Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

53: Why 7 days

In one moment of chaotic selfdoubt and pain of betrayal she had lost Aditya... 

It was like comparing apples to bananas but... Yash and Aditya were 2 men she had trusted without doubt...

Yash she had trusted blindly.
Aditya she had trusted with open eyes. Time and events had forced her to trust Aditya.

She had lived 5 years with Yash. But their relation had not been really tested or gone through a trial or so she had thought. And when tested it had broken... No. Not completely. Unknown to her, her faith and fate had hung on a delicate thread for over a year and more.

There had been no reason to distrust Yash. The idea hadn't even occurred to her.

Zoya had no evidence of Yash's love; only words, promises; goodwill. Yet her faith in Yash had been strong. She had ready answers or created answers to all doubts and accusations hurled at Yash till the divorce papers left no further need to defend Yash.

She had defended Yash alone for many many days based on nothing.

Zoya had known Aditya for barely little more than a month. Yet at the end of the month they had known each other to the core as if they had known each other for a lifetime.

Their raw wounds had been exposed to the other within hours of their first meeting. They had seen each other in the depths of despair.

Their closest family or friends could not have understood their pain and hurt like they had each other's.

Not because their families did not care or did not try. They did. But they simply could not.

Zoya had seen Aditya trying to be a monster to assuage his pain and never been able to deliver the final blow. He had seen her blind unwavering trust.

Aditya had only wanted her to admit that her beloved Yash was a cheater but in the process he had ended up protecting her in her most vulnerable moments.

In trying to prove him wrong she had learned to be independent and strong.

Why had he stayed with her after he was proved right and she wrong?

Because Aditya did not want Zoya wasting away; living like dead; mourning Yash's death and betrayal.

His agenda had changed overnight. He wanted Zosh to be successful under Zoya what it could not be under Yash and Pooja; a new form of vendetta; more noble; better way to live gainfully occupied.

Aditya had made her stretch her limits, push her boundaries and rewrite her rules on right and wrong. And continued to do so even in his absence.

And Akanksha was right. In a few days she had imbibed most of Aditya's spirit. It had pushed her to overachieve in the last 6 months.

Zoya had many incidents that were proof that Aditya had stood by her, put her wellbeing above other claims and endangered his life for her.

Yet she had judged this man with one question and permitted him to answer in only a Yes or No.

She had always given Yash the benefit of doubt. Her excuse being he wasn't alive to defend himself.

Why had she not given the live and speaking Aditya a chance to explain himself?

And he had not started this fire. Her obsession for him; something in her had sought him out. She had told him he had a special place in her life.

And he had against his better judgment submitted to what both of them really needed: each other.

Post Paris Aditya always gave in to her wishes; stated and unstated.

And once Aditya Hooda had decided her happiness was with him then he would not let her marry Arshad or anyone else.

With post Paris Aditya it was never about him; it was always about her.

Or maybe it had always been about her.
Even before Paris, he had persisted till she realised Yash had cheated her. He had harassed her till she had snapped out of her divorce depression.

And now he would not stop till...

She had realised all this in last 3 days.

But she had committed to marry Arshad in the confusion and pain that Aditya had different motives while hanging out with her.

The mistaken notion that Abbu had been right about Aditya while she had been wrong.

Abbu was wiser by years hence knew what is best for their family. So Abbu must also be right about Zoya must marry Arshad decision.

Zoya took wrong decisions and hurt her family. In the past it was Yash. Today it was Aditya. Tomorrow it would be someone else. It had to stop.

Noor had asked her again and again why she had wanted to marry Arshad within 7 days of Aditya's confession.

She had her own good reasons when she had decided to marry Arshad ASAP
To establish a point of no return.
To burn all bridges.
To burn all boats.

To stop all debates.
To have no option.

To stay true to Abbu this time.