Bonne lecture!

11/02/2024 — Wishing you all a great week ahead! 🫶🏼

// ∞ ௐ ∞ //

The phone kept ringing on the coffee table as she stared at the screen without any movement. At the fifth ring, it stopped. Again. But she was in no mood to answer. She had enough for the day.

She was in the kitchen cooking in utter excitement when her phone rang, interrupting the song she was listening to and humming, and picked the device up. Reading an unknown number.

"Hello?" the sole word she uttered before she was cut off. "If you want to know about your husband's secret activities, say no more and come and meet me in the café at the corner of your street in fifteen minutes," before she got hung up on by the unknown caller.

Thinking back and forth for a few minutes, she pushed the door of the café and walked to the bar to ask. When a young waitress called her and pointed at a table by the windows, a man sitting back facing her.

"Well, I thought you wouldn't come," the manly voice welcomed her, a soft chortle leaving him as she stopped her walk, the mystery man not even turning to her. She was about to say something when he again interrupted her. "I shall ask the lady to have a seat, first," and he showed her the chair across his, as she sat down. "What would you have? Tea? Coffee? Or at least some water to relax the frown on your face..."

"Look, I don't have the time or wish to be discussing with you around a drink. I just came here to warn you not to disturb people by calling them randomly and telling rubbish things anymore. And don't you think that I am going to believe an unknown person and doubt my husband. I hope I was clear enough. With this in mind, goodbye."

Not waiting for any reply from him, she stood up and was about to walk when he said. "I don't blackmail people, Mrs. Arora, I just give information for people to know the truth. You know, like a volunteering detective? Just being a provider of services, ma'am."

Although she was willing to move out, she felt her legs frustratingly helpless opposite his talks, while he chuckled. "Your husband told you he was gone for a meeting in Kathmandu, didn't he?"

She turned back to look behind at the man, who failed to see her shocked eyes, looking out of the window, while he continued. "Guess what? Kathmandu is just next door."

Narrowing her brows, she looked up to the same direction, when she noticed a couple coming out of the boutique on the opposite side of the street hand in hand, a warm smile on their faces as they were holding a couple of bags, before stopping at the gate to talk. She wondered where she saw the familiar face and neared the wall-length glass window when her eyes widened on their own, a fat drop of tear falling out of her eye at the realization.

"Yash?"

A couple of tears rolled down her face when her phone started ringing again, pushing her to have a quick look. As she managed to take it in her hand, the ringtone stopped, leaving one other missed call of his 'seen', probably frustrating the man on the other side in concern—or would he?

"How could you be so sure of the happenings? They might be just... just good friends, right?" she gulped her uneasiness and maintained courage in her speech when she was thrown at a mocking chortle.

"Might... must be the keyword for your self-defense, miss. You don't really think that I can be workless, to just keep spying on other couples' secret affairs in my free time, now do you?"

"This doesn't prove anything at all. I know my husband, and I trust him. He can never cheat on me, he loves me very much," she again argued to the mysterious stranger.

The latter left a deep sigh and stood up from his chair, correcting his look, before he faced her. "Being blind in love is certainly a fact, but don't we just lose ourselves in this dense feeling?"

He was about to go when he turned to her, "Put trust in people, but don't depreciate and lose your worth! Not everyone deserves it the same way."

Although not willing to believe any of the suspicions, she walked back home with a disturbed mind and tried to forget the happenings.

* instrumental *

Silence swept the empty house as Zoya was cleaning their bedroom dressing when she fell on a white box of accessories, playing hide-and-seek behind his hanging formal sets of clothes. At the mere sight, she remembered catching Yash keeping things in it a couple of times but hiding it before she could glance at the content.

The unknown man's words rang in his ears as she rewinded his sight with that lady, while her heart told her not to trust anyone but her love.

"Who is he to instruct me whom to believe? My Yash can never do anything like that. That man is the one I should not believe in, first of all. Besharam—"

No matter how much she tried to, the scenery kept replaying and, with not much of reluctance, she opened the box. Tears falling in their own accord as she saw the results.

