I cried writing this. Maybe nothing great but I did.
"Oh my God! Oh my God! You people kissed!!!" Misha said all excited.
Aditya tried hard but couldnt control the blush on his face.
"Oh my God! Look at you Adi bhaiya.. you are acting like a teenager. How was it?"
"Wet." He replied with a wink.
"Did you people get intimate after that?"
"No."
"No?"
"Because everything changed after that night." He said in a serious tone.
Aditya woke up next morning with a smile. The kiss last night was something that shall forever be remembered. He looked around but couldnt find Zoya.
"Zoya?" He called out. He got up to look around only to find Zoya standing by the window looking outside. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders. The very next moment he found himself in a tight embrace.
Zoya held him tight. She was crying. He knew she had been crying for long. "Is she regretting what happened yesterday?" Aditya's heart sank. One thing he was clear about after last night was that he loved Zoya. Somewhere he felt she did too but right now it seemed he was wrong.
He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "What happened baby?" She looked away.
"Zoya? Is it about last night. See if you are regretting it.."
He was interrupted by her, "No. No I dont..its just that.." she spoke with difficulty.
"Zoya see.. if you feel it was just loss of control or weak moment, it was not. I did it willingly. I did it because..."
"Dont say it Aditya. Please." She said pleading.
"Because I love you Zoya. I love you so damn much. I dont know how it happened, I never thought it would but it did. Its ok Zoya if you dont feel the same for me.. I just want you to know I am there." He said gently carressing her cheeks with his thumb.
Zoya closes her eyes and tears trickled down her cheeks.
"You really shouldnt have said that Aditya." She said.
"Why?"
"Because I wont be able to stay."
"Its ok if you dont love me.. I will not bother you Zoya but please dont leave." Aditya's eyes were brimming with tears.
"No Aditya. I love you. That is the problem. I love you so damn much when I am not allowed to." She said.
"But why Zoya?" Aditya was choking.
"Because our worlds are different. I am not real Aditya."
"What do you mean?"
"Only you can see me."
For a moment, Aditya's heart froze.
"What do you mean ?" He said pulling his hands back.
"You know that."
All the moments with Zoya flashed before his eyes. The first day they met at the graveyard. The different aura around her. The questionable look on people's faces in the bus. All of it.
"No. It cant be? What are you a ghost?" He asked. He really couldnt understand what was happening around. He closed his eyes. Maybe his mind was playing the trick.
"No. I am not a ghost Aditya. I am a feeling. I am a lost soul who doesnt know the difference between whats real and whats not."
It was all too much to take in for him.
"So what? You are here to help me like they do in movies and stories or to kill me?" He wasnt sure what he was speaking. Well nothing was normal anymore.
"No Aditya. I was not here to help you. You attracted me. It was you who was seeking me. I could never have been seen otherwise. All these years.. nobody has ever seen me."
"What do you mean?"
"Aditya. I have no answers. It took me a while myself to figure out what was happening. We only see such stuffs in movies but when I first found out.. I didnt know how to react. Gradually I just accepted it. I dont know why and how but that day you saw me. You talked to me. I know this was my only chance to set myself free from the torment of being alone. I wanted to be friends with you. Honestly I wanted to use you but Aditya. I fell in love with you. I dont want to go now. I dont."
"Shh! Dont cry baby. " he said cupping her face again unable to see her crying.
"Just tell me everything."
"I know Aditya. None of it makes sense but.."
"You are the only thing sensible in my life. Just tell me." He smiled.
"I loved Yash. I did. But that one day something was off about him. I could sense something was wrong and I was right. I had gone out for shopping probably thinking that it was all ok. Maybe he was stressed. So I thought of pleasing him. I thought of cooking something special for him. As soon as I entered the house, I heard some voices. It was him and there was a female voice. I followed it and I saw it Aditya.I saw my world falling apart in front of my eyes. He was there kissing that woman. I didnt know what to do. I was crying. I just barged in. Yash asked the woman to leave. I asked him Why? He had no answers. He was quite. I didnt even realise but the next moment he strangulated me. I was choking and begged him but he wanted to end me. I saw that rage in his eyes. I fell unconcious. He thought I was dead. I wasnt. He pulled me through the stairs and put my body in the car. Perhaps he was planning to bury me alive. He went inside again to bring something. I dont know what happened maybe divine vengeance but the house burnt. I know sounds stupid but he died."
Aditya heard all of it. His mind still trying to process it all.
"Zoya you said you were not dead. What happened?"
"I am not dead Aditya. I AM ALIVE" She said.
Aditya's head was now spinning.
Zoya could read his expression.
"Come with me." She said.
Aditya was not sure but he followed her. Soon they were in a nursing home.
"Zoya?"
"Shh.. just come."
She took him to a room. What Aditya saw next just added up to all the weird he had been hearing.
