On their way home there was an absolute silence between them. Upon reaching home, Shehnaaz went to the kitchen and cried softly as her status was again creating hindrance to Aadya's school admission.
Sidharth went inside to drink water. She wiped her tears immediately but the red colour of her eyes couldn't hide her emotions.
Sidharth: Shehnaaz, are you okay? What happened? Why are you crying?
Shehnaaz couldn't hold her emotions now and she weeps like a little child showing him her vulnerable side for the first time. It was a cry of a helpless mother. He didn't know what to do. He immediately hugged her to console her.
Shehnaaz: (speaks as she cries) I never wanted to give up but today I understood that I am a loser. I failed being a mother. My child gets denial for school admission due to my status.
I hate myself and I feel cursed being a woman.
Sidharth: Shehnaaz, calm down! Calm down! Stop cursing yourself. Will see what we can do. Only with calm mind we can take good decisions.
Shehnaaz was softly sobbing in his embrace. He was slowly patting her to console but deep inside he could feel her pain. He wondered since how long she had been going through this pain. Where is the culprit who gave her the responsibility of a small baby and left her alone to suffer.
She had stopped sobbing but none left each other's embrace. Aadya walks inside and looks at them. She goes near them hugs both of them by their leg with her tiny hands.
They both look down at their little bundle of happiness, Shehnaaz kneels down, so does Sidharth. She hugs Aadya and Sidharth wipes Shehnaaz's tears. She looks into his eyes and he looked into hers for sometime. He ducked closer and kissed her forehead, she shut her eyes. He than hugged them both.
He was so connected with them that he felt, he had been with them since a long long time. They were just a part of him and his past pains hid somewhere when he was with them. Her sorrows felt like his and her happiness brought joy to him.
Shehnaaz was again lost into an alien feeling. His embrace gave her solace and was an escape from the pain. There was a different sensation happening on her forehead from the moment his lips touched them.
They were brought back into the present by Aadya's words.
Aadya: Mumma, I am hungry.
They both released their embrace. Shehnaaz smiled at Aadya and nodded yes! Sidharth picked up Aadya and went outside whereas Shehnaaz washed her face and started cooking food.
As she cooked, she was lost in thoughts alternating between Aadya's school admission and her feelings for Sidharth. On the other hand, Sidharth too was lost in the thoughts to address the problem they were facing.
She served food on plates as they sat together for their lunch. Sidharth held her hand suddenly and Shehnaaz dropped the serving spoon in her hand looking at him.
Sidharth: Shehnaaz, you are bleeding.
He puts her forefinger in his mouth immediately. Shehnaaz felt a current pass through her whole body and the source was his warm mouth.
Shehnaaz: (Fumbled upon every word) Aa.. aa.. Ju.. Just g.. got.. a cu..cu..cut!
He left the finger and pulled her up and dragged her to kitchen.
Sidharth: Just a cut? It's deep and you are bleeding. Stop taking so much tension that you don't even know your external pains.
He placed her hand in water. She looked at him in silence not listening to any of his words.
Sidharth: Shehnaaz, where is the first aid box? (No reply) Shehnaaz.. Shehnaaz..
Shehnaaz: Huh??
Sidharth looks at her is disapproval. He opens up a masala box and pours turmeric on the cut and holds the finger firmly for few minutes. Shehnaaz was still gawking at him helplessly.
Sidharth: There! The blood has stopped. Now if we put a band-aid it will heal slowly. Shehnaaz, let's have food now.
Shehnaaz: (She was back from her lala land) Hmmm.. Thank you!
They go out and find Aadya had almost finished eating food from her plate. They sit to eat food but Sidharth stops Shehnaaz from eating food as she had wound in her hand and they used hand to eat their food (roti/curry).
Sidharth: I know we've packed our bags to shift so until we put a band-aid on the cut, you can't touch spicy or salty food with this hand. Let me feed you.
He breaks a piece of roti and dips it into the curry. Takes it to her mouth and she opens her mouth by gazing at him. Aadya looks at them and laughs. He looks at her and teases her by scrunching his nose and sticking out his tongue.
Aadya: Mumma, are you a little baby?
Shehnaaz looks at her and smiles.
Sidharth: Don't say that Aadya, your mumma gets angry.
Shehnaaz: Mumma never gets angry at Aadya. Isn't it baby?
Sidharth: Oh!! So what's papa's fault that mumma gets angry on him.
Aadya: Mumma loves Aadya. Mumma doesn't like Papa.
Shehnaaz: No baby! Mumma loves both! (She bit her tongue and looked at him) I mean.. aa.. aa.. I mean I like Aadya's papa.. (embarrassed) aa.. aa.. in a positive way!
