Chapter-31

Here's the most awaited one! Hope, you like it...❤

Cool breeze from the outside enters the room making the curtains fly with it. The wind plays with them and teases them as the curtains chase it. The wind travels further inside the room and blows Aditya's front hair making them covering his forehead but, he was so much engrossed in thinking something that the hair were the last thing for which he would be bothered.

He was siting on the window seat in his room. His back against the wall, one leg flat and one bent as his hand rests on it. He was holding a flower in his hand...a yellow dried out rose...and was observing it closely. He closed his eyes and felt its dried petals on his lips, on his eyelids, on his cheeks. He noticed every petal of it closely, very intently.

"Was that girl really Zoya?"

He closed his eyes and replayed the scene from years ago in front of his eyes. He paid attention to the girl's eyes and then compares them from Zoya's. Same hazel brown eyes... He closes his eyes again and compares their smile. Exactly the same... He touches its dark green colored stalk and tries to revive the girl's touch from his memories and compares it with Zoya's touch...when she held his hand...and he couldn't decipher the difference. He closes his eyes and rests his head back on the pillow supported against the wall.

Aditya walked on the footpath with his head down. He was crying since the last 24 hours endlessly and now tears have stopped coming out of his eyes. He never imagined his life wothout Shadow and now it has become his reality. He still felt him nudging his bare feet and circling around him. He was looking down at his feet when a yellow rose came in front of his eyes. He looked up at the person who was holding it and was met with warm hazel eyes. It was a girl...an year or two younger than him...and full of life.

She focused her eyes on the flower as he was staring at hers and he followed her eyes and saw the flower.

"Congratulations for your medal..." She said as she handed him the flower.

"Medal?" He asked confused as he analysed the flower.

"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..." She said with a genuine smile which was contagious and unknowingly Aditya also started smiling. She moved past him as he kept staring at the flower deep in thought.

A yellow rose...symbol of care and happiness...

His eyes got filled as he felt someone's care for him after so long that too from a stranger.

The trees around him shed their leaves and again grew them. The sky changed thousands of colours as he kept on staring at the flower and noticed the change in himself. He grew up...

Zoya came walking to him from the mist and saw the tears in her eyes. He wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of his hand and she hugged him overwhelmed with emotions. The sun started setting and Aditya started moving back in his shell making Zoya sad. Zoya came and hugged him tight stopping his moment. She detatched her upper body from him and he cupped her cheek as clouds started floating around them. She closed her eyes and he leaned forward pressing his lips on her forehead, he hands rested on his chest. He looked into her eyes and got a flashback from few years back. Undoubtedly it was her. She took out a yellow rose from her back and said," I love you..."

Aditya wakes up with a jerk and tries to control his breathing.

"It was her!"

Mere dil ko tere dil ki zarurat hai...

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Aditya leaned forward on the railing of his balcony as he took a sip from his coffee. He closed his eyes and felt the breeze brushing his cheeks. He opened his eyes and looked at the moon and the stars enclosed in the darkness of the universe. So calming...But, right now nothing seemed to calm the storm, the turmoil of emotions that was inside him. Turmoil of confusion, of pain, of longing, of loneliness, of...love.

He looked at his left and found someone standing.

"Ma..." His mother smiled at him and tears filled his eyes. She was looking so young and beautiful, clad in a pastel green saree.

"I'm so bad, no? I left you alone in this cruel world..." His mother asked as a tears started pooling her eyes. He wasn't able to speak anything. His throat felt heavy and so did his heart.

"But, I didn't left willingly...I promise...I also wanted to stay with you...to watch you grow and prosper...but God had different plans..."

"It-it's not your fault, Ma...Maybe, God wanted me to grow through all this...and suffer..."

"Do you remember what I told you once?" He looked at her questioningly.

"God is like your father...like a parent...a guardian angel...why would He like his child to suffer? It was all fate...destiny...which any of us can't defeat..."

"But, I feel so alone, Ma..." He wiped his cheek hastily and said," Please, take me with you...I miss you so much..." with a pleading face.

"You are not alone, cheeku...you were never alone...He is always with you...forever...in your good times as well as bad...you just need to open your eyes and look around..."

"But, I want you! I can't live without you...please take me with you... please..."

"I did taught you how to face problems...why are you trying to run away like this? Was I not a good mom?"

"You are the best Mom ever in the world...but I'm tired of fighting alone... I'm tired of...living...alone..."

