---
In the hospital corridor, Jay walked back and forth, carrying Aditya in his arms. His mind was consumed with an overwhelming sense of guilt. Suddenly, his eyes caught a glimpse of Abhay Ji, and his heart skipped a beat. He froze in his tracks as Abhay Ji walked toward him, his face filled with sorrow. The closer Abhay Ji came, the more Jay's anxiety built up, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
Abhay Ji approached him with tears in his eyes and spoke in a trembling voice, "Jay, what was my children's fault? What was my daughter's fault? Shivani—what did she do to deserve this? Jay, answer me! You destroyed her life. For what reason? You punished her for something she didn't do. You, a businessman so successful—how could you do this? Don't even the judges listen to the evidence before passing a sentence? You didn't even try to find out the truth before condemning her. Tell me, Jay, tell me—why did you do this? You wanted this, didn't you? You wanted her to be shattered, to be humiliated! Now, she can't even show her face in public. Wherever she goes, people will spit on her. Don't worry, she's completely ruined now."
Jay's eyes welled up with tears as he whispered, "Sir, please forgive me."
Abhay Ji's voice cracked with anger. "Forgive you? How could I? Jay, you've ruined my daughter's entire life. You've destroyed not just her but her dreams, her hopes, her aspirations. My daughter was only 23, just 12 years younger than you. Did you have no shame in what you did to her? Answer me, why are you silent now?"
Jay, his voice breaking, replied, "I'm really sorry, Sir."
Abhay Ji's anger grew, his voice rising. "What will your apology do, Jay? Will it return her lost dignity? Will it erase the pain and suffering you've caused her? Will it make it any easier for her and the child she's carrying when people call her characterless, when they call her child illegitimate? Who will protect her from all of this? Tell me, Jay, who will defend her?"
"I will," Jay said in a firm, commanding tone.
At that moment, the door to Shivani's ward opened. Jay's eyes instinctively moved toward it. When he turned back, Abhay Ji was no longer in sight.
A nurse appeared, and Jay rushed to her. "Sister! Has Shivani regained consciousness?"
"Yes, she's awake now," the nurse replied.
Relieved, Jay entered the ward. Inside, Shivani was lying in bed, her hand on her belly, tears flowing down her face. Jay's heart ached seeing her in such pain.
"Why are you crying?" he asked gently.
Shivani looked up, seeing him standing there, and in a trembling voice, she asked, "Sir, you...?"
Jay could see the pain in her eyes, and his own heart broke. She began sobbing uncontrollably, and Jay felt an unbearable pain inside him. His conscience screamed at him for causing this misery. He desperately wanted to comfort her, to tell her the truth, but fear gripped him. He was terrified that if she knew the truth—if she knew the father of the child was him—she might harm herself. So, he stayed silent, suffocating inside.
After a long, painful pause, he asked again, "Why are you crying?"
Shivani, her hand still on her belly, spoke through her tears. "What should I do, Sir? I don't even know who the father of this child is." She paused, then continued, "Why did he do this to me? Why? What wrong did I do?" And once again, she broke down in tears.
Jay, despite the turmoil inside him, stayed silent. He longed to tell her everything, to apologize and make things right, but he couldn't find the strength. His fear of losing her, of her turning away from him forever, kept him silent, locked in his own guilt.
Jay placed Aditya, who had been resting in his arms, on the bed nearby. He then moved closer to Shivani, speaking softly, "Please, don't cry. Your tears will hurt the baby."
Aditya, hearing her sobs, woke up. He looked at Shivani, who was still crying, and in his innocent voice, he asked, "Dididi, why are you crying? I'm not hungry, really." He climbed off the bed and walked toward her, trying to comfort her. "Don't cry, Dididi."
Shivani wiped her tears, trying to smile, and said, "No, baby, I'm not crying. Something just got into my eyes."
At that moment, the nurse arrived with an injection. She gently administered it into Shivani's IV drip, and as the nurse left, Jay stepped outside the ward, heading toward the hospital entrance. He returned a short while later, carrying food for both Shivani and Aditya.
As he entered, he noticed Aditya sitting by Shivani's left side, talking to her. When Jay walked in, Aditya, who had been eyeing the food, tried to hide his hunger. Having eaten only biscuits since morning, he was starving but didn't want to break his promise to Shivani.
Jay understood immediately and, with a knowing smile, took out the food and placed it on a foam plate. "Come here, Aditya," he said. He fed Aditya with his own hands, making sure he ate enough. Afterward, he helped him wash his face and laid him down on the bed to rest.
Shivani, seeing this, whispered, "Thank you, Sir."
Jay's heart felt heavy as he replied, "There's no need to thank me."
Shivani, still wiping her tears, spoke, "You're the only person in this world who helped us without any selfish motives."
As evening approached, the doctor arrived to check on Shivani. After a thorough examination, she told Jay, "Your wife is doing better now. You can take her home. But we won't remove the IV drip just yet, as she needs it for a week. If I remove it now, she'll experience more pain." She handed Jay some medication and gave him instructions for home care before leaving.
After the doctor left, Shivani looked at Jay nervously and asked, "Sir, why did the doctor keep calling me your wife? Why didn't you correct her?"
Jay, his heart aching, replied, "I told her to call you my wife because you really are going to be my wife. I'm marrying you tomorrow."
Shivani, with tears streaming down her face, said, "But Sir, I'm not worthy of you. I've already become impure. Why would you want to marry someone like me?"
Jay, his voice firm yet soft, responded, "Because of the debts I owe to you and Abhay Sir." With that, he left the ward, his heart heavy with the weight of his decisions.
As he completed the discharge formalities, he returned to the ward to take Shivani home. By then, Aditya had woken up and was sitting beside her. As Shivani tried to stand up from the bed, she lost her balance and almost fell, but Jay was quick to catch her. He lifted her into his arms and walked out of the ward, with Aditya following closely behind.
Jay carried Shivani gently to the car, his arms steady yet protective, as if she might break from even the slightest mishandling. Aditya trailed closely behind, his small hands gripping Jay's coat. The silence stretched between them, heavy and unspoken, filled only with the soft shuffling of footsteps and the distant hum of hospital life.
Jay opened the back door, carefully placing Shivani onto the seat, ensuring she was comfortable before turning to Aditya. "Come, Aditya," he said softly, his voice laced with unexpected tenderness. Aditya climbed in beside Shivani, clutching her hand as if afraid she might disappear if he let go.
Jay rounded the car and slid into the driver's seat. His hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening under the pressure. He took a deep breath, his eyes briefly closing as he steadied his resolve. Today was the beginning of something neither of them could have imagined.
The drive was silent, except for the occasional whispers Aditya shared with Shivani. Jay caught glimpses of them in the rearview mirror—Aditya leaning into her side, Shivani's hand stroking his hair absentmindedly, her eyes distant and hollow.
He swallowed hard, his heart pounding with each mile that passed. How could he possibly make things right? Could marrying her erase the pain he had caused? He had no answers, only the weight of his own guilt pressing down on him with every breath.