Things were finally started to get better at the Bhalla house. Ruhi was back home and Adi's custody was also given to Ishita and Raman. Although Raman was still working under Ashok, he was trying to look for another job.
One evening Raman came home from office quite early and decided to work from home. He sat in the living area with his laptop when he saw Ruhi and Adi playing with Ananya. They were trying to get her to walk. He joined in with the kids and played with them. Raman helped Ananya stand up and held her hands as she started to walk and slowly let go of them, so she could walk on her own. Adi and Ruhi called everyone to watch and the whole family gathered together to see her walk. She took a few steps before she fell into Raman's arms.
"Papa, Ananya only took 2 steps." Ruhi said disappointed
"Don't worry Ruhi, soon she will start walking around everywhere. After all she is getting older. Just a while back she said her first word "Papa" and now she is taking her first steps." Simmi exclaimed excitedly.
"Papa what was my first word?" Ruhi asked curiously.
Raman looked her quietly as he tried to remember Ruhi's first word. The room immediately filled with silence as everyone knew Raman wouldn't have the answer to her question. To help Raman out of the situation, Toshi started to answer...
"Ruhi, puttar your first word was-"
"Papa. That was the first word you ever said." Raman said as everyone looked on pleasantly surprised.
"But I wasn't around to hear it" He mumbled to himself lowering his head.
"And when did I first walk?"
"When you were 11 and half months old." He answered with a faint smile
Everyone else looked at each other and wondered how he knew the answers to her questions when he was never around for these moments.
"Really? Did you help me walk?"
His smile disappeared and tears starting forming his eyes; tears of guilt and regret. To avoid Ruhi getting hurt, Simmi came forward and took her daughter from his hands, while Ishita came forward and told Ruhi it was time for dinner, but was stopped by Raman.
"No beta, I didn't help you."
Her face shadowed with disappointment as she had a spark of hope that maybe her dad didn't ignore her all the time before her Ishima came into her life. She thought about the time when he wouldn't even want to talk to her, forget spending these moments with her. She felt foolish for asking him a question like that when she already knew the answer. Why did I bother asking such a question when it was only going to hurt him and me? She thought to herself.
"I am so sorry Ruhi. Papa wasn't there with you when you were small. I don't have all the answers to your questions, but Papa loves you. I love you a lot."
She heard him say with a heavy guilt-filled voice that choked as he held back his tears.
She replied in a barely audible voice that was filled with disappointment...
"It's okay Papa. It's okay. That was before Ishima came and before you loved me."
She said as she kissed him on the check and engulfed him into a hug. They both silently cried, trying to hide their tears. She hid her tears from him, not wanting him to feel worse than he already did and he hid his tears not wanting his daughter to think she had hurt him. They both wiped off their tears before breaking apart the hug reluctantly. Silence took over the room for a few minutes as everyone tried to get back to what they were doing, except for the two of them. She slowly started to walk into her room while giving him a smile, but he knew she was upset and today there was nothing he could to do make his little girl happy...
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