" Oh! Whom do we have here?" Rishabh asked getting up from his seat.

Rishabh came and stood infront of Aman who is looking at him and Aadhya.

" Hi, I am Rishabh." He said kneeling down to Aman's level making Aadhya smile.

" Hi, I am Aman." Aman said.

Rishabh smiled at Aman who was studying him from top to bottom scrutinizing him.

" What's your age?" Rishabh asked him smiling.

" Five." Aman replied.

" Oh! So in which grade are you now?" Rishabh asked genuinely interested in knowing about him.

" I am in first grade now." Aman said.

" Ok, so do you wanna do something while we do work?" He asked him and he nodded his head in yes.

" I will make him sit on my desk and come back." Aadhya said and left taking Aman with her.

He looked at them through glass.

She made Aman sit on her chair and adjusted the chair so that he can reach the desk. She took out some books, pencils and some snacks. She kept them on the table and told him something kissing his forehead.

She came back into his cabin after making sure Aman was okay.

Aadhya knows that Rishabh has many questions but she didn't let him ask anything and straight away started her work without looking at him.

Rishabh observed Aadhya who started working and he doesn't know whether he should ask about her private life. He looked at her who is looking at Aman through glass from now and then. Even though she is sitting in front of him, her whole concentration was on the boy sitting outside.

He also looked at Aman who was drawing something in his book and smiled. Looking at him reminded him of his own childhood and thought that things were easy being a child.

" He is so adorable." Rishabh said smiling towards Aman.

" Yeah he is." Aadhya also smiled looking at Aman.

" If you don't mind may I know who is he?" Rishabh asked her.

" My son." She said making him shock.

" Your son?" He asked and she nodded her head in yes.

"But I saw your status as single in your file that day." He said frowning at her.

He feared internally about what he had to hear.

" I am single only sir.....I am not married." She said looking at him blankly.

" But you have a son!" He exclaimed.

" To have a son, one doesn't need to get married." She said frowning at him.

" What the hell do you mean?" He asked gritting his teeth.

She thought about what she said and realised how did that sound actually.

" No! It came out wrong." She said immediately.

" I mean I am his mother and he is my son but I am not married....." She blabbered.

" Aadhya, can you please tell me your actual relationship with Aman?" Rishabh asked slowly gritting his teeth.

" Yes." She said looking at him wide eyed.

" What is it?" He asked.

" He is my son." She said.

" Are you married?" He asked.

" No." She replied.

" Then how you became his mother without getting married?" He tried to ask patiently.

" As I said earlier, marriage is not necessary......" He groaned loudly making her stop.

" What?" She asked perplexed.

" Ok.....I will try for one last time." He said sighing and she nodded her head.

" How Aman is your son?" He asked after thinking for sometime.

" I adopted him." She said making him sigh loudly.

He was happy for extracting the answer from her and was very much happy to know that she is single for the reason he doesn't know

" You adopted him? Why?" He asked her.

She looked uncomfortable at this question.

" He is my brother's son." She said not knowing how to say.

" Then where is he?" Rishabh frowned.

" He....." She paused gulping the lump formed in her throat.

" He is not here. I adopted Aman so that I can take care of him as a parent rather than a legal guardian." She said and her face looked like she is in pain.

Rishabh didn't ask anything further and increase her pain more. He was impressed by her maturity and good heart.

" It's a surprise how a person like you can handle a kid." He said smirking trying to shift her mood and it worked.

" What do you mean by a person like me?" She asked glaring at him.

" You know what I mean....." He said hiding his smile.

" No, I don't know.....please enlighten me Sir." She said crossing her arms.

" Mumma....." They heard Aman's voice.

" Hey! Champ, Come inside." Rishabh said while Aman walked inside from the door.

" What happened?" She asked him who whispered something in her ear. She nodded in understanding and got up to leave.

" Where are you two going?" Rishabh asked them.

" Aman needs to go to the restroom." She said.

" You can use mine." Rishabh offered.

" No sir, it's okay." She said and turned to leave.

" I said you can use my restroom." He said again.

" No sir thank you." She said.

" But......" He tried to say.

" Oh god! Mumma! It's urgent!" Aman exclaimed impatiently.

" See go now." Saying this Rishabh opened the door of the restroom.

Aman ran inside without waiting for her making her sigh and Rishabh laugh. She waited for him outside and Rishabh was keenly watching her. When Aman came outside, she adjusted his dress and asked him if he was hungry.

" No mumma." He said and they both went to the door to leave.

" Where are you going?" Rishabh asked.

" I will make him sit outside and come back." She said.

" No need for that, he will sit with us only." Rishabh said.

" But we have work to do." She said.

" Yes but still he will be with us only." Saying this Rishabh walked to Aman and lifted him in his arms.

Aadhya looked at him surprised while Aman yelped and laughed in surprise.

"So, come on champ, we will bring your things." Rishabh said taking Aman outside and brought back his things.

Rishabh made Aman sit on the couch and sprawled all his things on it.

