The evening sky over Delhi turned dark, clouds heavy with rain.

Veeresh and Poornima were still at the quarters, laughing softly as Kavya showed them the tiny baby clothes she had folded earlier that day. Abhi had left for his collector office meeting in the morning, promising he’d be back by dinner.

Hours passed. Dinner turned cold.

Poornima looked at the clock again and again. “He never gets this late,” she murmured.

Kavya smiled weakly. “Maybe traffic, Ma. You know how Delhi is…”

But her voice trembled. She reached for her phone again — no answer.

Then came the sound that silenced everything — a phone call, the shrill ring slicing through the air. Veeresh answered it, and his face changed in a second.

Poornima’s heart sank. “What happened?” she asked.

Veeresh couldn’t speak — his throat closed. Finally, he whispered,

“There was an accident… Abhi’s car… they said he couldn’t—”

Before he could finish, Kavya screamed.

The shock hit her body like lightning — pain shot through her, and she clutched her belly, crying out.

“Ma… Appa…” she gasped, tears streaming. “The baby—”

Veeresh rushed to call the doctor while Poornima held her close, her own tears falling helplessly.

Within minutes, they reached the hospital. The rain poured outside as the machines beeped inside the labor room. Poornima stood outside the door, trembling, praying to every god she knew.

After what felt like hours, a nurse came running out — “The baby is born!”

But behind her words, Poornima saw the doctor’s face — pale, worried.

She rushed inside. Kavya lay there, weak and fading, her breath shallow.

“Ma…” she whispered, barely audible. “Please… take care of her… our daughter… as your own…”

Poornima’s tears fell endlessly as Kavya lifted the tiny newborn — a baby girl wrapped in white cloth — and placed her in Poornima’s hands.

“She’s your granddaughter, Ma… but treat her like your own… she deserves love, not loss…”

“Kavya, no… please, you’ll be fine,” Poornima cried, gripping her hand.

Kavya smiled weakly — the same smile that once lit the entire haveli — and whispered,

“Tell Appa… I love him…”

And as her eyes fluttered closed, the machines beeped one last time.

Poornima screamed, collapsing beside her, clutching the baby to her chest.

Outside, Veeresh stood frozen, the truth sinking in — both his daughter and his son-in-law were gone.

He entered the room silently, his eyes filling as he saw Poornima rocking the crying newborn in her arms.

She looked up at him, broken. “Veeresh… she’s gone… they both left us…”

Veeresh walked to her, his voice trembling. “No, Poornima. They left her for us.”

He gently cupped the baby’s head, his tears falling onto her tiny hand. “Our granddaughter… our little blessing…”

Poornima whispered, her heart shattering and healing at once, “Our daughter…”

Veeresh nodded, his voice hoarse.

“Yes. From this moment, she’s ours.”

And as the thunder rolled outside, they held the newborn together — love, loss, and destiny bound in one fragile heartbeat.