Clandestine

I

"So, this is it?", he asked her.

"I.. I guess so!", came her answer.

One week before..

"Are you serious? No you can't be! Zoya? You a-r-e?"

Aditya Hooda never wanted his best friend to go away from him. Not now, not ever! He was protective of her, she meant a lot to him. He cherished the beautiful and pure bond they shared which never let the other question their friend about anything as they never had secrets which should be kept hidden from each other. Such was the beauty of their friendship.

Zoya always had faith in her best friend. She knew Aditya would always support her in whichever the decision she takes. That's why last week she decided to cut to the chase straight away. While Zoya took Aditya for an evening out at the beach after work, they played ball for sometime, had their favourite ice creams, Mango flavour for Zoya and Tutti Frutti for Aditya and later on, chased each other menacingly the same way they did the first day they met each other at Mussoorie and after Aditya returned from his trip to Paris.

But the light-hearted pleasure she was having died soon enough as Zoya remembered the major reason behind dragging Aditya to the beach at first place. She wanted to be honest with him this once and tell her best friend what she wanted to do with her life, how she wanted to explore the limitations of being independent and how she would love to have some quality time for herself.

"Aditya, um.. there's something I need you to know and it's ah.. it's quite important.."

Zoya's voice a mere whisper as the friends decided to sit down for a while to rest on the sandy shore, observing the dusk far away. The horizon quite hazy nevertheless beautiful.

"What is it?", Aditya swung around to face Zoya. His eyes twinkling and that cute dimple teasing his cheek. Zoya kept staring at him, his smile that is full of life, the way she always wanted to see him. Long dark eyebrows that catches her attention every time she gapes at him and that black smooth hair blowing with the wind - he had it all. He is one heck of a handsome guy, Zoya knew from the bottom of her heart.

Why was Aditya like this? Always? Will he never get tired of being my best friend? My motivating ghost spirit? Listening to my mumbling about every stupid thing in my life and later making me grin like there's no tomorrow? So selfless, do guys like Aditya exist in this world even or am I that very lucky to have him in my life? Why does he have this weird access to my heart where he can steal my breath just by flashing that lopsided smile of his? Why is this guy so precious?

Lost in the middle of nowhere, it was when Aditya punched her shoulder softly and stick his tongue out mocking her that Zoya blinked twice and looked back at him. He was sitting next to her, his legs stretched on the dry sand and his muscular arms placed on either sides comfortably. His captivating eyes staring right at her hazel one's deeply.

There was something unusual in the glare he held in those dark orbs which made Zoya's heart skip a beat every split second and distracted her of everything happening around her. It was as if his eyes held a numerous emotions, secrets within them which Zoya wanted to know about one fine day.

The warm brown eyes were friendly and it certainly made Zoya feel more intimidated. Her heart in her throat literally, she knew what was coming her way yet decided to open her tiny mouth as she was left with no other option. At least she's not going to hold it back today!

God, how is she going to tell Aditya everything? From where is she supposed to start? How will he accept her baseless and senseless theories, when Zoya herself knew her justifications won't be able to give him a satisfactory answer? Will Aditya agree upon or lash out at her the way he got pissed for dissing him, when she got to know that he had return tickets to Paris!