Chapter 53: Chapter 50

Siya’s hands trembled as she shifted through the papers in the hidden compartment behind the wardrobe. Her mind raced, piecing together the fragments of information. The room was suffocating, the air heavy with the weight of secrets that were never meant to be uncovered. Yet here she was, on the cusp of unearthing something that might change everything.

She flipped through financial statements, names of donors, and records of visits to the Kusum Orphanage. It was all beginning to seem ordinary, until a particular document caught her eye. A simple adoption letter, yellowed with age but still legible.

Her pulse quickened as she read through the details.

Adoption Agreement

Date: 3rd February 2000

Siya froze, her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes locked onto the date, and then to the next line—Guardian Name. It was unmistakable.

Mr. Desai’s signature was at the bottom.

Her heart raced as she reread the words.

Guardian: Yash Desai

No. This couldn’t be.

Siya’s mind was spinning, the world around her blurring. Mr. Desai? Adopted a child? The man she had known all this time—controlling, manipulative, the one who had forced her into this marriage—had adopted a child over 23 years ago?

Her mind grasped at the fragments of information, trying to put it all together. But the more she tried, the less it made sense.

Her thoughts raced as she pulled out her phone, snapping a quick photo of the adoption letter before quickly sliding it back into the folder and pushing it back into its place behind the wardrobe. The cold weight of the letter lingered in her hand as she stuffed her phone in pocket.

Siya stood there for a moment, breathless, her thoughts in a frenzy. She couldn’t make sense of this. Why would Mr. Desai adopt a child and keep it hidden? What did it mean for the family? Was there something they didn’t know?

She had to find out more, but she knew she couldn’t do it alone.

Later that Day

Siya couldn’t shake the image of the adoption letter from her mind as she sat in the quiet corner of the living room. Her thoughts kept returning to it—Mr. Desai, a man who had built his empire on manipulation and control, had adopted a child. What was his true motive behind it?

Her phone buzzed on the table, snapping her from her thoughts. It was a message from Gauri.

“How are you holding up? Everything okay at home?”

Siya stared at the screen for a moment, the weight of her discovery still pressing heavily on her. She knew she couldn’t keep this secret from Gauri, not anymore.

With a deep breath, Siya typed a response:

“I’m fine, just… dealing with some stuff.”

She stared at the message for a moment longer, before her fingers hovered over the keys again. Gauri had always been her confidante. The one person who understood her, who had been there through thick and thin. If anyone could help her make sense of this, it was Gauri.

Siya hesitated for a moment longer, then typed:

“I found something... something about Mr. Desai. Something strange.”

It didn’t take long for Gauri to reply.

“What is it? What did you find?”

Siya bit her lip as she looked out the window. She knew she had to tell her, but the uncertainty of what she had uncovered made her hesitant.

“It’s about the Kusum Orphanage… Mr. Desai adopted a child back in 2000.”

She hit send before she could second-guess herself.

It was a long time before Gauri replied, and when she did, it was with an unsettling quietness in her message:

“What? He adopted a child? That’s… odd. But why would he keep that a secret? And where is the child now? How old is he/she ?”

Siya ran her fingers through her hair, pacing the room as she thought. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The more she tried to make sense of it, the more questions she had.

“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. I found the adoption letter… His signature is on it. But why keep something like that hidden? And why not tell anyone, especially his wife?”

Gauri’s response came after a few moments, her words filled with concern.

“Siya, this is huge. You have to be careful. If Mr. Desai finds out you’ve discovered something like this, it could blow everything up. You need to get to the bottom of this, but you can’t do it alone. You’re playing with fire.”

Siya felt the weight of Gauri’s words, but her resolve only grew stronger.

“I know. But I have to know the truth. There’s something not right about this, and I won’t stop until I find out who this child is. Why did Mr. Desai adopt them? Why is he hiding it from everyone?”

Gauri was silent for a moment before responding.

“I get it, Siya. You need answers. Just promise me one thing—be careful. Don’t do anything reckless. And don’t tell anyone else. Not yet. You don’t know what kind of mess you might be stepping into.”

Siya took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Gauri’s words.

“I promise. But I can’t stop now, Gauri. I can’t ignore this.”

The Next Day

Siya couldn’t stop thinking about the letter as the hours passed. The more she thought about it, the more questions arose. Who had Mr. Desai adopted? Why had he kept it a secret?

Her mind was a whirlwind of possibilities as she slipped back into Mrs. Desai’s room the next day. She had to know more.

The wardrobe still sat there, looming in the corner like a forgotten relic of the past. Siya stood before it, her heart racing in her chest. The papers inside, the letters, the documents—there had to be more. She needed to understand the full picture.

But when she opened the wardrobe this time, she was more careful. She knew she couldn’t make a mistake now. She ran her fingers over the papers, searching for any clue that could lead her closer to the answers she sought.

The old files were heavy in her hands as she flipped through them, her mind focused on one thing: the truth.

But as the door creaked open, she heard footsteps approaching. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly returned the files to their place, trying to be as discreet as possible.

“Siya, what are you doing here?” Mrs. Desai’s voice made her jump, and she quickly turned to face her mother-in-law.

“Just… looking for something,” Siya replied, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside. She could feel the weight of Mrs. Desai’s gaze on her, but she forced herself to smile.

Mrs. Desai narrowed her eyes slightly. “You’re being too curious, dear. Just don’t go poking around where you shouldn’t.”

Siya nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. She was so close. She could feel it. But she couldn’t afford to be caught. Not yet.

As Mrs. Desai left the room, Siya stood there for a moment, her mind whirling. She had to find out more. She couldn’t stop now.

The truth was within her reach, and she wasn’t going to let it slip away.

But she knew that this path would only lead to more questions. And she had no idea where those questions would take her.

With an absolute resolution, she was determined to find answers. She quickly made a call to Gauri and asked her to come along. Together they decided to visit the orphanage by themselves.

Raghav told her in a call, he would be staying with Rudra for examination and warned her to travel safely.

“Offcourse Raghav. Gauri is going with me. It will give me a break too”, teasing Raghav she continues, “Don't miss me too much. Bye”.

The call ended. But Raghav stayed. He whispers, “I've been missing you for two days. But, I will wait for you”.