Sidharth shoves a bigger piece of roti into her mouth to shut her up and get more embarrassed.
.
.
.
Aadya was asleep, Sidharth lied on his mat and Shehnaaz on the bed beside Aadya.
Sidharth: Shehnaaz, tomorrow morning after we shift, I will be going to attend a job interview in the afternoon.
Shehnaaz: Hope you get the job. I need to call my flower vendor tomorrow since I got a place for boutique, I can open it as soon as possible. I was just hoping for Aadya's school admissions since I don't want my savings kept for her fees to get depleted. But..
Sidharth: Shehnaaz, if not this school then will try in another school.
Shehnaaz: It's not about the school Aadya's papa, it's about my fate. My existence seems to be a curse to her. I never knew my decision of single parenting would become a curse for her.
(She stared at an empty wall lost in her thoughts as she spoke aloud what was running in her mind)
I wished for a good life for her because I went through a painful one myself. I was wrong, I dragged her into my painful life. I didn't have an option at that moment. I couldn't let her be thrown in orphanage like me.
The life in orphanage where I wasn't even treated like a human. My morning started at 4 a.m. where there was no alarm but a splash of cold water on the face.
They made me wipe the floor, clean the toilets and prepare the breakfast for everyone. They said I was too beautiful to go for begging on streets so where others were sent to beg, I had to do all the chores indoors.
They made me finish the food if I cooked in excess and kept me hungry if I cooked in shortage. To ensure, I get food to eat, I cooked in excess everytime. So to punish me, they left the food to get stale before I ate it. I would often get stomach ache after eating that stale food but I didn't get any rest. No one cared if I had cuts, burns, bruises.
Once I turned 16, they took me and few others to a place where they auctioned me. I was sold like a vegetable to a rich man. The day I was sold he made me work like slave during the whole day.
I thought, there is no difference, I will continue the same life here but little was I aware what was awaiting for me. Master - is what I was asked to call him. Master's guards dragged me to a room in the evening. They asked me to wear good clothes kept on the table after taking a shower. I obliged to their instruction thinking probably the master wants me to go out.
The master entered the room and shut the door behind. I was terrified when he took of his clothes and pounced on me like a hungry dog and tore my clothes... (She stopped)
Sidharth sat up straight, he was horrified listening to her story. His heart wrenched. He held his head in his hand not knowing what to say to her.
I was so curious to know her story and now that I heard it, it's haunting me. I don't want to touch her to console as I might scare her. Though she stopped, I can imagine the remaining story. That master bastard is reason of Aadya's birth. Shehnaaz chose to raise the child even if it was born out of force. She didn't leave the baby at orphanage because of her bad experience.
Sidharth: I am sorry Shehnaaz. You really had a painful life. I really want you and Aadya to be happy in future. I was sceptical to ask you something. You are very young girl and I am 30 year old but if you are okay then we can get a marriage certificate for real. That's the only way out of this situation since we don't have money to afford a fake one.
I am a widower. I lost my wife to an accident 3 years back. We can say that we registered out marriage now but we were married traditionally long back. Think about this and let me know your thoughts.
Shehnaaz was shocked. She knew she had started developing a feeling for him but she never thought there was anyway to be a part of his life. Now that he proposed for the marriage, she saw a hope. Hope to make all their lives better and not lead a life of lie. But she had her own insecurities.
She looked at him to check if he had already slept but he was awake. Her story didn't allow him to sleep.
Shehnaaz: Aadya's papa, I am sorry, I trapped you in my life problems. I don't want to bind you with any unwanted relationship. You don't have sacrifice your life for us.
Sidharth turned around, sat up straight and looked at her.
Sidharth: My life was a zero before I met you two on that bus. Shehnaaz, I realised it in this 4 days that I've started living my life again with you two. I don't find my life outside this and you are not binding me within an unwanted relationship neither am I showing any sympathy. I genuinely want to be part of this family. My only concern is your approval.
She sat down beside him.
Shehnaaz: I never wanted a man in my life until 4 days back. But past 4 days, you made me feel special. Aadya is also happier, I don't want Aadya to miss out on this. I am happy to accept the offer.
They looked into each other's eyes in that dim lit room. They moved closer and he put his arm around her shoulder. She kept her head on his arm resting their back on the side edge bed. They slept off peacefully with their foreheads attached.
They were each other's solace in pain and they started realising it by each passing day.
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To be continued.. ❤️❤️
Longer chapter with them sharing their stories partly and growing a little more closer. Hope you are liking the story. ☺️