In The Stars || AdiYa FF

Chapter 12 - We are here (Feb 16)

Aditya waited at the lobby of the Dublin hotel while Zoya was conversing with the receptionist to reserve a room. They had reached late in the evening. It took them close to a week but alas, here she was.

By the time he had composed a text and sent it to his team informing them to convene for work tomorrow, Zoya was done with the reservation formalities. A bellboy had taken her lone suitcase to the room.

"So," she spoke with relief, "Finally, we are here."

"Finally."

"What are you going to do now?" she asked.

"I'll take a train to Limerick. I should be there..." he looked at his watch. It showed 8:00 pm, "...by midnight."

"Isn't that too late? You have had an early start and have been traveling the entire day," she stated, "Maybe you should rest tonight and journey tomorrow. You can book a room here."

Say no, Aditya. Just say no and walk away.

"Erm..." he stammered not responding to her suggestion, "What about you?" he diverted the topic, "Where's your boyfriend?"

"Yash is staying with his mother and sister," she informed him. "I texted him and he replied that he was back home. He was tired so we didn't text much," she said and Aditya felt like she was trying to justify something, maybe the lack of communication, more to herself than him.

"I am planning to go to their house and surprise him." She spoke the sentence with hesitation.

He caught on, "Is there a problem?"

She bit her lower lip, which for some reason had some unusual effect on him. He shook aside the thought to focus on her words.

"Well, his family doesn't exactly like me," she confessed with a nervous chuckle, "Actually I am pretty sure his sister, Mahi, despises me. She straightforwardly told me once over the phone."

"And you still want to interact with these people? Why don't you ask Yash to meet you somewhere else?" he suggested.

"I'll have to meet them sooner or later. It's better to get it done as soon as possible, before I lose my nerve."

"You'll have to meet them?" he asked, confused at why she was bound to meet her boyfriend's hostile family.

"O!" she exclaimed covering her mouth with her hand, "Didn't I tell you? Yash is going to propose marriage. I mean... I am pretty sure he is. That is why this trip was important to him and that is why I had to brave my fear of flying and come running after him."

Aditya stood still, not uttering anything. She was going to marry her boyfriend. Of course she was! What else was he expecting? He should have listened to his rational mind instead of following his feelings.

Not that it should have made any difference. He knew she had a boyfriend, yet he had let himself be overpowered by emotions, leaving aside all logic. He knew he should be guilty for harboring these desires but it wasn't like he had tried to sway her. He had never tried to impose any of his feelings on her.

Never mind it was altogether a different issue- what his feelings exactly were. It was something inexplicable- a warmth he felt when she was around, when she spoke to him or looked at him. Her radiant smile would make him smile. He loved spending time with her evident from the fact that he had skirted his work and was travelling the breadth of Ireland with her. He couldn't name the feeling only that it felt wonderful, conflicting but wonderful.

"No," he finally managed to speak, "You didn't tell me."

Alas! This was the end. He would always cherish the short span of days that they had spent together. He didn't desire anything else.