They both walk to the market while Shehnaaz carried Aadya. Though his height was quiet bigger than hers, he took smaller steps to ensure that they walk together.

Shehnaaz asks Sidharth to buy kerosene for the stove while she shopped for vegetables. She goes to the vegetable vendor who sat on the street with heaps of vegetable spread on the tarpaulin sheet.

She held Aadya's hand and bent down sorting fresh and good tomatoes after bargaining with the vendor. A random guy ogled at her from distance who was leaning unto an electric pole. He spit the matchstick which he had been biting between his teeth and approached her.

Shehnaaz: Bhaiyya, what's the cost of these potatoes?

She bent again to pick potatoes, the man spread out his hand as he approached to spank her base when suddenly his hand was held by Sidharth and twisted towards his back while he held his shoulder with another.

The man shrieked in pain and Shehnaaz turned to look into the direction.

Sidharth: Abbey machchar! (Bloody Leech).  Your hands must be too itchy. Let me help you by amputating it totally.

Man: Oh help, leave me.. it hurts..

He tightened his grip more on his hand.

Aadhya: Papa!! papa!! (Aadya clapped)

Man: Bro, I wasn't aware that she is your wife, else I wouldn't have tried touching her. Please sister, save me.. stop him..

Sidharth: If she wasn't my wife you would have touched? Are all girls your father's property that can touch them any way you desire?

Shehnaaz didn't say a word but inturn she enjoyed the way Sidharth was teaching lesson to the loafer.

Vegetable Vendor: Bhabhiji (sister-in-law), please stop your husband. I understand that person is a loafer but the cops would arrest your husband as well for enquiry.

Shehnaaz pondered upon his words. Though she wanted the loafer to be punished, she was worried about Sidharth.

The man was now pleading him out of pain and promising him that he will never ever repeat such thing in his life.

Shehnaaz: Aadya's papa, please leave him now. He must have learnt his lesson already.

Sidharth anger was such that he couldn't hear her. Besides the man was also shrieking loudly in pain.

She went and hugged him by both his arms and pulled him back asking him to leave the man, Sidharth left him and the loafer ran for his life.

Shehnaaz was still pulling him back.

Sidharth: Shehnaaz, he is gone. You can leave me. I won't run behind him.

She left him and ran to hold Aadya. They both bought vegetables. They bought some other necessities as well before then started back to home.

Shehnaaz: Thank you Aadya's papa.

Sidharth: For what?

Shehnaaz: For protecting me from being touched inappropriately by that loafer and for teaching him a proper lesson.

Sidharth: Isn't that every man's responsibility? I feel sad when a lady has to thank a man for protecting her because where it should be an unwritten rule that every man should make a girl around him feel secured, they themselves make them feel unsecured either by harming them or by being a silent spectator when they are harmed. I feel women themself should also put up fight against such bullies rather than silently going through the torture or waiting for someone else to come and protect them. Why did you stop me?

Shehnaaz: So that the police doesn't punish you for punishing that loafer. I have absolutely no sympathy for such filthy man. I have been fighting my battles alone all this year. It's just that today the man tried touching me from behind. If I were aware, I myself would have torn him up into pieces.

Sidharth: (looked at her) You are brave and amazing! I had never given a thought about single parenting. But now looking at you, I understand that it's definitely takes much more courage and efforts.

Shehnaaz: I appreciate your ideology and thinking. Till today I have only met men who were full of filth and I hated men for that. You are the first person who showed me another side of the man.

Sidharth: Thank you! (He smiles)

Shehnaaz smiles.
I never thought that I will praise a man in my life but he is so different from all other men I saw in my life. I don't know why but I think I am liking him. I feel great when he is around. I feel like a normal woman and I find myself smiling in his company.

They reach home with all their bags full of groceries and essentials.

Sidharth was having an unknown happiness.
Even though I am just acting as Aadya's fake father, I feel as if I am a real part of the family. After a long time I have started smiling. Smiling in their company. Buying groceries, filling water, caring for a woman and a child, I feel like a family man again.

All the responsibilities I ran away from after Gunjan left me, I am following it now ardently. Though this life is much lower in living standards than the one I lived earlier, the struggles I went through in between these two phases makes my current life most valuable and priceless.

Shehnaaz: Aadya's papa, can you look after Aadya and play with her until I finish cooking?

Sidharth: (smilingly) Seriously? I hope you aren't joking me!

Shehnaaz: I'm serious! Do you have any problem?

Sidharth: Never! It's just that you asked me to stay away from her yesterday hence I confirmed.

Shehnaaz: I know! I am sorry but my life experiences have thought me to not trust any man. I hate men but you are one person I found different from the lot. The one who changed my perspective but that doesn't mean I will trust every other men.

Sidharth: I am glad and honoured that I could win your trust. I won't break it for sure.

Shehnaaz: I know you won't, that's why I trust you. Here, take my phone and this as well.

Sidharth: Sim card?

Shehnaaz: Yes, I hardly use the phone. You can use this new phone number on your resume and then when you have your own phone you can return me my phone.

Sidharth looked at her going inside the kitchen.

He was dumbfounded at her nature of going out of the way to help him. She was not rich in terms of money but she was rich from heart. She was not giving from what extra she had but she was sharing whatever she had for herself with a complete stranger who she just met yesterday.

Aadya: Papa take this milk and drink it. (Handing him an empty small plastic cup)

Sidharth smiled at her. He felt elated everytime she called him Papa and her cute pretend play was a cherry on top.

Sidharth: Oh wow!! My cute bachcha got me milk. Thank you baby.

Aadya: Drink it on count of 10. One.. Two.. Three.. Pour.. Piev..

He pretended to sip from the cup.

Aadya: Shix, Sheven, Ate, Nine, Ten

Sidharth wiped his mouth and pretended to burp.

Sidharth: There.. I drank it all..

Aadya: Good boy!!

Sidharth: Did you add sugar in it? It was too sweet!

Aadya: No, eating sugar shpoils teeth.. (she shows her little teeth)

Sidharth: Oohh!! But you eat chocolates..

Aadya: Sugar is bad.. chocolate is good..

Sidharth: Ooohh.. okay! I didn't know that..

Aadya: Aadya knows evelything.. Papa knows nothing..

Sidharth makes a sad pout.

Aadya: Itsh okay.. I'll teach you..

Sidharth's happiness had no boundaries when Aadya hugged him by his neck with her little hands. He hugged her back very delicately. Finally he was getting the love which he had dreamt 3 years back. Love of a daughter.

Aadya: I'll make roti and culli for you. Okay?

Sidharth: Okay.. I need lots of them cause I am very very hungry.

Aadya runs away and starts playing with her toys. Sidharth smiles and changes the SIM card and turns on the phone. He finds a wallpaper of Shehnaaz and tiny baby Aadya in it. Shehnaaz had long hair and looked very beautiful.

He kept gazing and adoring the two beauties on the screen. He scrolled through the gallery and looked at the pictures. Most of the captures were of Aadya's childhood memories. He remembered Gunjan talking about capturing their babies every moment.

Shehnaaz's transformation was heartbreaking as he found her turning slimer from a chubby girl and the girl with beautiful hair turning into a tom boy. He even guessed the reason behind her transformation.

He created a resume and applied for few jobs online.

Though I applied for the job, I am afraid of being successful in getting one. I remember Shehnaaz saying that I can stay with them until I land a job. What if she asks me to leave after I get a job? I.. I don't want to go away from them ever.

________________________
To be continued.. ❤️❤️