52. VEGGIES

AUTHOR’S POV 

"She called you 'Baba,'" Shaurya whispered, his voice low, almost hoarse, as if the words scraped against his throat. His fingers tightened into fists, but his shoulders slumped under the weight of emotions he had spent years suppressing.

"Yeah," Ranveer replied, his smile warm yet laced with an understanding sorrow. He knew the depth of that one word. He knew what it meant for Shaurya to hear it from someone else's lips instead of his own daughter's.

Shaurya inhaled sharply, the movement subtle but telling. "When did she start calling you that?" His voice was steady, but just barely.

Ranveer hesitated, his gaze flickering with something unspoken. "A few days after the wedding," he admitted.

Shaurya's jaw tensed, his expression unreadable, but his eyes-his eyes carried too much. Something like longing. Something like grief. "Did she just... start calling you that? Out of nowhere?" The question was casual in tone, but Ranveer could hear the fracture beneath it.

"No, actually... what happened was..." Ranveer began explaining, his voice softening as he recalled the memory. The way she had darted around the house, dodging every attempt to make her drink that awful herbal concoction. It had been chaos. And now, sitting here, sharing that memory, it almost felt lighthearted. Almost.

Shaurya exhaled, a ghost of a chuckle escaping him. For a brief second, something in his expression softened. Then, just as quickly, it was gone. "Yeah, that's just how she is," he murmured, but his voice lacked warmth. It was distant, lost in something deeper. A moment later, he added, so quietly that Ranveer almost missed it, "But finally... finally, my daughter is happy."

Ranveer studied him for a moment before leaning forward slightly. "Why don't you just talk to her, Shaurya? Tell her how you feel."

Shaurya let out a breath-long, slow, measured. Not a sigh of relief, but of restraint. "And say what?" His voice was rough now, as if forced through clenched teeth. "That I failed her?" His hands opened and closed, his fingers flexing as though he were trying to grasp something that had slipped away long ago. "That no matter what I did, it was never enough?"

He exhaled, looking past Ranveer, his gaze fixed on nothing and everything. "I remember the first time I held her." His voice dropped lower, quieter. "I didn't even feel the pain of losing my other child. I was just... in awe. I loved her. I wanted to give her everything."

He let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head. "But I failed."

His hand lifted, running down his face before resting at the back of his neck, where tension had settled like an old companion. "I tried to balance everything-her, Aarav, Yuvi-but it was never enough. I was always stretched too thin, always torn between responsibilities. And she... she slipped right through my hands."

His fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose, as if warding off an ache that had long since become part of him. "Every night after Yuvi fell asleep, I'd check on her. I never made it to her school events because of Yuvi, but I knew everything about them. I knew my mother mistreated her, so I asked Moksh and Aditya to stay close to her, to protect her." A pause. A tightening of his jaw. "Especially after my sister died."

Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.

"My mother blamed my Shivnya," he finally said, the words almost suffocating him. "And I... I couldn't think straight. I sent her to boarding school, thinking it would be better for her. But she's my daughter. She's my blood. Of course, she didn't stay quiet. She got into a fight. Put a kid in the ICU."

A bitter smirk ghosted across his lips before disappearing. "I should've been there. I should've held her. Should've told her..." He let the words hang, unfinished.

Ranveer, sensing the suffocating weight of Shaurya's memories, tried to ease the tension. "You know... both Shivnya and Abhimanyu ended up killing someone who tried to hit on the other. Shivnya killed the CM's daughter, and Abhimanyu took down a renowned businessman's son." A smirk played at his lips, dark amusement flickering in his eyes.

Shaurya let out a breath that might have been a laugh, but it carried no real mirth. Just exhaustion. Just resignation. "They're just alike." A pause. Then, barely above a whisper, "But I still regret that day."

Ranveer didn't need to ask which day.

Shaurya sat straighter, his body rigid with something like control-but it wasn't strength. It was survival. "The day I didn't pick up her call." His voice was steady, but the weight behind it was unbearable. "I was at Aarav's success party, celebrating, while she..." He exhaled sharply through his nose. "She needed me."

Ranveer reached out, his hand gripping Shaurya's shoulder. He could feel the tension coiled beneath his touch, the silent war raging inside his friend.

