Zindagi tu hai kaha

Chapter 3

"zoya??" She heard him say again. Her cheeks turned red and she desparately tried to cover her body with her hands.
Aditya soon understood the reason behind her embarrassment "if you take effort to pull me inside only then i can give back your duppata."
She let out a soft cry while awkwardly giving him her hand to hold.
The shivering of her fingers brought a smile on his face. "Zoya you have to pull me in. And not throw me out of train. So STOP SHIVERING!"
She huffed silently and looked here nervously before realeasing her arms from across her chest and stretching it out to help him.
"Come little near miss" aditya said irritated. She was standing far from his reach. "I dont eat people who helps me". Zoya took her hand back instantly and gave him a warning look.
Then struggling a little she holds handle of door with hand and with other she clutches his shirt tight in her grip and pulled him in.
Finally! He made it inside . He let out heavy sigh looking behind at tracks.
*Ahem
Aditya looked back at zoya who is again being all mimosa plant.
His eye brow released with acknowledgment and he quickly removed her duppata from rod, Untangled it and gave her back. She took it ,circled it around her neck and left.
Zoya kept pace to reach on her seat while aditya ran just followed her behind.
She could feel his presence and squeezee her eyes "ya Allah ye shaqs mera peecha kyu nahi chodta" (why he is not leaving me alone)
She huffed annoyingly and without any sign just turned around. It was so quick that aditya hardly got any chance to balance himself and they were about to collide if he haven't holded upper seat edge to stop.
"What is your problem?" Zoya crossed her arms and asked annoyingly.
He looked at her and smiled. She returned the look with most pissed of face.
"What? i am going to my seat."
Zoya rolled her eyes and stood aside his way.
"Please" she said with a fake smile. You go first.
Aditya shrugged his shoulder and began walking ahead of her. He checked on seat numbers and when he found his a huge smile appeared on his lips. He quickly settled his bag under lower seat and jumped on it . Throwing his legs at full stretch he laid on it.
As sleep is about to kiss him he felt a pointed nail poking him on his shoulder. He removed the hand he had across his eyes and looked at the owners face of those steel and sharped nails.
"You again." He cried on his Destiny
Zoya's mouth opened wide in disbelief.
"This is my seat get up." She ordered him resting her both hands on her hips.
"Oh really?this is mine." Aditya felt irritated.
He again kept his forearm across his face amd tried to sleep. But zoya was in no mood to give up.
"Show me your ticket" she asked.
"So railway have appointed new TC in train." He replied.
"What!!" She slapped him harder on shoulder.
"Get up and show me your ticket." She sounded bossy.
"fine!" Aditya voice at edge of getting mad.
Aditya got up pulled his back from below seat. Scrapped the chain and pulled the ticket out. "Here. See this and satisfy your self." He stretched it out for her to pick it.
Zoya checked it And! He was right. Its his seat. She felt very guilty for troubling him.
She handed him his ticket back. And began move with her bagss. She needs to shift immediately to save herself from embarrassment.
Aditya looked at her from corner of eyes. She looked cutest while fidgeting with all her fingers and bags.
He pretended to look indifferent but it was difficult with the beauty standing before him. Specially when she is so much worried.
"You know i can help you to get on your seat if you allow." Aditya tried reading her silence for a while then shrugged his shoulder. "Okay you dont want it. FINE WITH ME! i was just trying to be nice. Goodbye" he again laid on seat and kept his forearm across his eyes pretending to be asleep.
Her soft rhythm of bangles indicated she was  walking. He stealed a glance but found no one. She had left. A sudden tug he felt in his heart but he quickly replaced it with more important stuffs like peacful sleep, all the fun he has planned in lucknow and ofcourse ...he touched his ring and smiled.

*****

He woke up as soon as he felt someone's presence below his leg. Rubbing his eyes with his palm he looked up to see the terrorist face who dare to disturb him in sleep.
With a promise to kill the person he got up but instantly he got filled with concern.
"Zoya?"
She looked nervous and had fear on her face.
She instantly sat beside his knee. "Dekhiye please let me sit here. I am not comfortable there "She begged.
Aditya's squeezed his brow he wanted to interrogate her but then she needs to calm first she looked nervous and scared. She was having breathing problem.
Aditya quickly sat straight and let her seat beside him. She gladly occupied space and tried to catch her breathe.
"What is happening to you?" He asked damn worried
"Nothing give me a minute . I will be normal. " She dismissed.
He scanned his bag and got a bottle out. "Drink water." 
She drank from it . "I am fine."
"Whats your full name?" He diverted topic.
"Zoya wasim siddique" she said in soft voice.
"Nice name." He replied with a smile. While all he wanted to know what happened in that seat for her to fear.
"I am Aditya Hooda."
She gave a nod and looked at other side.
"Why were you scared?" He asked struggling with her bag. She knew he was putting it below his seat so she didnt object.
"My neighbors were men. No woman around. I felt suffocating." She almost trailed off last part.
Aditya blood rushed to his cheeks it took a second and he Burst out laughing in fits.
"You were scared by men presence? Madam! What are you really?" He kept laughing.
It took him a second before understanding she didn't like the joke. And soon there was silent from both sides. Aditya cleared his throat and Whispered a soft sorry. He knew he had disturbed a wrong string. This tension was unbearable to breathe. He thought something before he said "you can sleep up for few hours and then my turn." He had a boyish smile.
"You can sleep in my seat. " Her innocent voice melted something in him.
"Are ! No way. What if meri izzat ko khatra hua to??" He joked being melodramatic amd earned a small giggle from her.
She sat next to window and signed him to sleep in reat space.
He refused and chose to spend night chit chatting with this lovely stranger.

*****
It was train announcement that woke aditya up. He stretched his arm and looked up to find zoya. She was not there.
An alarm rang in his head and he desparately tried to search her inside train. He peeked out and realised train has halt on station. He quickly picked up his phone and ran to the door to look for her.
He panicked a little when train gave 1st horn. He needs to find her quick or else this silly girl will miss her train.
He got down of train and started looking here and there. At first he thought she willingly got down of train. May be her journey was till here but then something in him told to find her around. And just then he saw her sitting at the edge of platform on a wooden bench. Her eyes was open but she looked so lost. She wasn't crying loudly but her eyes were full of tears. Her hair were flying with the soft breeze. His heart pang with pain and his feet began moving towards her direction. He felt a sting attached with her. Her innocence her fear her vulnerability was pulling him to her. He wanted to hold her, to calm her down.
Just then 2nd warning horn rang by train , his imagination broke and reality hit him hard. He realised he had no right to think like this about any other girl. It felt so right but it was wrong. He suspended all thoughts and cleared his throat to gain her attention.
"Excuse me !" He called out when she didn't respond. "Train is going to start any minute. We should get inside  or else you'll miss  it." He said and placed his hand lightly on her shoulder which she jerked back all of sudden.
Zoya turned her head and moved back a little. "I will come in 2 minutes"  she said nervously while rubbing her index finger below her eyes. She made a fail attempt to hide her tears.
"Zoya we dont have 2 min. Whatever it is can wait. Get inside train before we both miss it." He said in a stern voice. He wanted to know reason behind her tears but right now it was more important for him to take her inside the train.
Zoya hummed in response and without argument got up from seat and followed him inside the train.
As soon as they settled on seat.Aditya turned himself to face zoya "what is your problem. Tell me. May be i can help you!" He paused.
She met his eyes while she holds her ring finger between the palm of other hand...
".......no one can change past. So no one can help me too..."he heard her say as fresh stock of tears surfaced back in her eyes.