" ho mujhe chhod kar jo tum jaaoge
jo tum jaaoge jo tum jaaoge "

She reminisced how she got closer to the large wall-size glass window and stared blankly at the young duo emerging in a funnily cozy talk, as he stood very much close to his lover while trying the costly branded shoulder purse he just bought for her. Standing in the close premises of the coffee shop, far away from their sight, they couldn't manage to decipher what all they were conversing about, but it was seemingly anything but two strangers talking.

" ho mujhe chhod kar jo tum jaaoge
bada pachtaoge bada pachtaoge
bada pachtaoge bada pachtaoge "

Eyes glassy, she raised her head and looked into the void. Her consciousness was losing from her sight and she dropped the open box. She stumbled on her own steps and landed on the floor, letting her broken self to recover from the revelation.

She sniffed and wiped the tears away from her face as she started telling herself, "I still can't believe you could have done this to me, to us, to my trust, Yash," she gritted her teeth as she murmured the same while staring into the void. Until she looked at their wedding picture, and whimpered her pain out like a child.

" sunniya sunniya galliyan
de vich rol na deyin
boohe kise hor li tu khol na deyin

sunniya sunniya galliyan
de vich rol na deyin
boohe kise hor li tu khol na deyin "

The following day woke up gloomier than the day before and, still alone in their empty house, she remained laid down on the cold floor, photographs and pieces of their memories spread all around her self-made bed as she was mindlessly staring at each of them.

Falling on their college days souvenirs, then marriage life pictures, she brought them to a closer sight while she sat up from her position.

" ho shayar Jaani nu je rulaaoge
bada pachtaoge, bada pachtaoge "

Although she lost the strength to cry more tears, she let the fat drops that were frozen still in her puffy eyes, roll down her red cheeks.

"Don't any of these matter to you anymore?" she mumbled in a feeble voice before turning her eyes to the smiling couple's photograph that stood out proud of itself in the mystery box, next to a smaller velvet package left open for exposure, revealing a shining diamond ring along with a piece of note. That read:

'For my one and only precious Pooja darling, with love! Y.'

* instrumental *

Zoya stepped into the library and walked to the bookstore lady at the reception, asking her for the cooking recipes section. To which, as expected, she pointed to the last alley on the left, that was the least occupied on an exam period. Leaving her with another sole being.

"You must be wondering why I called you here out of any other convenient meeting spots," the man closed the book he had been browsing and put it back on the shelf before turning to the confused woman. "But don't worry, this is not what we are to do."

Both were sitting by the round table and patiently waited for other people to join their respective places, although keeping a keen eye on the special guests they were looking for.

"How—how do you know..." at her sudden voice, he turned the attention to her as he finished her question, "That they would be here?"

She nodded in yes, not minding the fact he understood her unsaid thoughts, and waited for him to answer.

"Let's say... instinct? On how, why and where two poetry admirers often meet each other," he said when he turned to the door, a lopsided smile growing on his face. "Lo! Speaking of them, here we are!"

" tere bina zindagi guzarage kivein
jaan jaan kihnu pukarange kivein "

She craned her neck to the entrance from where the remaining invited people walked in, among whom a young duo entered, clad into some luxurious attires so as to follow the requirements of the night, hand in hand, as if they owned the confidence to control the whole venue.

Although having prepared herself to see the two of them, she couldn't control the surprised look in her eyes, unconsciously letting a tear or two fall out in desperation. Seeing him all happier with another female but her, let alone smiling at them as fondly, broke her heart into pieces again, and she helplessly rewinded each of their moments back, trying to read the hidden background behind his emotions.

" tere bina zindagi guzarage kivein
jaan jaan kihnu pukarange kivein "

"Uh, Zoya?" the woman was lost in her thoughts, sorting out the clean laundry, as the calling voice sounded louder and closer. "Zo... oh, here you are!"

She didn't even feel the need to turn and face him but still did, for the sake of hiding her suspicious behavior lately. "Yes, Yash?" she meekly asked, emotionless.

"You okay? You sound quite dull," he questioned and was to hold a hand on her shoulder when she closed her eyes, controlling herself not to burst out. This was not the time.

