3 min to read
Not everybody gets a second chance
It's difficult when you don't get a second chance, so make the most of the first always!
Rahul worked at IBM. It had been six long years since he moved to the US, but he was far from feeling at home. He lived with his parents, yet silence had become their unspoken language. Conversations were rare—just fleeting exchanges over dinner. But today, like every year, he was waiting for her call. And like every year, it never came.
It was his birthday.
Tina lived in Mumbai with her daughter, Samira. Back in college, Tina and Rahul were inseparable—two souls dancing to the rhythm of young love. She was fearless, always embracing life with open arms, no matter how uncertain the path. Rahul, on the other hand, was hesitant, constantly caught in the tug-of-war between heart and mind. As fate would have it, their differences pulled them closer, and love blossomed between them.
But life had other plans.
Just as Rahul was about to leave for work, his phone rang. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her name. Tina.
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips—one he hadn’t worn in years. The last time they spoke was on their graduation day, six years ago.
“Hi,” he said softly, his voice trembling with anticipation.
“Hey,” she replied, her tone calm yet distant.
For six years, he had yearned for this moment. Yet, now that it was here, words failed him. His throat tightened, and a single tear escaped, tracing a lonely path down his cheek.
Summoning every ounce of courage, he finally spoke.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
A long pause. His heart pounded in his ears as he added, “I’m sorry every day… every moment. Please… forgive me.”
A flicker of warmth stirred in her heart, but the scars he left behind ran too deep. Forgiveness wasn’t easy when pain had been her constant companion.
In a firm voice, she said, “Rahul, I’ve moved on. Samira wanted to speak to you. I promised her that she could talk to her father on her fifth birthday. And you know… I never break my promises.”
His world crumbled. The faint hope of rekindling their love vanished in an instant. His heart ached like a child crying for something that could never be his.
“I was helpless, Tina,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “Mom and Dad… they were about to… I had to choose between you and them. And I… I made a mistake.”
“A mistake for you,” she replied, her voice steady but laced with pain, “but it ruined my life.”
Her words cut through him like a blade. He wanted to speak, to plead, but she continued.
“I was 20 when I was pregnant. It wasn’t just my child, Rahul. But I was the only one who bore the burden. I know you loved me… but you loved your parents more. And that was your choice.”
A brief silence filled the air, heavy with the weight of everything left unsaid.
“This… is mine,” she added, her tone unwavering. “I’m sorry, Rahul. I can’t forgive you.”
Before he could respond, a small, sweet voice echoed through the phone.
“Papa… happy birthday,” said Samira, her innocence piercing through his shattered heart.
Choked with emotions, he couldn’t find the words. His lips trembled, but nothing came out.
Tina took the phone back. “Goodbye, Rahul. We need to go.”
“Wait…,” he blurted out, desperation spilling from his voice. “How… how does she look?”
For a moment, there was silence. Then, with a softness he hadn’t heard in years, she replied, “What do you expect from someone who shares your birth date? She’s… mini you.”
And just like that, the call ended.
Rahul stood there, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on him. He knew in his heart that she was never coming back.
“Please… give me one more chance,” he whispered, his eyes lifted to the heavens, tears streaming down.
Not everybody gets a second chance, and it’s difficult when you don’t get it. So make the most of the first always!
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