Zoya
"I really don't think this will work." I told Dhara. Aditya's words revolving in my head.
Sorry Zoya
I didn't do it on purpose
It didn't mean anything.... Sorry .... SORRY?
Didn't mean anything?....and there I was overwhelmed by the kiss and thinking myself to be a shitty person while that kiss didn't mean anything to Aditya.
That man was literally apologising for letting his nerves act and kiss me, so ofcourse it just happened in the heat of the moment and Dhara's plan of letting him know about my break up isn't going to work.
"Look." I remember what she had said after I told her every single thing that had happened. "I'll casually mention about your break up in front of Abeer and will not tell a word about whatever happened between you and Aditya. If Aditya is even slightly into you... Abeer will tell him about your break up....I know their friendship well enough to guarantee that and then....If he likes you, he'll make a move...try to contact... anything....and if he doesn't make a move then we'll stick to your conjecture that whatever happened was just your hormones."
Something about it convinced me.
No let me be very precise.....the mere idea of a possibility of Aditya actually liking me has the potential to convince me to stay hungry for next two days but thankfully that isn't required and also.... I don't know... it's too awkward to admit but Dhara doesn't seem to care too much. She's adamant to find out herself, anyway.
"This will....And I am pretty sure that Aditya likes you...one thing I know for sure that he isn't someone who goes around kissing everyone he finds."
"...but..." Something inside me is very sure that all this is going to lead to Dhara's disappointment and.... Because of the hopes that her words are giving me.... I'm going to have a heart break...for sure.
"Sush...." She said going into her room after doing her dishes.
I stood beside the sink in order to wash my plates quietly.
It's okay Zoya...Go sleep now, you've an important meeting tomorrow.
Goodness!! I was late this morning. I rushed into the elevator of my office building. Stepping onto the elevator, the doors close behind me, leaving only me and My boss's assistant was already in this metal box.
"Morning" I smiled.
"Made it right before death knocked at your door." She passed a knowing smile and I reciprocated and then neither of us said anything.
Death knocked...what if Aditya knocked at my door and I'm not there? He doesn't even have my number.... Fair enough, why will he ask for my number when he doesn't even intend to be my friend? And I was thinking that he was interested in me..... romantically.
Oh! I wish he was. I could...feel his taste in my mouth. I still remember evry single flap the butterflies took in my belly. His lips...his smile....his....
Shit, don't think like that, Z. Holy Christ, I'm driving myself insane with all my rambling thoughts.
We reached to the main floor and when the door whooshes open, and then we both step out. I feel something wet on the back of my heels and I stop, leaning my hand against the wall as I try to see what it is.
"Son of a batch of cookies!"
Why? Why oh why did I wear brand-new heels for my first day of work? They've shredded my feet and now all I want to do is hold them to my chest-my feet not the heels and rock them back and forth telling them it'll get better knowing thatt I've a very important meeting today and it's going to be a helluva busy day.
Someone should tell those gangsters running around the streets that they don't need to be pulling fingernails off people's hands, instead they should make people wear a brand-new pair of heels as a form of torture.
The moment I reach my desk I yanked the offending things off my feet, closing my eyes and moaning as the cold floor seeps through my skin. Now that is heaven.
I don't have a bandaid in my bag too....GREAT FUCKING DAY. I didn't bother to go to the first-aid kit of out office because...I don't have time.
Within moments, I went inside the meeting room and since I am the most professional idiot on the planet...I didn't take my shoes off in there.
Oh! God! Please! I don't wanna die because of new shoes.... Aaah....I managed to paste that fake I-understand-every-single-syllable-your-mouth-just-spat expression throughout the meeting.
When I returned to my cabin about two and a half hours later, I tried my best to not drop myself on the chair and be graceful as myself and removed my heels under the table. It feels like I peeled my skin off my feet. The cold floor in such a relief that I almost winced.
"Looks like you have an admirer, honey." Jenna, our 45ish year old receptionist came in front of me with a bouquet of white roses. Usually, a company would prefer young, confident and we'll spoken girls as their receptionist, and though Jenna is definitely the latter two but just not the former but keeping the fact in mind of how amiable and lovely she is... I'm so glad that she's here.
Anyway.....flowers?
"For you pretty lady." She smiled and handed me the bouquet.
"Me?"
"Yeah, you...who is he??"
"Who he?" I had no idea what she was talking about.
"That very good looking man who wanted me to give you these once you're done with the meeting. How silly of me, I forgot to ask for his name....I had calls to attend...and then boss called.... general stuff... c'mon, tell me....he wasn't that guy for sure...the one who came here once...If I remember properly....last July...I think...."
That's one thing with her...her thoughts are too rapid and all over the place and I don't know about others, but in front of me she completely ditches the brain to mouth filter and therefore...her words come out just as randomly as her thoughts.
She must be talking about Sahir...he came to my office once or twice.... July... It was for his friend's birthday he wanted me to come, but I was busy. The thought of Sahir makes me a little upset, we were so happy together...and here I am, accepting flowers from someone I don't know, fully aware of the fact that no matter how much it confuses me that how come I and Sahir didn't really got back together...I don't want togo back to him.
I am just thinking about.......let it be.
"I don't know who he was if he wasn't the guy who came here last July." I muttered thoughtlessly. A part of me just could hope.
"Maybe loverboy left a note somewhere." She smiled curiously.
"Don't call anyone ... loverboy." I huffed to which she just shrugged. And then I looked for it, it did have a note.
