(Months later – Night of Feb 13)
"How can we be lost!" Zoya grumbled at Aditya who was behind the wheel, driving the car.
"Hey, don't blame me. I followed your instructions," Aditya responded gesturing at the phone in Zoya's hands. The navigation app was open but not functioning. A "re-routing" was splashed on the screen.
She huffed at him and shook her head, "So typical of you."
On work front, after the success of their merger in Mussoorie, Zoya and Aditya had began their own subsidiary venture. They replicated their model in different cities. This meant that they spent most of their time together- sometimes based out of Mussoorie and sometimes, out of Mumbai. It was a good balance- something which they had talked about earlier.
Currently they were driving to a small hill station called Ranikhet, some 9 hours from Mussoorie. They wanted to check out the area to gauge if they could invest and build a resort there.
Zoya had driven half the distance and now Aditya had taken charge. They were supposed to reach by nightfall but it seemed that they were lost. Aditya had pulled over on the side of the narrow dirt road and rolled down the windowpane. It was a clear night and the stars were shining brightly.
"When you were driving, I gave proper instructions. This just proves that you are bad at navigation," he retorted playfully, "This situation is giving me a serious déjà vu."
Zoya narrowed her eyes at him. Exactly a year back, on Feb 13, they were lost somewhere in Ireland and had a very similar argument about who was at fault- the map-reader, Zoya or the driver, Aditya?
She shook her head, "Hand me the charger, my phone is about to die."
"I don't have it," he replied, nonchalantly.
Her eyes grew wide, "What do you mean you don't have it? I told you to pack it when leaving from Mussoorie."
"Huh," he responded.
Zoya shook her head again. "That's your response? Okay, give me your phone. Mine's... dead."
"Mine's too," he replied even more casually.
Zoya swiveled her body toward him, "Are you seriously telling me that we are stuck in the middle of nowhere, close to midnight, with no cellphones?"
"That summarizes it," he answered.
"Urgh!" she let out a groan of frustration. "I swear I am so angry at you, Aditya Hooda, I could kill you."
She opened the car door and walked out, looking ahead. It was pitch black. The road was quite narrow that even a u-turn would be difficult, especially at night.
After a moment, Aditya opened the car door and walked over to her. "Here," he handed her a cup of coffee and some chips.
She grudgingly took the cup and sipped. The warm liquid provided her some comfort. "This is just like last year," she commented, her anger slowly mitigating.
"Even the food," she pointed at the chips that Aditya had placed on the hood of the car. The same chips that Aditya would magically appear whenever they were hungry- be it stuck in a car in the middle of nowhere in Ireland, or at a deserted bus-stop, or in a flight.
"What a journey it has been," Zoya commented, reminiscing of the past- their adventures in Ireland, the growth of their relationship in Mumbai and the confession in Mussoorie.
Aditya was quiet the entire time. He hadn't spoken much since quite some time. They were leaning against the hood, looking up at the night sky. The beep in Aditya's wristwatch went off, alerting them of midnight.
"Happy Valentine's day," Zoya greeted him and turned her head down to face him. Aditya had gotten off the hood of the car and was standing in front of her. She too, got off and stood facing him.
"What is it?" she asked, puzzled.
"I..." he stuttered, "I thought I would plan it properly... you know... I was even thinking maybe in a few days when I gathered my nerves... When the moment is right, but somehow, this," he held her gaze, "This feels right."
Zoya arched an eyebrow at him. "What?" A fluttery feeling was taking place in her stomach.
Aditya exhaled deeply and got down on one knee. He took out a diamond ring from his pocket and held it in front of her.
Zoya clasped her palm on her mouth, astonished at what was going to happen.
"Zoya Siddiqui," Aditya's tone was sincere, "This last year, with each passing day, I have fallen more and more in love with you. Will you do me the honor of-."
"Yes!" Zoya exclaimed before he could finish. "Yes, I will marry you!"
Grinning, Aditya got up and slid the ring on her slender finger. He grabbed her and hugged her tight, kissing her. "I love you." He whispered against her mouth. "I love you too," she replied, kissing him back with equal fervor.
"Wait a minute," she pulled apart, "Are we really lost or is this some scheme of yours to recreate out 1st Valentine's together?"
"I wish I was that creative," he chuckled, "But no, we are truly lost."
Zoya giggled and kissed Aditya on his cheek. They stood, huddled close in the warmth of each other, as the night sky overhead twinkled with a thousand stars.
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