SHE SAW ME

SNEAKING IN

Happy Reading❤️

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It was a quiet morning in Sanam's room, with Kahini sitting by the glass wall, her laptop open on the coffee table beside her. She was engaged in a call, her voice low but firm.

"Yes, where she can work too, nothing too labor-intensive, but she shouldn't feel like it's charity," Kahini negotiated, her focus evident in her tone.

"That works, but we'll visit first, but she shouldn't know it's our doing," she added with a thoughtful nod.

"Okay, I'll ask Sanam if we can visit today," Kahini concluded, ending the call with a satisfied sigh. Just then, Saiba entered the room in her school dress, her eyes scanning for her mother.

"Ammi, please ma—" Saiba's greeting faltered as soon as she saw Kahini. Her gaze flickered to the side, seeking Sanam. "Oh, hello, Auntie," Saiba greeted awkwardly, her discomfort palpable.

Kahini greeted her with a warm smile, hoping to ease the tension. "Sanam is in—" Kahini began, glancing towards the bathroom door, which was out of Saiba's vision line. As she spoke, Sanam, who had been about to step out, quickly paused when she heard Saiba's voice. Realizing the situation, Sanam signaled Kahini with a subtle gesture to keep her presence a secret. She then retreated back into the bathroom and quietly closed the door behind her.

"Your mom is in the shower," Kahini continued, her tone casual as she glanced toward the door to ensure Sanam's signal had been understood.

"Oh..." Saiba's worry was evident as she looked around the room. Kahini noticed the comb in her hand and the state of her untidy hair.

"Do you need help with your hair? I can help if you'd like," Kahini offered, picking up on the subtle distress in Saiba's demeanour.

Saiba hesitated, her shoulders tightening as she responded, "It's okay, I'll ask someone from the staff." Her voice wavered with uncertainty, and Kahini noticed the way she kept checking the time

"Really, it's no trouble. I don't mind." Kahini's tone remained gentle as she insisted, as she noticed her flickering gaze.

Saiba's shoulders relaxed slightly as she considered Kahini's offer. With a sigh, she reluctantly agreed, "Actually, I need to make braids. I can't do it myself."

"Of course, come here," Kahini encouraged, her voice soothing as she gestured for Saiba to sit on the floor in front of her.

Saiba approached Kahini slowly, her movements stiff with apprehension. She sat down, her back turned to Kahini, a mix of unease and hope evident in her posture.

"Is this compulsory with uniform?" Kahini asked softly, her fingers already working through Saiba's hair, deftly separating the strands with a tenderness.

"Yes," Saiba answered, her voice softening slightly.

"You know, when my daughter was little, her school also had braids as part of the uniform. She used to hate it," Kahini shared, there was a soft chuckle in her tone, a gentle fondness for the memory.

"You have a daughter?" Saiba asked, she turned her head slightly, her curiosity breaking through the guardedness.

Kahini smiled at the question, her hands continuing their careful work "Hmm, a foster daughter. I co-parent her with her biological father," Kahini explained, her tone affectionate as she spoke of her child.

"Ohhh... Ammi told me you're a social worker and that you have an orphanage too," Saiba remarked, the unease in her voice slowly fading.

"Yes, I have more than forty children there," Kahini replied, and there was an undeniable sense of pride in her voice.