Mending & Healing - Abhigya (Abhi-Pragya)

Realization

Abhisekh stood staring out of the window at the night sky. His mind was racing with a mixture of past memories and thoughts of the present situation. After failing and losing everything, once again he had failed. Losing his elder daughter, his Kiara, was bad enough. Then to top it off he lost Pragya and their elder twin too and now... now he was at the verge of losing the only thing he had left, his Rhea.

He exhaled deeply, rubbing his face with one hand and banged his fist against the wall next to the window.

He knew he had no one to blame for it but himself. He had taken his younger daughter from Pragya all those years ago, vowing that he would never let any harm come to her, that he would give her everything and protect her. He successfully managed to do just that but somewhere in the process had lost track of giving her a good upbringing as well. His love, his protection had spoiled her and turned her into a danger to her own life. His little girl had started on a path that was going to destroy her life if she stayed on it.

In that moment he couldn't help but wonder would Rhea have still been the same if she'd grown up under Pragya's love and guidance, with her sisters by her side? He knew in his heart the answer was no. Pragya would have never allowed their daughter to turn out the way Rhea was becoming even if it meant fighting him for it. Kiara was an example of her upbringing. She was so well adjusted despite of the fact that she had grown up with mainly a single mother and in a dysfunctional family. She was mischievous like him but also grounded like Pragya. She even accepted him and King in her life simultaneously with a maturity well beyond her age. He knew it was only because of Pragya's upbringing and her influence. He once again recalled the memory of them arguing over discipling and pampering their child. He had done exactly what he said he would do and the result of the lack of discipline was in front of him.

His thoughts then shifted to Kiara again and he suddenly found it difficult to breathe. It had been 16 years and he still didn't know how to live with the pain of losing her. It still hurt like yesterday. People always say that time heals wounds but it doesn't. It leaves scars that serve as a constant reminder of the past and everything that you've lost. The only thing that heals is love and he had pushed away the only love that could have healed him with his own hands. He'd done the same thing he did after losing his Dadi. He pushed his Pragya away, blamed her for all the wrong when he knew in his heart that he was just as much at fault If not more. While he was furious with what King had done and the fact that she believed that bastard over him, that she went ahead against him, he knew in his heart that she wasn't at fault for trying to do what she thought was best to save their daughter. She had no idea the kidnaper was Nikhil and that he only wanted revenge from them. In all honestly, he himself didn't know any more if Nikhil really would have left Kiara had he gotten the money. Maybe he would have actually done it. There was no way to know it. There wasn't anyway then and there was no use now.

He then recalled her words to him that fateful day. Her words, although felt like a knife to his heart, were true and deep in his heart he couldn't deny them. It was him, his connection to Tanu and Nikhil that had lead to them being a part of Kiara's life in the first place. He then recalled Pragya's fear of losing Kiara. It was something she'd told him of when he was trying to convince her to give them a second chance. It was the only thing holding her back at the time. She didn't want to lose her daughter knowing there were people in his life who could harm them. She wasn't wrong. Tanu did try and kill their unborn daughters as well and she had tried multiple times to have Pragya killed as well. Her fears had come true after all and all because of him! He cursed the day he met Tanu. Cursed himself for ever getting involved with her and he would do so for the rest of his days. Abhi squeezed his eyes shut from pain and guilt. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart in a death grip and his lungs at the same time.

He opened his eyes and took a deep breathe, trying to calm his now racing heart. It still left him physically ill everything he thought about it which is why he rarely did but he was beginning to realize that avoiding it wasn't a solution.

Seeing the way following Pragya's words on communication worked with Rhea was forcing him to think and reflect even more. Ultimately, after all of his failed attempts it was Pragya's words that worked for Rhea. However, he also knew that just because Rhea apologized today and understood she was wrong didn't mean that she was on the right path again. She was still very much at a cross road and could easily fall further down the path he never wanted to see her venture. It was like watching history repeat itself only this time instead of his baby sister it was his baby girl he was going to lose. He shook his head and rubbed his face again. No, no he couldn't sit around do nothing. He had to act and act in the manner best for her. His daughter was in need of guidance and discipline that he just couldn't give her because for one he'd never understood it himself. It was Pragya who had always kept him on the strait and narrow. Even now his life was a mess, he just managed to hide it or chalk it off before anyone could find out.

He looked up once again and stared at the crescent moon, marking the start of the lunar month. The moon, this night sky and the stars all were tied so closely to his love and his life. They were witness to the best and worst moments of his life as his constant companions. In the past 16 years they had witnessed his pain and suffering while keeping him connected to her. He knew where ever she was, she was also looking out at them, that they were her companions too and it was this connection that gave him the little solace he needed to get through his days. Right now, It felt like a sign to seeing this phase of the moon. Almost like it was telling him that he needs a new beginning too. A new start. As he gazed at the moon, he finally acknowledged what he needs to do going forward. The step he needs to take to set things right again. In all honestly, he's known in his heart for a while but it was only now he was listening to it.

The only way forwards was finding her. He needed to bring Pragya back into his Rhea's life. Admitting failure is never easy. It's bitter and painful but this was about his daughter more than his ego and him. Everything aside, he needs Pragya, he's always needed her and he couldn't deny it anymore. Not just for himself but more importantly for his daughter. If he lost more time with Pragya because of his ego; his inability to let go of the past, he was going to end up losing the only child he had with him. Neither Pragya nor he himself would ever be able to forgive him for that if it happened.

With that in mind, he walked over to his side table with determination and picked up his phone. It was time to act. It was time to find Pragya.