Chapter-29

Here after so many days... wasn't just in the mood to write...Also, was feeling a bit low about this story...so...Hope, you like this one...

Also, Happy birthday Anniewrites5

Sorry, for the late wish and my dumb brain 😭 Hope, accha lage tereko (beech mein pics bhi attach ki maine👀)

Aditya looked out of the window at the blue sky and the sun trying to reach every dark corner in the world. He took a sip of his black coffee and instantly felt his muscles relaxing. He saw the birds flying in an interesting pattern and felt good as it brought a smile on his face. He hears the door open and sits straight. He sees a teenage boy entering his cabin with his head hung low and eyes casted downwards.

"Hey!" He tries to cheer him up as he keeps the coffee mug on the table.

But, his excitement filled 'Hey' was returned with a silent and almost inaudible 'Hi'.

"Please have a seat... I'm Aditya..."

"My name is also Aditya..." He replied astonished.

"Woah! I found my name twin!" He said and raised his fisted hand for him to hit it. The boy made a fist and hit his. Aditya was happy to see him opening up.

"Would you like to have something? Cold drinks or juice or anything...I won't tell your mother..." He whispered the last thing so only he could hear.

"Orange juice...?"

"So, orange juice it is..." He said as he dialed a number from his intercom and ordered.

"Do you like orange juice?"

"I don't like it...like I can't have tanks of it...but it tastes better than others..."

"I agree...Well, can I ask you something?"

The boy nodded timidly.

"You can take me as your brother..." He smiled at him.

"Why are you so unhappy...?"

"I-I..."

"Don't panick...just take a deep breath...inhale and exhale and close your eyes and again do that..." The boy did as he said.

"Feeling better?" The boy nodded again.

"You can speak, right?"

"Yes..."

"Then use words, Okay? You know what someone can do whatever they want to but they cannot snatch our right to speak...so use this power as much as you can...okay?"

"Okay..."

"Okay, now te-" A knock on the door interrupted their talk.

"Yes?" The man came and placed the juice on the table.

"Interruptions..." Aditya said and let out a small laugh.

"Okay...now tell me why you don't seem happy...? Did something happened? You can tell me... I'm like your elder brother... You can share anything with me...almost anything...I will help you..." He said with sincerity in his eyes as he looked into the boy's eyes.

"Actually... I'm feared..."

"Of what?"

"Of everything..."

"Like?"

"Like everything... I'm feared that in whatever I will do there will be someone to judge me...to point out my mistakes...to point out the things in which I'm different... I'm afraid of being myself...of being who I really am..."

"And who is that someone who is judging you?"

"Anyone out there in the society...maybe...even you..."

"I will never judge you...promise..."

"Promise?"

"Pinky promise..." They both laughed.

"Now tell me why can't you be yourself... Listen, if you keep thinking of what others will think then you will just become a living corpse... someone who breathes and not entirely lives... Others may like you...but you, yourself will not like that version of yourself..."

"Now...tell me...who you want to become? The version which this so called society will like...or the version that you yourself will like?"

"The version that I will like..."

"Good..."

"But, I'm not strong enough...Even if I ignore their talks and opinions I know they will trouble me when I'll laying on my bed alone..."

"Then, fight them...let those talks reach you...let them trouble you...but you need to learn to fight them...You need to learn to fight this society...See, there is always a question that what will people think if I do this or if I do that but the reality is...these people are the ones who themselves are trying to fit in the society... Everyone feels this fear...this fear of being judged but the point is it's just a fear...we have this when we start something new or different...we should fight this fear before it becomes our reality...get it?"

"Yes...Thank you..."

"My pleasure...and your mother told me that you like nail paints...Is it so?"

"Ye-s..." The boy answered nervously thinking that he will also laugh at his likes but to his surprise Aditya opened one of his drawers and fished out a nail paint bottle from it.

"Did you like it?" He asked as he saw tears starting to pool his eyes. The boy came and hugged Aditya tight.

"I love it...and I love you..."

"Love you too my little boo..."

The boy went home happily after his encounter with Aditya.

A notification sound brought Aditya's attention towards his phone. He unlocked it to see a message from Zoya.

"Can we meet today?" It read.

He thought for some time if he had any other appointments or not and unfortunately he did.

"I will be free after 9" He messaged back.

"We'll meet at Marine Drive at 9:30" Came the message from Zoya.

He sent a thumbs up emoticon and turned his mobile off. He laid his head back on the leather chair and let his thoughts surface.

