His Salvation

Part Twenty Three

Aditya wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling Zoya as close as possible, he felt weak, crying in her arms, yet he couldn't help it. He sniffed, hoping to calm himself down, but it just didn't seem to be happening. His face was warm from the sheer embarrassment of suddenly becoming the man that was weak once again. Weakness had lost him his family, he couldn't be weak again. "Today is the anniversary"

Zoya shifted slightly "Tell me about them, what were they like" her voice always seemed to offer him the comfort he so desperately need

Aditya's body shook with a shiver at the memory "Pa was kind, the kind of man who would help anyone even if he couldn't help himself, he was always honest, even if honesty wouldn't benefit him" he smiled fondly "Then there was Arjun, always so smart, smarter than he should have been, so much to say, always, I used to beg him to be quiet, now i'm glad he never" he stopped "I'm glad he never did"

"You're just like him, only he knows how proud of you he is, but I know he's very proud"

Aditya leant up slightly so he was looking down at her "How do you know" just once, just once did he want to believe he was a man worth being proud of

"Because, I believe that Abbu and your father are together, and they talk about us, then Arjun is with them and" she looked away "Noor, my younger sister, and I know they're happy for me, that I found someone like you, to look after me" her fingers traced his jaw "I want to look after you too, if you'll let me"

"I'd like that" he smiled against her skin, maybe now this was going to be okay, maybe they would make it, together.

XXX

Zoya tightened her jacket around her body "I'm going to collect my things from Mahi's"

"Shall I come with you" Aditya looked up from the newspaper in his hand

"No, it's okay" she smiled "I want to talk to her anyway" Zoya stilled slightly when she felt Aditya move towards her, pressing his lips to her cheek. "Thank you" she coughed out before walking outside. After the passing few moments, Zoya felt lighter if that was even possible, speaking of her issues with him and listening to his had allowed them both the realisation that more than needing eachother, they wanted eachother in their lives.

As she lifted a foot to step forward she felt her body tug back against something, then there was a hood over her head, tied around her neck with just enough space to breath, zip ties tightened around her wrist so she could feel the indents into her skin, her back hit the cool metal exterior of something, then a slam of a car door before she was being zoomed down a road.

Zoya struggled, trying to claw at the seat infront of her "I can't" her chest was tight and she knew she was seconds away from a panic attack, she needed to calm down but she couldn't. Her body shook when the car came to a halt

"Oh don't get yourself in a mess, we want you looking your best for the sale tonight"

Zoya blinked, adjusting to the light when the hood had been pulled off her head, she frowned ahead of her, she knew this woman, why did she know this woman?

"You're probably hazy, so i'll fill you in, my name is Pooja, I won't hurt you unless you make me, so just listen, your lovely Adi, is mine, my father made him who he is today, gave him food and a roof over his head, he trained him and in return for this, Adi was meant to be mine, I let him have time, we were so close, then you came along" she spat

"Trained him, I don't understand"

"Oh" Pooja looked serious before breaking down into fits of laughter "Oh, oh you don't know, Adi is a killer, didn't you know, he thinks it makes a difference that he only kills people who hurt those he loves, but he is still a killer" Pooja looked down at her nails, as if bored

Zoya gulped, no, this couldn't be true. Then she remembered exactly what he had said the night before, how he went away for a few hours and more often than not came home with injuries, when Yash and Rajveer had been killed he didn't seem shocked. How had she missed it?

"Oh don't cry and be boring, I hate emotional women, I really thought you'd put up a fight, maybe not, ah well, makes my life easier, I assume you won't want to be anywhere near him anymore, so I can just let you go and you'll leave"

Zoya bit her lip, what could she even say or do? Once again a man had made a mockery out of her. Aditya her good man was no longer her good man, in fact he never had been.

"Hello" Pooja clicked her fingers "You'll go, yes"

"Are you a killer too" Zoya finally looked into Pooja's eyes, it was like looking into the black abyss, empty.

"I prefer seductress, but if you prefer being straight to the point, then fine, I am a killer, third best in this city, to my father and"

"Aditya" Zoya whispered, she watched as Pooja undid the zip ties around her wrist. Then she was stumbling along the ground, the sound of the wheels rolling over the stones the sound she choose to focus on, instead of the many thoughts in her mind.

XXX

"Hey, where's your stuff" Aditya stepped towards her

Zoya held her hand up, stopping him from coming any closer "Someone said something to me today, I won't lose trust in you as easily as before, so i'm asking you, did you kill Rajveer and Yash"

"Zoya, who told you that"

"Please Aditya, just the truth, I can't handle any more lies, please"

"I, not exactly" he shoved his hand through his hair "Rajveer shot Yash, Yash shot Rajveer, I just offered them the means to do so, and I didn't offer to help them survive"

Zoya nodded "And have you actually killed anyone, with your own hands, or by using a weapon"

"Zoya, I would never hurt you, what I did then, thoose men I killed, they were" Aditya flinched as soon as she laughed, a cold and hard laugh that sent shivers down his spine, an overwhelming feeling suddenly washed over him, forcing him to speak the next words aloud, words he never even wanted to think "I've lost you" he gripped the sofa "Haven't I"