"Zevah, please listen to me for once. I know how I put it was wrong but I swear my intentions are only good. You think I'm pitying you but I just want to protect you." Aditya sighed as they sat in his car which was parked outside the orphanage.

Zevah kept looking out of the window because she still wasn't convinced. Aditya sighed and held her hand which was lying on her lap.

"Zevah, I like you very much. I don't know if I would ever be able to make you understand what I feel for you in words but I can't see you in pain. And I certainly can't see you with anyone else." His jaw clenched at the thought of her marrying any other man.

Zevah looked at him and her gaze softened. She gave his hand a squeeze which made him turn his head.

"Aditya, I─I like you as well. But do you think that only liking is necessary for a relationship to work? What if some years down the line, we cannot take each other's presence anymore or what if we realise that we are not made for each other. What then?" She was worried for many things and now that they were talking it out, she was going to address all of her problems.

For Aditya, he was long gone when he heard the first line itself. She liked him back? Fuck! Was he dreaming or she really just confessed to him?

"Aditya, are you listening." She was annoyed seeing the stupid grin on his face. Here she way discussing some serious issues with him and he was grinning like a fool.

"What did you say?" He asked not able to believe it. He felt like a was daydreaming and needed to hear it again.

"Are you listening?" She repeated dumbly and he shook his head.

"No, before that?" He was getting impatient and she was growing irritated.

"Aditya, whaa ─" She stopped abruptly realising what he was aiming at and her cheeks warmed instantly. She looked away trying to hide her blush but he was not having it as he titled his head to look at her face.

"Zevah?" Aditya whispered and she shut her eyes and bit her lip, feeling shy all of a sudden.

"Zevah, please!" He whined this time not able to take her silence. She was seriously testing his patience when it was already running low.

Zevah was smiling to herself and hearing his desperate tone, she wanted to tease him some more. So composing herself and hiding her smile she looked at him with a serious face.

"What is it, Aditya? I was just saying that you liking me isn't enough for a marriage to work." She said without any traces of humor on her face.

Aditya stared at her face for long and could only blink in response. Is that what she said? Then why did he hear her say that?

Zevah wanted to laugh at the lost look on his face but controlled herself.

"But I heard something else." He grumbled and she raised her eyes at him.

"Forget it." He twisted his lips and frowned at the road ahead. She smiled and shook her head before chuckling to herself.

"Aditya," She called him but he refused to look at her still frowning. She tried again, tapping his shoulder but he just shrugged her off.

"Fine, if you're going to stay this way, I'm going." She huffed and went to open the car but Aditya quickly put the child's lock, shocking her.

"What the hell?" She snapped and glared at him as he stubbornly stared ahead. She sighed and rolled her eyes at his behaviour.

"Ugh. You're so childish. Fine, okay. I like you. Do you hear me now? I. Like. You." She confessed and slowly a grin formed on his face.

Finally, like finally she said it. Aditya turned his head and grinned like a cheshire cat. So now they could gladly discuss about the other problems which seemed too trivial to him.

────────

Something was off.

Srishti had this feeling when she got up in the morning today. Sahil had already left when she was up and although that was normal, she just had this feeling that something was terribly wrong today.

Not able to figure out what, she just brushed the feeling off and started her day. It was eight thirty in the morning and Ayaansh was asleep for which she was thankful.

She quickly did all her morning chores, knowing she wouldn't be able to do anything once Ayaansh was up.

It was past ten, when Ayaansh was up and calling for her mother. If anything he needed when he first woke up, then it was his mother's warmth. He would like to cling onto her and she loved it as well.

"My baby is up. Come here." She picked him up and his hands immediately went around her neck as he rested his head on her shoulder. She smiled hugging him dearly for another ten minutes.

"Now lets get you cleaned up." She twirled around with his causing him to giggle.

After giving him a bubble bath, cleaning his teeth and dressing him up, she made him eat some mashed bananas along with his milk.

"Mumma," Ayaansh called her as she sat on her favourite place, reading her book while he played with his toys. She looked at him and smiled as he showed her the phone in his hands.

