The last letter

Part 3

P.S.: Dadi once said to me that if she died she'll come back as our daughter. So think only the one thorn in your life has been removed and everything is as it should be. You have your Dadi, Purab, Alia and maybe I don't know, Tanu or someone else and your whole family.

King finished reading the letter and no one was able to look into his eyes. Abhi was even more guilt ridden that even when he hated her she still loved him and gave up her life to bring their child into this world. The hate he supposedly had for her just vanished the moment he came to know she was dead. He knows what it is to miss a mother and he himself murdered his own love and the mother of his child. He is distraught that he couldn't support her during her difficult time and couldn't erase the pain she had to go through due to him. He never knew to what extent his words had affected her. He couldn't control anymore and dropped to the ground and started to cry bitterly. All were in disbelief of what they had just heard and how that one moment when no one was there to hold Pragya had led to such tragedy. Abhi's words that he'll barsi for his relationship with her kept ringing in everyone's mind and now how they aren't going to do barsi for their relationship but for Pragya herself. All of them are startled out of their reviere when they heard a child's cry. Abhi hearing his baby's cry gets up and goes to her in an instant but stops just short of her cradle when he is about to touch her and withdraws his hand painfully. King is next and tries to calm her but his efforts are in vain as she bawls out more loudly. He apologizes
King: I'm sorry but she is a cranky child and it takes me almost 2-3 hours just to get her quiet. I'm extremely sorry.
All except Abhi try to mollify Baby Abhigya but are unsucessfull. Abhi just stands there in tears not able to bear the cries of his girl and the news of his beloved's fate and death due to him. He is snapped out of his thoughts when Purab pleads to him.
Purab: Please Abhi just try to calm Abhigya. She may calm down in your embrace. Please I'm not able to bear her cries. Her tears remind me too much of Pragya Di's tears. Please, I didn't lend her a shoulder once and all this happened and I don't know what I'll do if she continues to cry.
Abhi: Purab even I can't bear her crying but I don't have the courage to hold her. We both know how it is to miss our mothers when we were children and I myself snatched her mother from her. I just murdered my child's mother. I can't look into her eyes Purab. I can't.

But after persuasion from everyone he takes his baby from a very hesitant King and the baby calms down instantly and looks at him with big eyes which resemble Pragya. To make her sleep he starts to sing her the song "Sun Raha hai" which once Pragya sung for him. But instead of dozing off the baby becomes more alert which is unusual of a baby as if listening to the song. His eyes start shedding tears and he feels a small soft hand on his cheeks. He looks down to see his baby patting his cheek as if asking him not to cry.
Abhi: Baby I'm a bad human right. I snatched your mother from you. Please don't hate me for this. I know I don't deserve you or your love for what I did to you and her. But please don't hate me I'll die if you hate me. Even your mother is not here with me due to me and if you now leave me I won't have any reason to live.
He keeps murmuring things like this to the baby and the baby just plays with his dog tags. After a while when Abhi is a little stable King tries to take Abhigya from him. Abhi is not ready to leave her and the baby also isn't ready to get away from her father's embrace and keeps snuggling with him. Abhi begs King to let him be with her but King is adamant to not leave her.
King: Why do you want her. You didn't want her mother and when she is no more what do you want to do with the only symbol left of her. Why should I leave her here? Huh! So that you may kill her with your words later. I'll not let that happen.
Abhi: Please let Abhigya be with me. I lost the only source of my solace with Pragya and now if you take her also with you I'll die the next instant. Please.
All try to plead with King.
King: All right I'll let her be here but I'll stay with you in this home. And if a find a single thing that goes against her best will I'll take her with me the next instant.
Hearing King Abhi cries tears of joy and swears to himself that he'll not fail hos daughter. He had failed his wife many times but won't let her down this time.
Abhi: Purab lets go shopping right now. I want two beautiful cradles today itself at home.
Purab: Done Bhai.

King started living with the Mehras for the month and soon Disha also gave birth to a beautiful baby boy Sunny. Abhi even refused to come to hospital and was adamant to meet his nephew only at home.
When everyone was at the hospital Abhi was in his room next to a sleeing Abhigya and talking to her.
Abhi: Baby I didn't go to hospital because if I went I'll go mad with the images that will form in my head of my Pragya giving birth to you and me not being there and being responsible for her state. I wish I hadn't said those words then you would have been safely in her stomach and I'll be taking care of her and you and fulfilling every wish of hers and yours. You know I have let your mother down so many times but she never let me down and I just failed her and now you also. I have promised on my life that if I let you down ever in your life I'll die the next instant.

Few days later Disha returned from the hospital with Sunny in her arms and all were surprised to see Abhi standing there with Abhigya in one arm and a aarthi plate on the other hand. He then gave the aarthi playe to dasi to give aarthi to Disha. He had also redecorated his room so that now it looks like as if Pragya herself decorated it.

He had also started sleeping near Abhigya's crib at night that no one had ever heard her crying at night as he woke up the instant she woke up and made her sleep after attending to her.

Seeing all the efforts made by Abhi King also started believing that Abhi will take proper care of Abhigya. Soon the month ended and King left the house not before burning the adoption papers and giving Abhi Pragya's last belonging which was a diary and her mangalsutra.

Note: Sorry for the delay as this part amd the next one were typed in my phone and my brother took it with him for some days. Hope you all like it and give some comments so that I can improve.
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