III

♪♫ Yaara teri yaad aati hai,

Jaan meri jaan jati hai

Tanhaiyon mein rehta hoon,

Khudse hi aksar yeh kehta hoon

Kyun tune dil toda,

Kyun tune yun chhoda,

Kyun tera ab bhi rahe dil ko intezaar

Kyun chali aati hai,

Kyun tadpati hai,

Kyun hoon ab bhi main yun bekaraar...♪♫

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Rivaah had a distressed few days.

Everything was going smoothly and then out of nowhere, Sia fell ill. She was fine one moment and the next she got a high fever.

It happened the day she had to turn in the second draft of her book. She had rushed Sia to a friend's clinic. Her car also broke down when she was coming back after getting Sia's medicines which led to her taking a cab and informing Neha to send someone to pick up her car. Her car still hadn't come from the mechanic.

Sia was feeling better today. She had come to the clinic to take Sia's blood test report when the rain started. Till the time she was done, it was raining cats and dogs. She half-speed walked and half-ran toward the nearest bus stop. She couldn't book a cab as the city had been alerted about the rainstorm this evening but she had come out thinking she would come back home before it started.

Clearly, she was wrong.

She had been standing at the bus stop for around ten minutes when a familiar black SUV pulled in front of her. She knew who was in the car before the window was rolled down. Armaan peered at her from inside the car.

"Rivaah! Get inside." She hesitated because she didn't want to bother him. "Come on, the rainstorm is starting and you wouldn't find any bus or cab at this point. I'll drop you."

She knew he was right so without any more thought she got inside and he started driving toward her building. She could feel him looking at her from time to time and knew that he had questions but she kept quiet.

Not many people know about Sia and she didn't tell anyone either until asked. She wasn't ashamed of anything—especially not Sia—but she didn't want anyone to disdain or disrespect her daughter.

Thankfully, they reached her building safely. She hesitated to get down as she was a little worried about Armaan getting home safely. The storm had already started and she knew he would have been at his home by now if he hadn't come to drop her off.

Armaan seemed to understand her hesitation as he gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine."

She nodded and got down. She went inside the building and saw him drive away from the window.

She went to the top floor—to her home. She walked inside the living room to see Sia sleeping on the sofa while Lion King was playing on the TV. She shook her head, turned the TV off, and tucked Sia in her bed before going to her room to get changed into something comfortable. She decided to wake Sia up after the dinner was ready.

⪡⨳⪢

It had been only ten minutes since Rivaah came back home when the doorbell rang.

No one comes to her home so she was quite surprised but opened the door nonetheless only to be greeted by Armaan.

"You are soaked! What happened?"

"A tree had fallen down due to the storm, blocking the path so I couldn't go home and my phone was also dead. I'm sorry, I don't mean to impose but coming here was the only option left for me."

Sia was sleeping in her room and even if by any chance he saw and questioned her, she knew she could be honest with him. As much as she knew Armaan, he wouldn't judge her or Sia.

She was about to tell him that it was okay but he didn't let her. "I only need to make a phone call then I'll be on my way, please."

She had to suppress her smile looking at his pleading eyes. "Come inside."

"Please jus-" he cut himself off. "What?"

"You assumed the worst of me, Mr. Shekhawat." She teased to relax him. "Come 'on in!"

He gave a grateful smile before walking inside. She fetched her phone from her room, gave it to him, and went to get him some water.

She saw him ending the call when she went back to the living room to hand him the glass of water and took the phone from him as he thanked her.

"I have informed my brothers about the situation. Now, I'll take your leave. Thanks once again and I apologize for the inconvenience."

"It's alright, really!"

He gave a nod and turned to leave but she stopped him and surprised both of them.

"Where would you go?"

"I'll find a hotel or something to stay the night."

"But-" she was cut off by a low voice behind her.

"Mumma?"

She saw as Armaan stiffened and thought that maybe she had misread him—maybe he would judge her and Sia.

She turned to her daughter and almost gushed at how cute she looked rubbing her eye sleepily. "Yes, baccha? (baby) Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes. I'm hungry."

She smiled. "What do you wanna eat?"

Sia thought for a second before answering. "Can we have pasta, please?"

