Shubman shut his eyes briefly, exhaling deeply before walking over to the couch. He plopped himself down, his posture tense, and intertwined his fingers, bracing himself for the serious conversation ahead. 

Poonam Bagga hesitated for a moment, nervously licking her lips. Her eyes shifted to Pashmina, who was still cradling the baby, and she spoke softly, "Umm, what’s your name?"

"Pashmina, aunty," she replied gently, her voice calm as she continued to cradle the baby, trying to keep him soothed. 

Poonam offered a hesitant smile before glancing nervously at Shubman. Clearing her throat, she said softly, "Pashmina, can you take Aryaman outside for a while? We don’t want him to get startled again." 

Pashmina looked at the baby nestled in her arms, his little fingers still clutching her kurti. She gave a small nod and whispered, "Sure," before turning toward the door, hoping to keep the baby calm and away from the tense atmosphere.

Pashmina, swaying little Aryaman gently in her arms, walked into the backyard. Her voice softened into a playful tone as she spoke to the baby, using a sweet, soothing baby voice to keep him entertained. Aryaman's little fingers curled around a lock of her hair, his eyes slowly brightening at her attention. 

From inside, Poonam Bagga watched through the window, a small smile tugging at her lips. Seeing Aryaman receiving such tender care eased some of the tension in her heart. For a brief moment, her worries seemed to fade as she took comfort in the love and kindness being shown to her child.

As Pashmina stepped outside into the warm sunlight, she looked down at Aryaman and smiled. "It’s a little cold inside, isn’t it, Aryaman? Let’s get some warmth out here," she said in a cheerful tone, swaying him gently as she walked further into the backyard. The baby cooed softly, his little fingers grasping at the sunlight streaming around them, seeming to enjoy the change in atmosphere.

Pashmina cradled Aryaman closer as they wandered into the sunny backyard. She looked down at his curious little face and chuckled softly. 

"Well, well, Aryaman," she said in a playful sing-song tone. "Look at you, little sunshine! Are you enjoying the warm sun? Hmm? Oh yes, you are!" 

Aryaman blinked up at her, his tiny lips forming a pout. 

"Oh, what’s that face for? Hmm? Are you upset? No, no, no," she cooed, tapping his nose gently. "You’re my happy boy, aren’t you? Yes, you are! Such a handsome little man!" 

The baby let out a soft gurgle, his hands reaching up to her face. 

"Ah, trying to grab my nose, huh? What is it, Aryaman? Do you think I’ve got a funny nose?" she teased, giggling as his tiny fingers curled around a strand of her hair. "Oh no, mister, my hair isn’t for pulling! You cheeky monkey!" 

Aryaman giggled softly, and Pashmina’s heart melted as she continued to sway him gently under the warm sunlight. "There’s my happy boy! See, I knew the sun would cheer you up."

Pashmina sat down on a bench in the backyard, gently bouncing Aryaman on her lap. She looked into his wide, curious eyes and smiled, her voice soft and soothing. 

"You know, Aryaman," she began, brushing a lock of hair from his tiny forehead, "your uncle Shubman is a bit grumpy today, isn’t he? But don’t you worry about that." She leaned in closer, her tone light and playful. "He’s not like that, not really. He’s just... upset about some big grown-up stuff. But deep down, he’s a good guy, I promise." 

Aryaman blinked at her, then let out a tiny coo, his hands reaching for her fingers. 

"See? You agree with me, don’t you?" she chuckled, letting his little hand grasp her thumb. "He just needs a bit of time to calm down, like we all do. Maybe we’ll even get him to smile later—what do you think about that?" 

The baby gurgled, his lips forming a small pout, and Pashmina laughed softly. "Oh, don’t give me that face. I know it’s hard to believe right now, but you’ll see. He’ll come around. And until then, we’ll just ignore all that grumpiness, okay? It’s just noise, Aryaman." 

She kissed his forehead lightly, rocking him in her arms. "Because you, little one, deserve nothing but smiles and love."

As Pashmina continued to speak softly to Aryaman, assuring him that everything would be okay, the baby suddenly let out a delighted giggle. His little hands reached up quickly, and before Pashmina could react, he planted a series of tiny kisses on her cheek, his lips pressing against her skin in the most adorable way.

