Crossroads (Completed✅)

Chapter 9: Destination

December had a beauty to it. The cold breeze, the soft chill in the morning light. It somehow made heart content. Maya looked out of her window at the rising sun, gold, yellow and orange. Maya never enjoyed a sunrise since her childhood till she met Zoya. Now everything that she saw had colour, everything she felt had life. Maya got up from her bed and walked to the window and looked at the new day that was shining in front of her. It has been more than a month since Zoya tried to commit suicide. It nearly broke Maya and she almost fell in to a dark hole from where her return would have been impossible. But Maya came back, she came back for Zoya. When Zoya woke up in the hospital, she was not sad that she was betrayed but was sad that she had tried to take her own life. It was a moment’s decision and she had regretted it. When Zoya started speaking her eyes welled up and she thanked Maya for saving her life. Maya held Zoya’s hand tightly and looked at Zoya’s eyes and didn’t say a word. Zoya was tired and closed her eyes and went to sleep. Maya sat near Zoya’s bed and cried her silent tears. Maya stayed in the hospital whole day and night for three days till Zoya was discharged and was ready to go home. Maya didn’t let Zoya go to her home alone and Maya made Zoya stay in her house with her. Zoya stayed with Maya for more than a week and that was the first time her house felt like home. Zoya had made a few changes to Maya’s flat. She changed the white curtains to light coloured ones and removed many eerie looking statues and replaced them with better ones. There is something called as Zoya magic and it is real, and Maya had felt it.

Zoya was tensed and confused. Her parents were coming from Mussoorie. Zoya’s sister Noor somehow came to know about the divorce papers and the suicide attempt and she told her parents that Zoya had an accident and needed her family with her. Noor came to Mumbai after two weeks of the incident and now her parents were also coming to stay with her. Zoya’s father had business in Mussorie and had to talk to his business partners before moving to Mumbai. Zoya still couldn’t figure out who informed Noor about her suicide attempt. But anyway, her parents were coming, and she felt a kind of peaceful tension that she never felt before in her life.

Zoya went to office and to event sites. She felt a kind of calmness after the dark day of her life. When she was lying in the pool of blood, there was nothing more she wanted to do than to live. She learned the value of her life that instant and the last face she was reminded of was that of Maya. She felt as though she heard Maya’s voice, but she thought it was a dream and drifted to sleep. Then she woke up in the hospital with Maya beside her. That is when Zoya felt peace. She was not gone, she was alive. She was there, that according to Zoya was the greatest blessing that a person can have. To be alive.

Zoya went to ‘Fashion and the city’ after her client meetings as there was a pre-Christmas party going on. The air was cold, and the foggy sky hid the stars from the watcher’s eye. Zoya walked in to the hall where the party was held, and it was crowded, and the music was loud. There were lighting of different colours and most of the employees were dancing. Zoya never liked loud music. She loved soft old songs. Zoya walked to a table and sat there. She was feeling thirsty. Zoya called Sam and asked if she can get something to drink and Sam brought her a cool drink. It looked beautiful with all the colours, especially the blue. Zoya drank one glass and taste felt strange but really good so she tried another. Zoya sat on the chair and after five minutes everything around her started to spin.

Maya was looking for Zoya and she couldn’t find her anywhere. Zoya had called Maya when she reached and when Maya went to the party hall she couldn’t find Zoya there. Maya was tensed and she searched the entire office and then went to the terrace. She went up and searched for Zoya but couldn’t find her and then looked down and found Zoya standing below near the entrance of the building. Maya ran down and almost fell. Maya reached Zoya and called her. Zoya turned around and smiled, the childlike innocent smile and Maya’s tension and fear subdued. Maya smiled too, a soft, small smile.

Maya: What are you doing here Zoya? All alone down here.
Zoya: I was watching the stars Maya. They are so beautiful. I counted, there are about a billion.
Maya couldn’t understand what Zoya was talking about. Maya looked at the sky and it was all cloudy and the air was misty and not even a single star was visible.
Maya: Zoya, what exactly happened to you?
Zoya: What happened. Nothing. But everything is so beautiful. The stars are blue, the lights are yellow, the lamppost is so tall.
Zoya looked up and there was surprise in her eyes.
Zoya: Really, it’s really tall. Zoya walked to Maya and then she lost balance and Maya caught her. Maya could smell alcohol.
Maya: Zoya, you are drunk.
Zoya: I am not drunk, I am happy, and the world is beautiful. I am alive, and your office is floating.
Maya looked at Fashion and the City and laughed.
Maya: Zoya, come inside. I will give you some water and will drop you home.
Zoya: I don’t want to go home. I want to feel the air. I was to breathe freedom.
Zoya walked out of the gate and Maya followed her. Zoya sang some songs and walked through the road which was mostly empty. Maya tried to hold Zoya steady every time she lost her balance. Zoya and Maya walked to a nearby park were a small gathering was happening for couples. It had beautiful decorations and soft music playing. The number of people there was small as it was over midnight. But the place was beautiful. It was a lovely ambience. Zoya watched the couples dancing and kissing each other and smiled. Zoya suddenly turned to Maya.
Zoya: I want to dance too.
Maya: You are not steady. How will you dance?
Zoya: I just want to dance. I am fine.
Maya smiled and held Zoya and moved slowly. Zoya watched the sky and smiled and looked at the couple nearby who were kissing.
Zoya: I want to kiss too.
Maya was shocked. Maya: No, you can’t kiss.
Zoya: Why not? They are kissing. All of them are.
Maya: They are lovers Zoya. They can kiss. I can’t kiss you.
Zoya: Why can’t you? It’s just a kiss. Everyone is doing it, so I want to do it too.

Maya looked at Zoya and smiled. She couldn’t understand how Zoya changed to the person standing in front of her. She only loved Zoya more and more. Maya looked at Zoya’s eyes and then to her lips and realised how much she wanted to kiss Zoya. Zoya had rose petals for lips and never wore lipsticks and they were softer than the winter sun. Maya was lost in her thoughts.

Maya: Zoya, you don’t want to kiss me. But I want to kiss you more than anything else in this world, but I won’t because you are not in your senses and if you learn about this tomorrow, you will regret. So, let’s go home. Zoya made a sad face and Maya laughed. Maya called her driver and asked him to pick them up from the park.

Maya took Zoya to her home instead of Zoya’s. Zoya was so drunk that she couldn’t even understand it was not her house and was calling her Ammi and Abbu. Maya couldn’t stop but laugh. Zoya being drunk was the cutest thing Maya had seen all her life. Maya took Zoya to her bedroom and made her lie down on her bed. It was Zoya’s painting that was there on that bed till the last day and now Zoya was lying there. Maya couldn’t believe it. The other thing that Maya couldn’t understand was the reason why she wanted to kiss Zoya. It was confusing. Maya had never had an urge to kiss a woman before. Maya had a couple of relationships but they were men and she never was intimate with them. But she always had liking for only men and the want to feel Zoya’s lips made Maya’s head spin but then she thought maybe it was because of the cocktail she had. Maya removed Zoya’s shoes and covered her with blanket and stood there watching Zoya for a few minutes. All Maya wanted was to get on the bed and hug Zoya and sleep.

Maya looked at Zoya’s shawl lying on the bed and she took it. Maya walked to the sofa in her room and lied on it. She kept Zoya’s shawl close to her heart and slowly closed her eyes to a dreamless sleep.

Amrutha