“Aditya….! Aditya!” Zoya ran behind her friend with few books in her hands, who was walking in the school corridor, returning to his classroom.
She was wearing a white shirt with red tie and blue skirt. Her hairs were open. They both are in ninth standard. He was wearing a white shirt which was untucked with a loosened red tie.
He rolled his eyes hearing her and stopped before turning around.
“What happened now?” He asked. She smiled sheepishly and forwarded those books to him.
“No! Don't!” He exclaimed and she looked at him with puppy eyes.
“Yaar! Zoya, I won't be able to read them.”
“Arre… but they are very very very interesting! I am damn sure you will like them.”
“Zoya…. I definitely believe that they are very interesting, but I really don't get time for this. Aren't textbooks enough?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, disappointed. He gave her an innocent look and shrugged.
“Adi yaar! Sir is calling you in the skating ground.” One his friend yelled from round the corner.
Without another word, she turned and left for her own class. He kept looking at her back, feeling a bit of guilt, which went away as fast as it came. He turned around and left for the ground.
___________________
Zoya leaned back on her chair thinking.
‘This won't be the first time I will be asking him to start reading. But maybe, one more time I should ask him.’ She thought.
She was sitting in the cafe where they met last time waiting for him.
‘He is late this time...’ She thought, sipping her coffee.
After a few more minutes, Aditya enters the café and spots Zoya sitting on their usual seat and sipping coffee while looking outside. He rejoices not seeing the books anywhere on the table and approaches Zoya with a wide grin.
‘Thank god! Bach gya!’ He jumped happily in his mind.
“Hey…!” Hey whispered smiling wide as he sat in front of her. Listening to his greeting, she turned towards him smiling brightly.
“Hi….! I thought you'd had ditch me and I'll be left waiting here for someone who will never show up.” She teased him, stiring her coffee.
“You thought I wasn't going to come?” He asked raising his eyebrows. She nodded biting back her smile.
“No! I would not dare to ditch you. Not even in my dreams. What if you came with a sharpener blade to kill me?” She widened her eyes at his comment.
“You know I won't do that! And back then too, I wasn't going to anything with it, I was running behind you to smack you!” She spoke exasperated.
He laughed at her.
“Oh really? Then what were you doing with it….?” He asked with a mischievous smile.
“Craft activities!” He nodded with mock understanding. She swatted his arm in annoyance.
“Don't tease me!” She spoke irritated.
“Who started it?” She looked away smiling.
“Coffee?” She asked him.
“Yup!” He agreed, smiling wide.
‘Why it's always so good to be with her?’ He thought.
“Anything else with it?” He shook his head.
“Okay. I will go and order. Till then, check these out.” She spoke as she pulled her few books out of her small bag.
‘Yeh doraemon hai kya?’ He spoke in his mind.
He looked at them and then looked up at her.
“Why are you looking at me like that!? Is there something on my face?” She tapped her cheek and then took out her phone to check her appearance in camera.
“Aditya…. Have a look at them atleast. Then won't bite you. You will check them.… Won't you?” She asked politely as if talking to a five year old.
“Okay…” He whispered to her, nodding like a kid who has been forced to do homework without any scolding. She went to place the order.
“Kahan phas gya yaar.… Yeh phir shuru ho gyi!” He muttered to himself.
“Mujhe pata hota ki book layi hai...to main bahar se hi bhaag jaata ab kya karu...ab bhaag jaun kya? Nhi baad mein mere ghar pe ghuske maaregi mujhe....”
Half heartedly he looked at the first book's cover.
Fault in our stars
“Nice bright colour.!” He complimented the book smiling.
“But why it has to be so thick? Rejected!” He kept the book away from others with a disappointed look on his face.
He picked up the second book.
Thirteen reasons why
“So gloomy! I wonder who designs these covers... Definitely not my type!” He kept this one with the first book.
“Next one.…..”
Till the last breath
“Nice red book.… Must be a love story…” He spoke to himself thinking would this book be good or not.
