The Call of Destiny - AdiYa FF

Chapter 15: She affects him

           

"I am sorry Aditya. You brought me here for having a nice time, and I ended up sharing my sad stories and making you too emotional."

Zoya said to Aditya, while they paid the stall owner and walked along the walkway at Marine Drive. It was already night and the roads glittered with the headlights of the vehicles.

"Come on Zoya. Never apologize for sharing your emotions with someone. When you are emotional, it's good to pour it out to somebody, and I am glad I helped you do it."

Zoya smiled and looked down, while Aditya said, "We will get a taxi from there, and..."

Aditya stopped his sentence and opened his eyes wide, looking at a man walking far away, approaching them. It was his mother's cousin, Ramakanth Shah, who refers to him even on normal days as 'Police Hooda'. And he is one such uncle, who represents the relatives' memes which is popular on the internet. If he falls in front of his eyes not only would his non-existent love story with Zoya do rounds in Delhi, but also his IPS truth would fall crashing in front of her.

As the uncle approached nearer, Aditya caught Zoya's hand and ran with her to the nearby tree on the side and hid behind it. A confused Zoya looked around with a perplexed look, and looked at Aditya.

"What happened Aditya??" Zoya asked with a tensed look.

Aditya turned his head and checked behind and saw his uncle just about to cross that side. He quickly moved in his head behind the tree. He looked at Zoya, and broke into a wide silly smile, "My uncle..."

"Haan??" Zoya moved behind the tree and saw a man walking there, talking on phone. She moved back near Aditya and asked, "Uncle? But why are you hiding? You can just go and tell a 'hi' to him, yeah?"

"No!!" Aditya said in a bit louder tone, while he closed his eyes and said in a lower tone, "Actually...uncle doesn't like people telling 'hi'."

"What??" Zoya asked with a frowned expression, "But why?"

"Uhh...he...finds it inauspicious people telling 'hi' after sunset." Aditya said and smiled, while he wondered if he would soon break Arjun Hooda's dumbness record.

"What a strange uncle!" Zoya said with a bewildered look, while Aditya said, "We all are very strange in our family. It's our family trait, you know."

Aditya leaned his head behind and noticed the uncle having crossed them and gone far away. He heaved and looked at Zoya, "Okay...come on...let's leave now."

Zoya nodded her head, while she followed Aditya, while her mind was still affected with that strange belief of that uncle. She wondered if such strange people actually exist in the world.

***

It was weekend, and Ravi Saxena, the Inspector of Police from Mumbai was with Aditya, standing outside a less crowded stall, a bit away from Aditya's apartment.

"Sir, I really thought you called me to let me know that you reconsidered your decision."

"That's not going to happen anymore." Aditya said rotating the tea glass in his hand, "I have lost that passion and purpose. ACP Aditya Hooda is history. I just called you for something else."

"Yes Sir. Tell me, any help I can do for you?"

"Well...that...that man..." Aditya heaved and looked at Ravi, "That man whom I shot...do you have any details about him?"

"That man?" Ravi asked, walking over to the stall and handing over the empty tea glass to the shopkeeper, "Why Sir?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to know about his family, loved ones and their situation right now. Don't know what must be their status after that man's death yeah. Maybe, I can offer some help to them, and reduce my sins somewhat."