Sidharth was waiting for Sana outside the police station, holding little Aadhya in his arm.

"Aadhya.. baby.. see there.. that's a crow!! It says Kaa.. Kaa.. say Kaa..", Sidharth baby talks with Aadhya animatedly pointing at a crow sitting on the tree.

"Mumm-aaa..", squeaks Aadhya. He turns towards the station entrance to see if Sana had returned but there was no one.

"You only love to say Mumma.. don't you? I know your mumma is very kind and beautiful. I know you are fond of her, I am too. But when will you call me Papa? Say Pa..Pa..", He requests her with a cute pout.

"Mumm-aaa..", Aadhya says yet again.

"Hmm.. good try but it still sounded like mumma.. say Papa.. Paa..Paa..", he requests yet again sweetly.

"Mumm-aaa.. Mumm-aaa..", Aadhya called yet again

"Okay, I'll pretend you called me Papa.. Thank you baby..", he said with a sad pout.

"Mumm-aaa..", Aadhya starts crying but this time looking into a different direction with eagerness while throwing her hands and kicking her legs in the air.

"Aadhya.. Aa... (he looks into the direction) Sanaa?", He widens his eyes in shock to find Sana walking absent mindedly towards the busy road just outside the police station gate.

"Sanaaa..", he screams running towards her. The car in front of her pulls a screeching brake just inches away from hitting her. There was a loud honk which broke Sana's thought and froze in her trail as she looked petrified at the car.

"Are you planning to get me arrested, lady?", Yelled the driver by lowering his window glass.

"Sanaaa..", Sidharth pulled Sana to the side and hugged her.

"You are alright?", Asked Sidharth inspecting her while Aadhya cried trying to reach her mother from Sidharth's one arm towards the other which hugged her. A stream of tears rushed through her eyes looking at Sidharth. His eyes welled up as he gulped the lump of painful emotion which choked his throat while his hands continuously rubbed her back to caress her.

"Is she alright?", Asked the driver who came towards them and saw her crying bitterly. Sidharth nodded his head not able to speak.

"Sorry..", the only word that came out in the form of a whisper from his lips.

"Take care..", the driver nodded and left.

Sidharth gently took Sana to the car parked inside the police station vicinity and made her sit. He sat beside her hugging Aadhya and her. The driver drove them home while Sana sulked all the way. He chewed on his lips holding back his tears as he saw her cry bitterly like a little kid who had just lost her parents. Indeed, she was separated from her mother once again after reuniting with her briefly after a decade. This time for a lifetime as her mother would serve lifetime imprisonment for a murder.

Sidharth was familiar with the agony having faced it himself earlier. Once when he lost his birth mother to illness and again when he lost his adopted parents to a dreadful accident. Their fates were so similar that they have been losing everyone in their lives. She had lost her siblings at a young age, her unborn babies and now her mother.

Reaching home, she curled up on the bed. Sidharth placed sleeping Aadhya into the crib and gently kissed her forehead before walking towards Sana. He sat beside her and caressed her head gently. Her tired eyelids closed causing her to sleep.

Having heard her soft snore, he tried to disburse to his room but she held his hand firmly. When he looked at her, she nodded no with a gentle pull. After many months, they finally fell asleep again into each other's embrace with absolutely no words uttered.

.
.
.

Aadhya's cry startled Sidharth from his sleep. He woke to find himself alone in the bed. A surge of panic ran into his nerves, when he glanced at the entire room. Sana was nowhere in sight. He got up quickly and picked up crying Aadhya and moved around the house scanning to find Sana.

The more area he covered, the more anxious he became. He heard a cooker whistle and ran to the kitchen. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth when he got a glimpse of her.

"Mumm-aaa", smiled Aadhya.

Sana turned around to look at them with the most beautiful smile.

"Awww.. My baby is here. Are you hungly? Tell me? Huh? Are you hungly?", Sana tickled Aadhya's tummy making her giggle while Sidharth smiled gazing at her happy self.

Just yesterday evening she had gone to sleep crying in his embrace and now it looks like she had made a pact with her pain. Enough of sorrows, now I am not going to let her cry, he thought.

"What are you looking at papa?", Sana baby talked looking at Sidharth. He nodded his head to say nothing.

"Did you brush your teeth papa?", Sana continued to baby talk with him and he shook his head in denial still staring at her.

"Ohhh.. that's really bad! Because mumma is not going to give food if you don't brush. No brush - no food.. right Aadhya?", Sana spoke animatedly in front of Aadhya making her giggle and jump in joy in Sidharth's arm.

"Mum-num-mum-num..brrrrrrr", Aadhya talked gibberish and blew raspberries at her.

"You heard that? She said mum-num-mum-num.. means no brush - no food.. brrrrr", Sana imitated and decoded to Sidharth pointing at Aadhya.

"Yes, I heard that but she never said no brush no food..", he said.

"Really? So what did my little princess say?", Sana asked picking up Aadhya in her arm.

"She said mum means mumma, num means beautiful, mum means mumma, numbrrrrr means (pecks Sana's lip) kiss her..", he interpreted and left her stunned. Sana experienced butterflies in her stomach on just a quick peck. Even though he flew the place immediately, she blushed very hard and wanted to hide her face somewhere even from little Aadhya.

With the pleasant feeling of being loved by the man she loved, she finished her cooking and fed some healthy mashed vegetables to Aadhya. Sidharth returned to the dinning after finishing his morning tasks.

Finding his gaze over her while she served food, she found it hard to stop blushing. She sat infront of him with her eyes glued to her plate.

"Mum-num-mum-num brrrrr..", Aadhya blabbered while she played with her toys sitting on the mat near the dinning table. Sana's spoon dropped hearing the same gibberish talk. She looked up at Sidharth and found him staring at her.

"I.. I.. left.. something.. on the st..stove unattended..", she fumbled, her heart beating bizzare. Running back to the kitchen she sighed and took a few deep breaths to calm her heart. When she turned around to go back, she found him standing at the kitchen door observing her.

"S..S..Sidharth?", she gasped and put her head down.

He took a few steps to cover the distance between them.

"I am sorry. I kissed you, without your consent earlier.", He said.

"Huh?", She looked at him stunned.

"I had told you that I will wait for you forever even though I love you. I acted on impulse and I am guilty for making you uncomfortable around me after that kiss. I am really sorry Sana. I won't repeat such mistake again.", He said. She nodded her head in no.

"Please come and finish your food.", He said and turned to go back to the dining hall. She quickly grabbed his wrist making him turn.

"Sidharth, It wasn't discomfort. I was just feeling shy. I.. I.. (pauses) You don't have to wait forever now. I won't let my mother's sacrifice go wasted Sidharth. She wants me to be happy and my happiness lies with you. Will.. will you marry me?", She asked looking into his eyes.

"I will..", he said with a smile. She hugged him with welled up eyes.

"I can't see you crying Annapurna.. please don't cry..", he said putting his arms around her.

"I won't.. I love you Kullu..", she confessed in his embrace.

"I love you too..", he smiled cupping her in both his hands.

"May I?", He asked leaning his face closer to her face and she nodded closing her eyes. Kissing her lips delicately they accepted love for each other.

"Paa-paa..", came a voice from behind taking Sidharth by surprise.

"Sanaaa.. She called me Papa..", he exclaimed excitedly holding both her arms. Sana nodded her head with a bright smile.

He ran and pick Aadhya up.

"You were waiting for your mumma's approval, weren't you? Alas! I don't have to pretend that you called me Papa when actually you say mumma..", he spoke to her joyfully.

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Next is epilogue.. stay tuned.. ❤️❤️