Secrets of a Second Life

Nakul's Emotional Recovery

Days passed, and Nakul remained in the hospital, too weak to return home. His body was healing, but his mind was fractured. The trauma of what he had been through, the overwhelming emotions that had built up throughout his pregnancy, began to take their toll.

Nakul often found himself staring at the child—his child—without understanding what he felt. There was a distance between him and the baby, an unsettling sense that this child wasn't just his, but something much greater, something tied to forces he couldn't comprehend. Every time the baby cried, a strange feeling washed over Nakul—a mixture of fear and confusion, as though the cries carried a deeper, hidden message.

One night, Nakul awoke from another nightmare, drenched in sweat. He saw the crib at the corner of his hospital room, the baby silently asleep. But something felt wrong. He could feel a presence again, like the ones from his dreams. The whispers of the curse had not completely vanished, and they seemed to center around the child.

Pradyuman noticed Nakul's growing detachment, and though he tried to console his son, Nakul's emotional state was deteriorating. He began withdrawing, avoiding holding or even acknowledging the baby. Abhijeet, who had become a constant source of support, tried to break through to Nakul.

"You're not alone in this, Nakul. We'll get through this together," Abhijeet said, sitting beside him one evening. "But you need to talk to me. You need to let me in."

Nakul looked at him, his eyes filled with fear. "I can't. I don't even know what's happening to me anymore. This child... I'm scared of it."

Abhijeet frowned, not understanding. "Scared? But it's your child."

"Is it?" Nakul whispered. "Or is it something else? I keep having these dreams, these visions... it doesn't feel human.