She snapped out of her thoughts and slowly moved toward the bed. Carefully, she lifted Vikram’s hand and picked Aarvi up. As she turned to leave and walked toward the door, Dadi-sa softly said, “Since the day she was born, this is the first time she’s been with her father. Let her stay.”

Meher paused for a moment before turning back toward Dadi-sa. “He was drunk last night. When he wakes up, I don’t want her to be here… he might hurt her,” she replied, her voice firm but laced with a quiet pain.

Dadi-sa’s eyes softened as she stepped closer.

“I understand your fear, Meher, but maybe this is a sign..maybe he’s starting to change.”

Meher clenched her jaw, fighting the wave of emotions threatening to spill over. “A drunk man’s actions don’t mean anything, Dadi-sa. He won’t even remember this in the morning.”

Dadi-sa sighed, shaking her head gently.

“People find their way to love in different ways. Sometimes it takes time, sometimes it takes a mistake but it’s there, waiting to be found.”

Meher looked down at Aarvi, still fast asleep in her arms, and for a moment, she considered Dadi-sa’s words.

“I can’t risk it,” Meher said softly but resolutely.

“Aarvi comes first. Always.”

By saying this, Meher walked out of the room, leaving Dadi-sa behind. Dadi-sa slowly moved toward the bed and sat down beside Vikram, gently caressing his head.

“I know you're hurting," she whispered softly, her eyes filled with sadness,

"but please, change yourself, at least for Shanaya’s sake.”

Vikram stirred slightly in his sleep but didn’t wake up. Dadi-sa’s heart ached as she watched him, broken by his grief, yet unable to move forward. She sighed deeply, brushing his hair back like she used to when he was a child.

"You have a daughter who needs you now," she continued, her voice trembling.

"Don’t lose her too."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she sat there, hoping against hope that Vikram would find the strength to mend his broken soul.

Some time later, as the peaceful Sunday morning unfolded, the house remained eerily quiet.

The weight of the previous night still lingered in the air.

Vikram stirred in his sleep, his body tense as memories of the night slowly surfaced. He groaned, his head pounding from the alcohol, but something felt different.

His arms felt empty. He blinked groggily, and the image of Aarvi nestled in his arms flashed in his mind.

Was it real? He sat up abruptly, the blankets slipping off him as he looked around, disoriented.

His heart raced, the warmth of her tiny body still vivid against his chest, but now she was gone.

Just then, Dadi-sa, who had been silently watching, spoke in a gentle voice, breaking the silence,

"Looking for her?"

Vikram’s gaze snapped to her, confusion clouding his features.

“She was here,” Dadi-sa continued, her voice soft,

“sleeping in your arms. The first time since she was born… she finally feel her father's embrace.”

The words hit Vikram like a punch to the gut. He had held her. His daughter. The one he’d pushed away for so long. A pang of regret tore through him.

“But…” he began, his voice rough from the weight of his emotions,

“where is she now?”

Dadi-sa sighed, her eyes filled with compassion.

"Meher use apne sath le gyi (Meher took her). She didn’t want Aarvi to be here when you woke up afraid you might hurt her in your state."

Vikram’s heart sank. Hurt her? The thought shattered him.

He couldn’t deny it..he had blamed Aarvi for everything, for Shanaya’s death, for his pain.

But last night… something had changed. For the first time, he had felt a strange, undeniable connection to his daughter.

He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, guilt clawing at him.

“I... I didn’t mean to...” his voice trailed off.

Dadi-sa placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Vikram, you’ve been drowning in your grief for too long. Aarvi is a part of Shanaya she’s the only piece of her left. Don’t lose her too.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy with truth. Vikram’s chest tightened as he tried to process everything.

Could he really change? Could he learn to be the father Aarvi needed, the father he had failed to be until now?

"I don’t know how," he whispered, his voice breaking.

"I don’t know how to be a father without her."

Dadi-sa’s eyes softened, her thumb still gently brushing his hair.

"You start by letting go of the guilt, by accepting that Shanaya would want you to love Aarvi. That’s how you honor her."

Vikram’s throat tightened as he blinked back tears. He looked down at his empty hands, feeling the weight of the moment.

Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t too late.

Vikram sat in silence for a moment, the truth of Dadi-sa's words sinking in.

He knew she was right. Shanaya wouldn’t want him to live this way lost in his guilt, unable to love the one person she left behind. He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his mistakes.

Dadi-sa gently stood up, her hand lingering on his shoulder for a moment longer.

“You have a chance to change things, Vikram. Don’t let it slip away.” Her voice was soft, filled with both hope and a quiet plea.

As she left the room, Vikram leaned back against the bedframe, his mind racing. The image of Aarvi sleeping peacefully on his chest, trusting him, filled his thoughts. He had been so blind, so consumed by his grief that he hadn’t realized what he was losing—his daughter, the only connection he had left to Shanaya.

His fingers twitched, remembering how tiny and fragile Aarvi felt in his arms. He didn’t deserve her trust, but maybe, if he could find the strength, he could be the father she needed. But how? How could he undo the damage he had caused? How could he make up for all the times he pushed her away?

"Ek aur baat(one more thing)"dadi-sa stated.

“Meher tumhari biwi hai, chahe sirf ek kagaz pe sign karke tumne shadi ki ho, lekin voh tumhari biwi hai. Sirf ek vada nibhane ke liye apni zindagi us bachi ke naam kar chuki hai. Mai jaanti hoon ke mere kehne se kuch nahi badlega, tum dono ek doosre se be-bunyadi nafrat karte ho. Baaki jo tumhe sahi lage, voh karo,” Dadi-sa said softly before getting up and leaving the room.

Vikram clenched his fists, frustration building inside him. Of course, he thought bitterly, Meher must have told Dadi-sa to say this.

"She’s made this all about herself," Vikram muttered under his breath, trying to convince himself that he wasn’t the one at fault. But deep down, he couldn’t deny that something in Dadi-sa's words had struck a chord. Meher had sacrificed everything for Aarvi—whether he wanted to admit it or not.