Releasing a discrete sigh, she said, "No, I am good. Just... a little tired. Maybe a cold," faking a smile.

"Hey! Do you want me to take you to the practitioner?" he slowly approached her. "Come, I wi—"

"No, that's okay," she shook her head in no, taking a discreet step back as if avoiding to stand any closer. "I mean... I will just take a nap and relax. No worries!"

"Sure?" she nodded her head in yes. With a hint of a smile, he continued, "As you wish! By the way, I am expected to attend a charity event with the office

Tightening her hand into a fist, she wiped her angry tears and left the hall. Standing outside the building, she tried to calm her fast-running heartbeats down, inhaling a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

"I won't let you go so easily, it's a promise."

She heard footsteps nearing her in a slow yet dominative pace and craned her neck to the side, noticing the man in her peripheral vision.

"I thought you would have run away," he uttered in his deep voice, making her look back to the front. "Don't want a lady to walk home in tears, after all."

"Why would you care? Isn't that what you intended to do? Hurt me?" she spat the words as she brutally wiped the remnants of wetness off her now dull face before she wrapped her arms around her frail frame, the sudden windier evening breaking her will to stand strong in front of this mystery man.

Until, she felt something much warmer landing on her shoulders, and she craned her neck to notice the same irritating fellow safely putting his suit coat over her against the cold.

"Only close people can hurt you, Zoya, and I am just nobody in your life," deepening his stare into hers as he kept the jacket intact, he quoted the words to her solely. "Just... nobody. Right?"

Before she could register them to her heart, she felt a gentle pull and fell into his arms, as he smoothly turned away on his heels as if hiding both their faces from somebody.

" karoge je karoge je daga karoge
sadde waali maut tussi vi te maroge "

She slowly pulled away and turned to look at the sudden appearance to see both Yash and Pooja walking out, her arm entwined into his as they smiled while enumerating the different spots of the night they had noticed. They walked to the parking lot and the man was about to unlock the passenger door for the lady to get in when he stopped and was to turn his stare towards their side.

Foreseeing the quick move, Zoya followed his arms tightening their grip around her and she sensed something towering, when she slowly rolled her eyes higher to notice his head covering in a tilted position, surprising her.

"Yash, baby what happened?" as they heard the female voice, he reached his right hand up to cup her neck and pulled on her hair.

"Wha—what are you doing—leave me!" protested a confused Zoya who started to panic at his attempt to get any closer.

"Don't move, just trust me!" he whispered back as he still pretended to cherish the woman before him. "Wha—"

At the exact moment, Pooja turned her vision to their spot and saw a young couple seemingly in love as the tall man embraced his lady in a deep kiss.

" o Allah vekhda, zulm kamaoge
bada pachtaoge, bada pachtaoge "

"Hayye! Look how romantic that guy is, kissing his girlfriend in public!" Zoya got stressed and fisted his sleeve in order to push him to stop the act, although seeming for the audience's eyes as if responding to his gesture. "They remind me of us on our first date, you remember?" Such a—how proud she feels about cheating on his wife.

"Of course, baby!" Yash almost got suspicious until he realized he was thinking wrong; she would never do such a thing, deeply in love that she was with him. How could I even think so selfishly? I am sorry, Zoya!

" ho mujhe chhod kar jo tum jaaoge
bada pachtaoge, bada pachtaoge "

Within a minute of not talking, they heard the car moving out of the parking lot and as they followed the retreating car, Zoya stepped back in horror, both the embrace and their almost-caught situation taking a toll.

Clearing his throat, the man added, "I—we shouldn't be seen in front of both until the right moment, that's why—"

"And when is that moment coming?" he looked up at a blank Zoya, staring at the empty road as she seemed helpless.

She was getting tired playing this hide and seek game.

* instrumental *

She was looking out of the window as her eyes followed the vehicle disappearing into thin air, when she received the call from that exact unknown member.

"He just went away, I am able to follow his location. Are you ready for this?" he again asked as if making sure she was fine to act.

"Just... when are you reaching?" she couldn't wait anymore.

