Fond of you

•HUNDRED AND THREE•

As the car glided through the busy streets of Mumbai, the familiar sights and sounds of the city filled the air. Zoya sat beside Aditya, looking out the window.

They had just returned from Greece, and despite the whirlwind of their recent engagement and the celebrations, Zoya felt the tug of her own space—her apartment, her comfort zone.

Aditya, however, had other plans. He leaned back in his seat, casually drumming his fingers on his knee as he watched Zoya out of the corner of his eye.

There was a sly grin playing on his lips, one that Zoya knew all too well—it was his "I’m not letting you go" look.

Zoya leaned back against the plush leather seat, gazing out of the window, lost in the sights of the city she had missed.

A gentle sigh escaped her lips, and she turned to Aditya, who was busy on his phone, his expression thoughtful.

“Aditya,” Zoya began, her voice soft but firm. “Drop me at my apartment first. I really need to get back home.”

Aditya’s eyes snapped up, his playful demeanor quickly giving way to a dramatic pout. “No way,” he declared, shaking his head like a stubborn child.

“Zoya, you’re not going back to your apartment. You’re staying with me. End of discussion.”

Zoya raised an eyebrow at his defiance. “Aditya, I’ve been with you for days now."

"And you think I should consider it enough?.... "

"..... Aditya..."

"JAAN ... c'mon now ...tum bohot acche se jaanti ho I cannot sleep without you. You’re asking me to do the impossible!”

"Aditya ...don't be a kid now ..I need some alone time."

“But I don’t need alone time,” Aditya shot back, leaning closer with an exaggerated pout.

"Ye kya baat hui?"

"You want space, I want you—how is this fair? Besides, I’m not asking for the whole day, just the nights! Mujhe bas raat ko tumhari zaroorat hai.”

Zoya’s eyebrow shot up. “Excuse me?”

Aditya waved his hand dramatically. “Arrey, I mean for sleep!"

Zoya rolled her eyes.

"I’ve gotten used to being with you all the time now, especially at night. Whenever I am working, you have all the time to yourself to write and do whatever you wish to.... I barely get to see you then. At least let me come back to you at night… that’s the only time I get to relax. I need sleep, and you’re my comfort....and I mean no offense when I say...you need to start taking my time constraints seriously.”

"Aditya, just because we’re engaged doesn’t mean we have to be glued to each other all the time.”

Aditya tilted his head, a teasing glint in his eye. “Well, you’re my fiancé now, and everyone knows shauhar ko na nahi kehte. So technically, you’re obligated to stay with me."

“Hone wala shauhar,” Zoya corrected, her eyes narrowing slightly, though she was still smiling.

Waving her correction away, he said. “Soon-to-be, already-feels-like shauhar. The point is, I need you.”

“Aditya, you’re being impossible.”

“No, no, I’m being practical!”

"You’ve managed just fine before.”

“You know you're lying only for the same of the argument.....moreover...That was before Greece!” he countered, his voice taking on an exaggeratedly desperate tone. “Now that I’ve had you by my side every night, how am I supposed to go back to an empty, cold bed? It’s like torture.”