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Chapter 11

"Pooja – Why did you have to leave me ? At least I wish you were here in front of my eyes alive – That look ! –I can't get it out of my head –I am sorry –I was responsible for death and now ---I am responsible for her pain too!" he whispers painfully having Pooja's pictures in his hand . Still in his bedroom the same place , Zoya left him just minutes before .

"I can't let her go Pooja –Zoya ! She makes me happy but I give her only pain –Am I selfish?" he questions Pooja as he bites his lip to stop the lump that was forming in his throat.

He puts her pictures back in the cupboard locking it as He walks back to the washroom to have his shower .

Zoya folds her hands front of her Sankerji in the temple "What should I do? I was attracted to him since the time I met him –I like him but Just because he is my husband should I endure all this pain? I feel like running to my Papa's arms and cry out loud but I can't --- I've never seen my father cry and if I go cry front of him he would be in tears –I can't let him cry because of me –Maa would break down if she knows I am not happy ! What can I do? " She stops swallowing back that the lump which was forming as She holds back the tears and walks away . If she speaks another word She would end up crying .

Zoya removing her slippers placing it on the rack twists the knob as it opens , Zoya finds it shocked to see Aditya sleeping on the sofa in sitting position. She sees the time to find it 11 O'clock . She left two hours ago to temple then to the park to relax her mind .

"Randhir Bhaiya informed you have a meeting with an international client – Didn't you leave?" Zoya asks tapping him

Aditya rubs his eyes while licking his lips to make it wet as he lets out a yawn closing his mouth with his palm "I came just now after meeting" he informs sleepily

"ohh!" She had thought he had not gone –but how can She forget Business is his first priority?

Zoya takes a step forward but stops hearing him call her , She turns around as he looks a bit nervous ,

"Mom called me – " , Zoya asks him to continue "Daadi is having a Pooja for the well being of the family – she wants us-"

Zoya cuts him off quickly "I'll pack the bags !"

Aditya nods feeling awkward not knowing what else to say . Zoya stops by her room door turning around She tells firmly loud enough for him to hear "I'll chop your head off if you forget to book the train tickets this time!".

Aditya gulps nervously as He raises his head up to see her already gone .

"I've been bestowed with a violent wife "he chuckles slightly still his eyes on the direction she went .

***

Daadi engulfs Aditya in a hug as soon as he walks in . Zoya touches her feet to get blessings but Daadi makes a face placing her hand on Zoya's head for namesake .

Aditya shakes his head seeing the way Daadi was treating Zoya but decides to keep mum . Who would want to pick on a fight early morning after a long journey?

Zoya sees Anjana and Harsh walking down . A full smile appears on her lips as Zoya drops her bag from her hand runs towards them . Harsh opens his arms seeing Zoya but gets shocked to see Zoya hugging Anjana tightly instead .

Daadi ends up coughing badly seeing the scene front of her She feels as if someone had hammered on her heart . Aditya's eyes popped out of sockets as He too ends up coughing with Daadi.

Harsh's jaw hung open seeing Anjana too hugging back with a small smile.

"Maaji how are you?" She chirps .

Anjana smiles affectionately pulling back from the hug as she nods placing her palm on Zoya's cheeks .

"Anjana !" Daadi calls out in a raised tone clearly showing her displeasure

Anjana stutters nervously no matter what she was afraid front of this 70 year old woman who was her Mother-in-law (un)fortunately . Note the sarcasm .

"Mummmy—ji" Her voice fumbles

Zoya slightly chuckles seeing her tough mother-in-law fumbling making Daadi get angrier more . Zoya ignoring the heated look of Daadi moves towards her Papaji

"Papaji" She calls him out happily as Harsh pouts opening his arms "I thought you were in my team –when did you change teams?" He says with fake hurt while pouting

"You look cute with pouts – now I see where Aditya inherited that cuteness!" Zoya says bluntly but soon regrets seeing the shocked faces of everyone

"Adi and cute?" It was Anjana who asks shocked

Zoya forgetting the awkwardness says with a slight chuckle "Only when the Devil sleeps!" ,

Aditya's cheeks acquired a rosy tinge seeing how much she had noticed him .

"Devil?" Daadi mocks at Zoya

"Haaa It is Aditya" Zoya says quickly without thinking further angering Daadi .