"At your doorstep!" as she heard the same, she noticed the car entering their street and pulling over by the café at the corner.

The car slowed down near the luxurious hotel as the navigator led them to, and they looked on at the building blankly. "Shall we, Miss?"

"Let's go!"

Reaching the receptionist, they asked for Yash Arora's room, reasoning they, as a couple, were expected for a meeting. The young lady behind the counter believed the words and shared the piece of information with a smile.

They thanked the lady at her post and walked to the lift, tension rising in her heart as she counted the seconds left before the confrontation.

Soon reaching the exact room, they noticed the 'Do not disturb!' card hanging on the handle, as Zoya wondered what else she was to witness by her own eyes.

Breaking her trance, he stood behind her and knocked on the door. "It's too late to step back," he reminded her.

"I was not planning to," saying so, she straightened her composure and waited.

"—et me check, dear!" a voice was heard at a distance behind the door, before it got louder nearing them. "Can't you see the 'Do not disturb!', we need n—Zoya?"

At the sight of a blank wife, Yash stood still on his spot, unable to word anything for a few good seconds until she blinked her eyes, cutting the eye contact that was unwillingly tied. "Y—you—w—what are you—"

He couldn't finish the sentence that they heard some movements inside the room, steps getting closer to the trio's position by the entrance. "Honey, who is th—you?"

They were sitting in the warm confines of the café, the hotter cup of coffee making her feel better by her palms. The chair opposite her seat was heard pulled as she looked down at her drink.

"I know you won't answer me," through her eyelashes, she noticed him mixing the content of his own cup while waiting for her next words. "But why are you doing all this? This couldn't be for me."

She couldn't miss the discreet scoff as his lips curved lopsidedly at her question, all while staring down at his beverage. "This means that there is another reason..."

He slowly looked up at the woman.

"A—Adi?" whispered Pooja, frozen on her spot at the unexpected appearance.

" mujhse jo nazrein churane lage ho
lagta hai koi aur gali jaane lage ho
khwab jo dekhe hum dono ne milke
dheere dheere kyun dafnaane lage ho "

As he stared back at the young lady without uttering any word, his mind walked down the memory lane.

Pooja stepped into a restaurant with her parents where they spotted his family, seated in the VIP corner.

"I think it's wiser to let the children get to know each other before making any decision, isn't it Mathur sahab?" Harshvardhan announced as they were sharing a few words following the proposal of an alliance. To which the young lady's father agreed before engaging into different talks.

"Are you willing to get married already?" he turned to look at the woman seated in front of him, far from their families' for some privacy.

"Well, to be honest, I was prepared to say a big 'no' to this whole thing—" she started as she discreetly cleared her throat. "But then I saw you and your family today. And—maybe we can try to know each other. Who knows, we may find the perfect one during such situations."

To which he smiled, agreeing to the said words.

Pooja was waiting in front of her house when a car pulled over by the pathway, ready to pick her up.

They roamed around a mall where they spent the day out, shopping a little before taking a break around lunch time, as they followed the schedule with a movie night.

"Um Pooja, so sorry! I need to take this call. I will be back in a while," she nodded her head in understanding and was looking at the crowded party hall once alone, sipping her cocktail when she heard someone calling for her.

"Yes, see you tomorrow!" as he was walking back to their previous spot by the dance floor, he saw another man in a fun conversation with the lady. Looking at their interaction from afar, it was certain they were acquainted with each other for a long while.

"Maybe I am thinking way too much."

Until he fell on both secret lovers sharing an intense kiss in her car, sheltered in the evening's downpour showering the whole city.

The mere pictures playing from his souvenirs made him smirk as she tried hiding her face behind the falling strands.

" kar na tu hor barbaad chhad de
rohndeya da lena swaad chhad de "

"Z—Zoya—listen! This is not—this is not what you think—Pooja is just a—" he was stuttering the words, the tension of confronting his wife with his longtime mistress, unprepared for the upcoming events.

Seeing him trying to reason himself with fake excuses, she immediately held her palm up for him to stop the poor attempt. "I need no more of your lies that are well-made to convince me, Mr. Arora. I am not here to hear you explain your romantic adventures with whomever we have here. Enough is enough, I am here to give you my answer."