" Thank you Rishabh." Aman said making Rishabh smile.

" Aman, you should not call elders by their names. Say sorry." Aadhya said seriously.

" Sorry." Aman said pouting.

" Hey, we are buddies....you can call me anything." Rishabh said making him smile.

" So what should I call you?" Aman asked cutely.

" Anything you like buddy." Rishabh said.

" That's what I will call you....buddy!" Aman said excited.

" Ok, from now onwards I am your buddy and you are my champ." Rishabh said and they both hi fived each other making Aadhya smile.

She was surprised as it's hard for Aman to interact with strangers and that's why he doesn't have any friends except for one. But today she saw Aman is letting in Rishabh in the first meeting itself and wondered what might be the reason.

She sat there watching them talking about video games and some cartoon shows. At that time she realised the reason of him being so quiet and reserved that Aman was missing a figure in his life who can play with him, talk with him and who can protect him.

All these days, she just spent trying to be a good mother to him but she never thought that a child needs a father too. Today she realised that Aman is missing his father more than anyone or anything.

She remembered how her brother used to spend time with Aman, play with him, talk with him and play pranks together on Aman's mother. They both used to be like a team and always used to stick with each other.

Tears escaped from her eyes thinking about her family and looked at Aman who was laughing at Rishabh who lost a game with Aman. She decided that she would try to be a father's figure also in his life but she was scared of the result.

Whatever might be the result, She decided that she will try to understand him more from a father point of view too from now onwards so that Aman doesn't feel incomplete in his life.

" Hey, where are you lost?" Rishabh asked her snapping his fingers at her.

" Nothing.....I think you should work on the project now." She said seriously.

" Okay Madam." Rishabh bowed to her making Aman laugh and her annoy.

" Aman, come you should eat something." She said clearing the mess he made on the couch.

" But mumma, I am not hungry." He said pouting.

" You are not at all eating nowadays.... yesterday night also you skipped your meal, you will fall sick and we should go to the doctor again." She said crossing her arms.

" No mumma, no doctor." Aman said quickly.

" Then you should eat." She said and he nodded.

She kissed his forehead and took her handbag.

" We will just be back Sir." She said looking at Rishabh.

" Am I not a human?" He asked making her frown.

" What?" She asked.

" I am a human, I am hungry too and I should also eat right?" He asked and she just looked at him blankly.

He took Aman's hand from her hand and walked out taking Aman with him. She sighed and walked out to see both were running in the corridor like kids.

Ofcourse Aman is a kid but Rishabh?

" Shall we leave?" She asked them who stopped and looked at her nodding their heads.

She took Aman's hand and walked out of the lift while Rishabh stopped looking at his hand.

" What happened?" She asked him.

" Who will hold my hand?" He pouted.

" No one." She said flatly and turned to front.

" I will hold your hand buddy." Saying this Aman held his hand.

Aadhya looked surprised at Rishabh as to how he is making Aman open up so much.

Aman held both their hands in each one of his hand and three of them walked towards the restaurant which is just beside their office. To anyone looking at them will think that they are a happy family but only God knows how many struggles each one of them are facing daily.

They ordered and Rishabh started eating while Aadhya was feeding Aman with her hands making Rishabh just stare at them. He observed her who made Aman eat completely while she didn't even eat half of it.

They went back to the office and started doing their work. They discussed about loopholes and profits about the company and prepared a presentation according to it.

" Aadhya, Aman slept." Rishabh whispered.

She looked towards Aman who was sleeping between all the mess he created and made him sleep comfortably clearing all the mess.

" I am so sorry, he created a lot of mess in your office." She said and started cleaning.

" Where is the mess?" He frowned and she pointed out all the books, pencils, water colours sprawled on the couch and on the floor.

" Oh, you call this a mess? Then you should see how much mess I make in my room." He said chuckling and she smiled shaking her head.

She cleaned everything and got back to her work.

" For today it's enough, you both should leave....Aman looks so tired." Rishabh said and she nodded her head.

She picked Aman in her arms and made him sleep on her shoulder carefully.

" Sir, can you please give me those bags?" She asked and he looked at them.

He came and stood in front of her. He took Aman from her and carried him outside while she followed him taking their bags.

" It's okay Sir, I can manage." She tried to say on their way but he didn't listen.

They reached her car and Rishabh made Aman sleep in the back seat.

" Thank you Sir." She said.

" Oh! It's nothing. What do I do gym for?" He said flexing his muscles.

" No I am saying thank you for today. Aman needed this. He needed a change of environment and today I realised how much more I can do for him. He usually doesn't talk to strangers and doesn't open up soon but he was different today with you. I am very much happy to see him like this after many days. Thank you." She said and smiled at him.

There's her rare smile which makes him speechless everytime and her eyes reminds him of something he couldn't pinpoint.

" It's okay.....I am happy to meet such an adorable kid too." Rishabh said.

She nodded and got into her car. She drove away leaving him to many thoughts.

What must have happened in their lives because of which they are in this situation today?

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To be Continued..........

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Stay Tuned........