"What about your friends?"

"They don't understand me..." He said looking down.

"What happened when you told Zoya about me?" He looked at her with a confused face.

"Did she laugh? Did she made fun of you? Did she blame you? No. She consoled you. She embraced you and wiped away your sorrows. She tried to make you happy, tried to bring you out of your shell...Still, she doesn't understand you? Or are you not able to understand yourself? She can just try but you have to do it, Beta...become the old happy and cheerful cheeku...I don't like this gloomy one..." She said cupping his face. He hugged her and they stayed like that for some time with her brushing his hair.

"So, what have you thought?" She asked as they detatched their frames.

"About?"

"About your feelings for her?"

"What feelings? We're just fri-ends..." He said as the dream replayed in his mind.

"You know you can't lie in front of me..."

"I'm not lying, Ma..."

"Really?" He looked at her and her eyes pierced into his as if staring at his soul bare.

"Tell her before it's too late...You will not feel alone anymore..." He looked at her moving back as she slowly vanished into air leaving behind not even a single sign of her presence.

"Tell her before it's too late..."

"I love you..."

"I don't lo-love her... I'm not capable of that...No, I don't..."

"You know you can't lie..."

"I'm not lying...I can't love...It wss always like that...after Shadow left...I forgot how to love...and I can't ever do that...no..."

"Or are you not able to understand yourself?"

He brought his knees closer to himself and started crying keeping his head on them.

"What a person have I become? I don't even know who I am? What will I tell others when I myself is so clueless and blank?"

"Become the old happy and cheerful Cheeku...I don't like this gloomy one..."

"I tried Ma...so many times...to be happy...but everytime I feel as if I'm standing on the edge of the sea for the waves to hit me...and for the pain to start again...I was just meant to be like this...sad and alone..."

"You are never alone...He is always with you...you just need to open your eyes and look around..."

"Where do I look when there's darkness all around?"

He closed his eyes and saw the yellow flower and then Zoya.

"Then the storm finally stopped and a ray of sunlight shove over the flower..with time the flower again became healthy..."

"No!!" He said shaking his head trying to remove the image of Zoya smiling behind his closed eyelids.

"You don't deserve me, Zoya...You deserve someone better...far better than me..."

"You have all the goodness in the world..."

"No! No! I don't!" He shouted shutting his ears.

"Aap wo hain jisne is chidiya ko firse udna sikhaya hai..."

He opened his eyes with a jerk as her face flashed before his eyes. Her sad and lifeless eyes filled with tears. Her tear stained face. Her trembling voice and then came the changed Zoya. The one with eyes filled with life. The one spreading light all around her. Her smile, which he found the most beautiful in the world. The sound of her laugh passing through his ears from one side to the other automatically gracing a smile on his face.

"Will I ever found my forever, Aditya?"

"You just need to open your eyes and look around..."

"Become the old happy and cheerful Cheeku..."

"You look good when you laugh..."

"Become the old happy and cheerful Cheeku..."

"You look good when you laugh..."

"Stop!!!"

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

"Will I ever found my forever, Aditya?"

"Everything is alright...you are fine..." He remembered her consoling him. Her hand rubbing his back. Her soft voice instantly calming him.

"Tell her before it's too late..."

"I lo-ve her?" He asked a question to himself.

"I love Zoya?"

"I?"

"Do I really love her?" His gaze settled on the beach in a globe and tears came into his eyes thinking of her.

"What if I hurt her? She doesn't deserve this...she deserves much better...What if I end up doing something which I shouldn't?"

"Whenever I'm sad or feeling low na...I visit them..."

"Maybe I should too..." He said as he watched the birds fly from one direction to the other and the darkness slowly disappearing.

•••

Aditya stood on the big metal gate debating within himself whether he should go in or not.

"They said that I can visit them anytime...maybe it will not b-" His thoughts were interrupted in the middle by someone.

"Arre, Aditya beta why are you standing outside come in naa..." Emily said as she watered her rose plants with the old, metal cane.

"Good morning, Auntie..." Aditya said folding his hands in the front.

"Come...Is Zoya also there?" She asked looking behind him.

"No... it's just me..." He said looking down.

"Don't worry...you can also visit us...You are like our son only..." She said sensing his discomfort. A small smile came on Aditya's face on hearing it. She lead him inside talking to him about her plants and how she is not able to take care of them nicely.

