Devil's Hidden Angel

Chapter 43: Ishqi's Emotions

Rajveer stepped aside to take a call. Meanwhile, the warden and Ishqi's Dayi maa told her to go home. Dayi maa would stay here, and the warden would return because there was no one else at the orphanage except a single caretaker, who couldn't manage all the children alone...

But Ishqi refused to leave, she didn't want to leave Smiley alone. Her Dayi maa gently explained that they could come back tomorrow and would have to stay the entire day anyway. Besides, the doctor would only allow one person to stay overnight...

Just then, Rajveer returned after finishing his call and overheard them asking Ishqi to leave. He too tried to convince her, saying they would come back tomorrow. Right now, his biggest concern was Ishqi's safety, because the danger looming over her hadn't passed yet. He had just received a call from Samar, who told him they were still trying to track down the mysterious caller. No one knew who it was, but whoever it was seemed determined to harm Ishqi. Rajveer was deeply concerned that she might be attacked again. That's why, according to him, the only place she could truly be safe was the Singhania mansion...

Rajveer convinced her and took her away, as night was beginning to fall. Ishqi requested the warden to let them drop her off, and the warden agreed since it was already quite late. After giving her Dayi maa a lot of advice and instructions, Ishqi finally left the Hospital with Rajveer and Warden...

Throughout the entire journey, Ishqi didn't utter a single word, she didn't want to react in front of the warden and the driver. Rajveer noticed this. Quietly, he reached out and held her hand, giving her a reassuring look, as if to say, "It's okay, I'm here..."

When they reached the orphanage, the warden, who had been sitting in the front, got down, thanked them politely, and walked inside. Rajveer subtly signaled the driver to head home. As soon as the car started moving, Rajveer turned on the partition. And the moment it closed, he gently pulled Ishqi into his lap, wrapped her in his arms, holding her close, like he was silently telling her, "You don't need to worry anymore. I'm with you now..."

After a while, they reached home and saw that everyone was already asleep. So they quietly went to their room. As soon as they entered, Ishqi went to the washroom to change. When she came out, Rajveer had also changed and was sitting on the couch. The moment he saw her, he walked over, gently lifted her into his arms, and laid her down on the bed. Then he lay down beside her and wrapped her in his embrace...

Rajveer: If there's something you want to say, I'm here. You can speak openly... (gently)

Ishqi: Thank you, Rajveer... Thank you so much. You have no idea how much of a burden you've lifted today. You know, when she first came to the orphanage, she was barely two or three months old. So tiny... so delicate... like a little flower. I still wonder who could have left such a beautiful, angelic child outside an orphanage. Most of the babies we receive are crying when they arrive, lost, scared, confused. But Smiley... She was different. The first time the caretaker held her, there was a smile on her face. That's why everyone started calling her Smiley. It just felt right. But what surprised me most was how much she seemed to prefer being with me. I don't know why. It's not that she didn't play with others, she did, happily. But at night, she would always come to me. She could only fall asleep beside me. And sometimes... sometimes it felt like there was something deeper between us. Like we shared a bond from another life. Something old, something unspoken... something real... (getting emotional while remembering old days)

Rajveer: Ishqi, when did you all find out about all this... I mean, about her illness?

Ishqi: It was two years ago... she was playing with the other kids, just like she did every day. And then... I don't know what happened... Suddenly she started gasping for breath. Slowly... she collapsed. We rushed her to the hospital. The doctors ran some tests... and when we saw the results... (Her voice broke, trembling with the memory) She was suffering, Rajveer... that tiny little girl... she was in so much pain. And we... We had no idea. We couldn't even imagine the kind of hurt she was carrying inside her... (while sobbing at the end)