hair and setting it. She was decked in a delicate white and gold sari, and it felt like Aditya's world had just stopped momentarily.

Today was Tara's annual school function, and being first time parents, they were beyond excited for this. To see their daughter shine.

Zoya: Kya Hua?

Aditya: Huh? Nahi kuch nahi...

Zoya: (Blushing) Ab chalein? Aap hi bol rahe thay, der ho rahi hai!

Aditya: Haan, chalo, chalo

They got into the car and drove off, but Aditya couldn't take his eyes off her.

Aditya: Bohot sundar lag rahi ho aaj

Zoya: (Blushing) Aap bhi.

Aditya silently smiled to himself at her compliment.

Zoya: Hum bohot excited hai aaj, Tara ko dekhne ke liye.

Aditya: Main bhi, bohot excited hoon.

Zoya: Waise suit aap pe bohot jach raha hai, aap zyada pehna kijiye ise

Aditya: Ji, aao bhi roz sari pehena kijiye, phir baraabari hogi

Zoya: Accha, matlab hum dusre kapdo mein acche nahi lagte?

Aditya: Arre meri maa, mera woh matlab nahi tha!

Zoya: Sab jaante hai mera

Aditya: Waise Tara ko stage pe dekhte hi mai seeti bajaunga

Zoya: Aditya! Bilqul nahi!

Aditya: Kyun bhai, humari beti hai

Zoya: Seeti-weeti nahi bajayenge aap, Navy mein kaam karte hai aap, kuch tou maryada rakhein, Warna kya sochenge log?

Aditya: Zoya darling, kuch tou log kahenge, logo ka kaam hai kehna. Remember?

Zoya: Dialoguebaazi sirf filmon mein acchi lagti hai, real life mein nahi

Aditya: Theek hai, uff, itni serious Ho tum yaar

Zoya: Ji haan, aapke pagalpan ko balance tou karna padega na!

Aditya and Zoya shared a light laugh.

*At the annual function*

Zoya and Aditya sat on the front row, as excited as every parent that was there, waiting to see their child.

Aditya: *excited* Mai itna excited hoon!

Zoya: *Excited* Main bhi!

They smiled at each other and the lights went dim. They sat straight and the show began, to them, some parts were dreary, except when Tara came on stage, in her red and white polka dot dress, dancing to a song holding hands with a boy.

Aditya: woh ladka tara ka haath kyun pakad raha hai?

Zoya: Aditya! Dekho na, kitne cute lag rahe hai dono!

Aditya: cute tou sirf tara lag rahi hai

Zoya: Aditya!

Soon enough, the show got over and Zoya and Aditya waited outside the hall, for Tara to come out. She did, and they ran to her, with Aditya swiftly picking her up in his arms.

Aditya: Aa gayi meri pari?

Zoya: (kissing Tara's cheek) Kitna accha dance kiya hai Aapne aaj! Mera baccha!

As they were talking, a couple approached them with a young boy in their arms. The boy who was Tara's dance partner.

Boy: Hello Tara!

Tara: Hello Vansh!

Zoya: Hi Vansh! Aapne itna pyaara performance diya tha aaj!

Vansh: *Smiling* Thank you aunty!

Vansh's mother: Aapne bhi Tara, too cute!

Vansh: Tara, mummy papa ice cream khilaane ja rahe hai, tum bhi aao na

Aditya: Uh, nahi nahi-

Zoya: Haan kyun nahi! Zaroor, hum bhi saath aayenge, kyun Aditya?

Zoya glared at Aditya and he knew he had to go along.

*At the restaurant*

Aditya: (whispering to Zoya) mujhe lagta hai ki yeh tara ka boyfriend hai, dekho toh kitna muskura raha hai

Zoya: Uff allah! Chup ho jaayie, bacche hai dono, yeh bachpan wala pyaar hai

Aditya: Tum kyun nahi kha rahi ice cream?

Zoya: Mann nahi kar raha, lagta hai 'woh' ho gaya hai?

Aditya: Woh? Kya woh?

Zoya: Arre, woh!

Aditya: Tum pregnant ho?!

Zoya: Hahaha, very funny. Jo pregnancy ke waqt nahi hota hai, woh

Aditya: Ohhh, periods?

Zoya: Haan

Aditya: Toh aisa Bolo na. Bohot dard ho raha hai?

Zoya: Abhi tou nahi, shayad sote waqt hogi

Aditya: Koi na, Mai hoon na

Aditya smiled and gently squeezed her palm to reassure her, and she smiled at him. Uff, what was this man? Equal parts charming, funny, kind, caring and equal parts short tempered, impulsive, and maybe too brutally honest about everything. She was getting tangled  up, entangled with him. With the way he looked, he sat, he talked, he smelled, and how he took a breath of the air around her. It was like her eyes shined now. Don't get me wrong, she shined even without him, but he invigorated this unusual energy and aura in her. It was like he was always meant to be a part of her, and that he only did so during a later stage of her life. When things were slow and dreary, when she was at the cusp of swinging between the joys of youth and the chaos of motherhood and being someone's wife. Of being an adult and being an important part of her husband and her daughters life. Of an age where she couldn't swing her heart freely and fall in love at ease. Love had to be planned, thought through. Something that was decided after weeks, maybe months of rumination.

But everything that she was afraid of - Love, care, commitment, belonging. She was feeling. It felt different this time, but it felt right. Like it was meant to be hers.

*Later that night, at home*

Tara was fast asleep, and Zoya decided to go to Aditya's room and sit down there, to not disturb Tara. Aditya came out of the bathroom surprised to find Zoya in his room.

Aditya: Kya hua? Tum soyi nahi?

Zoya: Nahi...cramps chalu ho chuke hai, aur mai tara ko disturb nahi karna chahti, aur dard ki wajah se neend bhi nahi aa rahi

Aditya: Dawai dun?

Zoya: Nahi, maine le li, mujhe bas yahaan baithna tha

Aditya: Haan haan, araam se baitho

Aditya laid down a few pillows for her to rest her back against, and sat down opposite her, a little excited that she was here, by his side.

Zoya: Accha, Humein ek baat bataayie

Aditya: Ji?

Zoya: Military mein aapka sabse yaadgaar pal ya qissa hai?

Aditya: of course, bohot saare hai, ek baar...

As Aditya drifted into his story, Zoya drifted into him. The way he spoke, the way his eyes shone, the way the strand of hair fell through the left side of his face, of the tiny razor nick on his cheek. She wondered why he even shaved. Why did he shave? Why didn't keep a full grown beard? He would look so handsome in it. But Zoya kept these thoughts to herself. What was this rush of confidence she felt around him? Why did she want to sit by his side and listen to his stories all day?

After Aditya finished his story, Zoya smiled and asked him more about it, it was like she demanded that she part of his past, his stories. Him. And when he finished, she simply brought herself closer to him. So close that she could feel his breath on her, and gently, she moved in for a kiss.

Maybe it was the surge of hormones that this time of the month brought with it, maybe it was an impulsive decision, or maybe it was none of it. Maybe it was just how strongly she felt for him.

Aditya was surprised, but he gently cupped her face and kissed her with a stronger force, and gently moved away and in towards the back of her ears and her neck, before he went back to kiss her.

Feeling him on her neck filled her with a different set of emotions. Something primal, and something she wasn't ready to give into, but the kiss? Oh she'd kiss the hell out of him.

They broke away from the kiss and Zoya hugged him, before resting her chin on his shoulder, and he hugged her back.

Zoya: Thank you Aditya, Thank you for coming into my life.

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