"N-no, I... Shanaya, I didn’t mean to... I didn’t know how to..."

But she shook her head, stepping back from my embrace. "You let our daughter suffer, Vikram. You pushed her away. The only part of me left, and you... you abandoned her."

Her figure began to fade, her image growing blurry, like smoke dissipating in the air. Panic surged through me.

"No! No, don’t go, Shanaya!" I shouted, reaching for her again, but she was slipping further away. "I’ll fix it, I swear! I’ll be better. Just... please, stay!"

But she was already gone.

I was left sitting in the dark, clutching at the empty air, the sound of her voice still echoing in my mind. And then, the unbearable silence returned.

And this time, it felt even more suffocating than before.

Vikram stood up on wobbly legs, his shirt hanging out from one side, his eyes bloodshot from a mix of tears and drunkenness.

He staggered through the hallway, his heart still racing from the fading vision of Shanaya.

As he stumbled along, he passed by Dadi-sa and Dada-sa's room. The door was slightly ajar, and from the dim light inside, he could see the peaceful form of Aarvi sleeping.

His steps faltered, and he paused in the doorway, staring at her. The guilt clawed at his chest. Our daughter.

The words Shanaya had said—*you abandoned her*echoed in his mind, louder now than ever.

He walked closer, feeling a strange pull toward her. Kneeling beside the bed, he gazed down at Aarvi's small face, so innocent, so pure.

Tears welled up in his eyes again as his breath hitched.

Slowly, as if in a trance, he reached to hold her and gently lifted her into his arms. The warmth of her tiny body against his chest made his heart ache in a way he hadn’t felt in months.

He hugged her tightly, feeling her soft breaths, her little hands curling against him in her sleep.

"I’m sorry," he whispered, barely audible, his voice shaking. "I’m so sorry..."

Still clutching Aarvi, Vikram unknowingly wandered back to his room. The night was a blur of broken thoughts and tears, and soon, exhaustion took over.

He collapsed onto his bed, holding Aarvi close, her small body nestled against his chest as he fell into a deep, drunken sleep, tears still wet on his face.

—

The next morning…

Dadi-sa stirred in her sleep, instinctively reaching for Aarvi, only to feel the cold, empty sheets beside her. Her eyes snapped open, and panic set in immediately.

She sat up, her heart racing. Aarvi was not there.

“Aarvi? Aarvi!” she called out, her voice trembling. She quickly got out of bed and checked every corner of the room, but Aarvi was nowhere to be found.

Fear gripped her as she hurried down the hallway, knocking on doors, checking every room in the house.

In a panic, she finally reached Meher’s room and knocked urgently. Meher, still half-asleep, opened the door, her face worried.

“What happened, Dadi-sa?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“Aarvi… she’s gone!” Dadi-sa exclaimed, her voice frantic.

“She wasn’t in the room. I’ve checked everywhere!”

Meher’s heart dropped. Aarvi wasn’t in her room? Panic flooded through her veins as she jumped out of bed.

“Did you check everywhere?” Meher asked, her voice rising with anxiety. “Every room, Dadi-sa?”

“I did, but…” Dadi-sa’s voice cracked with fear.

Meher’s mind raced. And then, a thought hit her like a lightning bolt.

“Did you check Vikram’s room?” she asked, her voice quiet but sharp with urgency.

Dadi-sa looked at her, confusion and uncertainty crossing her face.

“Vikram’s room? But he…” she trailed off, her thoughts conflicting, unsure of whether she should hope or fear the worst.

Meher didn’t wait for an answer. Without another word, she rushed toward Vikram’s room, Dadi-sa trailing closely behind her.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she reached his door. She hesitated for a split second before pushing it open—it wasn’t locked.

What she saw made her freeze on the spot.

There, on the bed, lay Vikram, fast asleep, his face buried in the pillow. And in his arms, lying on his chest, was Aarvi, her tiny body curled up against him.

Vikram’s hand rested protectively on her small back, holding her as if he were shielding her from the world.

Both of them were deep in sleep, the room filled with an almost surreal sense of peace.

(Meher's thoughts):

“The man who blames her for everything…

The father who never looked at her with love…

Yet here she is, resting in the arms of the one who couldn’t bear to face her.”

(Meher stands frozen in the doorway, eyes wide as she takes in the sight before her. Vikram’s hand gently cradles Aarvi, holding her close as if she’s the only thing keeping him grounded.)

her thoughts (softly):

“He never let himself grieve…

He never let himself love her.

But maybe, just maybe…

In this moment, he’s starting to.”

For a long moment, no one moved. Meher’s heart was pounding in her chest, a strange mix of emotions swirling inside her—relief, disbelief, and something else, something she wasn’t ready to acknowledge just yet.

Vikram, the man who had kept himself so distant from his daughter, was now holding her so protectively, so lovingly, even in his drunken state. It was an image that shook something deep within Meher’s heart.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she stood there, frozen in place, unsure of what to feel.