"You call your husband Devil?" Daadi yells at her making Zoya bites her lower lip spilled the beans at the wrong place

"Wo tumhara pati hai Aur pati parmeshwar hota hai; toh kaise tum use ek raqshas bola sakti ho? Apne pati ko izzat deni dekho Aur abse use Adityaji bulaao

(He is your Pati parmeshwar –He is your god! How dare you call him a devil?—and Learn to call him Adityaji!)" Daadi mocks at Zoya as She pauses taking a good breath continues

"Aur Wo tumahre sasural waale hain; yeh kaise pesh aa rahi thi tum unse? Unke saamne Apna sir jhukaana seekho gauri warna tumahre maa baap ki parwarish par He ungliyan uthengi

(And they are your In-laws how can you behave so casually with them like that? Learn to have your head down front of them )!" Daadi yells at Zoya

Zoya looks at her calmly as She says taking Anjana's and Harsh' hands in her palms holding them from either sides "Daadi – Heads should be down front of people with show respects in fear but Why should I bow down front of my parents?"

Aditya's lips curve up with pride with so much happiness seeing how she had accepted his parents as hers .

Anjana squeezes Zoya's palm showing how much Zoya's words mean to her before removing her palms away from Zoya knows Her Mummyji's anger would reach its peak . Anjana wanted to hug Zoya then and there how much she wanted to have a daughter – Aditya was loving a good son but with a daughter the feeling was altogether different , after all She could not drag her boy for shopping to her heart's content? , She could not talk to him about everything freely? , dolling up her girl and try to give all the best thing to her daughter was all together different from having a boy instead.

Harsh on the other hand felt tears welling up in his eyes hearing her , how much he craved to have a daughter ? he always wished that his daughter-in-law treated him as her own father and today hearing it from Zoya makes him feel the happiest man alive , that day at the mandap Harsh had meant that words to Zoya if his son makes her cry –he is going to punish him very badly !

"Come here" Harsh calls Zoya affectionately pulling her in a hug while placing an affectionate kiss on her forehead .

"Stop this drama!" Daadi yells frustrated "Anjana have you gone nuts? How did I tell you to behave with your daughter-in-law and what are you doing? Open your eyes see she has already tied your son in her duppata knot and not even respecting your son calling him names"

Anjana so wanted to roll her eyes at her mother-in-law but she resisted the urge – Mummyji do you know I have called my husband aka your son a donkey ! a jerk ? and more names inside Our bedroom? And my daughter-i-law is just is calling him infront –that's it , Anjana wanted to laugh loud on her thoughts but pressing her lips in straight line She puts up the stern face .

"Zoya – How dare you call my son a devil?"

Zoya wanted to laugh out loud as She extricates herself from Harsh , Harsh frowns not liking the sudden change in his wife while Daadi looks satisfied .

"How dare you tie him in your knot? Since the time he came here he forgot he had parents to even come and greet "

Aditya who had been admiring the three in front of him suddenly gets upset that indeed he forgot to greet his parents "Mom I am so—"

Zoya turns around and passes a glare at Aditya asking him to 'Shut-up his damn sorry!"

Daadi notices it quickly seeing Aditya close his mouth hurriedly "See Anjana –now she is not even letting him even talk to his parents!" Daadi tries to instigate Anjana against Zoya

Anjana looks upset seeing Aditya not seeing him not greeting her but the wave of sadness in his eyes and the look of admiration for his wife , looking at Zoya – who was looking happy least Zoya knew Anjana could see through her eyes . They looked sad , her son's eyes held guilt while Zoya's was hurt but seeing Zoya making them happy , she knew her son's decision to marry this girl was right , She would never let her son's pride fall – Anjana wanted to know whether they have sorted out their problems but seeing them she knew no and if Her guess was correct Anjana knew instantly it was her son who was not ready to open up .

Zoya chuckles lightly hearing Anjana's firm tone but seeing Anjana glaring at her She signs zipping her mouth with her fingers as She hops towards Aditya . holding Aditya by his forearm she says looking at Daadi "Daadi Aditya likes –scratch that loves when I call him Devil haina Aditya?" ,

Aditya feels tingles when her fingers grazed his forearm , her fingers playing along his arm unconsciously made him feel something inside in his heart . Lost in the dark brown chocolate eyes he nods seeing her lips moving asking him something which he never heard .

Daadi's jaw hangs opens seeing Aditya nodding ,

"And Aditya feels he is aged when I call him Adityaji haina ?"

