A delicious smell ran across the room. The young women standing against the kitchen slab wiped the sweatbeads off her forehead, biting her lower lip and then again smiled to herself. Taking the utensil in her hands she almost shouted, "Aditya! Dinner is ready. Come here." She bit her lip again and then moved towards the dinning table.
"Such a mouth-watering smell Zoya. What is cooked today?" Hearing his compliments, she rushed towards him. "Is it? You know, I have cooked dinner today. Isn't that amazing?" She said excitedly inviting him to the table, giggling to herself. "Has the sun risen from the west? Zoya and cooking. Impressing your husband, aren't you?" He said smirking while she frowned at him, placing her hands on her waist looking adorable as her nose turns red.
"So mean you are, Aditya. Why can't I cook? She pouted. "Okay, I am sorry. I was just pulling your leg na. But, it smells really nice." He said smiling to his woman who cheered up, instantly. "Not only smells nice but also it tastes nice. Try it." She said rising his chin up, proudly patting her back making the man before chuckle.
She served him the curry and stood beside him, waiting for him to taste it with her hands folded against his chest. "Where is the chapati?" He asked looking at her as she makes up an answer, "Umm..it didn't get the time to make them. You eat it with bread today, tomorrow I'll make that as well." She said placing some breads in his plate as he glanced at her before focusing on his plate.
He slowly tore a piece of bread dipping it in the curry. Placing the morsel on his tongue. She flashed and grinned her teeth at him like a five year old. He suddenly coughed hard as the food tasted bitter. "What happened?" She said, her smile dropped in a baffled expression and she quickly poured some water in the glass. She brought the glass near his mouth. "What happened? Why you started coughing?" She questioned rubbing his back.
"N..nothing. It's reall..really nice, Zoya." He spoke teary eyed and again coughed a little. "Really? Thank you so much. I love you." Hearing him, her face brightened up as she began jumping at her place. He smiled at her. "Waise, ke baat puchun? Tumne sabzi mein namak dala hai ya phir namak mein sabzi?" He spoke making her frown her face.
"I know, It's tastes nice na. I just opened the packet of salt and I have put in this." She grinned again making him open his eyes wide in horror, he composed himself on his chair as he said, "Really nice, Zoya. Very good." He said plastering a fake smile on his face. "Really? I am so happy. You know what, I've decided I will always cook dinner for us." She said excitedly clapping her hands. "No!" He shouted making her place her hands at her waist, pouting. "Why? I like cooking for you. And you know good wives also cook for their husbands and I too want to be a good wife, okay?" She blabbered while he slapped his forehead.
"Why are straining yourself out Zoya? We have a maid na, let her do." He said but she was adamant being a dutiful wife. "You won't understand. I am a good wife and good wives always do their duty and cooking is also my duty." She spoke adamant, smiling proudly again.
"See, I haven't even tasted it. Give me a bite." She said opening her mouth waiting for him to feed her. "Are you sure?" He said nervously as she furrowed her brows. "What Aditya? Of course, I am. It's not an explosive." She said and made him feed her.
He noticed her facial expressions changing as she frowns. She quickly rushed towards the wash-basin and puked into it. He rushed towards her. She furrowed her brows and said, "Yuck! Oh god! It was so salty, Aditya. How could you eat it? It was so terrible." She said gulping down a glass of water. "Why did you tell me that it's very nice?" She pouted, her face dropped down.
He sighed and said, "You cooked for me and for the first time. How could I not praise it?" He said caressing her cheek. "That's really sweet of you." She engulfed him into a warm hug resting her head on his chest while he ran his hand in her hair, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
•••
Seeing her name flashing on his phone screen a huge smile appeared on his face. He answered the call, putting the device against his ear. "Aji Sunte Ho!" He heard his woman saying loudly. He chuckled at her adorableness while she said again, "What are you doing? Come home soon. I miss you." She said dropping a long kiss on the phone screen. His curve grew wider as he said, "I am just leaving. Will be home soon!"
She could hear the doorbell ringing. Zoya rushed towards the door as she knew who it was. She opened the door and stood by the gate welcoming him in. "Welcome back!" She greeted, grinning and then bowing down.
He dropped a sweet kiss on her forehead and spoke, "Someone is in a good mood." He said chuckling. She took his coat and cap from him while he dropped himself on the couch closing his eyes. She forwarded a glass of water to him. He glanced at her and then at the glass. He took it from her and said, "Why are you behaving like a typical wife today?" He interrogated. She smiled at him and took a seat next to him.
"Aditya, I want kids!" She declared out of no where while he spit the water out of his mouth while his eyes widened in shock. "What!?" He said shocked. She let out a chuckle and said, "You know what, I had asked Noor some tips about how to be a good wife she said that as soon as you come home na. I should offer you a glass of water and then talk about kids. So amazing no?" She laughed throwing his head back.
She noticed his baffled expressions, "Look at your face Aditya, looks as if you have seen a ghost." She giggled again while he slapped his forehead.
•••
His eyes widened in utter shock as he saw Zoya, all decked up at the midnight, wearing a heavy saree with heavy embroidery on it. Heavy jewellery and makeup, he watched her with a bewildered expression on his face. "Where are you going?" He asked, his jaws dropped.
