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The memory of the crash keeps replaying in my mind, and the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced—it wasn’t just an accident. It felt deliberate, calculated. Someone wanted me out of the way, and I have a good idea who it might be. That motherf— I'll find him and make him pay. But right now, my mind is elsewhere, stuck on something more important… or someone.
It’s been a week since the accident, and Rashmi has barely spoken to me since. She’s been coming to the hospital every day, but it’s not the same. She talks to my mom and granny, then sits silently in the corner or checks her phone. I catch her looking at me sometimes, a strange expression on her face, like she’s hiding something… or maybe she’s holding back. Either way, I miss the way things were before. I miss her warmth, her laughter, and I miss Ovi more than anything.
Today, I’m finally getting discharged, and the first thing I did was ask Rashmi to bring Ovi with her. I need to see my little girl, to feel her in my arms. A week feels like a lifetime when you’re away from someone you love.
The door clicks open, and my heart leaps. I look up, and there she is—my little Ovi, in Rashmi’s arms, looking at me with those bright eyes. The moment she spots me, her face lights up, and she tries to jump out of Rashmi’s arms, her little arms reaching for me.
“Easy, Ovi,” Rashmi says, holding her back gently.
“Please… let me hold her,” I say, my voice softer than I intended. I look at Rashmi, silently pleading.
After a moment, she steps closer and carefully hands Ovi over to me. The instant I have her in my arms, I pull her close, hugging her tightly, inhaling her familiar baby scent that I’ve missed so much. Ovi giggles, her tiny hands gripping my shirt as she nestles against me. I press a kiss to her forehead, then another to her chubby cheeks, just drinking in the happiness she brings me.
“Ovi, my little princess… I missed you so much,” I murmur, holding her close. She babbles in response, probably not understanding a word, but I don’t care. Just having her here, feeling her warmth in my arms, makes everything else seem distant.
Rashmi stands quietly by the door, watching us, her arms crossed as she observes. There's a slight smile on her lips, but her eyes are hard to read. She’s happy, I think, but there’s something else there too.
I look over at her, Ovi still in my arms. “Rashmi, thank you… for bringing her.”
She nods, giving a small smile but not saying anything. It’s strange, the silence between us.