" je saanu pyaar layi ehna tarsaaoge
bada pachtaoge bada pachtaoge

ho mujhe chhod kar jo tum jaaoge
bada pachtaoge, bada pachtaoge "

Saying so, she took out a bunch of official documents from her bag and forwarded them to his field of vision, before she continued, "It's time to put a closure to a longtime-non-existent relationship, instead of fooling each other."

She pushed the pieces of paper to the man opposite him and turned around to walk away that place, feeling her controlled breathing burning her lungs as she heard him shouting her name, running behind the young woman. "Wait—you can't do this to me, Zoya—you can't leave me like that—"

Ignoring the buzzing voice of her soon-to-be-ex-husband, she quickly called for the lift and, as it reached the floor with an alarming sound, she stepped in and pressed the ground floor button fast, letting the doors shut on his fading appearance. "Wait, Zoya! We can tal—"

Finally free from his physical sight, she leaned her head back on the wall, closing her eyes seeking some peace of mind while the electric machine dropped her to the exit, as she released a heavy sigh.

Pooja recovered from the suddenness of the happenings and looked back at the left man, the latter responding to the eye contact. "I—we can talk, you know?"

"Sure, we can ma'am. I will talk to your parents about canceling the engagement, with pleasure," he again smiled in a mocking manner before pulling the grin off. "Anyways, it was nice having met you. Pray that we don't get to cross our paths though! That will be best for us."

Zoya stopped a passing rickshaw driver and sat inside, asking the elderly male to drive away from that place. She took her phone out of her purse and started typing a message, before indicating the driver about the destination.

《 ♚ 》

She was seated on the bench, quietly cherishing the peace in the unoccupied lake area she needed to make a stop at, as she was picturing the past days like a movie. She was still imagining herself in a dream sequence and was hoping for someone to wake her up from the nightmare she was pushed to confront. Well, she also realized that would be like fooling herself.

"How is it to be set free, Mrs—I mean Miss Zoya?"

She wiped the lone tear that managed to roll down from her eye, before she released a deep sigh of relief.

It had been almost a week since they went to the second and last hearing where, following a series of arguments between both parties, the couple stated their mutual consent to separate themselves from the choking cuffs of a non-existent relationship. As they walked out the courtroom, he apologized for betraying her loyalty towards their marriage, that he had hoped to put a closure before she got aware of the affair but every deed had to pay its price.

She scoffed at his poor excuse and turned her back to him for one last time, saying her last 'goodbye' as she promised herself not to get hurt again.

She was set free to live for herself, free to be herself.

"I thought you wouldn't even want to meet me again," his words brought her back to the present and she craned her neck to realize, the bench was no more just her seat. "The Sun rose in the west today, it seems."

Ignoring his sarcastic talking, she kept her stare fixed on the trees grown on the opposite side of the lake. "I just... wanted to say—thank you! For everything."

A thin grin appeared on his face at the confession before he rose on his feet, stepping towards the lake. He smoothly bent down to the ground's level as he picked a few pebbles in his palm's grip that he started throwing in the calm water. "Don't say much, I didn't do this for you... but for personal purposes," he threw another one.

She left the bench and stood at a safe distance, looking at his back. "I know that you won't even bother accepting my gratitude, saying all this act was for your own benefit," she said as she looked down at her fingers. "Still, it is to be said that you had me unveil a truth that I was blindly ignoring, although so close to me, and I got to walk out of a non-existent life. Otherwise, I would have been spending my days fooling myself with fantasies of a happy marriage."

As he seemed to be listening in silence, she slowly walked forward closer to his position and continued, "I... somehow, I am a reason also why... why your own engagement got broken. If he believed I was enough... if Yash didn't come into your life, or Pooja didn't meet him, perhaps you would have been happ—I owe you a lot—"

To which he scoffed sadly, making her stop in confusion. "I owe you my whole life and yours, and you are debating there about breaking a relationship that was not even to happen..."

Zoya narrowed her brows. "Your life? What are you saying?" What he terribly expected to hear as he was to open up. "Do—what do you mean by 'owing me'?"

