Chapter-19

Hope, you like it...❤

"I missed you so much... I'm glad you are back..." She said still hugging him tight forgetting that her hands were full.

He was taken by surprise by the sudden outpour. He expected her to shout, to beat him, to slap him but, she just embraced him. His hands slowly went towards her shoulder and rested there lightly. His heart full of emotions. He was taken into an embrace after so long. He didn't lose one more person in his life, maybe.

She released him and saw his moist eyes. She wanted to remove every tear from his eye. The reason still being unknown but she wanted to...so badly. Let's give him a return gift for what he did to me... She thought and made a note in her mind to help him with all her mind, soul and...heart.

"Ouch..." He said when he felt something cold running down his neck and bringing her out of her trance. He threw a hard glare at her when he realized what it was.

"Oops!" She said biting her tongue and showcasing a full fledged smile to him.

"Want some?" She asked. He forwarded his hand to take one cone from her hand only for her to withdraw it back.

"Buy yours on your own! These are mine!" She said eyeing the ice cream in her hand lusciously.

"Tum kitni kanjoos ho gayi ho…Ha! Tum psychologist banke kanjoos ho gayi ho…" He said scrunching his eyes at her. ( You have become so miser after becoming a psychologist.)

"Aapki meherbani se…" She said licking her ice cream with satisfaction and forming a big smile on her face. (With your grace) He chuckled at her cute behaviour, for the first time in two years or maybe more. She felt as if she has accomplished a task when she heard his melodious chuckle.

.

.

.

He came and stood beside her with his cone in hand by the car's bonet.

"So, you did remember…" She said finishing her ice cream and wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"What?" He said taking a bite from his.

"Me…"

"Huh?"

"I mean, messaging me and informing me…"

"Zoy-"

"I thought you will forget me…but it seems you are not able to forget me…" He looked at her with a serious expression and confused expression.

"Am I that good?" She asked gesturing her eyebrow up and finally letting out her much controlled laughter.

"Look at your face!" She said laughing more. Tension vanished from his face looking at her happy and a smile graced his face.

"It was as if you just puked on your birthday cake…" She said laughing a bit more and trying to make a face like his.

"Is it done?" He asked keeping his hands at his waist after finishing his ice cream.

"Yeah.." She said controlling her laughter and instead started laughing again. He left from there irritated and started moving away from her. She ran behind him to catch his pace and also started walking beside him.

"So, what did you do in these years.." He asked.

"Oh yeah, I didn't tell you…I'm a psychologist now, finally!...and I'm enjoying it!"

"Glad that you are…it feels good na...to bring someone's smile back…" He said walking in a slow pace, looking forward and with his hands in his pocket.

"Yeah…I like my job so much…it just makes me feel so much alive…" She said rubbing her arms to keep them warm and kept walking at his pace. He noticed her feeling cold and unzipped his hoodie and placed it on her shoulders. She looked at him in surprise.

"You?" She said holding onto the hoodie.

"I'm okay…you take this…" She smiled at his caring attitude. He hasn't changed a bit. He is same as he was earlier. She thought remembering the moment when he dropped her home in his car ensuring her safety.

"I know right…I love this profession too!" He said bringing her out of her thoughts and felt tears filling the back side of his eyes. 'How will I feel alive, again?'

"Anyways, where are you working?" He said stopping himself from crying.

"Umm…you weren't here from so much time and..."

"I know that…why are you talking in circles…where do you work right now?"

"Umm…Actually, I got a offer from the same hospital where you used to work as soon as I completed my studies and it was the best one I could ask for…" She said not meeting his eyes. He stopped walking as he felt shock running through his veins.

"I work where you used to." She said in a rush not prepared to look into his eyes.

"I even asked the authorities to call you and ask about your return but it seemed as if you just vanished into thin air…no call, no message...nothing…where were you these last few years?"

"I told you I had an emergency to be attended immediately."

"Which emergency?"

"Why are you being so nosy?!" He said lashing out. He noticed the change in her expressions and saw hurt overtaking her eyes.

"Zoya, I'm sor-" She started giggling instead.

"Why are you laughing now? Do I seem like a joker to you?"

"No, you are absolutely not a joker…"

"Then!?"

"Ok calm down, listen to me…Actually today you are having so many mood swings…at one moment you are irritated, then the next you care and now you are frustrated…Are you on man periods?"

"What!?" He said letting a loud sigh.

"I'm sorry." She said controlling her laughter.

"It's fine..."

"I'm sorry..." She sounded serious this time.

"I told you it's fine..."

"It's for different cause..."

"Which cause?"

"For taking up your place in the hospital…if you want I can resign..."

"Are you mad! Why would you resign…Listen Zoya, it's not easy to find a job and leaving it for no reason is total stupidity."

"But, I do have a reason…"

"What reason?"

"You!"

"So, you are saying that you will leave your job just for the sake of mine…Are you crazy!? Just don't do that!"

"What about you then?"

"I will manage…" He said looking around.