Aditya felt satisfying as the dried leaves crushed beneath his feet. The action immediately calming his senses.

"I'm already feeling good..." He thought to himself.

"Would you like to have something?" She asked as she washed her hands and wiped them with a towel.

"No, I'm good...Oh, I brought this for you and Uncle..." He said giving her a basket full of fruits.

"What's the need for this...I told you...you are like our son..."

"That's why I brought fruits... otherwise I've brought some sweets which are not good for your health and besides my mother always used to say that we shouldn't visit anyone with empty hands..."

"Used to say?"

"Yeah, she...is no more now..." He said looking down.

"Oh..." She came to his side and enveloped him in her warm embrace. Rubbing her hands on his back trying to soothe him.

"Me and James are always here.. Don't you worry okay?" She asked releasing him from the hug. He nodded with a small smile and she kissed his forehead in a motherly warmth.

"When did you came Aditya?" James asked taking his shoes off at the entrance and wearing slippers.

"Just some time back..." Emily answered.

"Oh, it's great then...I brought kachoris..."

"You both eat...I am not hungry..." The growling of his stomach exposed his lie. The two of them laughed as Aditya blushed.

"We know what the truth is now...Emily bring the utensils..." He said as he started unpacking the package.

The three of them had the food while being on the dining table laughing, giggling and sharing moments from their lives. Each exchange bringing them a step closer to each other.

"You know then what happened?!" Aditya asked excitedly.

"What?" James asked with the same excitement.

"Then she fell into the puddle!" Aditya said completing the sentence difficulty as he was ready to explode in laughter any time.

"You both are only friends?" Emily asked leaning forward.

"Ye-ah..." Aditya answered debating in his own mind.

"Why did you ask that?" James asked Emily.

"Didn't you hear...he mentioned her in every sentence...and have you watched his eyes when he talks about her...and his happiness...I don't see friends doing such things..." She said turning to her husband.

"Are you sure about your feelings, beta?" She asked keeping her hand above his and running her thumb on it in circles.

Beta...

"I'm not..." He said as tears started pooling his eyes. Their warm and caring nature melting down his walls.

"I'm confused...and I don't know what will happen in the future... I'm just so afraid..." He said wiping a tear off his cheek.

"Don't cry...We are here to help you..." Emily said.

"You know...crying is a very manly thing..." James said looking at him with a small genuine smile.

"What are you afraid of ?" Emily asked.

"Of my actions...of everything that could go wrong..."

"So, you will just sulk here thinking of what could go wrong...and let that chance go ?" He looked up in surprise.

"You love her, right ?" She asked looking at him.

"I don't know..." He said genuinely.

"You do...I can see it in your eyes...I noticed it the time you both came together...I have aged with time, beta...I know what's the difference between friendship and love..."

"But, what if she doesn't feel the same about me?"

"How can you assume without asking?" James asked. Aditya's eyes widened on realising his assumptions.

"What should I tell her?"

"The truth...which is in your heart..."

"It's so difficult...and . . . I'm not meant for love... I'm just not capable of it..." He said shaking his head.

"What made you think that?"

"My past..."

"Past is past, beta... don't drag it in your present and let it ruin your future...Take the risk this time...once...at least you won't regret this in the future..." Aditya nodded slightly.

"When are you planning to tell her?" James asked.

"After some days...?"

"Time is very precious Aditya... don't waste it... It never comes back once gone...Tell her as soon as possible..." He registered his words in his mind and thought for a moment.

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes!!!" They both high-fied each other and yelled in excitement. Aditya smiled seeing them and wishing that all turns out good.

"I'll leave now and plan something..." Aditya said getting up from the chair.

"We'll wait to know what she says..." She says as Aditya starts proceeding towards the exit.

"Of course, I will tell you..." Aditya comes out of their house into the lawn and feels happy for finally sorting out his feelings.

"I will tell her tomorrow!!! Oh my god! I have to prepare so much...!" He says excitedly to himself as his cheeks didn't stop grinning.

"I will tell her...I will not let this chance go...I will try to give you your forever, Zoya...I will give 'us' a chance..."

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This isn't edited and so are my other chapters...Hope, you like it...Aditya finally realised! It's quite hard for him but still, he is ready to give it a risk...give it a chance so that he doesn't regret about it later...There are What If's at every moment of life... Don't let them stop you in yoir journey towards happiness...💕

Take care y'all and we'll meet in the next chapter 😘