The cool morning breeze was entering my room, gently moving the white curtains. I slowly pulled the comforter off myself and sat quietly for a while, trying to refresh my mind. That's when my eyes fell on the table, where a few papers were lying.

I reached out carefully, picked up the papers, and opened them. The first thing I saw was "Adoption Papers." For a moment, it felt like my heart had stopped beating.

"Is this the moment?" I thought to myself. "The moment when I have to decide whether to accept this new family or not? Why am I even here? Why am I doing this? Should I just run away... or?"

I recalled the day I was about to slit my wrist, the moment Shalini aunty stopped me. She told me how precious life is, how important it is to live. Maybe... maybe I have to accept this now-their love, their effort, all of it.

I turned the pages one by one. After looking at everything, my eyes moved back to the table, where I noticed a pen lying beside the papers. I picked it up slowly. My mind was stuck on one thought: "Can I truly accept them as my new family? Will they ever feel like my own? And what about my dead family... what would they think? Would they approve of this? Would they be happy with my decision?"

Just then, a strong gust of wind blew through the window, shaking it loudly. I glanced outside and saw the sunlight fading into a breezy day. I got up to close the window and saw Shalini aunty in the garden, talking happily with the gardener. She looked so cheerful.

Then my eyes shifted to uncle, who was standing with some people, busy discussing something. At that moment, I realized-this is my world now.

If my relatives had wanted to save me, they would have been here. But they abandoned me a long time ago, leaving me with strangers. These strangers, however, were no longer strangers. They were mine.

I walked back to my bed, picked up the papers, placed them on the side table, and sat on the couch. Clicking the pen open, I brought the papers closer.

As I extended my hand to sign, flashes of the past filled my mind-the accident, the pain, and the loss. But then, I thought of their love. I remembered Shalini aunty's kindness, the way she made me feel so included at the wedding where I felt like I had no place.

Without any more hesitation, I signed the first paper. One after another, I flipped through the pages, signing each one. Finally, I reached the last paper-the last step.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment, and opened them again. Then, I signed it too.

Once I was done, I placed the pen on the table and leaned back into the couch. A strange calmness settled over me, as if I had made one of the most important decisions of my life.

After some time, I got up and opened the door of my room. I could hear Shalini aunty's voice coming from the living area. Slowly, I started walking toward her.

As soon as her eyes fell on me, they shifted to my hands, where I was holding the papers. Her face showed a mix of emotions, almost like she was worried about my decision. What had I decided? What would I say?

I moved closer to her, and she stood there silently, just looking at me. When I reached her, without even thinking, I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. I didn't know why I did it, but it felt so natural.

For a moment, she seemed startled, maybe wondering if I was okay. Then she gently placed her hand on my head and asked softly, "What happened? You didn't like seeing this?"

I shook my head, silently saying "no." Tears streaming down from my face and I said "why are you doing all of this for me ..who am I to you ?? "

She pulled back slightly, placing her hands on my shoulders. With so much love in her eyes, she caressed my cheeks and said, "You might not realize this, but you've become everything to us. You're our world now."

Her voice trembled slightly as she continued, "I had four miscarriages. After the last one, I lost all hope of ever becoming a mother. That's when Karan suggested that we adopt a child. But I wasn't ready... my heart wasn't willing to accept the idea. I never thought that one day such a beautiful girl would walk into our lives and become the light we were so desperately searching for. You've become our moon, our light, our everything. We can't bear the thought of losing you now."

Her words were so heartfelt, filled with love and sincerity. She added, "We don't know what you've decided, but whatever it is, we'll respect it. Whatever you want, we'll accept it."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and for the first time in a long time, I felt truly loved.

By then, Karan uncle also entered the living room. The moment he saw both of us crying, he immediately came closer and asked, "Is everything alright?"

His eyes then fell on the papers in my hands, and his reaction mirrored Shalini aunty's from earlier-concerned and unsure.

I took a small step back and held the papers out to both of them. They carefully took them from me, and as soon as they opened the first page, a huge smile spread across Karan uncle's face, as if he had just received the biggest surprise of his life.

I stood quietly, watching them flip through the pages, their joy so evident that it seemed to radiate through the entire room. They looked like they couldn't believe their eyes, as if their happiness was too overwhelming to contain.

In that moment, I thought of just one thing: These are no ordinary people. They're truly special-so loving and pure. They value me so much, despite me being an orphan.

I couldn't help but feel emotional as I realized, They could have left me in any orphanage without a second thought, but instead, they chose to give me a home and so much love.

