(Aditya's perspective)
My mind was struggling with my heart to not wipe away the bits of water from Zoya's lips. It wasn't my right to do so. When we were best friends I had helped her clean the corner of her lips the midnight we both escaped from our houses to have some Ice-cream but today, at this moment the equations between us has changed, at least from my side.
The strange dilemma through which I was going was hard for me to comprehend in my right senses. I had started feeling possessive for Zoya, started thinking about her every time when she's not around, started missing her company and Arjun told me that I might have fallen for her, my best friend Zoya.
With a confused heart I touched Zoya's lips with my thumb. What made me act that way was just my uncontrollable instincts. She was ogling her eyes wide at me shockingly. Her hazel deep eyes were making my heart ache with the love my eyes held for her. Before my mind could process anything practically, I've moved my thumb over her bottom lip to which Zoya closed her eyes tightly and I could notice her shivering under my touch. I felt an unusual sensation seeing her close her eyes and letting me touch her lips.
This isn't what friends do, NO! I'm doing something inappropriate and out of my boundaries. Being her best friend I shouldn't be taking any advantage from a moment. I might feel for her romantically but she hasn't confessed anything of sorts. She considers me as her azeez dost and she trusts me. This is wrong!
In an instant realization hitting me hard, I took my thumb off Zoya's lip, got up from the chair in which I was sitting and turned around unable to face Zoya. Perhaps in the process I scratched my thumb vigorously over her lip but I had to stop what I was doing. 'Why was I unable to control my senses! I don't know what she might be thinking about her best friend? Have I broken her more?', I couldn't help but think.
(Zoya's perspective)
I was completely baffled with Aditya's rude behaviour. We were having lunch like two best friends enjoying each other's company when all of a sudden Aditya decides to behave mad. I couldn't hold it up anymore and vent out my entire frustration which I've been holding up to myself and living with for an entire week. I stood up and talked with him.
"What's wrong with you Aditya? Jab se humne aapse poocha ki aap hume contact kyun nahi kiya, us waqt se lekar aap humare saath weird behave kar rahe hai. Hume sab dikh raha hai, hum bachche nahi hai Aditya! Humne aisa kya kiya jisse aapko itna gussa aagaya achanak? Hum har pal aapke baareme soch thi rahi itne dino se aur hum kitne worried the aap keliye! Aapko andaaza bhi nahi hoga ki hum aapke yaad mein kitne aasun bahaye hai, kal raat bhi humne aapke aur humare pic.. pictures dekthe dekthe sogaye the aur aaj is event me aakar bhi humara man nahi lagraha tha kyun ki hum aapko yaad kar rahe the! Is event par humari concentration thi hi nahi. Hum apni iPod ko lekar aap.. aapki photos hi dekh rahe the. Hum.. hume aapke bina kuch achcha nahi lagtha tha Aditya! Sab kuch suna suna jaisa lagraha tha jis din se aap America gaye the. Patha nahi hume kya hogaya tha us din se lekar! Aapko USA jaane ke baad agar humari thori si chinta bhi thi, hume ek call karne se aapka kya jaatha? Aap itne khudgarz kaise hosakthe hai? Hum yaha pal pal mar rahe the aapke bina, aapki yaad mein aur aapko humari fik.. fikra hi nahi thi! Aisi kaun si museebat aagayi aapko jiske kaaran aap humse itne door hogaye? Humari zindagi humse choot gayi? Ghar aakar bhi aapne do din tak humse baat bi nahi ki aur hume teek se kuch batha bhi nahi rahe hai ki hua kya hai. Aapko dikhtha nahi hai hum kitne toot chuke hai? Hum aapke barthav ke baareme kya soche, aapne aise hume avoid kyun ki Aditya? Bataiye! Hume jaanna hai, bataiye aapne aisa kyun kiya?"
I snapped with anger and agony in my heart converting to words to which Aditya turned around to look at me, shaking my entire being. He has been crying listening to every word I was saying, tears brimming in his eyes, his face completely red and those sharp features in his face looked stiff for a moment.
He took slow paces in front of me holding the gaze and I had to look up to stare at him. He was breathing at an uneven speed.
"Tum jaanna chahthi ho ki mere saath kya hua tha? Jaanna chahthi ho???"
He was yelling in pain. I could feel his change of body language. Immediately Aditya held my shoulders tightly and pulled me at him in a moment which made my body hit his in contact. My heart was beating at an uncontrollable speed once we came close. I could see his nose flaring and lips trembling which made my eyes look everywhere else but at him. I wasn't feeling uncomfortable but scared at the gaze his eyes were holding.
"Meri taraf dekho Zoya! Nazar hatane ki khoshish mat karna. Tum mujhse poochrahi thi na ki mujhe kya hogaya hai? Tum jaanna chahthi ho kya hua tha mere saaath?"
I was feeling nervous with his rough voice yet I decided to speak if he is finally prepared to respond to the questions that he has been avoiding.
"Ha! Hum jaanna chahthe hai ki aapko kya hua tha? Aap hume avoid kyun kar rahe the?"
I shouted at him not caring whether I was burning literally under his strong gaze.
"Kyun ki mujhe tumse pyaar hogaya hai!!!"
I felt as if a strong wind had passed by and I was feeling numb without feeling anything. I was completely taken aback with his words and if he wasn't holding me to himself, I would have fallen to the ground. I felt a spark run through my body and my heart was beating inside my chest erratically. The tears I was holding to myself without falling weak again spilled down. I was widening my eyes at Aditya with my body feeling numb.
