Vaiga’s pov!

“Hey! I am Drishti. This darpok’s best friend. And my husband is bestfriends with Abhi bhai.” The green-eyed girl said chirpily, as she extended her arms towards me for a shake. 

“Vaiga. Vaiga Raghuswamy.” I said with a soft smile.

“By the way, I am a princess. Her Highness Drishti Maheswari..” Drishti said and my eyes widened in surprise.

Royalty? Woah! I have never seen royalty before. 

“Oh please, D. Spare her your royalty speech.” Siddhu said with a groan and Drishti huffed in annoyance.

“He is just jealous because he doesn’t have a tiara like me.” Drishti said and I couldn’t help but chuckle. She is cute.

Amidst the cheerful banter between Siddhu and Drishti, a familiar giggle caught my attention. 

I looked down to see little Kriti, making her way towards us on all her fours, her chubby legs propelling her forward with determination. 

When did she wake up? How come I didn’t realise? I panicked, but instantly relaxed seeing Anjana Maa walking behind her.

“I went to keep the ironed clothes in your room and she woke up at that moment.” Anjana Maa said and my gaze shifted back to the baby crawling over to us.

The room seemed to brighten at the sight of the little one, her laughter filling the air like a melody.

As Kriti approached, Drishti teased the adorable baby, poking her gently and making silly faces.

"Well, hello there, little munchkin!" Drishti cooed, wiggling her fingers in front of Kriti's face.

Kriti responded with giggles and squeals of delight, her eyes sparkling with joy. It was evident that Drishti is a regular visitor from the familiarity between Kriti and Drishti.

As Kriti threw a colourful toy, it hit squarely on Siddhu’s chest and Drishti started laughing.

But as Drishti leaned in closer to me while laughing, Kriti's mood shifted. 

A determined look crossed her face as she crawled towards us, her chubby hands reaching out to push Drishti away, a protective growl escaping her tiny lips.

I was astonished at the way she behaved.

Drishti let out a laugh of surprise as Kriti sank her teeth into her thigh, the unexpected bite catching her off guard.

"Ouch! Okay, okay, what did I do now?" She chuckled, rubbing her thigh with a mixture of amusement and astonishment.

"Looks like someone's feeling a little possessive," Siddhu said, his surprise evident in his voice, as he looked at me and Kriti.

She was getting possessive about me? Aww!

I couldn't help but marvel at Kriti’s fierce possessiveness, a swell of pride filling my heart.

I scooped Kriti up into my arms and showered her with affectionate kisses.

“Aww, my baby! I love you so much!” 

Abhay’s pov!

A couple of days passed by. I haven't contacted my school mate yet, regarding Vaiga’s education. I was actually waiting for the PI reports before I proceeded.

I had to know more about her before deciding whether it is a good decision to let her stay at my home. I am not very appreciative of having a stranger at my home, especially when she is using my daughter as an emotional anchorage.

In the last two days, it had become evident that Vaiga and Kriti had gotten attached to each other strongly within such a short span of time. And it scared me like hell.

My phone rang, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked at the caller ID and realised it was the PI. I picked up the call on the second ring.

“Mr Agnihotri. I have mailed you the dossier on Ms Vaiga Raghuswamy. Please check it out and let me know if you need any further information. It is only a surface study. I can go into details if you want.” The PI said.

“Thank you! I will go through it right away. And I will make arrangements for the payment to be processed immediately.” I said and hung up the call.

I opened the mail and went through her dossier. Everything seems clean. The divorce happened a bit quickly and her ex husband got married again very quickly. Hmm! Probably an extra marital affair! Why else would he get married immediately after the divorce.

I messaged the PI and told him the information was enough and asked my PA to process the payment and focused back on my work.

A knock on the door distracted me and my PA came in.

“Mr Maheswari is here to see you, Sir.”

“Send him in.” 

Shravan walked in and took a seat from across me.

“Hey! Didn’t expect you..” I said.

“Well, you won’t come out on Friday nights anymore. So, I had to come here.” Shravan said sarcastically.

“You know, Shravan! How busy I am these days..” I said a lame excuse.

“I am not here for any excuses, Abhay. I am here to take you out. Mithran will meet us at a cafe.” Shravan said.

“Uh! Not today, Shravan. I have lots of work to complete.” I said, not wanting to go out.

“I sent my car and driver away. After coffee, I am coming to your place. Drishti is there. Together we will go home.” Shravan said in a determined tone and I sighed in defeat.

Third person’s pov!

As Shravan and Abhay arrived at the cafe, Mithran was already there waiting for them.

"So, how is work going on, Abhay?" Mithran asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Busy as ever," Abhay replied with a weary smile, the weight of his responsibilities evident in his voice. "But I can't complain. Things are going well."

Shravan exchanged a knowing glance with Mithran before turning his attention back to Abhay. 

"You know, Abhay, it's not healthy to bury yourself in work all the time. You need to take some time for yourself, for your family. Siddhu mentioned, even on Sundays, you are cooped up, either in your bedroom or study, with your laptop."

Abhay's expression hardened slightly at the mention of family, a flicker of guilt crossing his features before he quickly masked it. 

"I am doing what I can, Shravan. My work is important."

Shravan sighed, shaking his head in frustration. 

"But what about Kriti, Abhay? Have you thought about her? She is growing up so fast, and she needs her father."

Abhay's jaw tensed at the mention of his daughter, his guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders. 

"I know, Shravan. Believe me, I know. But I am not ready yet. I can't face her, not after what I have done."

Shravan leaned forward, his voice gentle yet firm. 

"Abhay, you can't keep punishing yourself like this. And what happened that night wasn’t entirely your fault. You bottled it all up for over a year and finally you blew up. Nobody can blame you for that. And what happened after that was really unfortunate. But Kriti deserves to have her father in her life. She deserves to know that you love her, regardless of anything." Shravan said fiercely.

"Shravan is right, Abhay. You can't change the past, but you can make a difference in Kriti's future. Don't let your guilt overshadow your love for her." Mithran nodded in agreement, his expression sympathetic. 

"I want to be there for her, I do. But every time I try, I am reminded of what I have done. How can I face her knowing that I am responsible for her mother's death?" Abhay’s helpless question pierced through the other two men’s hearts and they could only sympathise with him.

Shravan reached out, placing a comforting hand on Abhay's shoulder. 

"Abhay, none of us can change the past. But we can choose how we move forward. Don't let your guilt rob Kriti of the love she deserves. She needs you, now more than ever."

"I will try, I promise." That was all Abhay could say.

Their conversation shifted to lighter topics, but the two friends couldn't shake the concern gnawing at them.

“Oh by the way, what's the deal with this Vaiga? The new nanny?”