Without a moment's hesitation, they pulled me into a tight hug and started showering me with kisses. It felt as if every thought and worry in my mind had suddenly disappeared. I hugged them back, feeling a sense of peace I hadn't known in years.

Just a short while later, Karan uncle took out his phone and made a call. I could hear him say, "Yes, okay, we'll be there by 2 PM."

I looked at him with confusion, and he smiled warmly before explaining, "Beta, we need to go to court at 2 PM. There are a few more papers that need to be signed. Adoption isn't as simple as it seems-sometimes, it takes people years to complete the process. But now that you're my daughter, I'll make sure everything is finalized in a single day."

I stared at him in disbelief, his words echoing in my mind. Daughter? Did he just call me his daughter? Tears started streaming down my face, and I couldn't stop them.

Noticing my reaction, he gently placed his hand on my head and said softly, "Yes, beta, you're our daughter now."

Shalini aunty hugged me tightly, her arms filled with love and warmth, as she started fussing over me. I had never felt this much care and affection before, and in that moment, I knew-I wasn't alone anymore. I finally had a family.

~~~~××××~~~~

After breakfast, I returned to my room and started painting. It was the one thing that calmed my mind and helped me process everything that was happening. Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was around 1:10 PM when Shalini aunty walked into my room.

"Get ready, dear, we need to leave soon," she said with a warm smile. "We're all set; just waiting for you now."

I nodded and put down my brush, taking a deep breath to steady myself. This was the moment that would change my life forever, and I wanted to be ready for it.

At the court, we completed all the formalities, and as we drove back home, Shalini aunty and Karan uncle were happily chatting with each other. I, on the other hand, had put on my earphones and was lost in the world of music. Suddenly, a thought struck me like lightning-Gem, my pet cat. It felt as if the ground had been pulled from under my feet. Where was he? Was he okay?

The last time I had seen him was when I had left him at my relatives' house before the accident. A wave of worry swept over me, and I quickly unplugged my earphones.

"Uncle," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Both Karan uncle and Shalini aunty turned towards me with concerned expressions.

"Yes, beta, what happened? Is everything okay?" Karan uncle asked gently.

"Actually," I began hesitantly, "I have a pet cat... his name is Gem. Before my family's accident, we had left him at my grandmother's house. I don't know if he's okay or not. Can we... can we please bring him back? I really miss him."

Their expressions softened immediately. Karan uncle smiled reassuringly. "Of course, beta. Don't worry about anything. We'll bring him back for you. He's part of your life, and now he's part of ours too."

Shalini aunty added, "We'll go together if you want. Don't worry; we'll find Gem and make sure he's with you again."

Their words comforted me, and for the first time in a while, I felt a glimmer of hope.

Just then, Karan uncle took out his phone and made a call. I listened as he described Gem, giving all the details he could about my pet. His tone was calm and reassuring, as if he was making a promise he fully intended to keep.

After ending the call, he turned to me with a kind smile. "Don't worry, beta," he said softly. "We've made the arrangements. I'll make sure Gem is brought home this week. You won't have to wait too long."

His words brought a wave of relief over me. I managed a small smile and nodded. Knowing that Gem would soon be back with me felt like one piece of my past was finally being restored.

Just then, Shalini aunty received a call. I watched her silently as she answered, nodding along to whatever the person on the other end was saying. After a moment, she turned to Karan uncle and said, "Karan, we need to go to Rishabh's office. Savitri called us. Everyone is in a meeting there, including Ishaan. I had mentioned to her earlier that we were going to the court, and she asked us to stop by Mehra's Associations on the way back since she's free now."

As soon as I heard Ishaan's name, my heart skipped a beat. A strange feeling stirred inside me, but I quickly pushed it aside. I didn't want my thoughts wandering there. Without a word, I put my earphones back in and leaned against the car seat, focusing on the music to calm my mind.

Outside Mehra's Associations -

We stood in front of an enormous building, so tall that I couldn't see its full height even from the car window. As we stepped out, I followed closely behind Karan uncle and Shalini aunty. The grandeur of the place made me feel small, and I kept my gaze mostly down as we walked inside.

A personal assistant greeted us and escorted us to Savitri aunty's cabin. The space we entered looked more like a high-profile meeting room than a regular office. There was a huge table in the center surrounded by multiple chairs.

I quietly stood behind Shalini aunty, peeking out to survey the room. To my relief, there was no one else there-just Savitri aunty. I let out a small sigh of relief, thankful that the room wasn't filled with unfamiliar faces.

