In the wee hours of the morning, when the hospital corridors were silent, the moon hid behind clouds, and cool winds swept fallen leaves, a baby was born. The echoes of her cries reverberated for a long time.
"It's a girl," Danesh read the message as he drove to the hospital. The distance seemed to stretch endlessly until he finally arrived. Quickly locking his car in the parking lot, he rushed to the room to see his child. By then, the baby girl had fallen asleep, exhausted from crying.
At 35, after seven years of marriage, it was a dream come true for Danesh. His waiting, prayers, and wishes had all been answered. As he approached, the baby girl opened her eyes, as if reaching out to him. Danesh smiled, gently touching her tender head wrapped in soft white cloth. Her eyes captivated him.
"The eyes... they look so familiar," he thought to himself. Those eyes seemed to gaze at him with profound love, and Danesh couldn't hold back his tears. Leaning over the cradle, he whispered softly, "My little princess."
"Is she awake?" Danesh heard Sheba's weak voice from the bed. He turned to see his wife, exhausted after labor, smiling with drooping eyes, almost succumbing to sleep.
"She's beautiful," Danesh whispered, his happiness tinged with tears.
They named her Disha, a combination of their names symbolizing the direction they both cherished. Days of celebration and sleepless nights followed as they cherished their little princess. Yet, whenever Danesh looked into her eyes, a faint ache haunted his heart. "Where have I seen these eyes before?"
Years passed, and Danesh and Sheba loved Disha more with each day. On Disha's sixteenth birthday, the party ended, leaving the night silent. Disha had fallen asleep on the sofa in the hall. Danesh gazed at her peaceful face and gently lifted her, guiding her sleepily to her room. As he tucked her into bed, he noticed a notebook near the lamp on her table.
"I know this flower," his heart whispered. He wondered if Disha or Sheba had drawn it.
"No," he thought, shaking his head. His sleep that night was troubled by images—Disha's hands reaching for his phone, her eyes, the drawing in the book.
In the dim light, Danesh found himself holding Disha's notebook, its textured cover adorned with a flower drawing. He flipped through, reading her writing until he reached the last page, illuminated faintly by Disha's bedside lamp.
"She died waiting for his call, yearning for his loving gaze from their past life. Now, he is hers... She looked at him while offering him a piece of her birthday cake..."
Danesh felt a rush of emotions overwhelm him. Memories of Shami flooded his mind—her eyes, her smile, her love. He sat silently beside Disha's bed, deeply affected.
"I'll wait for your call," Danesh remembered her last message. It was after a trivial fight that he had ignored. He had set his phone aside that night, unaware it would be their final communication. He was just 25 then, struggling with the intensity of an 18-year-old's love.
Danesh was awakened from his thoughts by a call from Sharan, Shami's brother, years ago. She had passed away in her sleep, and Danesh took years to overcome his grief. Eventually, he moved on, rejecting proposals that came his way. Over time, memories of Shami faded, buried under the busyness of life.
Danesh recalled Shami's smile, her eyes, her love—now reflected in Disha. He felt the same pain he had experienced upon hearing the news of Shami's passing. In Disha's writing, her eyes, her smile, Danesh found echoes of Shami's presence. He stood beside Disha's bed, his emotions raw.
"Good night, my princess," Danesh whispered as he stroked Disha's hair, his heart overflowing with love.
"Good night, Papa," Disha murmured sleepily.
Returning to his room, Danesh reflected, "Life has given me a second chance... to love."
Author Bio
With a diverse career spanning law, hypnotherapy, and media psychology, Adv. Dr. Kriss Venugopal has contributed to over 82 books and earned acclaim as one of India's top 100 authors twice, including a Rabindranath Tagore Award for Literature. Their artistic journey extends to acting in 22 films across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi, and over 20 serials in Malayalam, alongside roles as a mentor at Kalanilayam's Little Big Theatre and a renowned dubbing artist. Beyond the screen, they have excelled as an award-winning radio jockey with over 15,000 hours on air in Malayalam, Tamil, and Hindi, and as a voice artist and coach across six languages, while also engaging audiences as a prolific YouTuber and motivational speaker. Currently pursuing an LLM at OP Jindal Global Law School, their passion for learning continues to drive their multifaceted career.
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