"Aaah!" Zoya panicked more when Aditya winced as she was trying to apply a cold pack on his shoulder.
"Is it bad?" she asked.
"Not much....lao ise mujhe do, main kar lunga...tum change karke jao so jao."
"nahi...pehle ispe crepe bandage lagaungi uske baad."
"Vo rehne do....irritating lagta hai...main abhi naha ke phir ache se sek lunga ...zyada jor se nahi lagi.."
"Han vo toh tumhari 'aah' 'aah' sun ke pata hi chal rahi hai" she rolled her eyes "Kya zaroorat thi zyada hero banne ki? who do you think you are? Quicksilver? flash? jo phatt se pakad lete..."
"Tumhare saamne Hero banne ka mauka miss ho jata na." he playfully poked her nosetip with his forefinger.
"like for real? tumhe bakwaas soojh rahi hai?"
"Tumhe office nahi jana? Kal phir late ho jaogi.."
"Nahi jana...mere boss ne kal ke liye backup team ko appoint kiya hai so that our team can take a break coz ek saath bohot kuch karna pada tha na...that's why."
"Tumhara boss kaafi considerate hai...chalo toh phir...araam karo jao...I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Ya Zoza...serious nahi hai...tum itni bhari bhi nahi ho ki mera kandha tod do (she glared at him with narrowed eyes)...good night."
"Fine...Good night....and Thor ban ne ki zaroorat nahi hai, Kuch help chahiye ho toh bula lena...okay?" she got from his bed and handed him her ice pack.
"Okay ma'am..."
"Good.."
"Acha ek baat...kal breakfast tum bana dena please, I'm tired and kal kaafi kaam bhi hai.."
"Oats aur fruits...vahi jo aaj khaya tha...theek?"
"han ...chalega.." she started to walk out of the room.
"Good night.."
"Zoza suno...ek aur baat.."
"Ab kya hai?"
"Aaj bohot sundar lag rahi ho...Dusre room main kyun jana hai? yahan bohot jagah hai....yehi so jao.." he smiled at her cheekily. She looked at him arching her eyebrow. "Main bohot ghayal bhi toh hoon na.." he gave her the puppy eyes.
"GOOD NIGHT!" she went closing the door leaving the smiling Aditya behind.
"Main hi iske puppy faces pe peghal jata hoon, ise toh fark bhi nahi padta." he thought.
~
"Zozaa!" Aditya called her from his room but she didn't respond... "Kidhar gayi." he adjusted his half worn shirt and walked out of his room with a towel in his hand.
"Zoza (he called again)...Kitchen main hai kya ab bhi." he murmured.
"Kya hua?" she came in front of him in tights and an over-sized T-shirt, clutching her hair.
"Help chahiye."
"Bolo."
"Main baal nahi sukha paa raha aur shirt bhi nahi pehen paa raha.." he said rising his towel.
"Ohho...baitho.." she made him sit on a chair and took the towel to wipe off the wetness from his hair. "Blow drier?" she asked.
"Room main...vo main kar lunga..."
"Fine.." she then went on to grab the unworn side of his shirt and slowly made him wear it properly.
"Ointment lagayi thi?"
"han laga li thi...thanks" he replied while she buttoned his shirt, which clearly was taking time but Aditya didn't complain rather he again found his mirth in her facial expressions of s.truggle to button his shirt quickly.
"Done.." she with a victorious sigh.
"Thanks.." he smiled and went in again as he got a call from Saatvik.
~
After sometime.
Zoya was cutting fruits when Aditya came inside the kitchen again. She looked at him giving her a pleading look for help with his tie.
"Mujhe tie baandhni nahi aati..." she said with a slight pout of disappointment.
"Nahi nahi..tie toh aaj isse bandhwani hi hai" Aditya thought. "Try bhi nahi kiya kabhi? main bina tie ke office kaise jaunga?" he replied.
"Ruko...try karte hain.." she went to him and took his tie in her hands and looked at it for a moment then went to get her phone and played a 'How to tie a tie' video.
"Tum meri tie Youtube tutorial se dekh ke bandhogi?"
"Aur koi better option hai tumhare paas?" she replied focussing on the video and she tied his tie.
"Nahi nahi...idea bura nahi hai...karo jaise karna hai..." he looked slightly up to hide his amuse. "Waise tum na...ikdum biwi jaisi lag rahi ho aaj."
"Accha?" she looked at him.
"Han..tumhe nahi lag raha main husband jaisa?"
"Bas thoda thoda.."
"Tho-da tho-da?"
"haan...ab roz roz toh main aise nahi hoti na...aur tum husband ho bhi toh nahi...accha disturb mat karo...I am trying to focus."
"Spare keys mujhe de dena ghar ki." Zoya spoke after sometime.
"Kyun? Tumhe kahin jana hai kya?" he slightly wrapped his arms around her.
After a few attempts, Zoya was successful in doing it properly.
