Solace In Love ✅

Episode 13

Shehnaaz pulls out the documents required for Aadya's school admission. Sidharth finds her tensed.

Sidharth: What happened Shehnaaz?

Shehnaaz: I have all the necessary documents of mine and Aadya but will need your documents as well. Do you have your Aadhaar card?

Sidharth: Yes, I do.

Shehnaaz: But the surnames would be different. She goes by my surname.

Sidharth: I don't think that would cause any problem. I had a client who had his mother's surname.

Shehnaaz: We need an individual photos of us and a family photo. We can show our rental agreement for the proof of residence. Also we need to get photocopies of everything.

They go to the photo studio and get their individual passport size photo clicked. They then sit together and get a family photo clicked.

Sidharth: Shehnaaz, I will get the photocopies of the documents. You just wait here with Aadya until he gets the photos printed.

Shehnaaz nods and gives him the folder along with money. Sidharth goes to the photocopier and carefully gives one document at a time to the person so as to not lose any document.  He looks at Aadya's birth certificate and gets shocked.

Aadya's date of birth is the same date when Gunjan passed away. Oh my God! How can there be so many co-incidences? The hospital is also the same. It means when Shehnaaz gave birth to Aadya, Gunjan and I were in the same hospital at that moment. If at all my child would have been alive today, it would have been of the same age as Aadya.

Huh? Shehnaaz said she was 19 year old but as per her documents, she is 22 year old. There is no father's name on the birth certificate. Who is the father of Aadya?

So much ambiguity. It's turning out to be rising more curiosity within me to know about these two. It would be wrong to ask her questions about her life when I am nowhere related to her.

He pays the vendor and cross-checks all the originals and photocopies before leaving. He goes to the studio and finds Shehnaaz sitting and gazing at the family photo in her hand lost in her thoughts.

This looks so surreal. We look like a real family. Aadya does look like her papa. She is part of him and his family. Infact, I am the only misfit and not belonging in this photo.

I am feeling guilty every second, of hiding the true identity of Aadya to him. I am scared of telling the truth because if I tell the truth, he will not only take her away from me but will hate me and leave me as well.

I understand the fear of losing Aadya but why does my heart aches to think that he would hate me and leave me? Is it possible for us to stay like this forever?

Sidharth goes and stands behind her and looks at the picture.

Sidharth: Shehnaaz, that is such a beautiful picture. How many copies do we have of it?

Shehnaaz: (Comes back from her trance, turns and looks up at him) Huh? I didn't realise your presence. Under the package, he gave us 6 copies of Family picture and 18 each of individual pictures.

Sidharth: Can I have one copy of all for myself?

Shehnaaz nods yes. She picks out 1 family photo and gives it to him. She pulls out 1 passport picture of Aadya and hands it to him. She gives the entire pack of 18 photos of him as well.

She looks at her individual picture not knowing whether he meant to say her individual picture as well when he said copy of all. She thinks why would he want her photo.