24. ADOPTION!

Divya is weeping in a corner of her room while looking at her 2-month-old girl picture. Outside her room, Avantika is instructing her daughter Innaya what she needs to do next. 

Avantika:- baby, If you want to be a friend of Manik, you have to do this. You will do this naa? 

Innaya:- yup! I will do anything because I want to be Manik’s best friend. 

Avantika smiles evilly and sends her daughter inside. Innaya enters and sits in front of Divya and wipes her tears with a big bright smile, bringing a small smile to Divya’s face. 

Innaya:- ( in a cute tone ) why are you crying? 

Divya:- ( sadly ) because my daughter left me alone. 

Innaya:- where did she go? 

Divya:- god called her so she went there leaving me alone. 

Saying this more tears eloped from her eyes which were immediately wiped by Innaya. 

Innaya:- Am I not your daughter, MAA…………………?

Divya’s eyes shot open hearing her. At this exact moment, she feels many emotions in the pit of her tummy. Otherside Avantika smiles vigorously seeing her plan going as she wanted. 

Divya:- what did you just call me? 

Innaya:- MAA…… ( sadly ) don’t you like it? 

Divya:- ( while kissing her forehead ) no…. Baby. In fact, I loved it. 

Innaya:- then, stop crying maa because your daughter can’t see tears in your eyes. 

Divya smiles slightly after almost a long and tiring day. How can a mother smile when she lost her daughter in a sudden mishap. But don’t know why but this little girl brings a small smile to her face again. She felt jitters when she called her MAA. 

At the same time, she realized that this was short-lived happiness because innaya is not her daughter. She can’t keep her with herself for a lifetime. She has to go back home with her parents. 

Divya comes out from her thoughts when she hears Innaya’s call. 

Innaya:- open your mouth….. Maa. 

Divya looks at the person who is standing in front of her with dinner. Seeing the food she turned her face not wanting to eat anything. 

Divya:- I don’t want to eat anything, baby. You go and have your dinner. 

Innaya:- no….. I want to have my dinner with you. ( after breaking a morsel ) Now, open your mouth, MAA.

Reluctantly Divya had her dinner with Innaya’s small hands and fed her too in between. At the same time, Ajay entered and looked at the beautiful scenery. 

Ajay:- thank god, at least someone brings a smile to your face which I was missing from the morning. 

Divya:- how is Arjun? 

Ajay:- ( signed ) for now he is sleeping but he is not well. He is continuously saying that his baby girl will never leave him. He will find her and will bring her back. Trust me, Divya, it’s very hard to handle Arjun. 

Divya:- ( chuckles sadly ) so, what do you expect? He loves her the most. His mornings started with seeing her face and ended while playing with her. 

Innaya:- maa, no more tears or else I will also cry with you. 

Divya smiles and wipes a lone tear that was on the verge of fall. Ajay looks at them confusingly. 

Ajay:- what? Maa!

At the same time, Avantika enters inside in a devastated state with some papers. Seeing her condition Divya moves towards her and makes her sit on the bed while Ajay offers her water. 

After gulping down the water she looks at both of them and cries hard, increasing their worry. Divya took her in her embrace and tried to calm her down. 

Divya:- what happened, Avanti ( Avantika )? 

Still, there is no response from her side. Seeing no other option Ajay kneeled in front of her and asked softly. 

Ajay:- what happened, Avanti? Won’t you tell your brother, what makes you cry so hard? 

Avantika:- ( while crying hysterically ) b….ha…I……..

Divya:- innaya, go and play with your friends….. Ok? 

Innaya nods and quietly walks out without asking any questions as her mother taught her. 

Ajay:- now say what happened, Avanti? 

Without exerting the scene Avantika passes the papers to Ajay which she bought with herself. As soon as the words registered in his brain, his eyes became moist. 

Ajay:- ( while cupping her cheeks ) is it true, Avanti? 

Divya:- ( curiously ) what’s true, Ajay? And what’s in the papers? 

Avantika:- ( hiccupping because of continuous cry ) I……….. Am………….. Dying, bhabhi ( sister-in-law ). I HAVE A BRAIN TUMOR. I am dying……… 

Listening to her words, the floor slips from their feet, and why not they all treat her as the real daughter of the Dixit’s. 

Divya:- ( while palming her mouth because of shock ) what are you saying? 

