Chapter 36 The Heart She Never Showed
The next morning...
London welcomed another beautiful day.
Soft sunlight filtered through the curtains of the hotel suite.
Unlike the previous morning...
There was no awkward silence anymore.
It had slowly been replaced by an unspoken comfort.
Aadhira was already dressed in a simple cream sweater paired with light blue jeans. Her hair was tied into a loose ponytail, giving her a much younger appearance.
Arjun walked out of the room after getting ready.
For a brief second...
He stopped.
She looked...
Different.
Not the elegant businesswoman everyone admired.
Not the calm and distant woman he had married.
Just...
A simple young woman enjoying a peaceful morning.
"You ready?" Aadhira asked.
Arjun nodded.
"Where are we going today?"
A small smile appeared on her face.
"I thought..."
"We could visit somewhere important."
He raised an eyebrow.
"A business meeting?"
She shook her head.
"No."
"Something much better."
---
Nearly forty minutes later...
Their car slowly stopped in front of a beautiful old brick building.
A colourful board stood near the entrance.
St. Hope Children's Home
Arjun looked outside before turning towards Aadhira.
"You know this place?"
Aadhira quietly unfastened her seatbelt.
"Yes."
"I've known it for many years."
Arjun followed her out of the car.
The moment they entered through the gates...
Something unexpected happened.
Nearly twenty children playing in the garden suddenly froze.
For one second...
Nobody moved.
Then...
"SISTER AADHIRA!"
The peaceful garden exploded with excitement.
Children of all ages came running towards her.
"Sister!"
"You finally came!"
"We missed you!"
A tiny girl wrapped her arms around Aadhira's waist.
Another little boy hugged her hand tightly.
An older girl smiled brightly.
"You promised you'd visit before Christmas."
Aadhira bent down to their height.
"I'm sorry."
"I couldn't come."
"I had important work in India."
She gently brushed the little girl's hair away from her face.
"But I kept my promise."
"I came back."
The children cheered happily.
Arjun stood a few feet away.
Completely stunned.
The woman who barely spoke...
Was suddenly surrounded by laughing children.
And...
She looked genuinely happy.
One little boy pouted.
"We thought you forgot us."
Aadhira smiled softly.
"I could never forget you."
"Tell me honestly..."
"Did all of you behave while I was away?"
Half the children nodded proudly.
The other half immediately pointed at one mischievous boy.
"He started the pillow fight!"
"It wasn't me!"
"It was Ethan!"
"No! Oliver started it!"
Within seconds...
The entire group began arguing.
Aadhira laughed.
Actually...
Laughed.
A warm, carefree laugh.
Arjun had never heard it before.
For a moment...
He simply watched her.
She wasn't pretending.
She wasn't maintaining her composed image.
She was...
Being herself.
---
Suddenly...
A tiny girl noticed Arjun standing alone.
She slowly walked towards him.
She looked up curiously.
"Hello."
Arjun smiled.
"Hello."
"Are you Sister Aadhira's friend?"
Arjun hesitated.
Before he could answer...
Another boy interrupted.
"No!"
"He's too old to be her friend."
The children burst into laughter.
Arjun rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I'm actually..."
Before he finished...
Aadhira walked over.
She smiled gently.
"Everyone..."
"This is Arjun."
"My husband."
Silence.
Every child looked at Arjun.
Then...
Their faces lit up.
"YOU GOT MARRIED?!"
"When?"
"Why didn't you invite us?"
"We would've danced!"
Aadhira blinked.
"I don't think London to India tickets are that easy."
One little boy folded his arms dramatically.
"You should've still invited us."
"We would've found a way."
Even Arjun laughed.
"I'll remember that next time."
The children immediately accepted him.
One little girl grabbed his hand.
"Come play with us!"
Before he could refuse...
Three more children pulled him towards the playground.
Aadhira watched quietly.
A small smile appearing on her lips.
---
Twenty minutes later...
Arjun realised...
Children had unlimited energy.
He had just finished one football match.
Now they wanted another.
"No..."
"I'm tired."
A little boy shook his head.
"Adults always say that."
"You only played for fifteen minutes."
Another child pointed dramatically.
"Sister never gets tired."
Arjun looked towards Aadhira.
She was happily helping two little girls paint colourful butterflies.
Without even looking up...
She replied,
"I heard that."
The children laughed.
One little girl handed Arjun a football.
"If Sister can play..."
"You can too."
Arjun sighed dramatically.
"I've officially lost this argument."
The children cheered.
For the next thirty minutes...
The serious CEO of Rathore Industries...
Lost three football matches...
Got chased around the garden...
And somehow ended up wearing a flower crown made by six-year-olds.
Aadhira couldn't stop smiling.
One little boy shouted proudly,
"Sister!"
"Your husband lost again!"
She folded her arms thoughtfully.
"I'm not surprised."
"I've seen enough to know."
Arjun looked offended.
"I expected some support."
She raised an eyebrow.
"I support the winning team."
The children laughed so loudly that even the staff joined in.
---
As everyone settled down for lunch...
A small boy quietly walked towards Aadhira.
He held a folded drawing in his tiny hands.
"Sister..."
"I made this."
Aadhira carefully unfolded the paper.
It showed a stick figure of herself holding hands with several children beneath a bright yellow sun.
At the bottom...
Written in uneven handwriting...
"Our Favourite Sister."
For a second...
She couldn't speak.
Instead...
She gently hugged the little boy.
"It's beautiful."
"I'll keep it safely."
"I promise."
Arjun looked away for a moment.
Something about that simple drawing...
Touched him deeply.
---
An elderly woman approached them with a warm smile.
She was the director of the orphanage.
"It's wonderful to see you again, Miss Aadhira."
