Chapter-26

I'm back with an update, guys! Hope, you all like it...❤️ Also, you can skip the last part if you find it boring...And, IT'S A LONG CHAPTER!

Twilight was melting away as if telling everyone that sun is just going to rise. The earlier blue tinted skies turned a bit pink then orange and then a small ball of fire appeared, rising from the vast orange line formed at the horizon. It spread its light all around, making the dark gloomy color of the sky to disappear.

The slow, cool morning breeze teased the leaves and the grass spreading around. After the sun wss up, and everything was illuminated, the earlier empty streets started to fill with people jogging around, some talking, some buying vegetables, some receiving milk at their doorstep.

A man came running in the middle of the road with a chain in his hand conjoined to his dog's collar.

"What do you think, Shadow?" Aditya asked while he just barked in response.

"I didn't understand...say again..." He said and he barked again.

"Oh...I was thinking the same...Our thoughts are so much identical..." He stopped in his track and bent down.

"What a good boy..." He said while petting him. He went to the side of the road picking him up in his arms and sitting on one of the bench at the roadside.

"Shadow...do you also think that my father was wrong all along? Maybe, he had his own reasons...maybe...just maybe...but nothing is confirmed...when Ma was there, we three used to have so much fun together...what happened in just one day that he started hating me to the core...even though he didn't liked my presence...he still didn't throw me out of the house even when I turned 18...Then, why does he hate me now...I didn't even do anything...I was always locked inside my room...never going out... just staying with you in my room...but, I did came out from my shell when. . ." He thought and looked down at Shadow licking his fingers.

"Let's leave that, right?" He said and started caressing his head.

"Maybe my father has his own side of story...or maybe Zoya is right...a father can't act like this with his son...maybe he didn't consider me as son ever and was just acting in front of Ma...After all, Zoya is also a psychologist...I should take her advice and stop thinking about my past and worrying abo-" His self talk was disturbed by the ringing of his phone.

Zoya calling...

"Talk of the devil and the devil comes..." He said gulping a laugh down.

"Hey!" Aditya said.

"PACK YOUR BAGS!!!" Zoya shrieked from the other side in a hurry.

"What? But, why?"

"I said pack your bags!!!"

"But why!?"

"We are going on a trip..."

"But, where and why suddenly..."

"I will explain everything to you, later...pack ypur bags fast...we don't have much time..."

"Ok...but where are going...and for how much days should I pack and what about Shadow!?"

"Oh god! Pack for 3-5 days...and Shadow can stay at my place with my parents..."

"But-"

"Listen Dr. Aditya Hooda, pack your bags and be ready otherwise your abduction news will be printed in tomorrow's newspaper!" Aditya got scared listening to her threat.

Zoya and threat? He gulped down audibly.

"Bye and be ready till 12 noon." She hung up not listening to his reply.

This is surely something new...but what about my appointments? I should pack my bags otherwise. . . But, will she really abduct me? Maybe...

"Let's go Shadow...Devil I mean Zoya is coming..."

•••

"What was so urgent?" Aditya said as he handed Zoya his bag.

"You see those two?" Zoya said gesturing to Tanya and Dr.Neil.

"Yeah..." He said looking at the couple who was so busy in blushing and romanticising each moment.

"Because of them!"

"I still didn't understand anything..."

"Ohho Aditya! Dr.Neil asked Tanya if she will come with him to Mahabaleshwar as he has some work there and then they can explore the place... Tanya's father is really strict, he wouldn't agree to Tanya going alone with a man so she involved me in her excavation..."

"Then, how I got involved in this?"

"I'm coming to that... Don't you see them both...I didn't wanted to be a third wheel..."

"Oh...but what about my appointments?"

"I've talked to Prateek. He has already rescheduled your appointments of one week."

"Smart, huh?" Aditya said smirking.

"Since the very start...Where is Shadow?" She had just finish saying this when she felt some ticklish feeling on her foot.

"Here he is..." Aditya said grinning.

"Let's go then" Zoya said picking up Shadow.

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"Oh god! Don't you guys get tired?" Zoya said while driving listening the couple talk in the back seat.

"Seriously, yaar!" Aditya exclaimed being equally irritated.

"Don't spoil our moment, yaar..." Tanya said looking at them.

"Oh god!" Zoya and Aditya said at the same time.

"Put up some songs, Aditya... otherwise I'll go mad..."

"Me too!" He said as he connected his phone via Bluetooth to the car's music system. He was just searching for song when the car bumped a little and his finger accidentally played a random song.

Abhi na jao chodkar...

