The brown eyes which were looking at him made him freeze for a moment.

Everything stood still for him.

What have he done in his entire life that he got this opportunity ?

What was he even ?

Was he even worth this moment ?

Was he worth her ?

Was it all true ? Real ?

Not a dream?

Nonetheless, he tried to figure out he couldn't find any good deed he did to have her in his arms.

The moment froze him to a level where he was dumb to all external sounds

The lashes of her eyes were slowly beating against each other and that pretty moment was captured by his heart forever.

The look she gave to him made him go all cold to the surroundings.

She blinked to a level as if to bring him back to consciousness.  And it did !

His eyes started reacting first.

The slow but steady filling of his eyes with water was the reaction his body, mind and heart gave to the pretty beautiful eyes infront of him.

Soon his eyes were filled with tears and they dreaded to the point to break of his eyes.

Even Though he tried to stop them he couldn't. He couldn't even wipe them off.

She was in his arms. And she was more important than his tears.

For the first time in his life, he let his tears flow down to his cheeks.

She made this possible !

Only her !

Looking at her serene eyes he never wanted to disturb the image of this beautiful face.

He wanted to capture it all and frame it for life. And he did !

His heart and eyes captured it for him

How beautiful!

Those brown eyes which were constantly looking at him made him feel he was most important person in this world right now.

A sudden urge to protect those eyes from the sinful world arouse in him.

He slightly tightened his hold on her and she squirmed.

He was frightened.

He immediately made his hold little softer and she relaxed as if responding.

He was little surprised.

Who did she manage to study him? That too only through his gestures?

No doubt she has HER reflection in herself

He smiled

And that brown eyes responded by blinking twice to his smile.

It was beautiful !

He was so stunned by her eyes and their response.

Did she recognise me ?

In such a short period of time ?

How she recognised him to be her's ?

That one blink from her made his heart skip a beat. A skip out of pure bliss !

So good he felt looking at her that new tears made their way into his eyes.

This time tears had the audacity to cross the barrier of his cheek to fall on those eyes.

She immediately closed the eyes in a split second experiencing the fall of his tears.

She blinked away the heavy drop and he could see the change in expressions of his face. He didn't get it for a moment but then when one more drop took the courage to fall on her eyes, then he understood that his tears were disturbing her.

He cursed himself for letting the tears out and was angry at the way they had courage to move out of the boundary of his chin.

He tried to make her comfortable by wiping of his heavy drops of his tears but he stopped looking at scene in front of him

She managed to let his tears fall off her eyes onto the senstive skin of her side area of face just by blinking her lids ever so quickly.

This made his heart swell with pride.

She needed no one to help her out coz she is capable of doing it on her own.

A prowess she was !

Just like HER !

He smiled at the being in front of him and yet again she responded to his smile by blinking twice.

He slightly chuckled at the way she was making gestures just with her eyelids.

The warmth of her eyes reached his soul and made him feel a wash of relief to already wounded heart.

Her eyes never left his face and his eyes never left her eyes.

The bond was formed the moment she saw him but it was still fragile.

He was so unsure of how will he make things work between them.

As a response to his worry she blinked at him as if assuring that he would do it well.

This moment he can never forget!!!

The blink of assurance from her made his heart swell one more time in pride.

A bliss of the moment !!!

How can she manage to make him feel so many emotions in a single moment ?

Afterall she was a part of HER!

She possessed HER qualities and proved it to him in a single moment.

A brilliance overpowering the human nature of being in this world full of chaos.

She was a blessing to him !

Her eyes were the biggest relief for him.

A blessing sent to him, for him !

May be i can call her a gift?

She was indeed a gift to him.

She turned him around in many ways even when he thought that wouldn't do that.

Every ounce of his body has sworn to him that it will protect her no matter what, from the moment those brown eyes saw him.

A promise for lifetime !

A promise to keep up so high that HER soul will start pouring for him.

He looked at her once more taking in the sight of her so that his brain etches the memory of her eyes in him forever.

She gave an assuring smile at him as if their journey would be great together and that's when he saw her lips.

Pinky, rosy, soft and precious.

A smile that adorned her face made him go aww at her and she slightly hid herself in his arms to take his warmth.

That gesture was priceless.

The moment was precious.

As he took her more close to his face she looked at him without blinking.

He gently kissed her forehead and she instantly fell asleep in his touch.

It was as if she only waited for this moment to happen !!!

And when she got it, it satisfied her pretty soul and she slept peacefully.

A bundle of joy wrapped his heart to see her  sleep so peacefully in his arms.

A memory etched forever and this time in his heart 💓

After a long stare at her face, he was disturbed by a touch on his shoulder by someone.

An elderly hand that patted his shoulder and rubbed his back to make him feel better

He smiled at the gesture.

He turned to see the owner of the hand and  knowingly looked at her.

Jaya Rao saw his son and was amazed to find him so happy.

" Raghav ! "  she said

" Dekho na amma ! Kitni pyaari hein " he said in a way that it seemed to be child like excitement.