"Sure." She looked at Armaan over her shoulder and then again turned to her daughter. "Sia, baccha why don't you go and play with Snuggle until the dinner gets ready?"

"Okay." Sia grinned, wide awake now, running back to her room.

"She is your daughter." It wasn't a question but she still gave him an answer.

"Yes."

"You're married?"

"No." her answer was curt and short as she waited for him to start judging her. To her surprise, it didn't happen. She saw an emotion in his eyes which felt a lot like relief but she couldn't be sure as it vanished immediately.

Armaan gave a nod and again turned to leave. She contemplated everything and finally came to a conclusion.

"You can stay." She said before she could change her mind.

He froze in his track and turned slowly. "What?"

"You can stay here for the night. The storm is getting worse every passing minute and you wouldn't find a place to stay anywhere near." She felt his hesitation so she added, "The offer ends in 2 minutes. Think wisely."

"What about your family? Wouldn't they object?"

"Sia wouldn't object as long as you play with her for some time." She didn't give anything else.

"I don't want to bother you."

"I wouldn't have offered if it was a bother for me. You have 30 seconds left. Hurry up!"

He hesitated but shivered ever so slightly and gave a nod after a few seconds.

"Alright then, come!"

She walked deeper into the living room and stopped before the guest room. "You can freshen up, till then I'll get some clothes for you to change into."

He went inside silently. She went to her room and found a set of a sweatshirt and pants which she had bought for her brother years ago but couldn't give him. She smiled looking at them, her eyes glistened but she shook her head—it wasn't the time to get emotional.

"Mumma?" she heard Sia and turned to her daughter.

"Yes, baby?"

"Can I ask you something?" Sia was nervous, she could tell.

"Yes, of course." She crouched down to match Sia's height.

"That uncle, is going to live here now?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You were eavesdropping?"

"No!" Sia answered a little too immediately, her eyes widened at the mistake so she added with a sigh. "Maybe a little."

Rivaah smiled at her daughter.

Drama queen.

"It's bad manners, baccha."

"I know, I'm sorry, Mumma. It won't happen again, promise." Sia bounced on her feet, looking at the floor, ready for a scolding.

"Okay, and to answer your question, he is only staying for the night because of the storm. He'll leave tomorrow."

"Will he play with me?" Sia looked expectantly.

"I don't know, you should ask him yourself."

"Okay."

Sia was ready to run off when she stopped her and gave her the clothes. "Give these to uncle. He's in the guest room. I'm going to prepare dinner now, okay?"

Sia nodded and took off.

⪡⨳⪢

Rivaah was in the kitchen, preparing the sauce for pasta when she heard laughter—Sia's laughter to be specific. She hadn't laughed for a few days as she was ill.

A few minutes later, Armaan stepped into the kitchen with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Sia is watching TV in the living room." He offered as a greeting and continued after she gave a nod, "Can I help you with something?"

She looked at him for a second then back at the pan. "You know how to cook?"

"Yes, I do." He stepped closer and took the spoon from her hand. "You do something else, I'll take over here."

She gave him a look but let him be and went to take out the dishes from the cupboard for the serving.

"Sia, come here! Dinner is ready." She said after placing the plates on the kitchen counter.

Sia came running and sat on one of the stools placed before the kitchen counter.

Armaan sat next to Sia after Rivaah gestured him to do so and she sat across from them.

Dinner went uneventful after which Sia dragged Armaan to the sofa to watch Frozen II. Rivaah nearly chuckled at how concentrated and invested they were in the movie. They sat near each other with Sia snuggled into his side with his arm around her almost protectively. She smiled before sitting on the other side of Sia and started watching the movie with them.

The credits started rolling on the screen when she saw Sia deep into a slumber, her head on Armaan's lap as he caressed her head unconsciously.

She wordlessly picked up Sia to tuck her into the bed. When she came back, Armaan was still sitting on the sofa, deep in thought.

She went into the kitchen to take water when she felt his eyes on her. She came back and sat on the sofa.

"You want to say something?"

He hesitated but then asked bluntly. "Where is Sia's father?"

Sia's father—it brought back bitter-sweet memories but she was quick to shake them off. "He is not in the picture."

"Yes, I figured that much. Sia is a great kid, so my question is why?"

"He is no more, that's why!" she snapped.