His eyes widened as he listened to the song.

"This was Yash's favourite song..." He remembered Zoya saying this and tearing up immediately. He very cautiously looked beside him to see her enjoying? She was enjoying the song and also singing along with it. Really?

"Hey, how did you know my favourite song?" Zoya said amused. But, Aditya was clearly more amused than her as he didn't witness even a single ounce of sadness in her eyes.

"Favourite?"

"Yeah... it's been my favourite since a long time..."

"But, how?"

"How? Oh. . .You must be thinking that I used to get sad listening to this song?"

"Yeah..."

"Actually, earlier this song used to bring back Yash's memories but now it only tells me how I have got over him and now this song doesn't affect me...not even this much..." She said bringing her index finger and thumb close leaving very less space between them.

"And, let me tell you...it wouldn't have been possible without you..." She said smiling at him before looking back again at the road. She started humming the song with a beautiful smile on her face.

•••

"Finally! We reached!" Zoya said yawning and dragging her bag along with her through the hotel's entrance.

"Yes, we did!" Tanya squealed.

"We will have fun now!" Neil said.

"Woah!" Tanya said.

"Eww..." Aditya and Zoya said simultaneously.

"We were just kidding guys... Relax" Neil said bursting into laughter.

"I will go and book the rooms..." Aditya said and went towards the reception desk.

After a while Aditya returned.

"Here are the keys..." He said handing the keys to Tanya.

"Let's go Neil." Tanya said moving ahead. Zoya grabbed her collar from behind and dragged her towards herself.

"What 'Let's go Neil'? You are coming with me! And you..." She said pushing Aditya towards Neil. "You both will stay together…"

"Let's go Neil." Zoya said imitating Tanya and hitting her head lightly.

"Aren't you two moving too fast on the track?" Zoya asked Tanya as they entered the elevator.

"What fast Zoya?" Tanya said flickering her eyelashes innocently.

"Shut up!" She said and smacked her head as they entered their room.

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"Ah... Let's order something…I'm hungry!" Aditya said as him and Neil walked through the entrance of Zoya and Tanya's room.

"I was thinking the same..." Tanya said.

"Let's order something then!" Neil said.

"Should we go to some restaurant or order something in the room only?" Zoya said yawning.

"Let's order in the room itself...I can't bear this hunger any more…" Aditya said rubbing his stomach.

"Such a drama queen you are!" Tanya said eyeing Aditya.

"Really!?" Aditya asked amused. Tanya let out a huff while Zoya and Neil started laughing.

"I'm ordering guys..." Zoya said as she dialled room service from the intercom.

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"Isn't this too much?" Zoya said as she eyed the food kept on the table.

"Clearly not!" Aditya and Tanya said simultaneously, drooling over the food.

"Oh god!" Neil said.

"Let's dig in!" Tanya said.

All four of them filled their plate with food and sat down to have it when Aditya picked up TV's remote and started surfing through the channels. He stopped his search when he remembered he has his pendrive with him with several movies. He connected the pendrive hurriedly to the TV and played a movie.

'Hera Pheri'

"I've watched it multiple times!" Tanya said.

"Me too!" Neil said.

"But, it's fun guys!" Aditya said.

"Yeah.. let's watch it while eating…" Zoya said as she put a spoon filled with rice in her mouth.

Time went by unknowingly with them enjoying the movie and watching the next movie too in the sequence, 'Phir Hera Pheri'.

After they finished their food, their stomach filled with the delicious food and also paining due to laughing a lot, Aditya spoke,"Meri khopdi mein kitna tension tereko maloom kya!?" [In Baburao's accent] (Are you even aware of how much tension there is in my head!?)

"Mereko kya malum..." Neil said in Kachra Seth's accent. (How would I know...)

"Ae tereko sharam nahi aata hai?! Teri wajah se mera aatm hatya karne ka time aagela hai!" Zoya said turning to Tanya in Baburao's accent. (Don't you feel ashamed!? Because of you I will have to commit suicide one day!)

"50 rupya kaat overacting ka!" Tanya said gesturing to Zoya immitating Raju. (Cut down 50 rupees for the overacting!)

"Khopdi fod saale ka! Khopdi fod!" Neil said turning to Tanya in Baburao's accent. (Bang the head of this bugger! Bang it!)

"Mast plan hai!" Aditya said bending a bit in front imitating Baburao. (Nice plan!)

" 'B' category ke 'C' class log!" Tanya said eyeing Aditya and Neil in disgust while they both just stood there with their handa at their waist and their head facing upwards.

