Dead in the Water - AdiYa FF

Chapter 22

Aditya and Zoya were in the restaurant for lunch, while Zoya glanced over the menu.

"Okay...Paneer Tikka will do." Zoya said, as she closed the menu card, and the waiter nodded his head and walked away.

Zoya looked at Aditya, who was just looking at her, resting his chin on his intertwined hands.

"What?" Zoya asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You still don't eat non-veg?" Aditya asked, "I have told you right, Zoya? That, you can eat what you like? And being someone who is so crazy about chicken...come on Zoya, just have what you like."

"No." Zoya said shaking her head in denial, "Once Zoya makes up her mind for something, she doesn't step back of it; be it quitting non-veg" Zoya winked at Aditya, "...or loving Aditya."

Aditya smiled at her hearing that, while he held Zoya's hand and looked at her, "I missed you these 3 years...I missed being loved by you.'

Zoya placed her hand above Aditya's hand and said, "You were always being loved by me...just that you couldn't witness it. When did I ever stop loving you, Adi?"

Aditya smiled and caressed her hand, while her words bothered him for how would Zoya react once she gets to know about his health condition. He looked up at her, and saw her talking about something enthusiastically, pointing to the restaurant interiors, which definitely didn't even enter his ears, as his brain was already filled with other thoughts. Zoya somehow handled the pain of their separation, and the pain of losing their child. But she can never bear losing him, and he knew that. How he wished that he went back to that fateful night and avoided that gruesome accident.

He recalled that bloodcurdling moment, while a truck banged against his car in an insanely high speed, causing his car to crash against the lamppost, hitting his chest hard against the steering wheel. He would have been found dead in the car, owing to that blunt chest trauma the next morning, by the public and media, had Pooja not come searching for him.

That horrific moment when he saw his car speeding towards the lamppost, he never thought that he would survive that day, and would be sitting with Zoya like this once again; watching her talk in her joyous self. Now all that he wished was to be able to witness such moments for some more time in his life; for his heart to be able to function normally for some more time in his life. And that wish too was only for Zoya.

"Adi!!"

"Yeah...tell me?" Aditya heaved and looked at her with a smile, shutting down that tragic chapter of his life for the time-being.

"Tell me? I was asking you something, and you are asking me to tell?" Zoya asked raising her eyebrows, "Where were you?"

Aditya smiled and said looking down, "Nothing...I was thinking about this only...I mean..."

"Adi..." Zoya clutched his hand, "Are you okay? You seem a bit off since the time we left from your office. All okay? Any problem, Adi?"

Aditya looked at her curious and worried eyes, while he looked down. Lying to her, seeing her eyes, was totally an impossible task.

"No Zoya. I am okay. I was just..."

"Thinking about our meeting with my Abbu tomorrow?" Zoya asked.

Aditya looked at her, while Zoya said, "Adi, if you feel we need more time to talk to him about this, we can wait...if you are not ready then..."

"What's the point in delaying, Zoya?" Aditya asked, while the waiter came there with the dishes. He laid them on the table, and as he left, Aditya continued, "Your father has to know about this any time. Be it he knows it tomorrow, or a month later...he is going to react the same way. So, let's finish this chapter as soon as possible."