Pashmina gasped, her heart melting at the unexpected display of affection. "Oh, Aryaman!" she exclaimed, her voice full of joy. "Are you giving me kisses because you like the idea of love?"

The baby giggled again, his little mouth pressing more kisses against her cheek, as if trying to show just how happy he was to hear that love was coming his way. Pashmina laughed, her cheeks warm from the baby’s tender attack. "You’re too sweet, little one," she whispered, rubbing her cheek against his soft head.

The baby cooed, seemingly satisfied with his tiny, joyful attack, and settled back in her arms, still smiling, as Pashmina held him close under the warm sun.

"I love you so much, Aryaman, even though we’ve only just met."

The baby blinked up at her with wide, innocent eyes, as if understanding every word. He let out a soft giggle, his tiny hands reaching up to grab a strand of her hair, pulling it gently as if to return the affection in his own baby way.

Pashmina smiled, her voice tender. "You're so precious, little one. I can already tell that you're going to be a big part of our family."

As Pashmina was about to say more, her words caught in her throat when she heard Shahneel's strained voice calling from inside. "Pashmina! Come, they’re leaving!"

"Cominggg!" she sing-songed with a smile, unaware of the strain in the voice calling her. She hoped to make Aryaman laugh, and her playful tone seemed to do the trick. The baby’s eyes lit up, and he let out a soft giggle, his tiny hands reaching up as if responding to her cheerful demeanor.

Pashmina chuckled, holding him close. "Looks like you like that, don’t you, little one?" she murmured before turning back toward the house, swaying gently with the baby in her arms as she headed inside.

As Pashmina walked inside, she immediately felt the change in the atmosphere—the warmth from the backyard was replaced by a cold, tense silence. Ranjeet and Poonam Bagga stood near the door, their faces stained with tears. Without saying a word, Poonam took Aryaman from Pashmina’s arms and held him close as she prepared to leave. 

Before they walked out, Poonam looked back at Shubman, her face a mix of sadness and frustration. "Think about it, Shubman. Please," she said softly, almost pleading. 

Shubman didn’t answer, his face a mixture of anger and sadness. He just stared ahead, not looking at her. 

Ranjeet gently placed a hand on Poonam’s shoulder and pulled her away. "Leave him, Poonam. We’ve done our part," he said quietly, leading her out the door. 

Pashmina pouted, her lips forming a small, sad curve just like Aryaman’s. Both of them felt the sadness, unable to say goodbye properly. However, as she looked up, her pout slowly turned into a frown. She saw Shubman storming upstairs, his expression dark and full of frustration. The others—Papa Gill, Mama Gill, and Shahneel—stood by, their faces showing concern as they watched Shubman’s stormy mood.

"I will check up on him," Pashmina said, to which the three of them nodded, their expressions still full of concern. Without another word, Pashmina quickly ran upstairs, determined to talk to Shubman and find out what was troubling him.

As Pashmina walked into the room, Shubman turned towards her, his hands flailing in frustration. He kept repeating the same thing over and over, his voice shaky and full of emotion. "I can't do it... I can't do it," he said, his words heavy with inner turmoil.

"Shubman, Shubman, what are you talking about?" Pashmina asked, her voice filled with concern as she stepped closer, trying to hold him still.

Shubman paced back and forth, his breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. He stopped for a moment, eyes wide with panic, and turned to Pashmina.

"I can't do it, Pashmina! I just... I can't!" he exclaimed, his hands shaking as he gestured wildly."

Pashmina took a careful step forward, reaching out to gently grab his arm. "Shubman, calm down, please. What do you mean? What’s going on?" she asked softly, trying to anchor him with her presence.

“They want me to adopt Aryaman,” Shubman cried, his voice breaking. “I’m too young, Pashmina. I don’t know if I can do it.”

Pashmina's confusion deepened as she tried to understand the situation. “But who are they? Whose kid is it, and why do they want you to adopt him?” she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

Shubman, trembling with emotion, dug his nails into his palm, as if trying to hold himself together. He turned away, unable to meet her eyes. “Aryaman is Avantika’s son... and she’s no more,” he said quietly.