"I am sorry sir. We could not save your wife.", said the doctor handing over a baby girl in Jatin's hands.

Tears pooled in his eyes on listening to the doctor. He looked at his daughter with wet eyes. Skin soft as cotton and eyes having the spark of thousand stars, she looked just like an angel. He had dreamt of holding a little angel in his arms, along with his wife Prachi. But without Prachi, even the most awaited happiness didn't seem like happiness. He hugged the little baby and started crying like a baby himself.

Suddenly, he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He looked back and found his mother standing behind him with moist eyes.

"Maa, look at her, this beautiful angel looks exactly like Prachi. Prachi hasn't left us Maa.. She is with us, in the form of this little daughter of ours, our little Prachi.", he said with tearful eyes.

"Yes, she is a carbon copy of her mother," his mother said while moving a hand on the baby's head.

"Maa, now onwards, I will devote all my life to this angel of mine. I will love her and make her grow in a way that no father would have done. I will give her so much love that she won't miss her mother. This is what Prachi would have wanted me to do Maa.", he told his mother.

"I know you will prove to be the best father", she said hugging her son.

"Lets start your journey as a father by naming your daughter. Have you thought of a name?", asked his mother.

"Yes, my daughter will win everyone's hearts. So I will name her as Jayati", said Jatin and placed a kiss on little Jayati's forehead.

As time passed, the bond between Jatin and Jayati grew stronger. Little Jayati was adding colours of happiness in Jatin's life.

There was a day when Jayati said her first word "Paa" and Jatin had tears of happiness in his eyes. Another day when Jayati had set her feet on the ground for the first time, Jatin had started dancing with his daughter in his arms. Then there was a moment when she had started going to school and Jatin was having such a proud feeling on seeing his little girl hanging that school bag on her shoulders.

Moments were countless and so was the happiness.

As time was flying away, Jayati was also growing up. In all these years, Jayati's grandmother tried to convince Jatin that he should get married.

"Girls need their mothers at some point or the other Jatin. A girl cannot share every little thing with her father.", she always said.

"The relationship between me and my daughter is more of friends Maa.. I know my daughter. She shares everything with me and she will continue to do so in future too..", he replied.

"But she is Growing up son.. She will need a mother too. Also, I am growing old and weak now. I don't really know how much time I have to stay with both of you. And there will be a time when she will get married and you will be left all alone. Get married son, get married to get a partner in your old age atleast.", his mother reiterated.

"I don't need anyone other than my daughter maa. And even if I get married, what will I do if she doesn't love my daughter like a mother? What will I do if Jayati doesn't get the happiness that she deserves? I won't marry again maa.", he replied.

While they were having this conversation, Jayati, who was now fourteen years old, came back from her school.

On seeing her, the mother son duo changed the topic of conversation..

"Papaaa..I am very hungry today.. Please give me something to eat..", said Jayati while taking a seat on the table.

"I'll just bring both of yours lunch..", said Jayati's grandmother.

"No no dadi.. You sit here..", said Jayati while standing up and making her grandmother sit on that seat.

After that she turned around, crossed her arms and faced her dad.

"Papa, how can you let your mother work when you can work yourself..", said Jayati faking anger.

"I am really very sorry my dear child.. I will go and do the work myself..", Jatin chuckled.

"Thats better.", she replied nodding her head and sat down on the chair adjacent to her grandmother's.

She had just sat only when her grandmother hit her lightly on her head.

"Shaitan.. What are you doing sitting here when your father is working..", she asked.

"But dadi I am little girl who has just come back from her school after dealing with the monsters called Science, Maths and not to forget, history..", she said faking innocence..

"Okay my drama queen.. Your lunch is right here... ", Jatin said while placing everyone's plates on the table.

"Drama queen??", she asked with a shocked expression, to which both of them chuckled.

After sometime, when Jayati was doing her homework and Jatin was working on his laptop, she looked up at him and saw that his eyes were glued at the screen and fingers were moving at a magnificient speed. She just could not understand how her father was managing all the work related to his office as well as take care of her with such an expertise and that too without any helping hand.

She questioned her father,"Papa, don't you miss maa?"

The fingers that were running on the keyboard a second ago, had now freezed midway when the unexpected question fell in his ear. She regretted asking the question when she saw this reaction.

"Yes, I do miss her at times.. She was my first love afterall..",her father replied with a smile.

Yet she could see the hidden pain in his eyes.

"First love? Have you loved someone else too?",she asked.

