Enduring Ally

Chapter 25: Broken Heart

By 9.00pm, Aditya stopped the car near a dhabba as Zoya said she was hungry and bought roti's for Zoya and asked her to have it in the car. "Aditya... How you'll eat?" she asked. "I don't feel like eating now, I'll have after I dropped you at home", he said and started the engine. "I don't want to eat without you", she said and kept the food on dashboard.

"Hey... you told me that you're hungry... seriously I don't feel hungry and we have get back in another 2 hours", he said but she looked away as if she didn't hear him. "Seriously... Zoya?" he asked. "I know you're hungry, please you have it", he said.

"Oh! You know I'm hungry and then why don't you eat with me", she asked. "If you don't eat with me, I'm not going to eat", she said firmly. He sighed and said, "We can't afford to waste time, Zoya. You have I'll eat once I drop you home. If I stop now, we will be reaching your place by mid night", he added.

"Oh! That's your problem. You can't stop to eat; I have a very easy solution. I'll feed you and you don't have to stop the car to ear", she said so casually. Aditya hit the breaks so suddenly that both almost hit the dashboard and steering wheel. "Ouch" she screamed. "Shit!!! I'm so sorry Zoya. Did you get hurt?" he asked hurriedly. "I'm alright! What happened? Why did you hit the brakes like that?" she asked.

"Ah... Ahem... there was a dog in the middle of the road", he lied blatantly. "I don't see anything", she said scratching her head. "Hey... It would... have... run away... at the sound of my brakes", he managed and thought to himself while looking at the rear view, "Good thing, no vehicles was behind us and Thank God, she didn't caught my lie. How come she never stops to amaze me?"

She opened the roti's and poured the subji on the paper plate. She plucked a piece of roti's and a piece of panneer. She blew air to cool down the heat and take it near Aditya's mouth to feed him. He looked at baffled but opened his mouth and took the bite as she was glaring at him.

Then she had a bite, likewise she fed him and as well as she ate. Then he slowed down the car so that she can wash her hands. "Nice roti's and subji too", she said. "Yea... Nice..." he looked at her and said. "I mean the roti's", he added. She smiled.

He dropped her at her home 10 past 11. Zoya asked him to come inside for coffee, but he denied her offer and said, "I get going, it's late Zoya. I'll come someother time", he said and headed to his car.

He remembered something and turned, "Zoya" he called and she turned to look at him. "All the best for your finals, do well and thank you for today. I had wonderful time today", he said. "Thank you Aditya, even I had a wonderful day", she said. "Good night, Zoya", he said and unlocked his car and got in. "Good night, Aditya", she said and unlocked her door and went in.

He u-turned his car with smile and thinking about the day with her, he had a feel that she was too feeling the same way as him. Her crying face while talking about parents and her blushing face came to him. He shook his head and headed home.

Zoya changed to her night dress and hugged the pillow. She smiled and thinking about her day with him. "I know Aditya, you too feel the same way about me. I can't wait for my finals to get over" she said hugging her pillow and laying down her bed.

                                      ***

Next morning, Zoya hurriedly got ready for the CA finals. She has to take cab early to avoid the traffic. Bangalore traffic is the only thing Zoya hates so much in her life. When she was about to book Ola, she received call from "Aditya". She smiled on seeing his name & his photo on the display. The one, he was in Blue sherwani, she secretly took during Riyaz's wedding and his smile in that photo brings smile in her face immediately.