Zoya

The moments they spend in Mahabaleshwar and Tapola coming back to his mind. The way she smiled and let out a huff when she was bored. He didn't miss her excitement for food and that made him chuckle at the thought. He doesn't know why was he staring at her sleeping form at the toll booth but he just found her so peaceful at that time. When he looked at her looking at the mountains and shimmer in her eyes, he felt something shifting inside him. Something unusual happening within him. He shook that thought off at that moment but he couldn't help than ponder upon it now. Why was he acting so different around her? Why does her smi-

A knock on the door broke his chain of thoughts. Prateek (his PA) entered the room and informed him about the appointments for the day. He pushed every thought about Zoya at the back of his head and focused on his work.

•••

The blue waves hit the differently shaped rocks and retreated back. The sea reflecting the moon's innocence and the stars' naughtiness. The stars twinkled like a child's eye twinkle on the sight of his favourite chocolate. The smoky clouds floated in the sky as if they were homeless. The street lights illuminated the dark streets giving a cozy feel.

Aditya and Zoya sat on the pavement opposite each other with their legs crossed and a plate of street-side pav bhaji filled the gap between their legs.

"It's delicious..." Aditya said as he filled his mouth with a big bite.

"Street food has its own charm..." Zoya said as she made a bite.

They finished the plate satisfied and contented with taste and the feeling. They started walking on the footpath along the road.

The strong breeze making them not feel any heat and the sound of sea waves calming their mind.

"Say it..." Aditya said looking forward.

"What?" Zoya said looking at him.

"The thing which you want to say from the morning...You are debating within yourself whether to tell me or not...Right?"

"How do you know?"

"Let's just say...I do...Okay, now speak..."

"Actually, my father asked me something today...more like requested me for something..."

"What's that?"

"He wants me to get married and settle down..." Aditya let out a cough on hearing this.

"Are you fine?" Zoya asked as she patted his back.

"He wants you to?"

"He wants me to marry..." Zoya said with a sad expression.

"What's wrong in that?"

"Ahh....you are not getting it!"

"Then, help me get it..."

"I don't want to get married..."

"Why?"

"Because, I just don't want to...You are not understanding me, Aditya..."

"There must be a reason...make me understand...You need to voice it out..."

"I'm scared...I don't have any courage to go through everything....again...."

"See, first thing is...you have much more courage than you think you have...I have seen you change and only a courageous person can do it and second...why are you scared?"

"I'm scared that what if it ends the same way it did the previous time..."

"So, you will never give it a chance? Just because of your past experiences...that's it? See, I'm not telling you to marry tomorrow...but think about it...tell your parents that you need some time and prepare yourself...I'm always here if you need any help..."

"I know that, right?"

"That's why you messaged me..."

"And that's why you came..."

They both burst out into laughter. Zoya absentmindedly hit Aditya on his elbow which made him wince.

"What happened?" Zoya asked as she started examining his elbow. To her surprise, there was a bandage tied around his elbow.

"How did you get this?" She asked utterly shocked.

"I got it while moving some furniture...it will heal in some days...but I think it will leave a scar..."

"Don't you worry about scars...they are beautiful...they are like a medal...and remind us of what we've been through and made out of it alive that too with  medal!"

Zoya's monologue worked as a time traveler and Aditya went back to the time when he was coming back from the burial ground after burying Shadow. He was 16 years old at that moment and he was alone. He was coming back and his knees were red and having several marks as he cried for hours sitting on the rocky ground for his friend. A small girl came of nearly 14 years of age and handed him a flower (a yellow rose) and said, "Congratulations for your medal..."

"Medal?" He asked.

"Yes...the ones on your knees...you are doing great...scars are like medals they are a reminder of our struggles and our achievements...Congratulations..."

Aditya came home and took out the dried yellow flower from the book which was kept between the pages since so long. That line worked as a magic to him at that time and he started seeing a positive side of his life and that's when he decided what he'll do later in life. That was the time he realized what his mother wanted him to be. She wanted him to be happy and successful. He forgot his mother's last wish due to his sorrows but that girl came as an angel in his life and made him value it. He went again to that place to meet her the next day but she didn't came to that place again.

Was that girl  Zoya?

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I finally updated, YAY!!! Hope, you liked this small revelation. Sorry for the late update but I was just not feeling to write or complete this book...I was feeling a bit low regarding this but now that feeling is gone...so, HURRAY!

ALSO, IT'S Anniewrites5  DAY...SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOLGAPPE!!! FORGIVE YOUR PANDA 😭😭😭❤️ (Take this as an apology...🥺♥️✨)