"Oh yes.. And the person I fell in love with is the most beautiful person I have ever seen.. She might not be my first, but she definitely is my last love.", he replied.

"Who is she papa?", asked Jayati.

"That girl is my sweet little angel, my daughter.. Its you Jayati..",he replied pulling her cheeks.

"I love you too papa..", she shouted and jumped in her father's laps.

"Oh my god.. My baby has really grown big now..", he said to which both of them laughed out loud.

Some more years went by, and with the passing years, Jayati's grandmother also passed away. Now it was just a family of two- Jayati and her father Jatin. Both of them started living for eachother.

Jatin's growing age now didn't permit him to work much. So now, Jayati took on the responsibility of taking care of her father.

Growing age had caused Jatin's health to decline because of which Jayati always tried to take care of her father just like a mother would take care of her child.

But there was something else that was bothering Jatin. According to him, Jayati had reached marriagable age and now he had to start looking for a suitable groom for his daughter.

One day:

"Jayati, I got a call from the Sharma's. They are willing to fix their son's marriage with you", he had told her once.

"Marriage? But papa I am a little girl..", she replied acting like a small kid.

"A little girl who is old enough to get married and make a family of her own", he replied while patting her head.

"But papa, I don't want to get married.", she replied stubbornly.

"And why so? Have you already found someone? C'mon, out with the secret now..", he asked teasingly.

"Papa, I don't keep secrets from you. You are my bestfriend. I don't want to leave you..", she said.

"But baby, every girl has to leave her parents at some point of time", Jatin tried to explain.

"But your baby is different from other girls. I am not going anywhere. I won't leave you alone..", she said with determination evident in her voice.

"Atleast meet the guy once..", he tried to persuade her.

"Okay. If you are insisting so much then I'll meet him. But I will marry him only if you agree to stay with me after my marriage..", she said.

"I won't be there for you everytime Jay..", her father said in an irritated tone.

"But I want to be there for you everytime you need me",she said.

"But girls are supposed to take care of their own family after their marriage..", he tried to reason with her.

"So you are saying that we won't be a family after I get married?"she asked, anger clear in her voice.

"I didn't mean that..", Jatin said.

"Papa, I can't leave you behind in order to make new relations. I have only one condition and you will have to accept that if you want to get your daughter married.",she replied and went away.

Jatin felt as if history is repeating itself. Earlier, his mother used to persuade him to get married but he chose Jayati and her happiness at that time. And now, when he was trying to persuade Jayati, she was choosing him.

Few days after, the Sharma's agreed to visit their house. It was a big day for the father-daughter.

While serving the snacks, Jayati was introduced with Saksham. Looking at him, she found him to be a guy who had some personality definitely, but will he agree to her condition, was the biggest question hovering in her mind.

After some time, Jayati and Saksham were left alone to have some talk. It was during that time that Jayati decided to tell him about her condition.

"Saksham, before we have any discussion related to our likes, dislikes etc, I want to tell you something. I can think about this marriage only if you agree to my one condition.", she said nervously.

"Condition? What kind of condition?", Saksham was taken aback after listening to Jayati.

"After I get married, I don't want to leave my father alone. I want to take care of him and be with him whenever he needs someone. Can my father stay with us if we get married?",Jayati asked.

After a minute or two, Saksham replied," I had never thought that you would ask such a thing as your condition. After our marriage, it will become my duty to take care of your father just like you will take care of my parents. Your father will be my father too. So, I promise that if we get married, he will always stay with us."

Jayati could not believe her luck. She had thought that it would be difficult to find a guy who would agree to her condition. But here he was, smiling at her.

Soon, the marriage was fixed and since Valentines Day was approaching, they decided to tie the knot on that day only. Jatin's happiness knew no bounds and seeing her father like that, Jayati also was really very happy.

On Valentines Day:

Jayati descended the stairs dressed in a pink coloured bridal dress. Seeing his daughter like that, Jatin remembered the moment when he had held her in his arms for the first time.

Looking not less than a prince, Saksham held Jatin's little princess's hand and promised to never leave it. Tears filled Jatin's eyes as he saw that beautiful scene.

Jatin's heart swelled with happiness as he saw his daughter and son-in-law looking at eachother with eyes full of love while taking the vows.

"I can see that my little daughter has found her love", he teased his daughter when she came to take his blessings.

"Yes, I fell in love with Saksham slowly and gradually.. But you will always be my first love papa", Jayati replied and hugged him.