*A week later*

[Zoya rushed when she realised she was late to pick Tara up from school but when she reached, she was surprised to not find her stood by the gate, waiting for her.]

Zoya: (To security guard) Bhaiyya, Tara kahaan gayi?

Security guard: Madam, aap andar jaake check kijiye, shaayad wahaan hogi

[Zoya entered the school but Tara was nowhere to be found, and instantly, her heart began worrying.

She rang nani's phone, in hopes that Tara would have reached home.]

* on the phone*

Zoya: Nani, Tara Ghar pahunch gayi kya?

Nani: Nahi toh...tum hi toh usse lekar gayi thi Na?

Zoya: J-Ji...Woh...hum thode der se pahunche, aur woh Yahaan nahi hai Nani

Nani: Kya matlab nahi hai? Itni choti hai, kahaan jaa sakti hai?

Zoya: Humne har jagah dekha, Security wale ko bhi nahi pata woh kahaan gayi hai...Ya allah!

Nani: Hey bhagwaan, Zoya, meri bacchi theek toh hogi?

Zoya: (Tearing up) Allah par bharosa rakhein, Hum Tara ko dhoondenge

[Whilst Zoya was busy searching for Tara, tears ran down uncontrollably.

So this is what it felt like to lose a child.

Tara was, in the truest sense, her child. If something happened to her, she would shatter. She would just collapse.]

Zoya: (Crying) Tara! TARA! Khuda ke vaaste aa jaao! TARA! Ya khuda, kaisa imtehaan hai yeh?!

[Zoya scanned the school grounds again, and asked everyone nearby if they had seen Tara but to avail, nothing came out of it.

She cried and cried, repeatedly cursing herself for coming to school late. Had she been on time, Tara would have been with her, at home.

She stood in front of the school, crying, until she felt a strong force turn her around, and her body spun to meet his angry eyes.

Aditya's rage filled eyes.]

Zoya: (Scared) A-Aditya...T-Tara...

Aditya: (Angry) Mujhe pata tha! Pata tha! Pehle dinn se shaq tha ki tum dhokebaaz ho! Kahaan hai meri Tara! Bataao!

Zoya: (Crying) hum qasam khaake kehte hai ki hume nahi pata! Tara humaari beti ki tarah hai, hum k-kyun----

Aditya: Beti? Khabardaar jo woh shabd bola tumne! Beti?

Zoya: (Crying) A-Aditya...

Aditya: Tum Maa nahi bann sakti na?

Accha hua!

Bahut accha hua!

Arre kissi aur ki beti tum nahi sambhaal sakti, apni aulaad kya khaak sambhaal leti?

Arre bhagwaan bhi yehi chahta tha! Badi aayi Tara ko apni beti bulaane waali!

[At that instant, Zoya just went numb.

Somehow, she was shocked. So shocked that someone had mocked something she hated about herself, and so conveniently left her wounded and hurt.]

Aditya: (Angry) Agar Tara ko kuch hua, main tumhe nahi chhodunga, samjhi?

[Whilst Zoya stood there numb, and Aditya looked around the school, both of them heard a familiar voice.]

Tara: Zo! Dita!

[Aditya and Zoya immediately turned around to see Tara behind her, holding Nani's hand, and immediately, they ran towards her and hugged her tight.

Zoya immediately broke down as she hugged Tara, and Nani couldn't help but notice the bond Tara shared with Zoya and Aditya.]

Nani: Zoya, mujhe maaf karna, main bhool gayi ki Tara apne dost ke ghar gayi thi...Pata nahi kya kya sunaaya hoga tumhe...

Zoya: (Wiping her tears) K-Koi baat nahi Nani, Tara mil gayi...Bass wohi kaafi hai...

[Aditya's face went blank and when Zoya looked at him, he was ridden with guilt, and put his head down in shame.]

Zoya: C-Chaliye Nani, ghar chalte hai...

Nani: Haan beta, arre adi, tu bhi aa humaare saath!

