In The Stars || AdiYa FF

Chapter 10 - Happily ever afters (Feb 15)

Zoya stretched her arms and slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the morning light peering in from the window. She turned her head sideways and saw Aditya sleeping next to her. Her eyes popped open and she immediately sat upright.

Sh*t! She muttered to herself, jumping out of the bed.

When did she fall asleep? She remembered drinking and talking last night. She felt tipsy and had closed her eyes only for a moment.... She must have dozed off then.

Aditya was sleeping soundly, tucked under the blanket, which was now ruffled from one side, where she was sleeping. It's okay, she told herself. They were just sharing a bed, nothing had happened.

She tiptoed around the bed so as not to wake him up, collecting a towel and a fresh pair of clothes and heading to the shower. The warm shower had rid her off the drowsy feeling.

She was now sitting on the dining table at the ground floor, sipping a cup of lemon green tea. She had a slight headache- the hangover from drinking so much wine last night.

Her mind wandered off to last night and she shut her eyes in embarrassment. Not only had she comfortably slept next to Aditya the entire night but she had told him many of her close-held fears and uncertainties like how her father's cold behavior toward Yash made her doubt if she was missing something, how disappointed she was when Yash didn't talk to her properly over the phone call.

Why did she have to say all that to him! She mentally cursed herself. It was she who started the 'talking to strangers help' spiel so it was her own fault that she rambled on and on. She only hoped Aditya wouldn't remember any of it.

"Good morning!" Ivy's chirp jolted Zoya out of her thoughts. She craned her neck to see Aditya descending down the staircase. She immediately looked away when Aditya's eyes found hers.

He made small talk with Ivy who then served him with a cup of tea and a plate of eggs and toast and retired to the kitchen. Aditya sat on the chair, across from her. He dug in his breakfast without saying anything to Zoya.

Her mind went back to last night. It wasn't only her who had been spilling secrets, he too had told her of his father's infidelities and his mother's weakness. Since Aditya was someone who didn't really engage in conversations, she reckoned last night must have been more embarrassing for him than her.

Well,her mind reasoned, that was a relief of sorts. Now they could just pretend that all was okay.

"Where did you sleep last night?" His voice cut through the silence. His eyebrows furrowed like he just had the realisation. She had sneaked away from the room before he woke up.

"Umm..." she stuttered, "Just... in the room."

"On the floor?" he asked, doubting, "Without a blanket?"

Zoya pursed her lips, not meeting his gaze. "On the bed."

It took him some time to reply, "Next to me?"

Zoya nodded and took a sip of the warm tea.

"Oh." He mumbled.

"Nothing happened between us, okay," she blurted.

Aditya's lips curled in amusement, "Is that what you are worried about? Of course nothing happened. I know that. I was so drunk last night, I barely remember when I feel asleep. And I am guessing so were you. You don't have to beat yourself up about it."

For the first time, that morning, Zoya managed a small smile.

---------

Zoya was sitting in the garden with another cup of tea in her hand. It was 11 in the morning. An hour back Aditya had gone with Frank, who had gotten extra help from the town, to get their car out of the mud.