Bepannaah: Against All Odds || COMPLETED

26. Full Circle

The morning sun found Aditya already awake, he had had a really restless night. Pushing the covers away, he jumped out of the bed but halted in front of the window when the Sunrays fell directly on his face.

"Itne Jalim tarreke se kon uthata hai?"
(Who wakes up with so much cruelty?)

His own voice resonated in his ears, and he snapped out of his daydream. Shaking his head, he walked straight into the shower, not wanting to be a minute late today. Dressing up in a white Kurta and Payjama, he waa setting his hair, when his phone rang.

"Hello?", he answered it, hoping the voice on the other side would calm him down.

"I am impressed, you are already awake", Zoya grinned, earning a soft chuckle from Aditya.

"My pleasure. Your flight landed safely? You didn't have any flight jitters right? Or did you end up clawing some other co passenger's hand?", Aditya smiled into the phone, a distant memory of their first flight together, dancing through both their subconscious.

"Huh, no the clawing is specially reserved for you. The flight was fine, I am in the cab, heading to his place", she informed, and both their voices got heavy.

"Take care Zoya, do not entertain any bullshit from Mahi. I am sure Madhu aunty wouldn't be hostile but I can't say anything about that vile woman", Aditya warned her, and Zoya sighed, agreeing to him. Aditya didn't trust Mahi at all and if the circumstances weren't so messed up, he would not have let Zoya go to Delhi alone. But he knew, this day, this journey was important for them individually.

"I will take care, don't worry about me. Today isn't about Mahi, Aditya. It's about Yash, and Pooja. Reach Hooda Mansion on time okay? And reply to my texts whenever you get time", Zoya instructed him with a smile, and they both bid their goodbyes, feeling better than before.

Today was an important day for both of them, and for multiple reasons.

A year back, they had met for the first time today, in thw gift shop.

A year back, today, it has been the last time the naive, innocent, sheltered Princess had smiled, fought with and chased the overtly funny, witty and carefree Sarcsam king.

A year back, today they had lost the love of their lives, and a part of their ownselves - Zoya's nativity and Aditya's carefree attitude.

A year back, tragedy had striked them and changed their lives forever.

Aditya shook his head and picked up his car keys from the table and walked out of the door of his apartment, locking it behind him. It has been two weeks he had resumed driving. After accepting his proposal, the first thing Zoya had done was to request attending driving classes together. While she learnt how to drive, Aditya had eventually overcome his fear of those haunting images in the back seat of his car. Therapy had helped him let go of whatever bitterness he was holding towards Pooja, and Yash, and since he had forgiven them for whatever intentional or unintentional hurt they had caused him, life had become much better.

When he walked inside Hooda Mansion, he saw Sakshi sitting on the sofa, quietly weeping into her arms. Aditya sat beside her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, letting her drench his shirt with her tears, while he didn't hold his back either. Today, it was just a mother mourning the death of her dearest daughter. Today, it was just a best friend, mourning the death of his best friend, and a husband, mourning the death of his first love, his wife.

"She is in happier place Maa-in-law, you know that right?", Aditya spoke after sometime, and Sakshi nodded, but failed to control her tears. Aditya let her, because no matter what, when she actually needed to grieve her daughter's death, Sakshi had ended up being the support to his shattered self.