VII

♪♫ Pal do pal,

Ki hi kyu hai zindagi

Iss pyar ko hai,

Sadiyan kaafi nahi

To khuda se maang lu,

Mohalat mai ik nayi

Rehna hai bas yahan,

Abb dur tujhse jaana nahi

Jo tu mera humdard hai

Jo tu mera humdard hai

Suhana har dard hai,

Jo tu mera humdard hai...♪♫

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"Hey!"

"Hi!" Rivaah said turning away from the kitchen counter. "She slept?"

"Yep. She was out the second her head touched the pillow." Armaan said with a soft smile.

She smiled at him. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"I want to dance." Was his instant reply.

"What?" she laughed.

"Come on, let's dance." He played soft music on his phone before taking her hand.

"We are in the kitchen."

They swayed to the music. "I know."

"It's late."

"I know that too."

She gave in, leaned her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes. Living in the moment.

"I had fun today." She smiled as she felt him pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Sia had fun too."

He hummed. "She looked happy."

"She was happy." She leaned back to look at him. "Because of you."

He grinned. "I'm glad to hear that."

She giggled as he spun her twice before pulling her back into his arms. They danced like that for some time till the music stopped indicating its end and another song started playing.

"Sia isn't my daughter." Rivaah blurted out.

Armaan's steps faltered and they stopped as he asked baffled, "What?"

"I mean she is my daughter but I didn't give birth to her."

She could see the confusion on his face and sighed. She took him to the living room and sat down with him.

"I adopted her five years ago. She was a few months old."

"But you said that her father wasn't in the picture like you knew him."

"I did. I don't have a family Armaan, except Sia. She's my brother's daughter." She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself so she wouldn't shed any tears. "Five years ago, my parents, brother, and his wife were coming back from a friend's wedding when their car got into an accident. Before someone could take them out, the car caught fire and they all died. I stayed back at home to look after Sia. After the accident, the first thing I did was adopt her so no one would get any chance to separate her from me. She was my only family and I was hers. I couldn't digest the fact that maybe someday the authorities or maybe someone would come and take her from me. Adopting her was the best option I could come up with."

"Adopting a child is a long process. It takes years. How did you manage all of that?"

"Have you heard about AR Groups?"

"Yes."

"My brother started it but after his demise, the company fell into my hands which somewhat gave me enough power and authority to adopt Sia without much difficulty."

Armaan was silent and she couldn't raise her eyes to look at him. She was afraid that he wouldn't understand her—that he would too leave her.

She felt too strong arms coming around her as she was pulled toward him. She raised her head only to see assurance in his eyes along with an emotion she couldn't decipher.

"You're strong Rivaah. And don't worry, nothing would happen to you or Sia and no one would separate you from her, I promise."

Those were the words she had yearned to listen since five years and now, that she had heard them, she couldn't stop the tears that left her eyes.

He held her the whole time, saying sweet nothings in her ears.

She loved the feeling, the assurance that she wasn't alone, that she has someone to rely on.

⪡⨳⪢

"Sia, don't run!" Rivaah shook her head when she saw Sia running inside the house without a care.

It's been three months since she told Armaan about Sia and everything was still the same. He still adored her and Sia still loved him. She sometimes thinks that Sia might love him more than her.

Today was some fundraiser, where Armaan asked her to go with. She had got the invite too, but no one knows the face of AR groups and she wants to keep it that way as long as possible.

Armaan told her that they could either take Sia with them or she can have a slumber party with his brothers. Sia obviously chose the latter.

Rivaah entered the mansion to see Sia sitting between two men and giggling at something they said. They looked up and grinned at her.

One of them immediately sprang up, skipped toward her, and hugged her as if they were long-lost friends.

"It's so good to finally meet you." he released her from the hug. "I'm Viaan and I've heard so much about you and you're so beautiful and Sia is beyond adorable and—"

"And you are rambling." The other man stated from behind.

"I'm Veer." He came forward and engulfed her in a loose hug. "It's good to meet you. We finally get to put a face to your name. Bhai talks highly of you."

"Armaan talks about me?"

"All the time!" both of them answered at the same time before chuckling.

"What's happening?" she heard Armaan's voice.

He was descending the stairs with a hand in his pocket. He had donned a navy three-piece suit with some maroon detailing which matched her saree pretty well.

"Armaan Uncle!" Sia exclaimed before running into his arms. Both of them grinned at each other.

"Hello, sweetheart! How are you this fine day?" he asked affectionately.

"I'm good. You look pretty." She answered.

Both his brothers snickered but stopped when they saw him narrowing his eyes at them. He turned his attention back to Sia. "You mean handsome?"

"Oops!" Sia giggled. "Yes, yes, handsome. You look handsome."

"Thank you, Sia. You look adorable as always."

Rivaah saw Sia shying away and blushing at the compliment.

"Are these two annoying you?" Armaan asked after he came near her.

"No. We were just talking."

"About what?"

"About how you never stop talking about her and Sia," Viaan interjected with a mischievous grin spreading on his face.

"Do you want me to throw away your video games?" Armaan asked threateningly and she saw Viaan's face crumbling in pure horror at which Veer chuckled.

The bond between the brothers was so wholesome that she couldn't help but smile at them.

"Shall we?" Armaan asked.

"Yes." She answered and turned to Sia. "Don't trouble them, okay?"

"I won't." was Sia's answer.

"Don't worry about her. We will take good care of her." Veer assured her.

"Yes! We're gonna have a movie marathon and play video games then we're gonna bake pizza and have some ice cream. We have the whole evening planned. Don't worry." Viaan said and Rivaah grinned at how excited he was.

Soon, they left for the event.