Poppy & His Princess

A Daughter's Yearning

It was a busy afternoon at Birla Hospital, with Dr. Abhimanyu Birla just finishing up his final appointment. His mind was occupied with the cases he had attended to, but little did he know that a call was about to change everything.

His phone rang, and when he saw the school's name flashing on the screen, his heart skipped a beat. It was rare for them to call unless it was something urgent.

Dr. Birla?

The voice on the other end was the school nurse, her tone tinged with concern. It's about Ruhi. She's running a high fever and isn't feeling well. We think she needs to go home immediately. We've been trying to reach you. She's asking for you, sir... She keeps saying she only wants poppy.

Abhimanyu's heart tightened. Ruhi-the little girl who had been his world ever since she was born. His niece, yes, but in his heart, she was his daughter. He had always treated her as his own, loved her as his own, and now, hearing her cry for him only made his love for her stronger.

I'm on my way, he said, his voice calm but filled with urgency.

Within minutes, Abhimanyu was in his car, speeding toward the school. His mind raced with worry, and he couldn't shake the image of his sweet little Ruhi in pain. She was only six years old, and his heart couldn't bear the thought of her suffering without him by her side.

As he arrived at the school, the nurse led him to the room where Ruhi lay on the cot, her small face flushed with fever, her eyes heavy from exhaustion. When she saw him, a weak smile crossed her lips, her hands reaching out to him with all the innocence only a child could possess.

Poppy... she whispered, her voice raspy.

Abhimanyu felt a lump in his throat as he rushed to her side, kneeling beside her. "I'm here, princess," he said softly, brushing her damp hair away from her forehead. He could feel the heat radiating off her tiny body, and it tore at him. He had never felt more helpless in his life.

The nurse handed him a bag with Ruhi's things.

She's had a fever for a while now, Dr. Birla. You should take her home and rest. We've already given her some fever medication, but she needs to rest.

Abhimanyu nodded, his gaze never leaving his niece. He carefully scooped her up in his arms, cradling her close to his chest as if she were a fragile treasure. She nestled her head against him, sighing contentedly. There was a bond between them, a bond so deep, so profound, that nothing in the world could break it.

On the way home, Ruhi's small hands clung to him as if afraid he might vanish. "Poppy, don't leave me..." she murmured, her voice filled with a mixture of feverish delirium and love.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart. I'm right here with you," Abhimanyu assured her, his voice thick with emotion.

"I'll always be here for you."

Once they arrived at the Birla home, Abhimanyu carried her inside, settling her carefully onto the couch. The warmth of the house was a stark contrast to the cold fear in his heart. Ruhi had been through so much already, and he couldn't stand to see her like this.

He quickly prepared a small bowl of soup and a glass of water, hoping to coax her into eating something. But Ruhi was stubborn, as she always was.

"No, poppy," she whined weakly, her tiny hands pushing the spoon away. "I don't want medicine."

Abhimanyu's heart broke at her words. He knew she was exhausted, feverish, and probably scared, but he also knew that if she didn't take the medicine, the fever would only worsen.

"Come on, Ruhi. You have to eat. It'll make you feel better, I promise," he coaxed gently, his voice full of love.

But Ruhi, in her little world of discomfort, wasn't having it. "No, poppy!" she cried, her face scrunching up in defiance. "I want you to stay with me!"

Abhimanyu smiled softly, his own heart aching at her request. She was so much like her father, Neil, stubborn and independent, but beneath that tough exterior was a heart that loved deeply.

"I'm not going anywhere, princess," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I'll stay with you, right here, every second. But you need to take this medicine. Please."

Ruhi stared at him, her eyes wide, then, after a moment of hesitation, she finally nodded, her tiny hand reaching for the spoon. "For you, poppy," she whispered.

Abhimanyu held back a tear as he helped her sip the medicine, feeding her slowly, each moment filled with love, tenderness, and the promise of protection. He wiped her tears, her forehead, her little nose, his heart swelling with emotion.

After she finished the medicine, he lay beside her, holding her close, his hands gently rubbing her back to comfort her. The fever still burned within her, but she was safe. She was with him. And nothing in the world could take that away.

"I love you, poppy," she murmured sleepily, her eyes fluttering shut.

Abhimanyu's heart swelled with love and pain. "I love you too, sweetheart. More than you'll ever know."

As Ruhi drifted off to sleep in his arms, Abhimanyu sat there, watching over her, his heart full of promises. He would always protect her, always care for her, because she was his soul, his heart. And no fever, no sickness, could ever change that.

For Abhimanyu, Ruhi was not just his niece-she was his daughter, the light of his life, the little girl he would always cherish and love with all his being.

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