Enduring Ally

Chapter 9: Hide and Seek

"Okay bhai, I'll try calling her again and check with others, bye", he disconnects the call. Aditya understood something happened between him & Zoya and that's why she is acting cold.

He thought to himself, if she didn't come up within a day or two, then he will confront her about what happened last night? He left the place for good.

                                    ***

Riyaz continuously ring the door bell of Zoya. Arjun has call and told him half an hour beforethat Zoya didn't came to office or even answering any of their calls. As Zoya didn't answer the door, he took the spare key from under the flower pot and opened the door.

"Gundoos... Where are you, man???" he called for her and searched the house for her. He found her, in her bedroom couch, sitting with her knees pulled together with pillow between her head and knees.

He hurried next to her, knelt down and hugged her, "Gundoos, what happened? Why are you sitting like this?"

Zoya hugged him back and cried over him. He console her but let her to finish her crying.

After almost an hour, he moved next to her in the couch and she laying her head on his shoulders as support. They both didn't talk, just sat there without moving an inch. Riyaz waited for Zoya to talk.

Zoya finally said, "Riyaz, I'm feeling hungry. Can you please order something to eat?"

Riyaz held her and take her to kitchen, he made noodles for her to eat. While eating, he asked her, "Gundoos, at least tell me now what happened? Why were you crying like that?" She stopped eating and looked at Riyaz for a minute.

Then she started to play with her noodles and fork. She was thinking how to start or how to tell him about what happened? Slowly she opened her mouth to say but stopped as she couldn't form any words together. Riyaz placed his hands on hers and said, "You know, right!!! You can tell me anything and I won't judge you for that!!!" She nod her  head in agreement.

She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before she started to tell everything about Aditya and what happened last night. Riyaz was holding her hand all the while till she finish.

When she finished saying everything including the last night kiss, Riyaz lost in his thoughts for sometime.

After sometime, Riyaz finally said, "Hmmm... lots of things had happened between Aditya and you. So, what you have decided to do now?" Zoya looked at him blankly and said, "I don't know, Riyaz. I don't know how to see him after this".

"See Zoya, from what you have said it looks like purely co-incidence. You have to face the reality now or later. So, I would say, you should talk about this with Aditya and clear the air. Otherwise you can't work with peace of mind in DMG or under him", he said and she looked shocked at his statement. "I... I can't... talk about this with him, Riyaz. How the hell do you think I would talk about the K I S S with Aditya? she said and spelled the kiss instead of pronouncing it.

"Hey... after all that one accidental kiss. Why're you so cooked up about it? Don't want to work in DMG? Think about the job, the job that you love more than anything", he asked her.

She tried to say something but then stopped. After some minutes, "I want some time to think about this. I need to think thoroughly before deciding on anything about this", she said finally. "Okay Zoya, take your time, call-off from work for few days and think about it. I'm here, if you need any sort of help", he told her.

"I know Riyaz, I can count on you any day. But I don't know what excuse to cook up to get leave from office", she asked. "Simple, viral fever, inform them you got viral fever. No one question you or will come to check on you. If Arjun or Arshad ask you whether they can come to check upon you, tell them I'm with you and ask them not to come here", he said smilingly.