Completely Lovestruck

• | Why don't you mind your own business? | •

Who's that? Is it Anjana aunty? I need to know. Aisa teek nahi rahega agar main yaha se unhe ignore karke gayi toh, my heart will not feel right.

Which is why Zoya decided to follow the sound of lamenting at an odd hour like day time and she was in front of Aditya's parents room within seconds. Her suspicion was correct as it was Anjana only who was crying softly to herself, locked up in her room.

Zoya knew what she had to do since she has dealt with such cases before which is why she turned around, walked towards the kitchen and picked her mug of Coffee from the dining table and proceeded towards Maria aunty, who was selecting vegetables from the refrigerator.

"Excuse me, kya aap meri choti si madat karsakthi hai?"

Maria gasped at the sound that came from behind her and immediately stood up and almost bumped into the fridge. Zoya was quick enough to hold her.

"Aunty, maaf kijiye. Mera intention aapko daraana nahi tha. Main bas yeh poochne aayi thi ki kya Anjana aunty tea ya coffee mangvayi hai kamre mein?"

"Aap maafi math maangiye, mera hi dhyaan yahi par nahi tha. Aur Zoya ma'am, Anjana ma'am chai peethi hai, wo bhi teek baarah baje. Main sabsiya dekh rahi thi lunch keliye, bas ye khatam hone ke baad ma'am ko tea serve karungi. Aapko kuch chahiye tha kya?"

Zoya was in a dilemma thinking what must she do to take permission to enter Anjana's room without letting her know that it's a plan to console her. An idea popped up to her mind and she grinned widely with Maria aunty.

"Aunty, mujhe kuch zaroori baat karni hai Anjana aunty se. Toh kya aap mujhe batayegi unki tea kaise banati hai aap? I promise kuch gharbar nahi hoga..."

Maria was puzzled when Zoya decided to make Anjana's tea and she hoped that the guest who is very sweet indeed wouldn't have to face any scolding for entering Anjana's room with tea before the time she liked having her tea.

* * * * *

Anjana was looking out of the window from where she could see little kids playing football outside. She was reminded of Aditya, how excited he was every evening to visit the park after school and play football with Harshwardhan while she used to sit under a tree for shade, with a book in her hands and laughing at her family. Aditya ran around with the football while her husband had to run behind their son.

Her son used to be such a fluff ball who got the attention of people around him whenever Aditya went out with his parents. He waved at people who smiled at him irrespective of not knowing them and Anjana loved her son for these cute antiques.

She realized her eyes had started watering with the sweet memories invading her thoughts and abruptly pulled over the curtain so that the room and her life would again be filled with the unavoidable darkness. She slowly paced towards the closet and reached her hand towards the top of it and took out a dusty cardboard box. She placed it on the bed and sat next to it. Anjana sighed and took out what looked like a Photo album out of it.

That's when she heard a knock on the door. Is it already 12'O clock? Has Maria already arrived with her tea? Anjana looked at the wall clock and noticed that it's still thirty minutes past 11'O clock in the morning, then why was Maria here? To make sure that she actually heard a knock, Anjana raised her voice.

"Maria, aap hai? Abhi toh baarah bajhne mein waqt hai. Maine kitni baar kaha..."

"Anjana aunty, main hoon Zoya. Kya main andhar aasakthi hoon?"