"Ha Zoya.. Mujhe ehsaas hua tha ki tum meri kya ho. Mujhe ehsaas hua ki main tumse pyaar kartha hoon. Confusion is baat ka tha ki main tumhare liye aise kaise feel karsaktha hoon! Aur darr is baat ka kyun ki hum dono dost the. Main tumhara azeez dost, tum meri best friend! Mujhe darr lagraha tha ki kahi main dobara wahi galti toh nahi kar raha hoon... Dosti ko pyaar samajne ki! Isiliye main is feeling se bhaag raha tha, bhaag tha raha. Lekin ye feelings... Zoya yeh feelings kabhi change hi nahi hua. Ye feelings har din badti rahi aur mere control mein nahi tha. Yaad hai ek din jab tum, main, Arjun aur Noor us Club mein gaye the aur maine us aadmi ko berehemi se maara tha kyun ki maine dekha woh kaise tumhe choone ki khoshish ki? I was feeling possessive for you Zoya! Us raat hi mujhe yeh ehsaas hogaya tha. Jab main USA chala gaya tha mere dimaag mein bas yahi khayal aaraha tha ki tum mere saath nahi ho. Tum Mumbai mein aur main waha USA mein aur tumhe dekhneka man kar raha tha, har pal. Main bhi apne phone mein hum dono ki tasveere dekhtha raha Zoya, sirf tum nahi! Mujhe patha tha main tumhare liye kuch feel karne laga hoon aur mujhe darr is baat ka tha ki kahi main tumhe kona doon shaayad maine tumhe confess kiya toh. Tum mere baareme kya sochogi, kaise mujhe accuse karogi aur mujhe chodh kar chali jaayegi I couldn't understand, I was so confused yaar. Maine Arjun ko har din call kiya tha aur sabse pehele main tumhare baareme hi poochtha tha aur main khush tha jaankar ki tum teek ho..."
Every word which Aditya said made sense to me as he was speaking from his heart. I was crying continuously with how he was describing about his feelings when he was in the USA and here I was crying everyday in his remembrance thinking that Aditya had forgotten our friendship. Friendship? Does he consider me as his 'Best friend' anymore?
He again pulled me even more closer and our noses were almost touching. His and my heartbeats both were heard so closely that I felt scared immediately.
"Yahi wajah thi jiske kaaran maine tumhe ek call tak nahi kiya kyun ki mujhe nahi patha tha ki main tumse call karke kahunga kya. I was feeling afraid of this emotion Zoya and I wanted to not feel it. Par main buri tarah se haar gaya tha. Main jaantha hoon ki meri peheli shaadi mein pyaar nahi sirf dosti thi aur phir hum dono bhi best friends hai Zoya! Toh mujhe confusion hogayatha pehele ki ye khoobsurat feelings kya hai jo tumhare liye main feel kar raha hoon. Tumhe dekh kar zor se dil dhadak na, tumhari hasi dekh kar sukoon mehsoos karna mere liye ajeeb laga. Tumhe us din us taxi ke andhar behosh dekhkar mera dil kitna gabra raha tha tumhe patha bhi nahi hai Zoya. Tumhare saath us din gussa karke maine achcha nahi kiya tha. I am sorry about that day again! Main tumhe kona nahi chahtha tha Zoya aur aaj sabse zyaada. Jab main India aaya tha Arjun mujhse is baareme baat ki aur wo mujhse poocha ki kahi mujhe tumse, apni best friend se pyaar toh nahi hogaya hai aur mera dimaag hi kaam karna bandh kardiya tha. Do din apne ghar mein, kamre ke andhar tumhare baare mein hi sochtha raha ki kaise tumhe face karoon, kaise is feelings se bhagoon. Main tumhe apni dil ki baat batana nahi chahtha tha tumhe koneke darr se lekin tumne mujhse aakhir bulvahi liya Zoya...".
My heart was beating rapidly with none of my senses working properly and I kept staring at him, his eyes red with tears and kept listening to him.
"Ye aakhir hogaya hain Zoya. Beshumar, beyhadh, bepannaah mohobbat hogayi hai. I'm in love with you"
We were just looking at each other silently, our eyes speaking. I noticed that the pool of emotions which I read in his eyes as confusing before becoming crystal clear once he confessed his feelings, his heartfelt emotions about the love he had for me. I slowly touched his hands that were clutching my shoulders and Aditya nodded his head at me to assure that he's there for me.
Seconds passed by without any of us saying a word. The silence between us felt as if our heartbeats were mingling together. I felt beautiful with his confession, feeling loved after years as if this was also a first time for me but I was still confused as I didn't know what must I say.
Aditya slowly loosened his tight grip on me and I let my hands fall down. He backed off with a tiny smile on his face and his eyes shining with a glint.
He walked backwards staring at me directly till he reached the center of the chamber and turned around. It was unable for me to guess what he was up to. That's when Aditya reached towards the speakers, switched on the plug from the wall, connected his phone to the speakers, clicked something on his phone and walked towards me. Suddenly music started playing through the speakers.
Aditya slowly strolled towards me and stood in front of me. His next step made me open my mouth in surprise. He knelt down on the floor and lent his right hand forward in my direction.
"May I have this dance with you?"
🌸 Sewwi 🌸
To write down the feelings of Aditya was quite a hard task but his original dialogues that you as a reader might have noticed that are written in Italics supported a lot. Hope you liked the confession and do give your reviews 😊