Dad's Little Angel

It was a rainy night. A man in his early forties was sitting on a chair lost in his memories in his study room.  The day his whole life changed.

Flashback
" I was pacing back and forth outside the delivery room.  All this waiting is driving me insane. I couldn't help but feel something was wrong. Why the hell it's taking so long. Suddenly the delivery room door opened, and the doctor came out.
I raced towards him to know about my wife and my kid.
"Mr. Bajaj...... " Before the doctor could complete his statement, I interrupted him
" How are my wife and my kid doing? Are they okay? What took so long? Tell me, why are you standing here quietly ?"
" Let me speak, Congratulations Mr. Bajaj, you have a daughter and she is perfectly fine and healthy. We will keep her here for 2 days then you may take her home ."
I hugged the doctor so tightly. I felt like the happiest man alive.
"But...." His tone got me worried.
"Mr. Bajaj, I'm sorry but your wife died while giving birth "
This statement took the floor below my legs. I was shaking. "How could this happen, doctor? You people should try, I couldn't complete my sentence and started crying. The ruthless business that didn't shed a single tear was crying.
" I'm sorry Mr. Bajaj. We tried our best. Your wife has complications during her pregnancy and we advised her to terminate it but she wanted to continue her pregnancy. She decided to not inform you. I'm sorry Mr. Bajaj ." He patted my shoulder and left.
I couldn't believe it. The day which was supposed to be our happiest day changed drastically. I can't bring myself to celebrate the happiness of my daughter's birth. Slowly I get up and moved towards my wife's room.
The sight broke my heart into pieces. I stood still at that sight. My eyes were flooded with tears. Somehow I made my way near her. Tracing her face with my fingers as if to memorize her face by every inch. I sat there while holding her hands.
The nurse broke me out of my reverie. She was holding my daughter in her arms. This brought the memories we ( him and his wife) created together, the dreams we built together for our kid.
When she placed my daughter in my arms after my consent and left from there. I sat in the room with my dead wife and my daughter in my arms. I felt so contented with her in my arms. I took her near her mother and made her lay near her. The sight was so beautiful. I wanted to capture this forever but the reality struck me hard. I started sobbing again.
I didn't realize it but I slept. That's how the nurse finds us.
She gave me the letter my wife left for me.
"Sir, in case your wife couldn't make it, she wanted me to give you this ."
I took it but couldn't bring myself to read it. Decided to leave it for later.
After 5 days
I spent that day near my daughter. Yesterday we did my wife's last rituals. I still couldn't believe that she is no more. I was sitting aloof just with my daughter in my arms. She was looking at me with her innocent hazel eyes. After putting her to sleep and making sure she is sleeping safely in her crib although I'm here, I decided to read the letter she left.

" Dearest Rishabh,
Please don't be mad at me for hiding my complications from you.
The day I got to know that I'm pregnant was the happiest day of my life. At that moment, I fell in love with the kid. As a mother, I wanted to protect my kid even if it was not born. So when the doctor told me to terminate this pregnancy due to complications, I knew without a doubt that I couldn't.
I knew if I had told you, you would've told me to terminate the pregnancy. I didn't want to hurt you and I saw how much happy you were when you heard that you're going to be a dad. I just couldn't bring myself to snatch that happiness from you. I knew how much you have suffered since childhood and how could I be cruel to snatch it from you. I decided to create memories till my last breath.
It pains me that I want to be able to see my daughter grow, call it mother's intuition I somehow know that it's a daughter. I wouldn't be a part of her first word, first teeth, walk, school, and everything she would achieve and her all firsts.
The last few months we've spent together were the best months of my life. I feel blessed to be loved by a man like you. For the world, you may be anything but for me, you are my life and now our daughter will be a part of it. I feel blessed to be able to complete my dream to be a wife and mother, no matter how short the time was given to me.
I love you both dearly with all my heart and soul. I'm sorry I couldn't be with you both any longer. I know I have to leave but I'll be watching you both from above forever.
Rishabh, I want you to find love again. You have such a big heart. Find someone who will love you and our daughter, you will love her with all your heart. Remember that you will not be replacing me, our hearts just grew whenever a new person came to love. I love you both.
Name her Kuki ."

With all my love
Ahaana

I hugged the letter to my chest and allowed the tears to fall freely from my eyes.
" I promise you Ahaana, I'll be the best father to our daughter "

Flashback over

It has been 5 years since Ahaana left us. After Ahaana left, I again become the ruthless man I was labeled for the world and my world ,my Kukie.
She was the best thing that happened to me. She was the reason I'm living. She is the light in my already darkened life. I complete her  every demand.
She was just like her mother, the same eyes which held all the innocence but mischief in her eyes , a same nose which twitches when she doesn't like anything.
Kukie his bundle of joy, his world.
Suddenly a sound broke him out of his memories.
He saw his angel standing near the door holding her blanket in one hand and her favorite soft toy in her other.
" What happened princess," I asked her worried and made my way towards her. Holding her in my arms "What happened " She took a minute then cutely said that there was thunder outside and I thought you will get scared so you need your angel by your side na, she said in her language.
I chuckled at it and took her in my arms and made my way towards her room .