The Last leaf: Adiya story

You are my trouble and my solace

What does she mean to you? Why do you chase her so shamelessly? Why do you keep forgetting that she was someone's wife...your ex-wife ruined you but this Zoya will destroy you.

Mr. Hooda's voice rang in his ears and he shot up straight from his light nap, Aditya ran his fingers through his hair wondering for how long was he sleeping in the grass. Entangling his hands around his knees he sat up and looked around the surrounding. The Siddiqui's had a beautiful house among the lovely woods adorned by nature. Aditya suddenly remembered his mother's glistening eyes and the innumerable deregotary comments against Zoya which he mostly ignored but most of them surrounding around how her son's life was controlled by this woman. Mr. Hooda or his 'pa' he had stopped calling his father by that name long time back but his pa had saved him from going to prison proving his immense love for Aditya. How could she ruin everything? Aditya clenched his fist, he was finally happy with his parents and younger brother after ages how could she ruin it? Both of them had achieved their freedom after such trials and tribulations how could she think of sabotaging everything for the sake of redeeming her cheater husband's reputation. How could she make him come to Mussorie without uttering a word and moreover how could she even remotely think of quietly slipping through this world leaving him alone to pick the broken pieces. Aditya Hooda's eyes were blood shot red when they looked at the balcony of her room from where he was sitting. Aditya shot up from the ground and before he knew it he was standing at the doorstep of her bedroom. She was sitting in front of the large mirror , her delicate fingers artfully arranging her hair oblivious of his presence. She had braided her hair into a single knot somehow he felt she looked extremely vulnerable and fragile when she did this to her. Not being unable to ponder further he cleared his throat to meet her eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

"Is somebody coming to visit you"  Adi broke the silence.

She just smiled and busied herself with her earrings.

'"Someone special?" He grinned mischievously leaning on to the doorframe with folded arms.

'Aap andhar aayina', she finally spoke.

It was their first conversation after she fell sick, their last conversation was filled with acccuses, temper soaring above the Mumbai heat and cutting open of each other's wounds with metaphorical knives. Aditya's emotional wounds had bled profusely but the physical pain of Zoya after that till now made him ache more. He rushed to see her and she end up slapping him hard and later on falling in his arms and crying her heart out. All this was them their relationship undescribable by even both of them.

"Atleast for sometime your not making plans to join our partners up there." He pointed to the sky.

'The Hooda clan will be glad if it turns out to be true, their prestige will remain intact with their son being proven innocent and their daughter in laws reputation untouched . Zoya retorted casually while putting her earrings.

He closed his eyes for he was done arguing, her stubbornness knew no bounds.

"How are you feeling now a little better?"

She closed her eyes at his genuine concern and drew a soft breath realising her rudeness ,Zoya loathed herself at this very moment.

'Humein bahut darr lagta hai Aditya' her husky voice filled his ears.

'over the last few months my parents, my sister has suffered so much all because of me and now...'

Her eyes were glistening with tears he could make out from the reflection, for the first time she was pouring out her feelings to him and all he could do was remain numb.

'You know we always had road trips even to far off places just because I was paranoid of flying.'

They both smiled at this revelation.

' Hum abbu ki shehzadi jo hain even now he must be using all his resources for my treatment here in Mussorie just because I would not step inside the airplane. How will ammi and abbu live if I...'

"Don't even think of uttering, you will be just fine Zoya Siddiqui I will not let you go".

His voice was raspy anger oozing out from it and to her surprise he was kneeling in front of her with both of his hands clutching her chair physically captivating her. Their close proximity did not surprise each other nowadays, his hot breath was warming her neck.

'I will wither away along with the last leaf of that tree' she gazed outside the window.

He punishingly tightened his grip on her waist forcing out a soft painful mourn from her as his lips roughly brushed her collarbone and he greedily inhaled her scent. Their trance was broken when Arjun cleared his throat, both he and Noor were standing in the door.

"It's time for your medication appi the nurses will be here soon." Noor reminded confusen marked on her face.

Zoya tried to break free from Aditya's clutch but he surprisingly lifted her in his arms and gently placed her on the bed. He pulled the blanket for her and placed his hand on her forehead before leaving the room.

Both Arjun and Noor stood their in silence, Arjun could see the pain in his brothers eyes whereas Noor couldn't miss the flicker of longing in her sisters eyes when Aditya left the room.