Avantika:- it’s true, bhabhi. I don’t have more time. 

Ajay:- why are you saying this, Avanti? I already lost my daughter and now I don’t want to lose my only sister. Your brother won’t let anything happen to you. 

Avantika panics suddenly.

Avantika:- Bhai ( brother ), if anything happened to me naa….. Then please keep my daughter in your prayers. Don’t send her to an orphanage after my death because she is my life. 

Divya:- why are you saying like this, Avanti? Innaya is like my daughter. I love her the same way as I do to my Nandini and don’t worry we will not let anything happen to you. 

Avantika:- ( with a continuous cry ) no….. I don’t trust my destiny. Why will you love my innaya after my death? She is not your real daughter na…. 

Divya:- don’t think negatively, Avanti. 

Avantika:- No…. I know after my death innaya will become an orphan just like me and this society will not let her in peace. 

Ajay:- ( little angrily ) cut this bull shit….. 

Giving no heed to him she joins her hands in front of Divya. 

Avantika:- ( pleading ) bhabhi, will… will you adopt my daughter and give her the love which she deserves? 

Divya:- if this lessens your tension then why not! I would love to have a daughter like innaya. 

Avantika:- thank you so much, bhabhi….. Thank you so much…… Now I can die peacefully. 

Ajay:- shut up!! I will not let anything happen to you. I will search for the world’s best doctor for your treatment. 

Avantika:- no Bhai, Prakash already consulted a doctor for my treatment but…… ( stops abruptly ) 

Ajay:- But, what? 

Avantika:- ( while looking down ) the treatment is very expensive and we can’t afford it. 

Ajay:- ( ruffling her hair while adoring her ) I am here, Avanti. I will bear all your treatment bills. From now on you are my responsibility. 

Avantika:- No….. bhai I can’t take more favors from you. You already did everything for this orphan. 

Divya:- saying this you are making us strangers, Avanti. Don’t you consider us as your family? Don’t we be able to make a place in your heart? 

Avantika:- no….no… bhabhi…. Don’t say that. You guys are the only family that I have. 

Ajay:- then, leave everything on me. I will handle everything. You just take a rest. And don’t worry about Innaya. I will make the papers for her ADOPTION. 

Divya:- ( tense ) will Innaya accept us as her parents? 

Avantika:- she loves you guys more than me and Prakash. I am sure she will be happy to hear this. 

Avantika smiles and walks out of the room leaving husband-wife in deep thoughts. She reaches her room and throws herself on the bed with a huff. 

Prakash:- successful? 

Avantika:- why are you asking? Did you have any doubts about my acting skills?  

Prakash:- ( while smirking ) not at all, darling. You are perfect. 

Avantika:- ( smiling brightly ) now pack your bags. We are leaving for a long vacation after Innaya’s adoption. And one more thing, the trip is sponsored by my lovely brother. 

Prakash:- wow!! Great….. That’s why I love you a lot. 

Avantika:- ( while giving him the papers ) and please keep these fake reports of mine safe. We will need this in the future to get money for MY FAKE BRAIN TUMOR TREATMENT. 

Prakash:- you are a genius….. Wifey. 

Both laugh showing their real evilness. Another side in Ajay and Divya’s bedroom. 

Ajay:- did we do it right? 

Divya:- I don’t know that but I got my daughter back. Now, I will show my love to Innaya so that she will forget about Avantika and Prakash. 

Ajay:- ( disappointedly ) Arjun, won’t accept her. 

Divya:- give him some time. With passing time he will forget about Nandini and will accept Innaya as his sister. 

Ajay:- hope so!

present…..

Suddenly someone shooks him so hard that he comes out of his thoughts and looks around to find himself sitting on the window while the water is flowing from his eyes continuously. 

Divya:- why are you crying, Ajay? And why are you not responding? I was calling you for so long. 

Ajay:- Arjun was right, Divya. He was so right throughout these years but we never gave heed to his words. He was right…….. Our……… OUR…. DAUGHTER IS ALIVE. SHE IS ALIVE!!! ( crying in her embrace ) We are the worst parents….. Divya. We are the worst parents!! How can we forget about our daughter in a single day and give her place to another girl? How can we love another girl the way we were supposed to love OUR NANDINI…..? 

To be continued…