The car stopped outside FASHIONISTA. They had reached little earlier because of less traffic. The short journey of the car had been smooth. Zoya was wearing saree looking extremely gorgeous in the attire with a small bindi completing her married look. He silently kept stealing glances at her from the mirror. She was quite and keeping looking at him from side when he was driving. At one point, they caught each other checking out yet stayed silent. Now that they reached her office, their silent game ended. They sat awkwardly silent in the car.

"Bye", they said at the same time.

"I'll pick you up in the evening", he told. She smiled, nodded & turned to look at her office. He waited to let her get out of the car. She reached for the door handle and stopped as something caught her memory.

"Aditya?", she turned back at him. He was looking at her only.

"Aapki flight me abhi waqt h naa?", she asked. He checked his watch & nodded.

"Haan abhi thoda time h. Koi kaam h?", he asked keeping his tone causal.

"Hum soch rahe the aapne kbhi hamare office nahi dekha h. Aap aaenge hamare saath ander?", she took him by surprise altogether by asking him that question. He stared at her for a while. She looked in his stilled gaze on her waiting for an answer.

"Aditya aap aa rahe h?", she asked again when he didn't spoke for long & to her response his lips curved into a genuine smile. Before she could have interpreted the meaning, he was already getting out of his car. Zoya was still lost in thoughts when he tapped the window next to her. She quickly stepped out the car shaking her thoughts away and shut the door.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Yeh Shawn h aur yeh Akansha h", she said while introducing him to her staff.

"Hello sir", he shook hands with them.

"Sir aap first time office aa rahe h. Hum ne to aapko pehle kabhi dekha hi nahi. But its nice to finally meet you", Shawn told him smiling. A silent look passed between Aditya-Zoya. Then he turned & smiled.

"Same here Shawn", Aditya replied him with a warm smile.

Just then landline in her cabin started ringing. She excused herself from them and went to attend the call. Meanwhile Shawn tried to start a chat with Aditya. Zoya pushed her cabin door only to find the phone ringing more loudly and then stopped before she reached for it.

"Ya Allah kon h yeh Janab. Phone uthane se pehle hi cut kr dia", shaking her head she looked through the glass window of her cabin and saw his lips curved into a dimpled smile as he chatted with them. She smiled & watched him for a while. But her secret stare at her husband was disturbed by landline's ring. She picked up the call before it could become dead.

"Hello?", connecting the reciever to her ears she spoke. But no voice came from the other end.

"Hello? Hello? Kon bol rahe h aap?", the call was already dead. She kept back the receiver on the phone murmuring some words to herself.

"May I come in?", Zoya instantly turned at the gentle knock on the cabin door & found him standing at the door.

"Aditya aap puch kyu rahe h....aaiye na", she smiled her best.

"Maine suna tum kisi ko daant rahi thi", he pointed to her back & walked inside the cabin.

Zoya looked at her landline and replied, "Actually koi hume baar baar blank call de raha tha".

He stopped right a step away from her. She stopped speaking for a moment as she realized that his eyes were watching only her. Her heel slipped but this time he managed to catch her before she fell. He held her waist with his left hand and pulled her to him.

"Careful......main har jagah nahi ho skta tumhe bachane ke liye", he whispered huskily and tucked her hair behind her ears with his free hand. She watched his lips so close to her, moving slowly and in a synchronised way, not really paying attention to what he was saying while he kept observing her expressions.

"Zoya? Phone utha lo", she didn't even realise when did the landline rang until his little louder voice brought her out of trance.

"Hun?", she asked confused.

"Phone fir se cut jayega", he repeated the words slowly in her ears. Her hands was still circling his neck. He freed his hold on her waist letting her stand on feet all by herself. She slowly released him.

"I think mujhe ab jana chahiye", he said taking two steps back.

The phone kept ringing more loudly in the silence room as he turned to leave.

"Aapne hume abhi tk maaf nahi kia na", she caught his hand.

He didn't replied, then turned & smiled a little. "Shaam ko milte h", he freed his hand gently and left the office.