He pressed it on his ear but because the phone was heavy it slipped from his hand and fell on the ground. He picked it up again and did the same thing, this time holding it tightly.

"Daa.. Daa.. Daa" He repeated and Srishti gasped. Although he wasn't saying the proper word but it surely meant he wanted to talk to his Dadda.

"Does Ayaansh want to talk to Dadda? Shall Mumma call him?" Srishti crouched down before him as she asked him and he grinned looking up at her.

She forwarded her palm and Ayaansh looked at the phone in his hand as if inspecting it before he kept it on her palm. She smiled and ruffled his hair.

"My good baby." She smiled and sat down beside him as she dialed Sahil's number. He answered on the fourth ring and she sighed.

"What?" His tone was cold and she frowned immediately. What had gotten into him all of a sudden? Knowing if she said something now, they were going to argue and then her mood would be ruined. So she pressed the phone on Ayaansh's ear who seemed completely uninterested now.

"Ayaansh say Dadda." She whispered but Ayaansh wasn't having it. He continued to play with his toy making her sigh helplessly.

"Hello?" Sahil spoke again and it got Ayaansh's attention much to Srishti's relief. He squealed clutching the phone in his hand but Srishti still kept holding it.

"Ayaansh? How is my buddy doing?" She heard him ask and made a face because he seemed to be normal only with his son, no matter what.

"Daa.. Daa.. Daa.. Daa" Ayaansh flapped his hands and then there was complete silence from the other end. Did he hang up?

She tried to look at the screen but Ayaansh wouldn't let her as he let out a whine. She sighed and tried to hear again but there was nothing. Yup, he hung up.

Almost twenty minutes later, she heard the sound of keys and hurried footsteps approaching. What? Who was here now? And who had the keys to this place besides Sahil?

The door opened and Sahil walked in or more like dashed inside. She gaped at him with her eyes wide and mouth hung open. Wha─How?

Ayaansh clapped his hands excitedly watching hid father and jumped on his place.

"Sahil, what? What are you doing here? You were at work then how?" She was flabbergasted but Sahil was solely focused on his son.

It was then she noticed that he was a little out of breath and his eyes were only trained on Ayaansh. Her eyes nearly popped out realising what was going on.

"Did you just leave your work and come here because he called you DaaDaa?" She asked in disbelief but he still chose to ignore her as he walked towards Ayaansh and picked him up.

She scowled at him as he ignored her but soon the scowl was replaced with a smile as she watched him hugging Ayaansh and relaxing. Ayaansh did the same as he rested his head on his Dadda's shoulder.

Srishti immediately took her phone and started recording it not wanting to miss the moment.

"Dadda." It was just a soft whisper but enough for Srishti to slap a hand on her mouth as she watched him freezing. She was so glad she was recording this.

Sahil couldn't seem to describe what that mere whisper made him feel. He couldn't fathom how he could express his emotions as he didn't want to pull away from his son who seemed pretty comfortable in his arms.

He wanted to hear it again but didn't want to ask for it. So he waited and he wasn't disappointed because Ayaansh pulled away from the hug and smiled at him before he scratched his beard and spoke,

"Dadda." He giggled and a full blown smile broke out on his face as he gazed at his innocent son. What a blessing he's been.

Srishti blinked back her tears and put away her phone before she smiled and moved out of the room. She walked in the kitchen lost in her thoughts.

What was really bothering him? Why did he seem so aloof and cold today?

"Srishti," She turned around and found the father-son duo there.

"I'm ordering ice-cream. Which flavour do you want?" He asked and before she knew it the answer was out of her mouth.

"Chocolate" He nodded and fished out his phone and she observed him this time. He was always calm and composed when with Ayaansh but then today why did he still look disturbed?

"Sahil," She called out just as he was about to leave.

"What's wrong?" She questioned and he tensed, his face devoid of any emotions.

"It's nothing." He replied tersely and she scoffed. Like she would believe him.

"Seriously, Sahil. What's wrong? You seem too disturbed today. Is something wrong?" She pestered again and his jaw clenched before her looked straight in her eyes.

"It's my parents death anniversary today."

She froze.

What?

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