It was Zoya. She was lying on bed. Lots of machines attaced to her body. She was breathing.
Aditya looked at her.
"Zoya.. mujhe kuch samjh mein nii aa raha."
"Hume bhi nahi aa raha tha Aditya. Imagine waking up to realise you are out of your body and staring at it. It freaked me out." She said.
"After everything. That woman returned. She was the one who brought me here. I heard the doctors saying I am in coma. She has been paying for me maybe out of guilt."
"How long has it been ?" He asked carressing her hair, the body that layed there. Touching her cheeks.
"Its been 3 years."
"Excuse me Sir? Who are you?" A nurse entered the room and questioned Aditya.
"I am.. I am Aditya. Zoya's friend." He said. Pain was evident in his eyes when he saw that nurse couldnt see Zoya who was standing next to him.
"Ohh.. I feel sad. I wish death comes soon for her. She has been breathing but is brain dead. Doctors says she wont come back. God knows how long she has to endure it." The nurse said. Aditya didnt say anything. He just kept looking at her body. She was beautiful. It was becoming difficult for him. He wanted to shout. He wanted to cry. The nurse left.
He looked at Zoya standing right beside him. Both pair of eyes had tears. "Soon I figured out why I am still tied here. People say that there is life after death. You stay here if you have got unfinished business. Aditya my soul is bound. I was here because I was in search of true love. Something I wanted so badly but could never get. I never thought I would be free until that day when you saw me. I was shocked too. You were my only chance to be free. I kept asking you if you love me or not because only love could set me free. I wanted to go Aditya but that was till I had not fallen for you. I wish I could stay."
Aditya shifted his gaze to her body. He then looked at her. She placed her hands on his cheeks and said, "Aditya. I wish we met when I was alive. I wish I could stay. I know I have ruined you but please dont cry baby. Please." She sobbed.
"How Zoya? How I am supposed to live without you." He said crying, holding her hands that were on his cheeks.
"You will ok. Take care of yourself. I will be there Aditya. I will be there with you forever."
"Dont go Zoya. I will die." He begged.
"Your love has liberated me in all sense Aditya. Time to set me free. If this is real then so is heaven. I will wait for you up there. "
"By the way. Still scared of ghosts.. are we?" She smiled.
Aditya chuckled between his tears.
"Set me free Aditya. "
Aditya took a deep breath and turned around to look at her body. He bent down and kissed her forehead. Tear drops fell on her cheeks. He then kissed her cheeks. Then whispered in her ears, "Its time to rest baby. I will come soon. I love you. I love you so so much." He saw the machine beeping. The lines went straight. He looked at the her vanishing figure. She smiled at him, "I love you too." She was gone.
Aditya's eyes were full of tears and so was Misha's. Her heart felt heavy. She hugged Aditya tight and cried. Aditya too held her tight.
"You miss her a lot."
"I do."
They broke the embrace and looked at each other. Misha wiped his tears. He smiled.
"Misha baby.. you know I never thought I could share this with anyone. I thought no one would believe me."
"I do. I always did." She said without delay.
"Then you have to help me."
"Yes anything Adi bhaiya." She said wiping her tears.
"Take me to Zoya."
"What?"
"Come here." He held her hand and walked into his house. He took her to his bedroom and stopped infront of Zoya's painting.
"After she was gone. I was lost Misha. I tried to live. I swear. I came to this place. I started new business but I couldnt. I couldnt bear the loss of Zoya. I became an alcoholic. Cried for Zoya to return but she never did. One night, I was drunk as usual and that was when I slipped and fell hitting my head on ground. The next moment I found myself looking at my own body. Just as Zoya had described."
Misha froze. She couldnt move.
The fear was evident in her eyes. Aditya took her hand and pulled her to another small room attached. She saw Aditya there, lying on the bed. She didnt know how to react.
"Strange. Years have passed but I have been lying here. Nobody found me. Just like Zoya.. I had to find why was I bound. I was bound because of my pain. Misha only your family could see me. When I first saw you, I knew that maybe God has finally sent a little angel to help me. Get me to Zoya.. Misha. Its time for me to go." He said.
Misha went speechless. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Adi bhaiya.." this was all she could speak. She hugged him.
"Misha.. its ok baby. You will be fine. Just ask your mommy and daddy to bury me next to Zoya. The address you will find in my diary."
"What will I tell them?" She asked crying.
"You found me dead with this note." He said.
"You are brave sweetheart. Take care of yourself." He said patting her cheeks.
"Now go. I want to meet my Zoya." He smiled.
With slow steps, she walked towards his body and placed her hand on his chest.
"Adi bhaiya. Time to meet Zoya." She said crying. She looked behind her. Aditya was gone. Forever.
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Maximum of you guessed about Zoya. Bet neither thought about Adi. Anyways. I know it was not a very unique story but like I said I wanted an Adi Zoya version of it.
An epilogue is on the way.