"Hum jaante h aap ab bhi humse khafa h pr kuch nahi kahenge. Agar aap ziddi h to hum bhi Zoya Siddiq.....Zoya Aditya Hooda h. Tb tk chen se nhi baithenge jb tk aapko mana nahi lete", she promised and watched his car drove off from her balcony smiling at their little moment.

~~~~~~~~~~

*Somewhere else*

He quickly hid the phone under his bed seeing her coming back in his room.

"Aaeee yeh kya chupaya tu? Kya chupaya tu?", her shrilled voice reached his ears & he started trembling. Two ward boys in pink uniform stood behind her.

He shook his head like a kid. "K....kuch nahi h. Kuch bhi nahi h mere paas. Tum door raho mujhse", he crawled as far as he could away from her.

The woman laughed loudly on him and the ward boys followed. They laughed mercilessly watching his state.

"Kya hua d...d...d....darr lag raha h?", she mimicked him and her high-cold laugh filled the entire room.

Unknown to her, he drew out a shaving blade from under his pillow & grabbed it in his fist. He pressed the blade tight inside his hand watching each of their faces making his fun.

"Chal dikha mujhe kya h tere paas", she stopped laughing & asked him calmly while slowly moving near his bed.

"Maine kaha na kuch nahi h mere paas", he shouted at them in rough voice and then hid his face in between his knees. She growled as her ego was hurt while he kept hurting himself until it started bleeding.

"Yeh pagal aise nahi maanega Madam. Isse to aapka special treatment hi dena padega. Tb hi iss sanki ko smjh aaega", the taller ward boy suggested.

She tilting her head watching him and her lips automatically raised in an evil smirk.

~~~~~~~~~~

In the evening, they reached home early only to find a surprise awaiting them.

"Cheeku, mujhe tujh se yeh ummeed nhi thi", Anjana stood with folded hands at the door.

"Kya hua Maa aap aise....."

"Zoya main tum se bhi naraaz hu. Tum ne bhi mujhe kuch nhi bataya", Anjana complained.

"Kya baat h Maa....hum se koi galti hui h kya?", Zoya asked exchanging look with Aditya.

"Khud hi dekh lo", she spoke glancing from Zoya to Aditya and moved at side. They understood what she meant once the view in front of them cleared.

"Maa yeh", Aditya looked at Anjana. She was smiling.

"Tumhare friends ne hume sb bata dia", she said letting them in.

Adi-Zoya walked inside with surprised faces to find their whole gang in there. Siddharth-Roshni & Vatsal-Ishita, all of them were sitting in the living room of their house along with Arjun & Harsh. The scene in the Hooda House was very different that night. They were chatting and laughing as if they were there since very along time.

"I am telling you Uncle this is the best you can have", Siddharth was saying to Harsh.

"Are you sure?", Harsh asked.

Both of them looked at each other with strange looks, having no idea what was happening. Aditya raised his eyebrows at her while Zoya shrugged. They stood at their places and watched all of them enjoying completely unaware of their presence.

"Hi guys", they said together after being ignored by their friends & family. Every one stopped talking at once and looked at them.

The room became silent for a second & everyone shouted together, "Surprise". And a wide smile spread on their lips on the beautiful surprise they received.

"Adi-Zoya tum log kb aaye?", Sid asked getting up from the couch to hug him.

"No, tum sb kb aaye?", he asked looking at all of them.

He smiled & hugged him tight. "Hum sb tum dono ko apne saath le jaane aaye h", he told him.

"Kahan le jaane?", Zoya asked confused.

Siddharth looked at the gang and they again shouted, "Shimlaaa".

Now it struck them! They all were there to convince them for the Shimla Hiking camp that would be leaving next week. Zoya had almost forgotten about it in solving the chaos of her own life.

"Tum dono itne nakhre dikha rahe the. To hum ne kyun na direct Uncle-Aunty se hi baat ki jaaye. So hum sb aa gaye", Ishita burst the bubble looking at their surprise expressions and hi-fived with Roshni.