Aadhira stood respectfully.
"It's good to see you too."
The director smiled before turning towards Arjun.
"You must be her husband."
Arjun nodded politely.
"Yes."
The director chuckled softly.
"You've married an extraordinary woman."
Aadhira immediately interrupted.
"Mrs. Wilson..."
The elderly lady smiled knowingly.
"Alright."
"I won't embarrass you."
Arjun looked between them.
"You've known each other for a long time?"
Mrs. Wilson nodded.
"For seven years."
Arjun looked surprised.
Seven years...
Exactly the same amount of time Aadhira had been away from India.
As they began walking through the garden...
He finally asked the question that had been on his mind since morning.
"How do you know this place?"
Aadhira looked ahead.
Her voice remained calm.
"Because..."
"I lived in London for seven years."
Arjun stopped walking.
"You... lived here?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
"I completed my higher studies here."
"I started my career here."
"I built everything from the beginning."
"This city became my home."
Arjun remained silent for a few moments.
"I didn't know."
She smiled faintly.
"There are many things..."
"We still don't know about each other."
There was no bitterness in her voice.
Just...
A simple truth.
---
Mrs. Wilson returned carrying several files.
She looked towards Aadhira.
"The renovation work has finally been completed."
"The new library is wonderful."
"The children absolutely love it."
Aadhira smiled.
"I'm glad."
Mrs. Wilson looked at Arjun before saying softly,
"You should be very proud of your wife."
"She has supported this home quietly for years."
"Every child's education..."
"Medical care..."
"Food..."
"Even this new building..."
"She never wanted anyone to know."
Arjun slowly turned towards Aadhira.
"You..."
She gently looked at Mrs. Wilson.
"I requested this to remain private."
Mrs. Wilson apologised immediately.
"I'm sorry."
"I simply wanted him to know what kind of person you are."
Silence.
Arjun looked at the children laughing happily around them.
Then...
At the woman standing beside him.
She had built hospitals.
She had saved lives.
She had cared for strangers.
She had given these children a home.
And yet...
She had never once spoken about any of it.
For the first time...
Arjun realised something.
Perhaps...
The strongest people...
Were also the quietest.
---
For several moments...
Neither of them spoke.
The laughter of the children echoed through the garden.
Some were playing football.
Others sat beneath a large oak tree, colouring picture books.
A few younger children happily chased bubbles floating in the air.
Arjun quietly looked towards Aadhira.
She had already become surrounded by another group of children.
One little girl proudly showed her a handmade bracelet.
"Sister!"
"I made this all by myself."
Aadhira accepted it carefully as though it were the most precious gift in the world.
"It's beautiful."
"The colours suit me perfectly."
The little girl smiled proudly.
"I knew you'd like it."
Another little boy quickly interrupted.
"Sister!"
"You still haven't seen my science project."
"And Oliver cheated during football."
"I did not!"
"You pushed me first!"
"I slipped!"
Within seconds...
The children began arguing again.
Aadhira clapped her hands gently.
"One at a time."
"If everyone speaks together..."
"I won't understand anyone."
The children immediately became quiet.
Arjun couldn't help smiling.
"They listen to you surprisingly well."
Aadhira looked at him.
"They don't need someone to fear."
"They only need someone willing to listen."
Arjun quietly absorbed her words.
---
A few minutes later...
Mrs. Wilson approached once again.
"Would both of you like to have lunch with us?"
Arjun looked towards Aadhira.
She smiled.
"If it's alright with you."
He nodded.
"I'd like that."
Mrs. Wilson led them into a large dining hall.
Nothing inside was luxurious.
Simple wooden tables.
Colourful paintings made by the children.
Fresh flowers placed in glass jars.
The room wasn't expensive.
But...
It felt warm.
Every child sat together like one big family.
The moment Aadhira entered...
Several children stood up.
"Sister sits here!"
"No!"
"Beside me!"
"She promised last time!"
The children continued pulling her gently from both sides.
Arjun laughed.
"I don't think you have much choice."
Aadhira sighed dramatically.
"It seems I don't."
Mrs. Wilson smiled warmly.
"This happens every single visit."
"None of them want to share her."
Finally...
The children decided.
Aadhira would sit in the middle.
Arjun beside her.
Problem solved.
---
During lunch...
One little boy suddenly looked at Arjun.
"Mister..."
"Do you know how to cook?"
Arjun blinked.
"Not really."
The entire table gasped.
"You don't?"
The little girl beside him folded her tiny arms.
"Then how will Sister eat?"
Another child nodded seriously.
"You should learn."
Arjun looked helplessly at Aadhira.
"They've cornered me."
She tried to hide her smile.
"They're giving practical advice."
"I suggest you listen."
The children nodded proudly.
"Exactly!"
Arjun sighed dramatically.
"Fine."
"I'll learn."
The children cheered as though he'd signed an important business deal.
---
After lunch...
The children gathered in the garden for story time.
"Sister!"
"You promised to read today."
Aadhira looked towards Arjun.
"Would you like to join us?"
He nodded.
"I'd like to."
The children sat in a large circle beneath the tree.
Aadhira opened a colourful storybook.
Her voice became soft and expressive as she read.
Every child listened with complete attention.
Arjun...
Didn't listen to the story.
Instead...
He watched her.
She smiled naturally.
She laughed freely.
She patiently answered every curious question.
It was a side of Aadhira...
No business award...
No success...
No title...
Could ever reveal.
For the first time...
Arjun wondered...
"How many versions of you are there, Aadhira?"
"The calm woman at home..."
"The fearless woman..."
"The hospital owner..."
"And now..."
"The sister every child waits for."
Somehow...
Every answer only made him more curious.
And without realizing it...
His heart had already begun choosing her...
To Be Continued...