Second Chance (Vol.1) Squandered

94: Choke

All 4 were stunned.
Noor included.

Noor's anger had got the better of her again.
Noor: Sorry! I am thirsty. I will just get something to drink

And Noor rushed off towards the kitchen backdoor. But Adi and Zoya saw she was deeply hurt and upset. Some tears had also leaked.

Zoya and Adi: (together)
Zoya: I am also thirsty...
Adi: I too need a drink...

Then embarrassed they looked at each other and it would be even more awkward to back off now.

Arshad: (clueless as ever, smiled) Same here

They entered the kitchen through the backdoor. Adi hoped Noor had gone to her room. But no she was really in the kitchen and guzzling down glass after glass of water like she was dousing the huge volcano that Arshad had activated inside her.

But there was no way now Zoya could placate Noor in Arshad's presence. Adi wondered if the moron ever understood he was always in the way.

Adi also wanted to douse the red in his own head. It had never occurred to him that the word Zosh was a mix of Zoya and Yash. He just thought it was a clever touch to Josh. Adi picked a bottle of water, walked to a window and glared at the lawns.

Just then Zoya saw Ameena Aunty in the front lawns and rushed to a window and called out. Zoya was afraid she would never be able to say the speech she had prepared if she kept delaying it.

Zoya: (shouted) Ameee....

Adi who was standing next to just that window and drinking water from an upturned bottle, startled and inhaled too much water and started sputtering and coughing.

Zoya knew he could not be choking but it looked exactly like that to her and she could not bear his discomfort. She snatched the bottle out of his hands and put it on a nearby table. She repeatedly hit Adi's upper back with a flat palm between his shoulder blades. She kept looking up at his face to see if he was okay. He was still sputtering. She next thumped him between his shoulder blades with the flat side of her fist few times.

Zoya: (beginning to panic) Noor get that stool.

Noor hastily dragged the cook's high stool with her foot to where Adi stood. Zoya forced Adi down on it. She forced Adi's head back to look up, supported the back of his head on her right hand and hit his upper chest with her left palm 2-3 times and then slipped her hand under his shirt and rubbed his upper chest vigorously till he resumed breathing normally.

Adi lowered his head and mumbled he was alright trying to push her away. But Zoya kept her hand on the back of his head, passed her fingers through his locks, clutched them and gently pulled them back to give his head a slight backward tilt. She continued lightly patting and rubbing his chest alternately; more gently like calming down a child.

Arshad: Zoya! (false laugh) It's only a little water. (mocking trying to hide his frustration) Aditya can't you even drink water without creating a scene.

Zoya was completely unaware of what happened next but the other 3 people could have sworn to it.

{
But their thoughts some hours later were not as confident...
Adi wondered if it was simply his overactive wishful imagination.
Zoya denied and brushed it aside when Noor mentioned it in passing.
Arshad forgot it happened and he was the only one who had the best full unhindered view to the whole act..
}

Zoya's fingers released the clutched locks. Her hand slipped further on through Adi's thick silky fluffy locks and stopped around the side of Adi's head. Her other hand stopped the patting and rubbing and pressed down her palm on his chest and her palm moved a little up angled towards his right shoulder. Both her arms almost pulled Adi towards her bosom; like protecting him from some evil entity. Also there was this subtle warning in her eyes which seemed to simply say "Back off". She was only short of snarling and glaring at Arshad.

Noor was the first to unfreeze. Zoya had her back to the windows. Arshad was staring at Zoya and Aditya. Noor was behind Aditya at an angle to the windows and saw Ameena Aunty waving and pointing to Arshad.

Noor: Arshad. I think Ameena Aunty is calling you. Seems urgent.

Arshad turned to the windows and then left in a hurry.

Zoya: (resumed rubbing Adi's chest again, bent her head to his level) Are you alright?

Adi: (little stunned, mumbled) Yes. Sorry. Thank you.

Adi was now a little breathless but not because of the water he had inhaled.

Noor: Appi. You were calling Ameena Aunty just before Aditya choked. She is leaving with Arshad to their rooms. You need to hurr...

Zoya: (came to her senses, straightened up, snatched her hands off Aditya, stepped back) I... (disoriented) I will talk to Ameena Aunty later.

Adi: (to himself) Oh! That lady's name is Ameena!

Adi had been shocked that Zoya had already taken to addressing Arshad's mom as Ammi. He was so startled by the idea that he had inhaled deeply and choked on his drink.

Arshad was right. He should have been embarrassed; also with all her smothering mothering but... he... he felt... he felt special.

It didn't matter what she did; laugh or fight or whatever... silly wise or fun... he always felt special... he either felt she cared for him above all... he always came first... Or he felt she was a different Zoya with him... A special reckless Zoya who revealed her true nature to no one but him...

Except when she rejected him! He didn't feel special then...

Adi looked up and saw Zoya still furtively checking on him under the pretence of sipping a glass of water whose water level was not changing much.

Adi so wanted to pull her into his lap and to bump her foolish head with his and reassure her that he was fine. It was just a little water after all.

Adi: (told Noor) I am perfectly fine now. Nothing to worry. Thanks to new PeetoMaaro maneuver by budding doctor Zoya Siddi...

Zoya left her glass at the sink and walked out.