"Tup tup tup! Tup taap lehne ta!" Zoya said shutting her eyes.

"Barobar." Tanya said looking at Zoya.

"Maal kidhar hai?" Neil asked Tanya.

"Pehle tu de." Tanya said showing her front teeth.

"Shaitan gali khatra mehal shamshan ke samne." Aditya said immediately and Zoya burst out laughing.

"Bilanchi Naagin nighali!" Neil said to Tanya making the shape of a snake with his hand.

"Ae tu iske saath mat ghoom re tu pagal ho jaayega..." Zoya said keeping her arm around Neil's shoulder. (Don't be with her... you'll go mad!)

"Ruk tera to game bajana padega!" Tanya said moving towards Zoya. (Wait, I have to show you who Tanya is!)

"Tere paas koi aur raasta hai?" Neil asked Zoya innocently.

"Are mujhe chakkar aane laga hai..." Aditya said roaming in a circle in his place. (My head has started spinning…)

"Kya doctor banega re tu!" Neil said pointing at Aditya. (What type of Doctor will you become?!)

"Zor zor se bolke logon ko scheme batade!" Tanya said hitting Neil's head lightly. (Speak more loudly so that everyone can hear!)

"Ae tu panauti mat maar re..." Aditya said faking fear. (Don't say such things, bro...)

"Are ameer bano, ameer!" Zoya said gesturing to herself with pride. (Become rich!)

"Ae yede tere baap ki shaadi hai kya re!" Neil said. (Hey idiot, is it ypur father's wedding?!)

"Baap ne shaadi kiya tabhi main paida hua...tere jaisa naseeb nahi hai mera..." Tanya said smiling…no fake smiling. (My father got married then only I was born...I don't have a fate like you...)

"Kaheko chedta hai parayi aurat ko..." Aditya said pinching Neil's cheek.

"Ae Kachra Seth ka kachra nahi karneka..." Zoya said signalling everyone to stop.

"Maal kidhar hai?" Aditya asked Zoya.

"150 rupya dega?" Zoya said bending backward and keeping her hands on her stomach in the front.

"Ye mera samsoong number hai tu mereko phone kar!" Neil said to Aditya.

"Tumko merepe bharosa hai na ha to bas…mereko bhagwan pe bharosa hai..." Tanya said trying to calm everyone.

"Mereko aisa dhak dhak horela hai..." Zoya said keeping her hand on her heart.

"Ae baba tereko 8-10 lottery ek laga kya?" Neil asked Aditya keeping his hand around his shoulder.

"Uske liye oonchi pehchaan chahiye..." Aditya said raising his shirt's collar.

"Main koi gaon se aaya hu kya?!" Tanya shrieked rubbing her head.

"Ae chup bey!" Zoya said as she threw a pillow at Tanya.

"Oho, wrong move I must say!" Tanya said as she threw the pillow back at Zoya. Zoya sat down in time and the pillow hit Neil.

"Oops!" Tanya said.

"Be ready, Aditya!" Neil said as he moved towards Aditya holding the pillow in his hand. Aditya picked up another pillow and stood ready for a fight. They both started battling with the pillows as if they were swords. Zoya came from behind and hit Neil's back with a pillow.

"Team huh?" Neil said.

"Ofcourse!" Tanya said as she hit Aditya's back with a pillow.

"That calls for a war!" Aditya said as he ran behind Tanya with the pillow.

The pillow fight continued with them hitting each other and laughing totally enjoying the moment.

"Kya kare hum inka?" Zoya said to Aditya as she watched Tanya talking to Neil while blushing totally forgetting the game. (What should I do of them?)

"Exactly!" Aditya let out a huff as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"Are you guys on a honeymoon?" Zoya aksed Tanya.

"What? No! Absolutely not!" Tanya said embarrassed.

"Well, it looked like that…so I had to ask."

"Zoya!" Tanya said glaring Zoya.

"Let's resume the game!" Neil said as he started running behind Tanya.

"Ahhh...!!!" Tanya shrieked as she ran to save her life. While they both were running behind each other, unknowingly Neil pushed Aditya in front and he fell on the bed…with Zoya underneath him. He looked around and saw both of them still running around.

"I need to teach her a lesson!" Zoya said glaring at them. It was then that they realised in which position they were. Him on top of her, while her hands were rested on his chest. Their eyes met and the air stilled around them...

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Hope, you liked this chapter...and didn't find it boring 🤪 Apologies for late update but the compensation has been done with a long update...So, I think we are sorted😌 I'll be back with another update soon and I know that you'll like it!