She tried to read him and that was exactly the same feeling of euphoria when she had him in her arms, years ago.

Yes !

Raghav Rao was holding his child, his baby girl who was just born, moments ago.

Her eyes welled up seeing her son's excitement which made him forget everything, everything he went through hours ago.

This baby girl made him forget everything and she was so convinced with the things she heard hours ago from HER mouth.

' dekhna amma ..... Vo isko dekh ke sab bhool jayega aur firse bachha ban jayega aapke saamne '

Her son was broken moments ago but now looking at him squeal in excitement to show his child to her, made her believe in HER words. For a moment, she let the things be and enjoyed the moment in front of her eyes

" Bohot hi zyada pyaari hein Raghav! " She responded.

" Bilkul uspe gayi hein " he beamed with joy

Jaya Rao's heart broke listening to him.

He can never let HER leave him atleast not from his soul. His son has never let anyone go out of him when once he decides to keep them in his heart. Even if they try to leave this world they can never leave his heart.

He caged HER in his heart and she has no escape. She will never ever be free.

" Hein na amma ?" He asked still looking at his baby girl adoringly.

She came out of her trance and looked at him. One strong hell of a person her son was

She was so so so so so effing proud of him.

" Bilkul raghav ! " She replied.

The worst can bring the best out of you

And it did !!

Raghav Rao outdone himself to raise his baby girl up and he stood like a rock against the test of time.

The photo frame he held in his hand made him think of all the moments of that day.

He was in tears but they were happy ones !

He held that frame close to his heart and took a deep breath taking in all the warmth of the memories.

One last time he looked at it and placed it back on his side table.

He walked out of his room and was greeted by a very heart-warming sight.

His cute little girl was feeding his amma noodles and jaya rao was making faces eating it as she was forced by her grand daughter.

At times, he sees the reflection of HER in his little bundle of joy and feels extremely proud to be her father.

The countless times he thanked his stars for sending HER and her into his life to make him a better person every single day.

As if an answer to his prayers, his baby girl spoke out bringing him back to reality.

"Nanna ! " She exclaimed in a cute way

That cute little 5 year old with her brown eyes looked at him and he melted.

He wonders what magic she carries in her eyes to make him melt every single time she looks him in that way.

" Nanna !"  She said again.

Her calling him nanna ( father in telugu ) brings a different euphoria in his body and he will just offer her a warm smile in return

" Nanna !" She called him again and this time pulled his shirt asking him bend down.

He kneeled to her level and asked,

" Emaindi ra bangaram ?"

( What happened my princess ?)

" Nanna ..... Nannna...... Noodles "

He smiled at her and said,

" Pada tindam "

( Come let's eat )

He picked her up and led her to the dining table . He made her sit on the dining table as he settled down on his chair.

" Noodles ! " She exclaimed excitedly but he looked at his mother asking if she had her breakfast first.

Jaya Rao nodded in no and raghav looked at his little girl in a glare.

She immediately pouted and said,

" Noodles nanna !"

As if trying to convince him once to let her eat it first and than his diet rich food.

He nodded in no, not melting into her cute puppy eyes and pout

She turned her face aside in anger in a swift motion and he had to convince his little one now. A big task !

He slowly held her chin and turned her towards him.

" Atleast juice tagu ra ..... Then noodles " he said in a soft yet requesting manner trying to make a deal with her.

( Atleast drink the juice )

She looked as if thinking about the hidden deal her father was trying to do.

But she felt it was a convincing one.

She looked into his eyes and as usual blinked twice.

He instantly smiled and gave her a glass of juice and she drank it in a go.

Jaya Rao was watching the scene infront of her with eyes full of tears. She tried to control and she did by looking at her 5 year old grand daughter. She stopped crying or atleast controlled them from coming out of her eyes just for her son and grand daughter because they hate them.

'jaya ! I hate tears re !'

She remembered that dialogue and chuckled at the father daughter duo who don't leave an opportunity to be dramatic.

Today the way her son was taking care of his daughter made her little emotional  but later chuckled at how he convinces her daughter through his deals.

And he succeeded!

Afterall raghav rao was expert in making deals but the deals he made with his daughter were always the prettiest.

She earned for his happiness and she was the reason for it, always.

Her trance broke when she saw her feeding his son the noodles forcefully.

" Mishka! Mellaga ra !"
(Mishka ! Slowly )  She said and her grand daughter obeyed.

Mishka, daughter of Raghav Rao and late Pallavi Rao.

Mishka, he named her as the meaning of the name was perfect for her.

Mishka = the gift of love !

And this little girl proved it every single day.

Indeed she was a best gift raghav could ever have, in his entire life !

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's it guys !

Hope you all like it !

Do tell me which part you liked the most !

Awaiting your responses !!

Also taking time to recover from ill health so wasn't able to update previous stories.

I will do it once i will get back to normalcy.

Until then,

Stay safe and stay healthy.

Lots of love,

Writer_Ak ☺️❤️