He turned his shoulders so as to face her, blankly staring back at the younger lady before he dropped the remaining little rocks by the edge of the water.

Quickly dusting his palms against each other, he pointed at her forehead before saying, "Seems like an old scar, an old memory of your life."

Her mind was even foggier at his random questions, yet she unknowingly reached for that exact mark on her face, she happened to have forgotten with days. "Y—yes! Well, I don't remember much about it. My parents just said that I have met with an ac—accident—when I was a kid—"

At the mere mention of that instant from her past life, flashes of the moment slowly rolled in her mind, confusing her for she had certainly left much behind her. How was she able to see something, all of a sudden?

He carefully looked at her and took a safe step towards her, when he heard her mumble, "Ya Allah! What is happening?"

"You are recovering from the loss... forgotten memories are slowly reaching you," he calmly replied.

She gasped while rubbing her aching head, "Y—who are you? How do you know... how do you know about—my memory loss—"

He released a sigh. "Years-long guilt has never let me forget that day, and you," she was able to hear the lump in his throat as he confessed. "Being the culprit of your suffering had sharpened me well enough to punish myself living far away from my close friend."

"Friend? We are friends?" not having any control on her inner emotions, she felt a tear rolling down her cheek, as if her conscience easily recognized someone she was dearest to.

Tears managed to blur those icy eyes after years of penance, bringing back life to his lost soul as he was about to come over his worst fear : confronting her. "Long time, no see Ziddiqui, meri ziddi si ghalib!"

"Zi—Ziddiqui?" the name was certainly familiar to her, and she got flashes of a pre-teen boy calling her the same name, before echoes of two different laughs covered her mind.

"Zoya! Where are you hiding?" another tear fell out of her red eye. "Look what I have brought for you!"

He looked up at the tree house below which he was standing. "Arey ho, Ziddiqui—"

"Don't call me that, or I won't talk to you!" he heard the girly voice coming out from that same hideout, making him roll his eyes. "Accha baba, I won't call you that. At least, let me get up there! I have got you a surprise."

Soon, a little head peaked out from that height and looked at her pal with a doubtful pout, as he stretched a light blue grocery bag. "Your favourite, from Ramu khakha's stall!"

"Gulab jamun?" she got excited as her mouth was wide open and she immediately dropped the rope ladder down for him to go up.

He was looking at her eating, amused at her cute face savoring the dessert. "Why do you like gulab jamun that much, though? Look, even your cheeks look all chub-chubby from eating so many gulab jamuns," saying so, he pulled her round face.

"Aaah! That hurts, idiot!" she jerked his hand off her as she adorably glared. "Ammi said you shouldn't cast buri nazar on others when they are eating, it's bad."

"Arey! When did I do that? I was just saying how golu golu your face looks, just like babies," and he again pinched her soft cheeks, playfully pulling them side to side so as to irritate her. He would never admit it, but it was obvious that he loved annoying that bubbly being.

"Aunty, is Zoya here? We are going to play at the park, we wanted to take her."

Roshnaq was busy cutting the vegetables for dinner as she was randomly watching some dramas on TV when she heard the doorbell ringing.

"I am sorry, beta, Zoya won't be able to come out for a little while," she looked back at the ten-year-old boy, a soft and warm smile seeing the little friends of her daughter standing there each with their bikes. "She is feeling unwell, she is resting inside."

"Fever? Or cold?" she chuckled as she shook her head. "She's got the pox."

Chicken pox? But that hurts.

"Is that why she didn't come to school, aunty?" interjected a little girl from their group of friends who was also a classmate of Zoya's, to which the elder nodded.

They left for the park, everyone was busily chatting with each other except for the one at the front who had fallen into thoughts before stopping to turn to his mates behind. "You all go, I am not coming."

"Why?" Param frowned his eyebrows at his friend.

"I—I just remember. Mah said that we were going to... to meet maasi's new baby," he was staring at the floor, while other children were looking at each other in silence.

Hearing the doorbell once again, the young mother attended the sudden guest and stood in confusion. "Sorry to disturb you again, aunty! Can I see her?"