"I know how much pain you've been carrying," Ranveer murmured. "But one day, she will see it. She will see your pain."

Shaurya's fingers curled into his palms, his knuckles whitening. "She thinks she built herself up alone. That everything she achieved was only her doing. And yes, she's brilliant." He exhaled sharply, his voice rougher now. "But it was me, Ranveer."

Ranveer stayed silent, letting him speak.

"I went to every client, convinced them to invest in her. I bought shares in her company anonymously. I made sure she could focus on her work without distractions." His shoulders tensed, as if bracing himself against a force he couldn't fight.

Ranveer gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Calm down, Shaurya."

Shaurya inhaled sharply, but his breath came out unsteady, breaking just slightly. "How can I?" His voice was quiet now, raw in a way he rarely let it be. "She won't even look at me."

Then, the confession. The one he had never spoken aloud.

"The love I wanted to give her... you're the one she goes to for it." His throat worked as he swallowed. "The word I've been waiting to hear... she calls you."

Ranveer's grip on his shoulder tightened, grounding him.

Shaurya closed his eyes for a fraction of a second before opening them again, his gaze dark, hollow. "The day she started calling herself an orphan... I stopped feeling alive."

The words hung in the air, settling deep into the silence between them.

Ranveer pulled him into a tight embrace, his own eyes misting over. "I'm here, Shaurya," he murmured. "And I promise you, one day, she'll understand. She'll know how much you love her."

But even as Ranveer held him, Shaurya's heart felt like it was breaking all over again, each beating a painful reminder of the love he had lost and the longing that refused to fade.

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ABHIMANYU’S POV 

"Jaan, wakey wakey," I whispered softly, brushing a few strands of hair away from Shivnya's face. She stirred slightly, her brows knitting together as she blinked awake.

"Uhmmm... yeah," she mumbled sleepily, her voice still thick with sleep. I helped her sit up slowly, her delicate yawn followed by a gentle rub of her eyes. I couldn't help but smile at how endearing she looked, so vulnerable and innocent. "Do you want to eat with the family or stay here?" I asked softly.

She pouted, her lips forming a small, adorable curve, and whispered, "Family."

I nodded, instinctively reaching to cradle her in my arms. But she pulled back, her eyes firm, and said, "Nooo, I can walk."

"But I don't want you to strain yourself," I replied, my voice filled with concern.

She moved closer, standing on the bed to be at eye level with me, and cupped my face in her soft hands. Her eyes, deep and full of determination, met mine as she reassured me, "I won't, and besides, I'm injured on my shoulder, not on my legs."

I chuckled, the corners of my lips lifting in a smile, unable to resist her charm. I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, feeling her warmth seep into me, and finally let her down from the bed. We freshened up together, her hand always finding its way back to mine, and then we made our way downstairs.

Shivnya's eyes scanned the room, looking for familiar faces. She frowned slightly when she didn't see Baba and asked, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness, "Maa, Baba kaha hain?"
( mom where is dad?? )

Maa hesitated, knowing Dad had gone to meet her father but couldn't tell her that. Before she could respond, Dad appeared in the doorway with a smile and said, "Hum yaha hain, beta."
( I am here , my child )

A bright smile lit up Shivnya's face as she rushed to him, her steps light and joyful. Baba welcomed her with open arms, gently caressing her head and cheeks, his expression filled with love and adoration. She pouted again, a mix of complaint and affection in her voice, "Kaha gaye the, Baba?"

( where did you went baba ? )

Watching them, I couldn't help but feel a pang in my chest-her bond with Baba was so much stronger than mine. Truth be told, she had woven herself so tightly into the fabric of my family that I was certain my parents would side with her in a heartbeat. One wrong word from me, one raised voice, one unfulfilled wish, and they'd be ready to throw me out if it meant keeping her smile intact.

"Office ka kuch kaam," Dad replied, his smile gentle and affectionate.
( office work)

Shivnya's face softened, her smile returning like the sun after a brief cloud, and they both moved to take their seats. I watched them, my heart swelling with love for the woman who had brought so much light and warmth into my life and my family.

Every moment with her felt like a blessing, every smile a reason to love her more.