Another nod follows unknown to himself , her eyes which looked at him amused and the lips which moved made Aditya travel into another world altogether , he could no longer hear her but the feel of having her beside him was enough . He would not have told it in words but in this one month – During the midnights the habit of waking up to check whether she was sleeping beside him that fear of seeing her gone like her one day made him feel terrible that unknown to Zoya he held her hands tightly in his palms as a surety that she is beside him and will be and during the mornings he would extricate his palm before she would wake up , he did not want her to find him trying to exercise his rights on her when He wasn't behaving as a husband . His problem was he could not open up about what he feels or what he expects from anyone .

"And Aditya is too big to tie him in my duppata!" Zoya says laughing while showing her duppata and him .

Aditya nods lost in her laugh .

"Aditya you have gone mad !" Daadi yells pulling Aditya to his senses .

He wanted to be angry with his Daadi for spoiling his moment , only few instances made them forgot their differences and Daadi had to spoil it !

"Daadi come lets have some water to cool you down – Your grandson had just arrived and You want to fight?" Aditya asking lovingly while wrapping his arms around Daadi and dragging him out of the hall .

Daadi keeps murmuring under her breath how Zoya wasn't an ideal bahu but Aditya decided not to respond to them , Daadi had orthodox beliefs and he knew his wife better and he liked her for what she is and he does not find the need to argue with Daadi over his wife when they are not even living with them .

Zoya's lip curve up seeing her husband who was dragging Daadi out of the hall . She was happy at least he did not talk back to Daadi and make her upset to .

Anjana walking towards Zoya pulls her by her ear playfully making Zoya let out an 'Ouch'

"Maaji its paining!" She cries as Anjana biting her lower lip with a smile on her lips "So my son is devil aah?"

"He is more than a devil—a hulk—an idiot—a jerk –a donkey –"

Anjana leaves Zoya's ears chuckling as she says surprised "So much adjectives for My one and only son?"

Zoya shuts her eyes embarrassed passing a cheeky smile I need a mouth filter

"No you do not need one" Harsh tells chuckling while hugging Zoya from the other side .

Zoya looks at him confused as it clicks her mind She had spoken out loudly ! Stupid thoughts stay in my mind .

"I am sorry!" Zoya apologizes seeing Anjana too Harsh feeling bad about describing their One and only son with so many adjectives

"You should be" Anjana says chuckling while Hugging Zoya from the other end "For not talking freely like you did now!"

Zoya's face acquires a warm shade as she gives them a full smile "I feel like Mumma and Papa are holding me"

"Just now you called us your parents right?" Harsh chides her while kissing her temple "Your Papa is here – leave that ji from the word "

"And Your Maa is here too but I am not gonna say leave that ji but use it only front of Mummyji we do not need to her anger her more right? And My dear daughter please do not get too much excited front of Mummyji towards me – Let me be the Khadoos Mother-in-Law!"

"No promises Maa !" She tells laughing while Hugging Anjana tightly the best thing about her marriage was She got another two loving parents apart from hers .

"You want me dead don't you?" Anjana asks laughing while hugging Zoya tightly .

Harsh smiles seeing His wife being so affectionate to his daughter-in-law . Maybe She too craved for a daughter like him? He wonders but erases the thoughts of , Let bygones be bygones .

Aditya smiles leaning to the wall with his arms tied around his chest as he looks at the duo his mother and his wife hugging each other tightly , This has to be his Mom's dupe? Wasn't this the same mother who disliked Zoya. He wonders Maybe something changed while he was away when they came to Mussorie .

"How can I not like you?" He whispers with happiness bubbling inside him seeing her talking animatedly to her parents who seemed to love her so much that they had sit beside her either sides .

"At this rate –no wonder—if they forget they had a son ! " talking to himself he walks towards his room . MAY BE ONE DAY He would fall head over heels in love with his minion who had captured the hearts of his family exception his Daadi ! If Zoya had come from gold in pots family Daadi would be treating her like She was a Queen , Just because Zoya comes from an average income family how can she taunt Zoya like this?

Shoving his thoughts away Aditya drops himself to the bed to catch some sleep . He wasn't habituated to sleep in trains and that too His wife made him book a sleeper class but not like last time this time they got two berths was his disappointment . Did I expect her to sleep on my lap? He wonders not knowing the answer himself he closes his eyes .

A blush appears on his face with his eyes closed as her words ring n his mind ."Only when the Devil sleeps he is cute!"

"But why devil?" He frowns talking to himself "She could call me jerk that is way better !",

"Oh god I've gone mad I want my wife to call me names?" He runs his fingers through his hair smiling to himself . 

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