Etched In soul

The End

I cried writing this. Maybe nothing great but I did.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! You people kissed!!!" Misha said all excited.
Aditya tried hard but couldnt control the blush on his face.
"Oh my God! Look at you Adi bhaiya.. you are acting like a teenager. How was it?"
"Wet." He replied with a wink.
"Did you people get intimate after that?"
"No."
"No?"
"Because everything changed after that night." He said in a serious tone.

Aditya woke up next morning with a smile. The kiss last night was something that shall forever be remembered. He looked around but couldnt find Zoya.
"Zoya?" He called out. He got up to look around only to find Zoya standing by the window looking outside. He gently placed his hands on her shoulders. The very next moment he found himself in a tight embrace.

Zoya held him tight. She was crying. He knew she had been crying for long. "Is she regretting what happened yesterday?" Aditya's heart sank. One thing he was clear about after last night was that he loved Zoya. Somewhere he felt she did too but right now it seemed he was wrong.

He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "What happened baby?" She looked away.
"Zoya? Is it about last night. See if you are regretting it.."
He was interrupted by her, "No. No I dont..its just that.." she spoke with difficulty.
"Zoya see.. if you feel it was just loss of control or weak moment, it was not. I did it willingly. I did it because..."
"Dont say it Aditya. Please." She said pleading.
"Because I love you Zoya. I love you so damn much. I dont know how it happened, I never thought it would but it did. Its ok Zoya if you dont feel the same for me.. I just want you to know I am there." He said gently carressing her cheeks with his thumb.

Zoya closes her eyes and tears trickled down her cheeks.
"You really shouldnt have said that Aditya." She said.
"Why?"
"Because I wont be able to stay."
"Its ok if you dont love me.. I will not bother you Zoya but please dont leave." Aditya's eyes were brimming with tears.
"No Aditya. I love you. That is the problem. I love you so damn much when I am not allowed to." She said.
"But why Zoya?" Aditya was choking.
"Because our worlds are different. I am not real Aditya."
"What do you mean?"
"Only you can see me."
For a moment, Aditya's heart froze.
"What do you mean ?" He said pulling his hands back.
"You know that."

All the moments with Zoya flashed before his eyes. The first day they met at the graveyard. The different aura around her. The questionable look on people's faces in the bus. All of it.
"No. It cant be? What are you a ghost?" He asked. He really couldnt understand what was happening around. He closed his eyes. Maybe his mind was playing the trick.
"No. I am not a ghost Aditya. I am a feeling. I am a lost soul who doesnt know the difference between whats real and whats not."
It was all too much to take in for him.

"So what? You are here to help me like they do in movies and stories or to kill me?" He wasnt sure what he was speaking. Well nothing was normal anymore.
"No Aditya. I was not here to help you. You attracted me. It was you who was seeking me. I could never have been seen otherwise. All these years.. nobody has ever seen me."
"What do you mean?"
"Aditya. I have no answers. It took me a while myself to figure out what was happening. We only see such stuffs in movies but when I first found out.. I didnt know how to react. Gradually I just accepted it. I dont know why and how but that day you saw me. You talked to me. I know this was my only chance to set myself free from the torment of being alone. I wanted to be friends with you. Honestly I wanted to use you but Aditya. I fell in love with you. I dont want to go now. I dont."

"Shh! Dont cry baby. " he said cupping her face again unable to see her crying.
"Just tell me everything."
"I know Aditya. None of it makes sense but.."
"You are the only thing sensible in my life. Just tell me." He smiled.
"I loved Yash. I did. But that one day something was off about him. I could sense something was wrong and I was right. I had gone out for shopping probably thinking that it was all ok. Maybe he was stressed. So I thought of pleasing him. I thought of cooking something special for him. As soon as I entered the house, I heard some voices. It was him and there was a female voice. I followed it and I saw it Aditya.I saw my world falling apart in front of my eyes. He was there kissing that woman. I didnt know what to do. I was crying. I just barged in. Yash asked the woman to leave. I asked him Why? He had no answers. He was quite. I didnt even realise but the next moment he strangulated me. I was choking and begged him but he wanted to end me. I saw that rage in his eyes. I fell unconcious. He thought I was dead. I wasnt. He pulled me through the stairs and put my body in the car. Perhaps he was planning to bury me alive. He went inside again to bring something. I dont know what happened maybe divine vengeance but the house burnt. I know sounds stupid but he died."