Aditya: N-Nahi Nani, mujhe kuch zaroori kaam yaad aa gaya, main...Main chalta hoon...

[That evening, after Zoya put Tara to sleep, she sat down besides her balcony, looking rather pensive.

Although Tara had been found, she couldn't ever forget Aditya's words, that he somehow said so easily.

"Accha hua!

Bahut accha hua!"

"Arre kissi aur ki beti tum nahi sambhaal sakti, apni aulaad kya khaak sambhaal leti?"

"Arre bhagwaan bhi yehi chahta tha!"

Maybe he was right.

Maybe that's why she couldn't be a mother, because she didn't deserve to be one. ]

Zoya: (Crying to herself) kitni asaani se humaari sabse badi kamzori ka mazaak bana ke chala gaya woh...Aur hum? Bikhar bikhar ke thak gaye hai...

Kya yeh sach hai, Allah miyaan? Kya hum sach mein Maa banne ke laayak nahi hai? Yash toh humesha kaha karte the ki hum acchi maa bann sakte hai, phir kyun?

[That same night, Zoya, who couldn't fall asleep, set out on her usual walk, but when she stepped out of the house, she was surprised to find Aditya stood outside, waiting for her.

She looked away and walked ahead, until she felt a hand on her wrist.]

Aditya: Zoya...

Zoya: Hum aapse baat nahi karna chahte, Aditya, humaara haath chhodiye

Aditya: I-I-I...

Zoya: Kya?

Aditya: I-I...I'm sorry...Maine uss waqt——

Zoya: Aapne jo kehna tha, aapne keh diya. Kissi ne kaha tha, ki kahe hue lafzo ko ankahe nahi thehra sakte...

Aditya: Zoya...

Zoya: Humne nahi chuna tha, Aditya! Yeh zindagi, yeh...yeh Sab! Hume humesha lagta tha ki maa nahi banna humaari khata thi, aur Aaj apne yeh saabit kar diya! Humaare sabse bade kamzori ka badi berehmi se mazaak banaaya hai aapne!

[Aditya stood there, defeated, mostly because he had no right to speak.

For the first time, he was okay with not speaking and fighting. He was okay listening to Zoya vent and yell at him, because he deserved it.

Something unusual came over him when he saw Zoya's bloodshot eyes, filled with tears. An unusual and sudden urge to wipe her tears away.]

Zoya: (Crying) Aap nahi jaante! Aap nahi jaante ki Tara humaare liye Kya hai!

Kaun hai aap? Kissne Aapko ijaazat di hai iss tarah baat karne ki? Bataayie! Bataayie!

[Aditya didn't even know what he was doing but impulsively, he placed his hands on either sides of her face and pulled her close, their foreheads touching, and Zoya broke down even more.]

Aditya: I-I'm sorry, Zoya...I-I'm so sorry...M-Maine Na jaane Kya keh diya but mera yakeen maano, mera waisa koi iraada nahi tha

Zoya: Aapke Mann mein jo tha aap keh kar chale gaye Aditya, taqleef hume hi pahuncha

[Instinctively, Aditya found his hands wiping the tears off her face, and he still couldn't understand what he was doing.

The moment he did so, Zoya instantly stepped away and wiped her own tears, while Aditya was still ridden with guilt.]

Zoya: H-Hum apne aasoon khud poch sakte hai...Aayinda humaare itne kareeb na aaya karein, humaari darkhaast hai

[She wrapped herself up with her dupatta and walked away, while Aditya just stood there, watching her leave.

Why did he come so close to her? Why did he feel like he had to wipe the tears off her face and console her? He had never been so apologetic in front of anyone before. Then why her?

Would Zoya ever forgive him? Knowing her nature, she probably would, but could she ever forget?

Although Tara was found that very day, Neither Zoya Nor Aditya could sleep. Zoya walked aimlessly, whilst Aditya was lost in his own thoughts, too guilty to think of anything else.

Who knew, this was their first test?]

——————————
Poor Zoya :(

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