'Hey gorgeous,
I guess have apologized enough, now my plans are a little different.
You're always beautiful.
-Aditya'
The footnote made my heart skip a beat.
"Lemme seee.......oooooooooooo" she hooted softly, taking the note from me. "So Aditya is the name.... I'm going to have to remember that." She nudged me winking.
Before I could stop my head from doing the acrobatic-gymnatically-parkourial-somersaulted-spinning I phone beeped.
"Hi... it's Aditya." The text read.
"Got them?"
What do I reply? I've already read them like an ungraceful despo.
Fuck... keyboard...how do I use you? My brain lost all the basic technical skills a human has and guess what did I do?
I clicked on the call button...and he picked up.
Shit.
Shit.
Holy freaking shit.
I am freaking out. Jenna looked at me worriedly and I signalled her that I need to talk privately and thus she smiled and leaft me alone.
"Hh....hi..." I tried my best to sound like the call was not an accident.
"Hi.... Zoya...you fine?"
No, I'm not. I wiped away sweat from my forehead with my finger and took a silent breath.
"Yeah...Yeah I am. How are you? And...thanks for the flowers. They smell amazing."
Somebody send me to a rap battle, I can't promise for the rhymes but boy! I can spit innumerable words in one breath.
I picture him smiling at my stupid behaviour as he said.."glad that you liked them. Can we meet tonight?"
"Tonight?" I'm calmer now.
"If you're free...I was thinking about dinner..."
One
Two
Three
He's waiting for me to reply while I can see my soul doing some contemporary-ballet coming out of my non-dancer body.
"Sure. Why not. I'd be free."
"At 8?"
"8....I think.....I have stuff too do in the office. I won't be home by eight, I guess." I confessed.
"I'll pick you up from your office. Is that fine?"
Go for a dinner 'date' (I wanna call it a date, it feels good... don't come at me.) In this? I looked at my outfit. It's not bad but not date worthy for sure.
And my feet need help.
"Not from the office. It'd bother you unnecessarily."
"It's absolutely fine. I'll come pick you up at 8. You may come down whenever you're done. Okay?"
I don't reply.
I don't look pathetic Maybe
But I feel pathetic and I don't want him to see me that way.
"I'll take that as a yes." His voice is playful. "Bye shortcake."
"Bye.." I sighed with a wierd contentment.
Wait...what did he sayyyyy????? I brain screamed but he'd cut the call.
~
It was around. 8:30 when I logged my computer off and checked the time. I'm late but I'm sure he's not a military man who'd show up at the exact hour that was planned and therefore I pick my things up quickly.
Get a cab.
Go into your house.
Tell him not to come as you're at your house.
Shower.
Help your feet.
Dress good (attractive I mean...ahem.)... that bblue dress in the left corner of your cupboard.
And then show up at the address he gives you.
I recite every task that's to be done to make this 'date' a proper one in my head as the elevator goes down.
I'm preparing my brain for this so that the moment I reach home, I don't waste time to think but act. But the moment I exit the main door, he shocked my system.
Aditya was standing...right there... leaning onto his car. He was wearing a black T-shirt, black pants and a black blazer. Neither formal, born casual....maybe call this style a dream.
"You...here....I..." Don't stutter idiot. He walked near me.
"Yeah...we had a plan and I couldn't risk being late. I even texted you."
I checked and yeah...he had texted me. Exactly at 8:00 PM.
I assume he was here before that and was waiting for the clock to strike 8 to text me. Because he isn't a robot that can arrive at the exact given time and if he really did this......I asked him.
"You came here early and waited till 8 to text me right then?"
He passed me a awkward grin and nodded rubbing his neck. "I didn't come too early tho. Don't take me for a despo..." He said softly.
Why is he so cute???
"If you say so...then I won't." I smiled "sorry for making you wait."
"It's fine."
My mind was a little distracted by the fact that I am in my office clothes and my feet are stinging with pain.
"What are you doing?" I squeak at the growling voice that sounds down my ear, and when I turn my head, Aditya was standing a couple of inches away from me, his chest nearly touching my arm.
"Your feet.... It's bleeding Zoya." He looked at me horrified. I tried to hide my one foot behind another, as if It'd help.
"It's... because of the new heels. I even forgot to wear toepads too. They're such torture devices. I'm sorry you've to see all of this...." I started blabbering before I realised what I was doing.
"Then you should be removing the torture devices." He frowns at me, an impatient look on his face. "You are bleeding.."
"I am not going to be walking barefoot. It's just a matter of few minutes...."
"Take them off Zoya." He said. I genuinely want to take them off. "Will a 'please' convince you?"
"Maybe."
Can you please shut up Zoya Siddiqui?
"Please take your shoes off Zoya. Don't worry shortcake, I won't let you walk barefoot."
"How?"
"I'll pick you up and take you to the car." He said shocking me, again.
"Please." Is he mocking me? But his face still has the furrow.
"Okay.." I'm too tired to fight. I'll walk barefoot, big deal. The path is not that dirty. I took my heels off and picked them up and......got picked myself.
"Did you really just....Aditya..." I groaned as he started to walk towards the car.
"I told you I'll pick you up. Why are you surprised?" He said looking at me.
" I thought you were .. joking."
"You in my arms is not a joke." He turned his face towards the car.
I didn't protest.
I don't want to.
Can I take a nap here? Just like this?
I'm so tired.
~~~
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