Zoya was lying on her bed, playing with her teddy bear as she reminisced seeing her friends walking away after being sent off by her mother. The disappointment mixed into sadness about her situation turned off the mood as she sulked to herself.

"I hate being sick," she angrily poked her teddy's eye when she heard someone knocking at the door. "Ammi, I don't want anything."

"And I thought you were feeling alone," she narrowed at the familiar yet unexpected voice before she slowly craned her neck behind.

The surprising presence of her friend brought a wide smile on her face as she sat up until she remembered her mother saying nobody was allowed near her.

"Don't worry, I have already got the pox. I am not putting myself at risk," he said, noticing her sad pout. "I will stay here and play with you the whole afternoon. Okay?"

Something she wished to hear.

"Do you want to meet my new goldfish? Abbu bought three when he came back from his trip yesterday," living in the same neighborhood, they were walking home from school together as they shared about their day,

He rolled the lollipop stick between his teeth while playing his game console, unwillingly not hearing her words. "Yeah, yeah I saw that movie 'Finding Nemo', good one—" he busily answered as he managed to kill two more monsters.

The younger girl pushed her headband correctly for the short strands of hair on her face annoyed her, as much as the ahmak friend of hers not even minding her presence.

"I will tell Anju aunty that you bring your games at school although she said not to," she quickened her pace.

Hearing the threat, he raised his attention away from the screen in his hands and looked at the pigtailed girl walking away from his sight. "Arey arey, ziddi ladki! You can't tell this to mah, she will not spare me."

"Haan! And you will be punished," she turned on her heels to face him, her little hands on her hips. "Because you failed to save me."

"Save you?" he lifted his right brow at her confusing talk.

"What if someone kidnapped me? Or... or if I got in a big accident?" she stretched her arms in exaggeration, making him shake his head for she could be a real drama queen.

"Nothing like that will happen, I will take you home safe and sound. Okay, ghalib?" to which her lips grinned, her pretty-little-doe like eyes curving like two crescent moons shining although the broad daylight. "Okay!"

"A—Aditya?" she whispered in a shocked tone as memories slowly filled in with her untold and hidden past.

At the realization, he fell on his knees and hung his head low for he was not ready to face her wrath. "Your culprit is here!"

She had just finished her one-word answer when they suddenly heard a loud explosion coming from the next road, before a crowd rushed away so as to escape the anticipated danger. Around a dozen goons turned to their lane, scaring off the few more that rested there. However, the younger ones remained there still and not understanding what was causing the sudden chaos, although fear had taken a tiny space in their hearts. And, before they could react, a bulky man saw the two of them, moving towards them at a fast pace. Aditya was about to pull her to a safe place when Zoya, crying of fear at the bad boy approaching her, turned to escape their grip. Unfortunately, her little legs didn't let her run faster and she soon found herself in a van, falling into unconsciousness as she got her head hit against the metallic door when she was roughly pushed inside.

She stayed in silence, her eyes shut closed while letting more tears flow down her face as she understood the happenings. It broke her heart to see him on his knees, avoiding making any eye contact, his hands tightened into fists. Yet, it broke her deeper to stand before this man she once considered her childhood bestie, him counting the minutes as she was to deal with hatred for this person. It was... Him.

The reason behind the eight-year-old Zoya's atrocious nightmare.

⋰✧⋱

End of Bewafaa

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© a shrucreationsx' pen work

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Cliffhanger?!

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Hello, Watty family!

It has been a long while here and I hope everyone is doing all right!

I am back with a fresh new shot story that was, actually, an idea I had got three to four years ago. Yet it took me a very long period to gather enough inspiration and ideas to shape the whole plot and edit a little. For which, I want to thank one of those dearest friends of mine who so kindly did the job. A big virtual hug to you, Demi!

Anyhoo... please share your thoughts about this story and what else you wished there was, or any mistakes I might have made unknowingly. I also hope it wasn't confusing much to switch back and forth between the past and the present scenes. In case you need any clarification... feel free to ask.

Until next time,

With love,

S. 💜