Frail sunbeams peeped through the big fir tree facing the balcony of her room. Resting her head on the arm chair she relished the morning in her home, the warm sunrays, chirping of birds and flowers of colours soaking the sun. Asters, daisies, Lily, roses of different colour her ammi made sure to have the best collection. Zoya glanced at the white rose bush in it's full bloom that was the first plant Noor had planted with assistance from the entire family. She smiled thinking about how much her younger sister had grown their last interaction before this debacle was a bitter one, Zoya closed her eyes thinking about how she had raised her hand on Noor. Mumbai and it's people...She suddenly felt tired and was about to doze off when she heard a familiar voice downstairs.
"Zoya" he roared, the entire Siddiqui house echoed his voice.
'How dare you' Noor shouted back.
'Can't you even let her rest for sometime'.
"Where is she?" Desperation was evident in his voice.
Without any permission he ran upstairs with Noor and Arjun following him.
Aditya opened the door to witness her behind the floating curtains seated dressed in all white with an ink blue shawl draped around her fragile frame. At that moment he did not know why perhaps it was the cutains floating around her room, the french windows from where the warm sunrays flooded or her braided hair for him she looked almost ethereal. He did not know for how long he stood there with his clenched fist on both sides.
'Can't you control your brother? If abbu comes to know about the two of you then you have no idea what will happen?'
Noor was threatening Arjun invading his physical space while he stood there feeling hopeless.
Her eyes were glistening with tears, was it the physical pain or some emotional ache he wandered standing staring at her.
"Why are you here?" Roshana had meanwhile entered the room.
"Noor tell you ammi that I am here because aapki appi ko mujhse ishq ho gaya hai"
Shock was visible in everyone's face and Arjun grabbed Adi's shoulder for the first time in his life.
"Bhai yaha see chaliye, abhi tak nashein mein hai kya aap" Arjun warned his brother with gritted teeth.
"Arey...the police have shown so many photographs of our intimate moments still you don't believe that Zoya and I are in love?"
At the moment he heard a sharp sting on his right cheek he smiled for he knew the source he had a fair share of these slaps. Zoya had exhausted all her energy and she fell right into his arms. Not a single person moved from there place, Noor started crying, partly glad that her appi stood on her own after such a long time and partly regretting for being so rude to Aditya. Seeing her cry Arjun went and silently stood next to her conveying in his silent way that he will always be there. Roshana just stood there astounded, her baby had been so ill for the last so many days and to see her stand on her own she wished Wasim was there to witness this. Meanwhile Zoya clutched his arms crying hard for it was her way of apologising, scolding and thanking him at the same time. He murmured soft nothing's in her hair and conveyed his apology to Rokshana for his earlier behavior whereas Rokshana in return conveyed her gratitude.