"Adi tu ne to hume kuch bataya nahi. Pr Vatsal aur Ishita ne hume sb bata dia h. Aur yeh mera order h ki tum dono next week Shimla jaa rahe ho. That's final", Harsh said in a decisive tone.

"Pr Paa main.....", he began reasonating.

"Haa Adi, tum dono ki Shaadi ko poora ek month hone wala h. Aur tu Zoya ko kahin bhi ghumane nahi le gaya h", said Anjana joining them.

"Bhai ab koi bahana nhi chalega. Aapko Bhabhi ko Honeymoon pr le jana hoga", Arjun stressed the word "Honeymoon" and stood in excitement while the rest hooted. Harsh & Anjana laughed seeing them.

"Adi itna soch kya raha h. Come on, say yes", Siddharth encouraged.

Aditya's eyes rested at Zoya who stood right next to him. He looked in her eyes for a minute before deciding to "YES".

"So guys we all are going to Shimla next week with my company and", Vatsal got up from his seat to announce, "lets have a blast there!".

Everybody cheered and then got busy in making the plans. While Anjana served them hot snacks & tea.

Zoya smiled seeing them happy. Aditya looked down at their intertwined hands and then at her.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Aditya?", Zoya whispered to him when they entered their room after everyone had left. He turned around & found her standing at the door holding her ears.

"I am sorry", she said looking in his eyes.

He went to her, "Zoya tum pehle ander chalo".

"Nahi! Pehle aap bataiye aapne hume maaf kia ya nhi", she stood frozen at her place.

"Aao mere saath", he held her arm and took her inside the room. He made her sit on the bed & sat next to her.

"Pata h Zoya jb Maa ne mujhe tumhare baare me bataya tha na, tb maine bina tumhari tasveer dekhe haa kr di thi. Fir jb tumse pehli baar tumhare ghar mila, to laga jaise main tumhe bahut pehle se janta hu. Jaise ek gehra rishta h hamare beech", Aditya began. She looked at him astonished. Her eyes started welling up listening to his words.

He cupped her face gently between his hands and spoke, "Jb hamari Shaadi hui tb ehsaas hua ki bahut faasle h jo hume tay krne h. Tum bhi utna hi anjaan thi jitna main. Main janta tha tumhe waqt lagega sb accept krne me, mujhe accept krne me. Issliye main tumhe waqt dena chahta tha".

She looked down not able to look at him as her eyes filled with guilt, "I am sorry Aditya.....am so sorry. Please hume maaf kr dijiye. Hum jante h humne bahut dil dukhaya h aapka. Humse glti ki h. I am really sorry Aditya". She cried without looking in his eyes.

He raised her chin & made her look at him. He smiled at her as tears shone in his eyes too, "Mujhe dikh raha h tumhe ehsaas h. I know tum ki koshish kr rahi ho. And I am really main itne din rude tha tumse. Main sirf jaan na chahta tha ki tumhe koi farq padta h ya nhi. Maaf to maine tumhe bahut pehle kr dia tha".

Aditya closed his eyes & touched their foreheads. Their fingers intertwined in each others while they cried their heart out.

"Ek baat puchu?", he asked with his eyes closed. She nodded her head while their heads were still joined.

"Kya tumhari Shaadi tumhari marzi ke khilaaf hui thi Zoya?", at this question she looked up at him. She thought for a while before answering.

"Hume nhi pata!", Zoya denied shaking her head. She spoked further in a rather confident voice, "Hum sirf itna jaante h ki jo ho gaya h hum woh badal nhi skte aur jo hamare paas h hume usske saath rehna chahte h".

"I know that", he said wiping her tears. She was looking beautiful even though she was crying.

"Hum bhi ek baat puch skte h?", Zoya asked innocently.

"Hmmm?"

"Kya aap hume apne saath Ammi-Abbu ko lene Airport le kr chalenge?", Aditya smiled at her question while nodding her head.

"Ek shart pe"

"Kya?"

"Tumhe mujhe kl apne haathon ki bani kheer khilani padegi", she smiled with teary eyes at his request & hugged him wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her waist tight.

**********

So we are back early!

Tell me how did you find it!

;)