Zaroorat

Chapter 5

Arjun's message took Zoya's breath away. She couldn't believe it was happening again. Aditya was leaving again. This time she had to stop him. She had to do something now.

She picked up her bag and ran out the office and drove straight to the airport. This time he she wouldn't let him leave.

She parked her car and ran into the airport searching for him again. And once again, like last time she saw him in the distance approaching the departure gates. She was calling out to him,

'Aditya please Aditya! Not again Aditya! What will I do without you? How will I live? Aditya aap hume aise phir se chod kar nahi ja sakte!'

She screamed and screamed and this time he heard her. He turned around to look at her. She was being restrained by airport personnel for breaking into the airport without a ticket. They were trying to drag her away but she kept screaming!

'Aditya! Please come back please! You can't leave again!'

Aditya however exhibited no emotions. His demeanour calm. Passport and ticket in one hand, bag in another, standing a great distance from her he simply looked at her and shook his head.

'You're too late Zoya. Tumne phir se bohat der kar di.' And with that he turned back around and walked towards the departure gate leaving Zoya in tears. The airport personnel let her go because they knew as well as she did, she lost him again. They looked at her with pity, shaking their heads as they walked away.

She sobbed into her hands and when her legs gave way, she crumbled to the ground...

***

Aaaahhh!! Zoya woke up with a fright. She looked around suddenly and then looked down at her phone. She noticed it was 10pm and she was slumped over in her chair. She must have fallen asleep at the office and the horrible visions she saw of Aditya leaving were a nightmare.

But wait, could they be a nightmare? Zoya was clutching her heart, it was beating so fast. She still wasn't sure whether it was real or not. Did Arjun ring her? Did Aditya really leave again? No no! He couldn't have left her behind again.

But then, what if he had...

Zoya needed answers and she needed them now. She grabbed her phone and started dialling Aditya's number frantically. It kept ringing but no one picked up. She tried again and again. But nothing.

Her heart was racing and so she changed tactics. She rang Arjun instead and he picked up immediately.

'Hi Zoya! How are you? How's my favourite sister in law doing?'

Arjun sounded calm, almost jovial. This gave Zoya some relief, but not enough.

'Arjun, Aditya kahan hain? Hum kabse unka phone try kar rahen hai aur woh nahin utha rahen hain.'

Arjun was baffled.

'Zoya I'm not at home. Dad and I are in Bangalore meeting some clients and mum is out of town with her kitty friends. Adi bhai should be at home. I don't think he had any plans...'

Arjun also stopped mid way, fear gripping his chest.

'Why do you sound so nervous Zoya? Did something happen with Bhai?'

After Aditya and Zoya's fight, Adi had come home and told Arjun everything so he was aware of the tension between the two. But Aditya had promised Arjun he wouldn't run away like last time. However after Zoya's call Arjun was no longer certain. His brother could be unpredictable and there was no one at home at the moment. Maybe his loneliness got the best of him? Or maybe this was the opportunity Aditya was waiting for to escape all over again. It would be easy to leave if there was no one around to stop him. Arjun got more and more nervous as these thoughts rushed through his mind but Zoya's rambling brought him back.