Passion & Dilemma

~Epilogue~

Prerna's POV

"Calm down," Sarthak held my trembling fingers, and I glanced up at him.

He was dressed casually today in a maroon polo-neck t-shirt paired with black pants and sneakers. He’d also insisted I wear something casual, so I had reluctantly put on a floral sundress.

"I'm scared," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. He intertwined our fingers, his grip reassuring.

"Everything will be fine," he said softly, and I let out a sigh, my throat dry with anxiety.

Not even during my board exams or the day I launched my business had I felt this nervous. But today—it felt like the most significant test of my life. My heart was pounding, my hands clammy with anticipation.

I stole a glance at Sarthak. He seemed calm, composed, even confident about the monumental step we were about to take.

Tapping my foot against the tiles, I waited, anxiety clawing at my chest.

Sarthak and I were here to adopt a child.

After endless discussions, deliberations, and soul-searching, we had made this decision together. Adopting had been Sarthak's idea initially, and when he brought it up, I could hardly believe it.

Welcoming someone else's child into your life—into your bloodline—was no small thing. The Ahuja legacy was no trivial matter, and adopting a child to carry it forward might not sit well with everyone. People would talk, point fingers, and insinuate that something was lacking in us.

But none of that mattered. This was the path we had chosen to parenthood.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ahuja," the orphanage manager, Suhaas Madan, stepped into the room, snapping me out of my thoughts. I stood up immediately.

"Where is she?" I asked, not bothering to hide my impatience when I noticed he wasn’t accompanied by a child.

It had been a year since we applied for adoption, a year of hoping and praying for a child to complete our family.

"She’s right here," Suhaas said, stepping aside, but there was no one behind him.

I turned to Sarthak, who closed his eyes briefly, a silent plea for me to stay calm.

Suhaas walked out of the room again and glanced around the corner.

"Nidhi, come on, sweetheart," he coaxed gently.

A tiny figure appeared hesitantly, clutching the doorframe before finally stepping into the room.

She was wearing a red frock and gripping the hem nervously. Her short hair was tied into two small pigtails, and her big, curious eyes darted between Sarthak and me.

The picture we had received of her must have been outdated because the child before us looked older than the two-year-old we had seen.

I took a tentative step forward as Suhaas encouraged her toward us.

Her eyes were sharp, observant—not the wide-eyed innocence you’d expect. There was a mischievous glint in them, a spark of boldness.

Sarthak moved beside me, and I bent down to her level.

"Hello," I said softly, my voice trembling just a little.

"Hello," she replied, her gaze shifting to Sarthak, who stood silently at my side.

She tilted her head back, craning her neck to take in his towering height.

Sarthak extended his hand toward her, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she reached out for a handshake.