As Aditya and Zoya entered the party  , he introduced her to everyone and then said "This is my wife Dr.Zoya Siddiquie Hooda." That was when Zoya blushed slightly because she loved the fact that Aditya had stuck true to his word and had not snatched her surname away from her. It made her proud to be his wife. All around her people talked about his greatness and the lives he had saved and she couldn't help but smile at all the praises. As for Aditya he just kept watching her socialize and noted her various hand movements and gestures that she used while speaking. His eyes also travelled to the nook of her neck where he noticed a small butterfly tattooed. It was the first time he had seen her properly. Somehow he was attracted to her beauty and he wasn't shy to admit it to himself.

After the party ended , Zoya and Aditya left in their car. It was way past midnight and suddenly Zoya said "Aditya, gaadi rokiye na please." Aditya said "Kya hua achanak se?"
She exclaimed "Voh dekhiye na , ice cream aur vada pav ka stall. Humein bada mann kar rha hai khane ka."
Aditya said with an incredulous look "Lekin tumne abhi party mein bhi toh khaya tha na. Kitna khaogi?"
Zoya said "Aree lekin voh toh bas starters the. Aur vada pav aur ice cream ko kaun mana kara sakta hai. Hum toh aadhi raat ko neend se jaagke khale. Chaliye na humare saath. Phir hum usko aise sea ko face karte hue khayenge."

Aditya knew there was no point arguing with her once she had made up her mind about something. Both of them got out of the car and Zoya asked the vendor to pack two vadapavs and said "Ek mein zyada mirchi aur ek mein thoda kam teekha." Aditya said "Tumhe kaise pata ki mujhe zyada teekha pasand hai."
Zoya looked at him and said "Humein sab pata hai."
Aditya hit his head and said "Sorry for asking."
Zoya grinned and said "Aapko konsa flavour pasand hai?"
Aditya said with a straight face "Kis cheez ki baat kar rhi ho?"
Zoya said "Ice cream ki , aapko kya laga?" Then suddenly she understood the not so subtle double layered joke. She rolled her eyes and Aditya started laughing hard. She said "Humein nhi pata tha ki Aditya Hooda aise jokes bhi karte hai."

Aditya stopped laughing and said "I was the man with the most filthy mind in college. I could turn the most innocent of conversations dirty."
Zoya said "Just like Joey."
Aditya laughed and said "Yes but though i was ruggedly handsome I never had a string of good looking girlfriends."
Zoya said "You never had a girlfriend in college?"
Aditya shook his head and said "I never believed in casual flings and I never found anyone to be serious with. But I had many proposals coming to me."
Zoya smirked and said "Haan zaroor."
Aditya said "What ? You don't believe me ?"
Zoya said "Aap jaise akdoo insaan ke saath kon si hi ladki jana pasand karegi?"
Aditya said "Are main bol rha hoon  na main pehla utna akdoo nhi tha. I was popular and mostly every girl  loved my looks and my brains."
Zoya said "Aap khud ki tareef kitni zyada kar sakte hai na. Matlab ek baar shuru ho gye toh rukte hi nhi hai."

Aditya dismissed her words with a flick of his hand and said "Apna vada pav lo aur chalo udhar baithte hai."
They sat on the cement wall facing the sea and Zoya was swinging her legs and munching her food when  Aditya said "Tum bolo . Tumhara koi boyfriend tha?"

Zoya didn't speak as her mouth was stuffed with bread but nodded and showed the number two with her fingers. Aditya said "Do the?"
Zoya said gulping down her bite  "Haan. Ek second year mein aur ek fourth year mein. Dono ke saath che mahine ke liye rishta tha fir voh apne raaste aur hum apne."
Aditya said "Lekin dono mein problem kya thi?"
Zoya said "Dekhiye dono ke saath aise superficial attraction thi. Jab zyada depth mein unko jana toh humein kuch khaas ache nhi lage dono."
Aditya said "Kyun."
Zoya said "Are ek connection hota hai na ki aap uss insaan ko bina dare sab bol do, like a sense of security and comfort . That wasn't there. I couldn't be my true self nor could I be uninhibited with them. Isliye humara koi  azeez dost bhi nhi hai. Aisa nhi hai ki humare dost nhi hai but I don't have that one special friend with whom I can be myself."
Aditya said "I understand."
Zoya said "But it's okay, I like being alone."
Aditya said "Lekin insaan kisi na kisi ka saath toh chaiye hota hai na."
Zoya looked at him and said "Toh aap hai na. Aap toh ab humare saath hi atak chuke hai unfortunately for me."