"Abhimanyu, you feed her," mom insisted gently but firmly, her concern showing in her eyes. "You know she should only eat with her right hand, or she'll end up getting food all over herself. We don't want to hurt her wound."

I nodded, understanding her worry, but I also knew that feeding Shivuu was never simple. I prepared a plate with sautéed vegetables and soup, knowing she needed the nutrients to heal. As I brought the plate over, she glanced at it and immediately made a face-a mixture of defiance and disbelief that made me bite back a grin.

"Vegggies?" she whined, her voice filled with playful annoyance.I felt my heart soften at her familiar tone. This was my Shivuu-a warrior in every way, except when it came to eating her greens.

"Yes," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, though a smile tugged at my lips.She pouted, her big eyes staring up at me with a mix of mischief and mock rebellion.

"Noooo, I don't want it," she whispered, like a child refusing medicine.

I chuckled softly. I loved this stubbornness of hers, the way she could make something so simple feel like a challenge. Raising a spoonful to her lips, I coaxed, "Come on, sweetheart. It's good for you."She shook her head, pulling her face back, her nose scrunching in protest.

"Nooo, but..."Before she could finish, Dad's gentle voice intervened.

"Shivuuu, beta, it's for your health. Please eat."She sighed dramatically but opened her mouth, and I felt a small triumph with each bite she reluctantly took. I loved seeing her like this, the way she softened around the edges, letting her guard down, even if just for a moment.

When she'd eaten about half, she pushed the plate away, her voice a soft mumble. "I'm full. I don't want to eat more."

I leaned in, my voice dropping to a whisper, trying to persuade her. "But you've barely eaten, love."She shook her head more firmly this time, a determined glint in her eyes.

"No, Abhi, I'm really full."Maa intervened before I could continue. "Don't force her, Abhi. She's just come back from the hospital. Let her eat as much as she wants."

I knew Maa was only trying to help, but I also knew MY Shivuu better than anyone. I could see the little spark in her eyes, the way her lips twitched into a smile she was trying to hide. She wasn't full-she just didn't want to eat her veggies. "But Maa-"

Shivuu turned to me with those big, pleading eyes that always made my heart ache with love. "Abhi, please," she murmured, her voice like a soft melody.

"I'm full, I don't want to eat more."I sighed, my resistance melting away. How could I say no to her? "Okay, okay... fine," I said with a playful sigh. "But if you feel hungry later, promise me you'll tell me."

Her face lit up with that mischievous smile I adored. She muttered under her breath, "With this food, I'd never be hungry again in my life."

I caught her words but pretended not to. "What did you say?"

She grinned, her eyes dancing with mischief. "Nothing."

We moved to our room, and I gently helped her with her bandages, my fingers lingering on her soft skin, tracing the curves of her arms and shoulder. I could feel the tremor in her hand, the way her breath hitched slightly as I touched her, and it sent a shiver down my spine. Her gaze never left mine, a silent conversation passing between us, charged with emotions I couldn't quite name.

"Does it hurt?" I asked, my voice low, my heart tightening at the thought of her in pain.She shook her head, but her eyes told another story, filled with vulnerability. I leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

" I'm here, always," I whispered, feeling her relax against me.Finally, it was time for bed. As soon as we lay down, I hugged from her back and I hugged her tighter , my body curling against her in that way that made me feel like I was holding the most precious thing in the world. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer, feeling the steady beat of her heart against my chest. She called me her "cuddle bear," and I would be that and more, anything she needed.

Her hands started tracing lazy circles on my hands , her fingers sending sparks across my skin. I could feel her smile against my face , a soft curve of her lips that warmed me to my core. Her touch was so gentle, so familiar, yet it sent a thrill through me every time , pressing my lips to her forehead. "Sleep now, love. I'm right here."

As she nestled even closer, I felt her breathing slowly, her body melting into mine like we were two halves of the same whole. She was my light in the dark, the calm in my chaos. In her arms, I felt whole, complete, like she had filled every empty space inside me with her warmth and her love. I tightened my grip around her, feeling her heartbeat sync with mine, and as I closed my eyes, I knew that I would never, ever let her go. As sleep began to claim us, I whispered into the quiet of the room, "I love you, Shivuu. More than anything in this world."

And just before we drifted off, I heard her whisper back, "I love you too, Abhi. Forever and always."

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

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