"Can't you see Aditya? I am going to sleep." She said annoyingly and then got busy adjusting her hair. "Sleep? With this heavy saree and jewellery?" He questioned, his eyes widened in shock. "Yes, now help me." She said standing on her feet not before checking herself out once again.
"Zoya, are you sick?" He checked her tempreture while she glared at him. "Aditya, you know absolutely nothing, dumbo! I am training myself how to be a good wife and you are just asking me questions." She said while he kept staring her. "You know, today I watched a Hindi Serial and you know the heroine, she was getting ready to go to sleep with this heavy saree and makeup. It was too funny and then I decided that I need to be a good wife to you so I am training myself how to be a good wife and a good daughter-in-law. Understood?" She said in a breathe while he simply nodded his head. "Good, now help me to go to sleep. This is really heavy." She said sitting at the corner of the bed.
"Zoya! Zoya! You don't need to do all this baby. You are a very good wife sweetheart. C'mon, remove all this." He smiled at her sweetly, she furrowed her brows irritatedly and said, "Aditya, what's wrong with you? I know you are very concerned about me and you don't want me to sleep uncomfortably. But, don't you want me to be a good wife?" She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. "Switch off the lights, Aditya."
He chucked looking at her. "Mad woman!" He exclaimed nodding her head sideways at her cuteness.
•••
"Aditya, Good morning! Come on, get up, you sleepyhead!" She sat at the corner of the bed, gently patting his cheeks while he snuggled her hand more. "I love you, Zoya." He spoke smiling in his sleep while the young woman smiled at her husband.
"Aditya! Get up na." She said, nudging his shoulder. He rubbed his eyes lazily and blinked it twice, adjusting his eyes with the brightness of the sun falling through the window. "Woke up already? Oh lord! How? I thought you never get up before 9." He spoke in utter surprise, dramatically.
"I know. You know Aditya, I have compromised in my sleep. But, doing it just for you." She said smiling.
"Oh yeah! Good wife, I know." He said as he encircled his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Her back hit against his chest while he smelled the fragrance of her wet shampooed hair. "But, you know what. Never change your habit of sleeping late. Because, I love waking you up while you sleep late till the early afternoon and I would stare at your angelic face and I would slowly whisper near your ear, 'Zoya, get up!' I love you the way you are Zoya and I don't want you to change." A curve appeared on her face as he nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck.
"But Aditya, let me do this for you. I like it this way. I want to be a perfect wife." She said adamant.
"So stubborn Zoya, okay fine. Do whatever you wish to. Do you ever listen to me?" He pouted as she stood up, her jaws dropped in horror. "Am I stubborn?" She spoke frowning. "You have any doubts?" He teased her.
She opened her mouth wide. She got hold of the corner of the pillow while she began attacking him with the pillow, chasing him all around the room and only laughter and giggles could be heard.
•••
"Zoya, Zoya!" He searched for her in the whole house but she was no where to be seen. He again checked the washroom but again no traces of her as he began panicking.
He rushed towards the door as the bell rang. He sighed out of relief watching th person on the door. "Where were you? Why did you leave your phone here?" Aditya asked irritatedly, following her. "Aditya, I went downstairs. There was nothing at home to cook so I went downstairs and I brought some vegetables." He took the bags from her. "What have you brought? Stones? It's so heavy." He said keeping at the kitchen counter.
She dropped herself on the couch, wiping the sweat off her face. "Aditya, there are some more bags at the guard's office. Can you bring them? I couldn't carry them, they were too heavy." She said sitting on the couch. His furrowed his brows in a confusion while he said, "What have brought?"
"Arey, I have brought everything ten kilograms that's why it's heavy." She said stretching her arms out. His jaws dropped and he said surprisingly, "You crazy woman, are you planning to open a market here? Are you mad Zoya?" He said taking her hand in his. "Baby, why do you need to do all this?" He said, sitting next to her.
"Really? That is too much amount!?" She said hesitantly as he nodded while tears welled in her eyes. "See I can't do anything perfectly." She said, fresh tears rolled down her eyes. "And why do you need to be perfect?" He said wiping her tears away. She glanced at him once and said, "Haven't you seen how Maa looks after Papa? The way Ammi looks after Abbu. I want to do the same for you but I can't do anything." She said, sobbing silently melting the poor man's heart.
"Zoya! I don't want a perfect wife and I don't like a perfect wife. I want my Zoya back. Jo har choti si choti baat ke liye zidd karti hai. That's what makes me fall in love with you all over again whenever I look at you. I love your flaws and imperfections. I love the way you are and I don't want you to change even a single habit of yours. Okay?" He said looking into her eyes while she smiled shyly at him, lowering her gazes. He gently kissed her cheek making her go crimson again.
•••
Hello! This is me again! Thank you for your immense love and support on my previous story and I thank each one of you. I am so grateful to everyone who took out the time to read. I love you tons!
Basically, I have a lot in my head which I can't write in my horror fiction because that's a different genre. And, I am really sorry for this crappy chapter. We all have witnessed a perfect Zoya post marriage but an imperfect Zoya is just a bundle of cuteness. Thank you for being with me till here. Until next time!
Love,
Kaira.