"Look at me." She said and he immediately looked at her terrified to see this new Zoya.

"What will you manage and how will you manage?"

"That's my problem…I will do something…"

"It's mine too."

"How?"

"Because of me you have this problem…and so it is mine. Moreover, I'm your friend so it's my problem too. No matter, if you don't consider me as one but I do!"

"Have you checked in other hospitals?" She asked.

"I did…there's no vacancy anywhere…"

"Hmm…What about a personal clinic!?" She said looking at him with wide excited eyes.

"A personal clinic…no, I don't think I'll be able to do th-"

"I'll help you." She said flashing a gracious smile and he was taken aback by the shock as he gazed at the person in front of him. 'Why the hell did I hurt her two years ago?'

•••

"How about this?" He asked pointing at a piece of card lying on the table.

"No..." Tanya said immediately.

"Umm...no.." Zoya said too after sometime.

They were sitting in a café and deciding the place for his clinic. Smell of coffee flew in the small coffee shop making the atmosphere peaceful and therapeutic. Several cards were scattered on their table each expecting some attention. Soft music was playing in the background accompanied by the low chit chat of people.

"You decide...I will bring the coffee..." He said and got up to bring some relaxing drink for all of them.

"Here you go..." He said as he put the tray on the table.

"You didn't bring the cake?" Tanya asked with a pout.

"Did I had to?" He asked a bit confused.

"Yeah!"

"Tanya!" Zoya said clenching her jaw.

"No problem I will bring...which flavor?"

"Umm...chocolate...well, I'm fine with strawberry also..."

"Ok...Zoya, do you also need something?"

"No, thanks..." She said smiling. When he was away from them, Zoya swatted Tanya's arm.

"He is senior than us! How did you behave with him!?" She said in a low yet scary voice.

"You said he is your friend and I am your friend also so this way he is my friend too..." She said getting over excited. "And what is this senior-venior... there's no senior or junior in friendship..."

"That's the problem...it is too complicated to be called friendship..." She said looking at nothing particular.

"Huh?"

"Aditya, you came!?" Zoya said ignoring Tanya.

"This is your cake!" He said placing the tray on the small table between them.

"You brought both?"

"Yeah... You are helping me, this is the least I could do..."

"No need to be be formal Aditya..." Zoya said.

"Aree, it's totally fine..." He said flashing his enchanting smile.

"How about this?" Zoya asked taking a card in her hand and showing it to the other two.

"It's good!" Aditya said instantly seeing the card.

"Tanya?" Zoya asked.

"Hmm…?" She exclaimed with her mouth full.

"Stop eating for a while and look at this, how is this one?" Zoya said. Aditya looked at her expectantly.

"It's amazing!" She said.

"See, it has this small side garden also…and a big window in one of its room, that can be your personal cabin…What say?" Zoya said.

"It will be just…THANK YOU BOTH OF YOU!"

"I told you not to be for-"

"Your welcome…" Tanya said immediately unaware of the fact that the cake's icing was beautifully gracing her cheeks.

Aditya and Zoya both started laughing at the sight of an icing-ridden Tanya.

•••

Aditya entered his room with a smile. He is so much happy right now! He didn't expected this. He looked above and thanked Him.

"I shouldn't have said all that to Zoya at that time... my mind wasn't functioning correctly...I will have to ask for her forgiveness and also tell her that I value our friendship as much as she does and that at that time I wasn't in a good state to talk rationally...Will she understand? What if she asks about why my state was like that? Should I tell her? I don't want that look of sympathy...I hate that look!" He said as a tear escaped his eye, traced its path down his face and time travelled him to the past.

A seven year old Aditya looked around for help but saw only a look of sympathy pass through the people's eyes surrounding him. He doesn't want sympathy, he wants help. Tears escaped his eyes and streamed down his chubby cheeks.

He started crying feeling helpless, sitting on his knees amidst the busy and now crowded road.

"Don't play around and take care..." He remembered his father's words and more tears filled his eyes.

"Help please!" He shouted but no one came forward to help the poor kid. He started crying not able to do anything. The next day these people will be there to show how much gruesome they feel but right now they are just enjoying the show. The show of his life.

Poor Aditya kept sitting there crying at his loss when he felt someone nudge his knee and saw a little puppy rubbing his face on his knee. He picked up the puppy and cried hugging him.

Aditya came into present as he felt a tear drop wetting his t-shirt. His gaze fell on the black hoodie lying on the couch and instantly remembered Zoya. How he gave her his hoodie so that she doesn't feel cold. Was he this much caring from the start or did SHE brought out this side of him?

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Here, it is finally...Hope, you like it...A sneak peak into Aditya's past... it's so sad...🤧 May he overcome that fast...Also, Tanya is so cute..😂

It's a long one and thank you everyone for this much patience with my work...And also, it has crossed 4k reads and I'm just so much happy...THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!❤️

Take care guys, and I will be back with a new chapter soon...Diwali is coming up! Happy Diwali in advance!❤️ I will try my best to gift you something on that occasion..😃