“Again not my type! Rejected!”
He looked at the last book.
No big deal
“Hmm… maybe it can help me in my business…. I will take this! But wait... Its cover….. pink it is... isn't it from romance genre?” He kept it down too.
Suddenly a steaming hot cup of coffee was placed in front of him.
“Here is your coffee.…” Zoya spoke and sat down on her place.
“Oh! Thanks…” He sipped his coffee.
“So...? Which one of these you liked?” She asked with a bright smile.
“Honestly, not a single one…!”
“Aap ahmaq hai kya?! Within all these books, you didn't like a single one? These are best sellers!”
He shook his head innocently.
Glaring at him, she gathered all the books and pushed one particular book towards him.
“See! This one! Fault in our stars.” She showed him keeping ger forefinger on the cover.
“What is fault? Why is there a fault? And it is in their stars... why should I interfere? It's their life, their stars...which is none of my business!” She smacked herself on forehead with her palm.
“Kya kare hum? Mar jayen?”
“Why? Maren tumhare dushman!” She sighed at his reply.
“Turn the book and see what it's all about...” She instructed him.
He turned the book and on seeing a large paragraph printed there, he yawned.
“Zoya...” He whined but looking at the stern expression on her face he did shut his mouth and started reading the paragraph silently.
“Insightful, bold, irrelevant, and raw…… Are you sure about it?” He again started.
She kept listening his nonsense, just to see how much far he can carry on with it.
“About which fault are they talking about?”
“Is it about some...umm...mature stuff?” His eyes widened.
“Zoya...how much have you changed in these years...oh my god…!” He asked with a mischievous glint in his shocked expressions.
“Aditya… look there, something fallen down, it's yours...” He looked at her confused abd then looked down.
“There is nothing down here.… What fallen down?” He asked confused.
“Your brain!!” He gulped looking at her.
“Read from starting! From here...” She instructed him, signalling by her forefinger.
“Despite the tumor-shrinki-” He started reading out aloud but she interrupted him.
“Read in your mind!” She snapped.
After a minute or so he stopped reading and looked at her.
“So?” She asked, hoping he liked it.
“Ya.... It's bright and all but it's too thick for me to read!”
“You judge a book by it's cover?” She asked, shock all over her face.
“You know I am not a fan of reading…” He whispered.
“Aditya …. Try this one.… For once...” He kept looking at her with no sign of agreement.
“For me? Please…..”
“Fine!” He finally gave in and kept the book on his side. She grinned.
“By the way, what will I gain by reading?”
“There so many advantages. But the one you need here is an escape. Escape from your busy life. Even if it is for five minutes. Hence, all you need is a bit of reading.” She explained, he nodded.
“So… how is aunty?”
“Full on masti.… You know sometimes I think she have more energy than me.… I mean... ” Zoya laughed, just then her phone started ringing.
“Hello…?” She answered the call and then for a minute, the person on other side was speaking.
Aditya pulled out his mobile and started scrolling his newsfeed.
“Oh… not that… ya that's fine! Hmm..... Okay... you do it.… Afterall it's the matter of Raichand Industries reputation!….. okay I am coming.”
“Adi…” She called him after hanging up the call. He looked up at her.
“I am sorry, but there is urgent work... I have to leave…” He nodded in understanding.
“You would be angry na... that I called and leaving early myself.” She asked with a sad pout.
“No Zoya! I understand that if you say it's urgent then it is. Shall I drop you?”
“No, I came in my car. Thank you and sorry Aditya.” She spoke as they both stood up.
Giving him a quick hug she left.
‘Wait… did she hugged me? Again?’ He sat down again, sipping his remaining coffee.
_________________
Wish you all a very happy new year!🎊🎉🎈💕
May this year brings happiness, prosperity, peace and we find a cure to this pandemic.
I know my updates aren't regular. So a new year gift.
Tell me, did you all like it?
I will be waiting!
Love❤️
Annie.