Solace In Love ✅

Episode 7

Shehnaaz gets a call and she speaks over the phone. She disconnects it. Her face looked dull and worried. Aadya shakes her by holding her elbow with both her hands. Shehnaaz looks at her.

Aadya: Mumma, when will we reach? I am bored.

Shehnaaz: Me too. What do we do now? Hmmm..

Shehnaaz makes a cute pout and taps her index finger on her temple, giving Aadya the thinking gesture. Aadya too copies her gesture. A slight smile escaped Sidharth's lips looking at their cute antics.

She takes out a packet of colourful gems chocolate from her hand bag.

Shehnaaz: Okay! Do you want to eat this?

Sidharth looks at her confused, thinking how can eating gems kill the boredom of the toddler. Aadya nods yes.

Shehnaaz: But you won't get it so easily. Will play a game. You close your eyes and I pick a gems in my hand. I give you the hint of the colour and you guess the colour. If you guess it correct you eat the gems else I will eat it. No cheating. Okay?

Aadya nods. Sidharth smiles as Aadya closes her eyes with her tiny hands. Shehnaaz picks up a gems and hides in her palm.

Shehnaaz: I am the colour of sky and the mighty sea. Guess what colour am I?

Aadya looks outside the window guessing, Sidharth points at his t-shirt and prompts silently. Aadya looks at him.

Aadya: Blue!!

Shehnaaz: Very good Aadya!

She puts the gem in Aadya's mouth and Aadya celebrates clapping. Shehnaaz picks another one.

Shehnaaz: I am the colour of mud and the colour of dry leaves. What colour I am?

Aadya: Hmmm.. Gree...(she stops looking at Sidharth)

Sidharth shook his head from Shehnaaz's back and prompts Brown. Aadya looked at him in confusion. Shehnaaz observes him from the corner of her eyes.

Aadya: Blac...

Sidharth nods no and again prompts Brown. Aadya looks at him clueless. He looks around to show her the colour but he couldn't find anything. He keeps prompting Brown.

Aadya: Brow..

Sidharth nods yes and Shehnaaz turns and puts the gems in his mouth when he opens his mouth saying Brown again. He closes his mouth and gives her the look of being busted. He looks at Aadya who frowned at him and at Shehnaaz who frowned at him as well. Sidharth held both his ears to say sorry.

Shehnaaz: What are you doing? I am teaching her the reasoning process. You thought I won't know that you were prompting, huh? Why did you prompt her? (Placed her hands on her hips)

He found her cutest and had a slight smile but the smile vanished when she stared into his eyes frowning. Those almond shaped eyes gave him a chilly shiver down his whole body. He hadn't observed any girl from so close after Gunjan's death. He lowered his eyes and looked at her pink lips which intensified the effect. He immediately looked up at her eyes.

Sidharth: I am sorry. (puppy face) But, you are giving her difficult clues. If you say dry leaf, how can she guess? Looks like you only want to eat those gems.

Shehnaaz: Really? You think you can do it better? Okay, here you go. You do it. (She hands over the packet)

Sidharth gulps and takes the packet. Both Shehnaaz and Aadya place their hands on their eyes. Sidharth picks up the gems.

Sidharth: Okay!! Colour of baby!

They both look at him.

Aadya: White?

Shehnaaz: (Narrows her eyes) Wow!! What a simple clue for a 3 year old!! (Sarcastically) Which baby huh?

Sidharth: Okay!! Wait!! Hmmm... Colour of your mom's.. I mean colour of lips!

Shehnaaz's eyes looked at his lips. For the first time in her life she was lost looking at a man calmly from so close. All other men who came close, had an intention to loot her and all her attention went to escape or fight them rather than observing without sensing any probable threat to her modesty.

Aadya: Pink!!

Shehnaaz returned back from her trance.

What's wrong with you Shehnaaz? How can you be so close to a stranger, that too a man? Ultimately, all men are same, remember?

But he is Aadya's dad. He hasn't misbehaved with me. We've been sitting next to each other for 8 hours now. I fell over him but still he didn't for once touch me inappropriately.

But why are you saying all this about him? He is just another man. Do you intend to tell Aadya's secret to him?

No. I am just waiting for the journey to get over so that I don't have to sit with a guilt of stealing his daughter from him.

Shut up!! You haven't stolen her. Her grandmother wanted to throw her into an orphanage without telling him.

Right! But you still don't know if even he would have disowned her. You can give him a benefit of doubt. He looks broke. It unfair to judge him without knowing his story.

Hmmm.. He needs a chance! Am I ready to take another risk? What if he is just another vulture? Are you ready to run again to save your and Aadya's life?

Since when did you started to think and act Shehnaaz? You have faced the situations as and when it arrived. Let's take a risk. Remember the call you got just few minutes back? Do something!!

Sidharth: Hey, Aren't you guessing the colours? Look your daughter is winning. The packet is almost over.

Shehnaaz: Hmmm..

She pulls out the packet from his hand and keeps it in the bag. He realises that he was a stranger and must have gone overboard to invade their privacy. He sits straight and looks out of the window. It was getting dark.

Why am I getting so involved in their life? When I got into the bus I was completely a different person. Initial 4 hours of silence and boredom with life and then the aura these two brought. They brought out my earlier self. I got into silly fights with her, made a superhero stunt to save the little girl, earned a slap and didn't react, shaved my beard and got ready for them, smiled and laughed after a long time.

Too much happiness and adventure in these 8 hours. But another 2 hours and I will be back alone, broke and on road.

Why am I feeling so sad about this? Why am I getting so much attached with these two strangers? Why?

He feels something touching his biceps. He looks at it. It was a box having rolls wrapped in silver foil.

Shehnaaz: Take it!

Sidharth: (nods) No please. You two have it.

Shehnaaz: We have more than what we need. Please have it.

Sidharth looks into her magical eyes again and picks up a roll and starts eating. She helps Aadya to eat in between her bites.

Shehnaaz: So, another two hours and we will reach our destination. Where would you go?

Sidharth: (shrugs) I don't know. I was on streets from the place I left, I'll continue to be on the streets where I go.

Shehnaaz: Why? Can't you afford to stay in a guest house or hotel until you get a job?

Sidharth: An incident which took place 3 years back left me broke and bankrupt. I didn't have money to travel as well but someone left me alm while I slept on the streets.

Shehnaaz had a vague idea about the incident he was speaking about. She had never got love in her life so it was difficult for her to believe that somebody's love could break you completely. She wondered what love was like and how it felt.

Shehnaaz: Can I ask you something?

Sidharth: Sure, go on!

Shehnaaz: Will you be Aadya's father?

Sidharth was shocked, his hands and mouth froze midway.

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To be continued... ❤️❤️