After exchanging handshakes and hugs, Savitri aunty gestured for us to sit. I chose a chair opposite hers, keeping my distance as I still felt slightly uneasy. Karan uncle and Shalini aunty deliberately sat two seats away from me, giving me space and making it clear they wanted me to feel comfortable instead of overwhelmed. I appreciated the gesture but still felt a little out of place in the grandeur of the room.

They started talking, and I was still engrossed in my phone, trying to distract myself from the situation. Then, all three of them turned towards the door and said, "Look, Ishaan has arrived."

I didn't immediately look up. My eyes were glued to the screen of my phone, and my body felt frozen, as if everything around me had stopped moving. It was like my mind and body were both hesitant to acknowledge what was happening. Ishaan's presence seemed to bring a sudden shift in the air, but I was too caught up in my own thoughts to react immediately.

He walked in, greeted both of them with a handshake, and without saying anything to me, went straight to the chair opposite me. He looked at me and said, "Hello, Naina," in a loud voice.

I didn't want to look up, but I was forced to, and my body trembled. Slowly, I raised my eyes and smiled at him. He stared at me as if he had never seen me before. His gaze felt intense, and I quickly shifted my eyes away, only to look back at him and say, "Hello."

Savitri aunty, noticing the tension, looked at me and said, "She's so innocent, she gets scared of everyone." Then, she turned to me with a smile and said, "Beta, you're one of us now, why are you so scared?"

I looked at her, trying to process the words "one of us." I didn't think too much and simply nodded, avoiding further conversation, sitting quietly without saying anything more.

Then, Savitri aunty said to Ishaan, "Ishaan, take Naina outside for a bit. She's been sitting quietly for so long. Show her around the office."

Ishaan looked at me and smiled, as if understanding the situation, and then gestured toward the door.

"Come on.....NAINA" he said with a smirk on his lips.

I hesitated for a moment, still feeling uneasy, but finally nodded and followed him out.

I followed him silently, and he led me to a balcony. From there, I could see the entire city spread out before me. I stood quietly, resting my hand on the railing, taking it all in. Ishaan came and stood beside me, his back against the railing, facing me.

I felt a bit uneasy, wondering if he was someone I should be cautious of. I couldn't shake off the feeling that something about him seemed uncertain. My heart raced a little, and I couldn't help but wonder, Is he a good person, or should I be careful?

He was just staring at me, and He leaned slightly forward, resting one hand on the boundary, the other casually in his pocket. His eyes never left me, without even looking, I could sense it. His gaze felt intense, the same way it had during the wedding-like he wanted to consume me with his eyes. I slowly glanced toward him, then quickly turned my gaze back to the view in front of me. He spoke softly,

"What is it about you that I can't take my eyes off?"

As the night approached, the atmosphere around us began to shift. the evening sky turning a deep shade of blue. The air became cooler, In that stillness, his presence felt even more intense. The weight of his words lingered in the air between us.

A jolt ran through my body. It was the first time he had said something like this to me, This was the moment I had feared. His words felt like a storm was brewing, and I didn't know how to react.

I couldn't bring myself to look up. He stretched his hand toward mine, as if to touch it, but just then my phone started ringing. The sudden distraction broke the tension in the air. I quickly looked down at my phone, trying to focus on the call and not on the unsettling feeling that his presence was creating.



As I heard Karan uncle's voice on the phone, relief washed over me knowing that Gem was safe and on his way. A big smile spread across my face as I turned to walk back. But just then, I felt my hand being held rings brushed against my hand, sending a chill through me.. When I turned around, I saw Ishaan standing close, gently holding my hand. The call had ended, but I didn't pull away. My phone was still at my ear, but I couldn't focus on it anymore. His other hand came up and tucked my hair behind my ear. I couldn't say anything-my voice was gone. I stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do or say next.

I felt my whole body tense as he gently moved closer, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. A shiver ran through me, and I froze, unable to move. His gaze lingered on my lips, and his voice came out low, barely above a whisper,

"Jao, nhi toh rok nhi paunga khudko."

("Go, or I won't be able to stop myself.")

I could feel the weight of his words, and my heart raced, caught in a whirlwind of emotions.

I could barely bring myself to move, my legs felt heavy, and my mind was racing with a thousand thoughts. His words echoed in my head as I forced myself to walk away. I didn't know what to do with the storm of emotions inside me, but I knew I had to leave the moment before things went any further.

I left without looking back, trying to block out the storm of emotions swirling inside me. The sound of my footsteps echoed in the hallway, but I didn't want to face what had just happened.

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