Adhura Alviida

raabta

Today was the day.

Aditya sighed as he packed the last of his items in his bag. It had been a month since his treatment and he was now fully cured. Or at least that's what they believed. To the outside world he had been cured of a mental disorder that put him in a childlike trance and it was an inconvenience to everyone else but in reality, he missed being with that mental disorder.

Because at least he got to seek comfort in believing his Zoya was near him. He looked at their wedding photo in the small frame before putting it away in his suitcase. That was really the only memory he needed to survive.

The worst thing about being cured was no doubt realizing that Zoya, was in fact dead, and the woman he had been looking up to in longing was actually just her lookalike and his doctor. Aditya died a thousand deaths when his memories started to come back during his treatment. As his sense slowly came back, every day felt like a heartbreak. He held on to hope that maybe they were all lying or that Zoya was playing a trick on him, fooling him that she was Dr. Maya because she was still mad at him.

As his senses slowly came back, he noticed Dr. Maya slowly reduce her communication with him till eventually the interns were allowed to administer his treatment. The final blow to his illusion came when he saw Dr. Maya embracing her fiancée in her office.

That night, Aditya, cried himself to sleep not out of jealousy but out of pain because he had finally realized that Dr. Maya was not his Zoya. His Zoya could have never done that. She couldn't have ever gone as far as being betrothed to another man. Not when he was still in her life.

Out of all the overwhelming emotions he felt, guilt was the most prominent. Guilt for letting his anger overpower him that night and throwing Zoya out. Guilt for letting Zoya die. Guilt for letting her suffer the same way he made all the women in his life suffer. It was true. Or at least that's what he thought. He treated his own mother badly because of her decision to stay with his father. He was unable to fulfill Pooja emotionally. His mother ended up dying because of her guilt of something that she did for his sake. And his last hope at love, was brutally snatched away from him because of his anger.

Aditya was learning to be a better person. Even though it seemed like a waste because he had no one to live for anymore, he was trying to be a better man in hopes that maybe his mom and dad and Pooja and even his Zoya were smiling down at him from heaven. He didn't know if he could even think that. After all he did, he wondered if Zoya would still check on him from whichever world she was in? Right now he wanted nothing more than to catch the next flight to India and spend some time with her memories.

Little did he know, fate had other plans for him.

**

"We can't thank you enough for all your help, Doctor Maya. You are truly a godsend. I can't believe bhai is back to normal again." Arjun exclaimed.

Zoya smiled meekly at him. She had been avoiding Aditya ever since he reports showed improvement. She sent her intern to administer the rest of his treatments. She could barely control herself around Aditya when he was oblivious of his true self, she feared her heart would betray her if she met him in his normal state.

"And you too Dr. Sahir, I know it must not have been easy to watch your fiancée get treated as someone else's wife." Arjun said sadly.

Sahir forced a smile as Arjun spoke to him. If only he knew...

"It's all your efforts too. I can only do so much." Zoya smiled at both Arjun and Noor.

"Are you leaving too?" She questioned looking at Noor.

"Yes, sadly. My graduation is over and my visa is about to expire. No choice." Noor chuckled.

"I'm going to miss you so much." She said while engulfing Zoya in a hug.

Arjun smiled at the two. Who could ever say that these two weren't sisters? In the past month, he watched Maya and Noor's bond develop just like Noor and his Bhabhi were. They were always spending time with one another and Noor even invited Maya to her graduation. At first, Arjun found it rather odd but as time passed he realized they all felt a strong connection to Dr. Maya and it was all because of Zoya. They all had some sort of raabta to her.

Zoya's heart dropped at the prospect of her baby sister leaving her and without thinking she muttered what was on her mind. Anything just to stop her.

"Noor, but how can you leave? My wedding is next week and you both have to be there!" Zoya blurted out.

Sahir's eyes widened in shock, looking angrily at Zoya as she looked onto him with pleading eyes.

"NEXT WEEK?!" Noor squealed. "How come you've never mentioned it?" She questioned.

"If the great Doctor Maya ever gets time away from playing wife to Aditya then only she can tell you, hai na Noor?" He winked as he spoke with a hint of anger in his voice.

**

Arjun, Aditya and Noor walked into the Hooda's New York townhouse before Aditya went over to his room silently. He was exhausted by the recent 360 degree turn his life did. He just needed a break from everything.

As Arjun walked into his room holding a cup of his favorite black coffee, he looked at his brother who laid down on his bed, staring at the wall on the side.

"Bhai..."

Aditya jolted up from his position and tried to quickly wipe his face, but Arjun had already seen him.

He had been crying nonstop since they got back.

"Bhai, Noor and I are staying back for a few more days."

"How come, chote?" He asked.

"Dr. Maya and Dr. Sahir's wedding is next week and you know how she is with Noor...they've invited us."

"Oh." Aditya responded looking down.

"Chote, I'm sorry I've been aloof. I never got the chance to thank you for being there for me and singlehandedly taking care of everything. I know I wasn't easy. I remember every bit of what I did and I'm so embarrassed I put you through all of that." He said, patting his little brother's head.

"Bhai...if I were in your place, you would've done the same, na? So why are you thanking me? After mom and dad's death, you're all the family I have and I just wanted you to be okay. Waise this was my subtle way of making sure you start doing some office work too. Now you have no excuses!" Arjun laughed, lightening up the mood a little and smiled seeing his brother chuckle as well.

"Arjun, I should really thank Dr. Maya, I can't imagine the amount of awkward situations she was put in because of me. And Dr. Sahir...it must've been horrible for him to witness his soon to be wife be claimed by someone else. I can't believe I almost attacked them as well. I mean...I can't even fathom what I was thinking..." Aditya said.

"Bhai, why don't you to talk to Dr. Maya? I know Noor and her are going wedding shopping tomorrow. Maybe she'll be free during lunch or something. Just put a closure to your situation with her." Arjun suggested.

"I guess you're right, chote. She deserves much more than just a mere thank you."

**

"Dr. Maya Mehrotra speaking, who's this?"

"Hello...Dr. Maya? It's me...erm...Aditya Hooda."