Chapter-13

Hope, you like it...❤

Books, the new member in Zoya's life. Most of her time is now consumed by them. She eats less, sleeps less and even interact with other people less. She has been liking psychology a lot and she is excited to know more and more about it. She resumed her college two weeks ago and the amount of anxiety which she had on her first day of college was on peaks.

Flashback:

She entered the college campus determined to make some friends and come out of her introvert attitude but a habit which has been a part of you since so long will not leave in a microsecond.

She started searching for her class room just when she bumped into someone or rather someone bumped into her and that made her stuff scatter on the ground.

"Sorry, bro..." She looked up to find a girl bending down to help her collect her stuff.

"It's okay..." She said getting up and started going from there.

"Hey, listen..." She said running after her.

"I must get to the class before it starts..." Zoya said trying to ignore a talk with her. Just a moment ago she was determined to make friends and now she is running away.

"There is still time...we can talk till then..." She said walking along with her.

"I'm Tanya..." She said stopping in her way, turning towards her and forwarding her hand.

"Zoya..." She said and took her hand.

"Friends?" Tanya asked.

"Okay..." Zoya answered sheepishly. She made a friend on the first day of college. An achievement indeed!

"Which subject are you in?"

"Psychology, you?"

"Same!"

Flashback ends

She was happy that she made a friend other than him. She was lucky to have Tanya as her friend and their bond was getting stronger day by day. She was totally different from her. When she chose to study, she chose to bunk the class. When Zoya chose to stay silent, she will shout on top of her lungs. If Zoya will choose not to fight and ignore it, she will rain punches on the other. They both were different and they enjoyed that fact.

Her gaze fell on the things around her...books. They were lined near her bed, on her desk, there were papers scattered all over and pens were scattered on the floor. 'What a mess her room was! Looks like I have a board exam tomorrow...' She chuckled at her thought and started remembering about her school days. She really misses her school friends, and that trip...she misses that with all her heart, how much fun they did together. How much crazy they all were!?

"Ohho, Zoya...study!" She scolded herself and resumed studying.

'I can't seem to understand this topic. Ugh...I shouldn't have agreed to Tanya's idea of bunking the class. What should I do now???Ummm...'

She started scrolling through her contacts and one name catched her attention.

Dr. Aditya

'May he agree to teach me this...fingers cross...' She dialled his number keeping her fingers still crossed.

One ring, two rings and he picked it up!

"This is Dr. Aditya Hooda speaking...How may I help?"

"This is Zoya...Zoya Siddique..."

"Oh, Zoya...yes...are you fine?" He sounded worried.

"I'm not fine..."

"What happened?! Are you still thinking about your past?"

"No...no...I'm not thinking about that..." She said clearly and continued. "Actually, do you remember that I gave you a gift and a letter...?" She said and he looked at the round item kept near his desk glowing in its full glory.

"Of course, I do..." He said leaning back in his chair and smiling.

"In that letter, I told you that I chose psychology as my career..."

"Yes...yes...I remember..."

"Can you help me with it, I can't seem to understand one topic...and it's really an important one..."

"Okay...I will help you...but I'm busy right now and I will get free at nearly umm...9 or 10 in the night...Will it be okay with you...?"

"Yes...yes...absolutely...infact I like studying at night...I'm a night person, you know..."

"That's great...so let's meet tonight at 9:00...I will message you the details...Bye..." He disconnected the call.

Dr.Weird Hooda! She changed his contact name and laughed at her newly given nickname. She can be a child at times.

•••

Two people were sitting on a bench of a park which was iluminated by street light and the moonlight was spotlighting their faces.

There was some coffee placed in a kettle near them, some books, some papers, some pens and what not. They were sitting next to each other reading the same peice of book and talking about it.

"Did you not understand it now also?" He said yawning and she just scratched her neck at that question and offered him coffee.

"I think I will read it for one more time and then it will all be clear..."

"Read it then, and ask..." He said forwarding the book to her and taking the cup of coffee from her hand. She started reading with all her attention. Her hair were falling all out of place and they were distracting her.

He saw her struggling and unconsciously his hand went forward to remove the distraction…her distraction. His hand went and adjusted her long hazelnut locks behind her ear. She turned to face him and looked in his eyes. The same emotions were displayed in his eyes as before. He too looked in her eyes. They were same: bright and reflecting innocence. That moment came back to her mind when she first saw those eyes deeply and her curiosity from that day returned and, she started searching for those hidden emotions in his eyes.

When he saw her intensifying her gaze, he broke the eye contact and gestured towards the book. She resumed studying the book and facepalmed herself in her mind.

"I understood it!" She said grinning widely which clearly expressed her happiness.

"Let's go home then..." He yawned at the end.

"Yes..." She said yawning too.

"Bye..." She got up from the bench and collected her stuff and started going.

"Wait...!" He yelled running after her.

"I'll drop you…it's not safe for you to go alone at this time..." He said checking his wrist watch at the end of his sentence.

"Come on, Dr.Hooda it's 21 century…I'll reach home safely..." She said frankly.

"It's 21 century...that's why I'm saying that it's not safe...come I'll drop you…" His voice seemed stern and that made her shut her mouth and follow him.

She sat on the passenger seat and looked at him driving. How much, can someone care for others? Her eyes brimmed with tears at his caring nature.

"You know, I want to become someone like you one day…one who spreads happiness around itself, someone who can lighten someone's mood in a second…one who…fill colors in someone's black and white life like you did…with mine..." She said and looked outside the window to hide her tears not expecting any answer to her monologue.

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It took time...😂 But, I hope that you like it...How did you find Tanya? I personally liked her. Infact, every Zoya needs a Tanya in her life...Tanya is making Zoya naughty..🤭😂

I love reading your comments so, don't hold yourself back if you want to say anything or point out something or have some confusion..😅

Take care of yourself guys and of your family too... we'll meet in the next one..love y'all...❤️