Aditya snorted. Both of them stared at the sea and Zoya started humming "Neele Neele ambar par....... Aisa koi saathi ho.....ohhhhh."

Aditya rocked his head to the beautiful tune and said "Mujhe abhi bhi nhi pata ki tum apne aap ko ek mediocre singer kyun kehti ho."
Zoya said "Kyunki Iqbaal ke saamne yeh awaz pheeki lagti thi. Iqbaal itna umda gaate the ki unke saamne jar awaz besuri lagti hai."

Aditya said "Iqbaal?"
Zoya looked down and said "Humare Bhai."
Aditya exclaimed "Tumahra bhai bhi hai?"
Zoya shook her head and said "Tha. 5 saal pehle unka dehaant ho gya tha."
Aditya was dumbfounded.  He didn't know what to say. At long last he said "I am sorry, mujhe pata nhi tha."

Zoya said "Koi baat nhi. 5 saal pehle jab humara birthday tha aur jis din humein med school mein admission mila tha ,my brother came home dead drunk and then somehow he reached the terrace and he lost his balance. I was the nearest to him. I had held his hand and I was supposed to pull him back up but I lost my grip and he fell down from the 6th floor. Ever since then my parents and my family think that am responsible for his death. That's the reason they didn't shed a tear the day I got married. They hate me. Sometimes even I  think that maybe I didn't try enough and somewhere deep down in my heart I wanted to let go of his hand."

Aditya said "But why do you think so?"

Zoya said "Because I was extremely jealous and envious of him. I  was the eldest in the house but he got the maximum amount of attention and love. He was so freaking talented and so intelligent. He was god gifted. He never had to learn anything. He already had every talent that one can have. And my parents adored him. They couldn't see anyone other than him. I had to hear taunts because of him. We are a middle class family so I had to compromise and sacrifice on my wishes because my parents wanted to fulfil every one of his. My sister looked upto him. I was just mediocre in everything. I was a slow learner in school and I had the voice of a bull frog before I started taking singing lessons. I had to struggle for everything. And my parents knew how jealous I was of him. Also he was never sweet to me. He was always a bully to me . So my parents thought I did this on purpose , that I let him go purposefully so that my parents would be dependent on me. They think I enjoy this power of being the sole earning member of the family and my sister follows what they say. But they haven't spent that much time with me to understand me. Of course I was envious of Iqbaal and of course I love my parent's attention but that doesn't mean I didnt love my brother. At the end of the day he was my family. But my parents don't know this and because of them even I started to believe for a certain amount of time that I was a pathetic person and maybe my envy was so vile that I had killed my brother. With time  I got a grip of myself. That's why I couldn't complete my internship on time. I used to do random jobs as I count focus. It was only after those five years that I could  follow my passion again."

Zoya's voice didn't shake the entire time she narrated her story and Aditya didn't remove his eyes from her face till she was speaking.

After she finished speaking, silent streams of tears started flowing from those beautiful orbs of hers. Aditya just moved closer to her and put his arm around her and enclosed her face in his chest. He didn't say a word as he heard her sob harder and felt his shirt getting wet with tears and nasal secretions. As she calmed down a bit Aditya just whispered "Its extraordinary to be just ordinary at times."
And wrapped his arms tighter around her.  He got to know that even the forever cheerful  bubbly and savage  Zoya had her share of burden and even she was very weak and fragile .Now he wanted to be the one to protect her from breaking ever again.

Ola my beautiful  readers. Hopefully you all are doing well. So the update is up finally. I want to let you know that I read all your comments even though I am not getting time to reply to them. I love your views and they are a source of motivation and happiness to me in my chaotic and hectic schedule. So don't stop with your comments and perspectives and views. Tell me what you liked about the chapter and what you didn't like. Tell me whether the pace is correct or not. Let me know if you have any requests for a particular scene that I can incorporate in here. So comment and vote if you liked the chapter. I love you guys. Next update sooner.
Lots of love
Cold Dragon