Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

91: Ijaazzat hai?

Adi spoke first.

Adi looked into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction after every sentence.

Adi: (apologetically) I don't know what brought that on... I don't think about it anymore... We have all moved on... Whatever I may have said...

Zoya stopped him.

Zoya: You did not say anything that I had not heard before except...

Adi: (anxiously) Except?

Zoya: Except that you wanted to kill Hooda Uncle... (she spared him the spineless Ma part)

Adi: Hmmm! Hooda Uncle!

Zoya bit her tongue.

But Aditya still looked uneasy so Zoya told him exactly what he had blabbered, back to him.

Aditya looked relieved. Zoya wondered what horrors he had kept to himself.

Zoya: (trying to make light of the matter) You have an amazing capacity to withhold information. Do not worry.

Adi: But it is you who loosens my tongue...

Zoya: Oh! So all this is somehow my fault now!

Adi: You want to fight over this.

Zoya: You started it.

But her smile gave her away. She was so relieved Aditya had snapped out of that dark mood. What was the point brooding over a past that was irrelevant now!

Adi: But I meant it in a good way. Loosen tongue bit. I feel... Better... Maybe...

Zoya: Okay! I take it you want to say thank you. Thank you Zoya for helping me get this off my chest. But you are... Aditya Hooda. How can you thank me? Anyways (making a face, waving a hand and looking the other way) you are not welcome.

Sarcasm, it was a new addition to her personality and he loved it.

Adi: No. No. I was saying. Maybe you must help CBI in extracting confessions from suspects and witnesses...

Zoya: (very happy that he was normal again) Bus ho gaya aapka!

They were quiet again.

Adi: (thought) Now or never.

Adi knew this would mostly go south but he had to do this. She was being the ostrich she used to call him; burying her head in the sand. He had to make her rethink.

Adi: I have something to say on a forbidden topic. Ijaazzat hai?

Zoya hesitated then after a moment nodded reluctantly. Adi noted she had instantly switched back to her hostile mode. And when Zoya snatched her hand away from his, he realised that their short truce had just been called off.

Adi started on an unsure note but then got rolling; determined to have his say. He knew she was going to walk out anytime now.

Adi: I just got thinking. Not now. Before my... emmm... breakdown... earlier... Ma and Pa's marriage... the unhappiest... and the unlikeliest to succeed... relation I know of, survived 35 years. Ma... despite being deceived for over 20 best years of her life... her gamble paid off. Ma took the right decision. And they are very much in love, happy and loyal to each other. Thank God Ma did not listen to me.

Zoya: (brusque and impatient) Is there a point to this speech?

Adi: What I told Ma was logical. But Ma trusted her heart. Even now in the same situation if anyone asks me I will stick to logical facts not beliefs. A man who hadn't changed for over 20 years what are the chances he would change for the better ever? But only time will tell who is right and who is wrong.