"Han..." she patted his chest proudly on her victory over that long piece of cloth.
"Kahan?"
"Choro pehle..." she tapped his arm.
"Okay.." Aditya took his hands off..
"Ghar jana hai.."
"Kiske?"
"Apne..aur kiske.."
"But Kyun?"
"Toh kya yahin baithi rahoon tumhare saath..."
"Han..kya problem hai yahan rehne main?"
"Problem nahi hai...but kabtak rahungi yahan...aaj off hai...toh ghar pe sab theek karne ka time bhi mil jayega...sab faila-bikhra hoga na...Chor thode hi diya hai ghar."
"Nahi...Tum abhi wahan nahi jaogi."
"Tumse pucha nahi hai ki jaun ya nahi...Bata rahi hoon ki jaa rahi hoon."
"Aur main bhi bata raha hoon..ki tum abhi wahan nahi jaa rahi..."
"Kyun nahi? Aditya...sara saaman Faila pada hoga..sab sahi karna hai aur yahan kabtak aise hi rahungi? tumhe bhi toh ghar jana hoga na?"
"Saaman tumhara sab theek ho jayega...aur ghar tab jaogi jab main sure ho jaaun ki wahan tum safe rahogi."
"Accha...aur kabtak ho jayenge aap sure?" she was getting a bit angry.
"Pata nahi...1-2 din aur time do...phir chali jana."
"1-2 din? 1-2 din main aisa kya ho jayega?"
"Renovation.."
"Kya?.. Renovation!?" She gave him an inquiring glare.
"Vo...tumhara ghar renovate karwa raha hoon...kuch changes karne zaroori hain."
"What! Ghar renovate kara rahe ho....kyun? Aur ye mujhe ab bata rahe ho!"
"What do you mean 'kyun'..?... someone broke into your house... Nothing was stolen that means the intension wasn't thievery...do you have any idea how scary that is, huh? What do you want me to do sit in a corner and let you be in danger? ...."
"I could have handled that... it's not your job to keep me safe... renovation koi solution nahi hai."
"Hai...Ab tumhare ghar ki window panes change karaye hain, a fingerprint lock and other security settings....ye sab zaroori hai..." He almost got angry watching her fume..." And yes... tumhe safe rakhna bhale hi meri Job na ho...main tumhe us ghar main dobara aise nahi jaane de sakta tha... It was fortunate ki us din tum ghar par nahi thi... Ye soch ke bhi khauf aata hai agar kabhi aisa phir hua aur tumhe koi nuksan hua toh...."
"Then why didn't we talk about this before? Hun? Mere ghar main renovation agar itna important tha toh mujhe kyun nahi bataya?"
"Tum busy thi...itna stress tha tumne kaam ko leke main aur stress nahi dena chahta tha...main aaj tumhe vaise bhi batane hi wala tha..." He replied calming himself down.
"Pehli baat toh...tum mujhse zyada busy ho... tumhein is baat pe itna stress nahi lena chahiye tha...main apni safety khud ensure kar sakti hoon...and secondly... What's this 'batane wala tha'....tumhe mujhse puchna chahiye tha ki renovation karwaaun ya nahi...naaki batana chahiye ki tumne aise kuch kiya hai.... Main landlord ko kya jawaab dungi? Unse baat karna zyada important hai."
"Uski tension mat lo...maine tumhara apartment khareed liya hai"
"What?...Kyun? Mujhe wahan hamesha thode hi rehna hai.."
"Arey ..maine tumhare landlord se renovation se related baat ki toh vo kehne lage ki itna kuch karna hai toh khareed lo ghar... aise ghar unke hisaab se rent pe daalne mushkil hain....toh maine khareed liya ghar taaki sara kaam acche se kara sakoon."
"God! Apni ameeri jhaadni zaroori hai kya? Agar vo mana kar rahe the toh renovation ka idea drop kar dete...ghar khareedne ki kya zaroorat thi?" Zoya crossed her arms in slight frustration.
"Vo ek acchi locality hai...future main ghar bech dunga better price pe...ek tarah ka investment hai ye...... please baat ko samjho... Ye sab zaroori tha isliye kiya.."
"Mujhse pehle baat kyun nahi ki is baare main?"
"Kaha toh tum busy thi... already itni pareshan thi...I am sorry ki tumhe pehle nahi bataya but ye bhi sach hai ki ab vo mera ghar hai...mujhe usme jo change karana hoga main karaunga...ab main landlord hoon aur main apne tenants ki safety ke saath koi compromise nahi kar sakta...khaas taur se tab jab tenant meri girlfriend ho..."
"Fine....Do whatever you feel like mere kehne na kehne se koi fark padna toh hai nahi....but main tumhare saath aur nahi rehne wali...mujhe ghar jana hai..." She said and walked off the room.
"Zoza...!"
~~~
Thanks for reading ❤️