The moment Chiranjeevi stepped aside from the doorway, Ram finally got a clear look at the mysterious guest.
The instant he saw the man’s face, his curiosity turned into complete shock.
For a brief moment, he even wondered whether he was imagining things.
Standing near the entrance was a man whose face was instantly recognizable to millions of film lovers across India.
Sharp, intelligent eyes.
A confident yet approachable smile.
An elegant presence that naturally drew everyone’s attention without demanding it.
It was none other than Kamal Haasan.
Ram’s tiny eyes widened in disbelief.
Although he had already accepted that he had been reborn into one of South India’s biggest film families, seeing another legendary superstar casually walk into the house still felt surreal.
Before he could fully process that surprise, his gaze shifted to the people standing beside him.
Next to Kamal Haasan was his wife, Sarika.
Cradled gently in her arms was a baby girl wrapped in a soft cream-colored blanket.
For several long seconds, Ram simply stared.
His little brain struggled to process everything happening in front of him.
One superstar father wasn’t enough.
Now another legendary actor had suddenly appeared in his living room.
The atmosphere inside the house immediately became livelier.
Everyone stood up to welcome the guests with warm smiles.
Even Nagendra Babu looked pleasantly surprised by the unexpected visit.
Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan’s excitement was impossible to hide.
His eyes practically sparkled.
He looked less like a member of the family and more like an enthusiastic fan who had unexpectedly met his favorite celebrity.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward respectfully.
“Namaste, sir.”
Kamal Haasan smiled warmly before returning the greeting.
“Namaste.”
The simple exchange was enough to make Pawan grin from ear to ear.
A few moments later, everyone settled comfortably in the living room.
Tea and snacks were quickly served while casual conversations naturally began.
Since both families belonged to the film industry, there were plenty of shared experiences to talk about.
The discussion flowed from shooting schedules to mutual friends, upcoming films, and ordinary family matters.
Ram quietly listened while observing everyone around him.
To his surprise, Kamal Haasan was remarkably easygoing.
There wasn’t even the slightest trace of arrogance.
He never acted like a superstar.
Instead, he spoke naturally with everyone, occasionally cracking jokes before smoothly transitioning into more serious discussions about cinema and filmmaking.
Even Chiranjeevi appeared completely relaxed in his company.
It felt less like two celebrities meeting and more like old friends catching up after a long time.
After listening quietly for a while, Pawan finally gathered enough courage to ask something that had clearly been on his mind.
“Sir…”
Kamal turned toward him with a gentle smile.
“Hmm?”
Pawan hesitated for a second.
Then he blurted everything out at once.
“Can you give me some acting advice?”
The room immediately fell silent.
Everyone instinctively looked toward the young man.
Realizing that all eyes were suddenly on him, Pawan’s ears turned bright red.
He hadn’t expected so much attention.
Kamal Haasan chuckled softly.
There was no hint of mockery in his expression.
Only genuine amusement.
“Acting advice?”
Pawan nodded eagerly.
Kamal remained thoughtful for a few moments before answering.
“If you truly want to become a good actor…”
He leaned back slightly.
“…then first become a good observer.”
Everyone listened attentively.
“Observe people.”
“Observe emotions.”
“Observe how different people react to the same situation.”
His calm voice carried years of experience.
“When you truly understand people, portraying them on screen becomes much easier.”
Pawan listened with complete concentration.
It almost looked as though he were receiving sacred knowledge.
Even Chiranjeevi nodded slightly in agreement.
The advice sounded simple.
Yet it carried remarkable depth.
Ram also memorized every word.
After all, acting was one of the goals he hoped to pursue in this new life.
Advice from someone like Kamal Haasan was priceless.
The discussion gradually shifted toward other topics.
Meanwhile, Sarika had joined Surekha, Vijaya Durga, and Madhavi Rao on the other side of the room.
Unlike the men, their conversation focused less on cinema and more on family life, children, and everyday experiences.
Occasional laughter drifted across the living room, making the entire atmosphere feel warm and welcoming.
It felt less like a formal visit and more like close family friends spending a peaceful afternoon together.
A little later, Chiranjeevi suddenly turned toward his daughter.
“Honey.”
“Sushmita.”
The little girl looked up immediately.
“Yes, Nana?”
“Come here carefully.”
“And bring your brother.”
The adults instinctively turned toward her.
Sushmita nodded confidently.
Without wasting a second, she carefully stood up while holding Ram.
Well…
“Carefully” was perhaps a generous description.
She was doing her absolute best, but from Ram’s perspective, it felt more like an adventure than a simple walk.
Every tiny step made him feel as though his life was hanging by a thread.
His expression slowly became blank.
Not again…
His first life had already ended unexpectedly.
Surely history wouldn’t repeat itself because of his overly enthusiastic sister.
Fortunately, the adults noticed the situation almost immediately.
“Careful!”
Surekha quickly stood up, instinctively reaching out in case Sushmita lost her balance.
Chiranjeevi looked equally amused and concerned.
Meanwhile, Sushmita remained completely confident in her abilities.
Step by step, she eventually reached her father without incident.
The moment Chiranjeevi gently took Ram into his own arms, the newborn released a silent sigh of relief.
Mission accomplished. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Survival achieved…
for now.
Holding his son comfortably, Chiranjeevi turned toward Kamal Haasan with a smile.
“What do you think?”
The question was obviously directed toward the baby.
Kamal accepted Ram with surprising familiarity.
The moment he held the newborn, his expression softened noticeably.
For several quiet moments, he simply observed the child’s face.
Then a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes.
“Hmm…”
A smile slowly spread across his face.
“This boy is unusually handsome.”
The living room instantly erupted with laughter.
Surekha smiled proudly.
Chiranjeevi couldn’t hide the satisfaction on his face.
Nagendra Babu immediately seized the opportunity to tease his younger brother.
Still looking at Ram, Kamal continued.
“I’m serious.”
“He has very striking features.”
Then he looked at Chiranjeevi with a knowing smile.
“Really, Chiru…”
“I think you’ve got yourself a future star.”
That single sentence triggered another wave of laughter throughout the room.
Even Sarika couldn’t help smiling.
Meanwhile, Ram remained completely speechless.
He was barely old enough to hold his own head up.
Yet everyone had already started discussing his future acting career.
Chiranjeevi simply smiled modestly.
“We’ll leave that to destiny.”
The conversations continued naturally, and the cheerful atmosphere soon returned.
Nobody noticed that the tiny baby sitting quietly at the center of the gathering was once again questioning just how unusual his second life had already become.
The cheerful atmosphere inside the living room continued long after the introductions were over.
Tea was served, snacks were placed on the center table, and conversations naturally split into smaller groups.
The elders spoke about family matters and the film industry, while laughter frequently echoed through the spacious house.
For the first time since arriving, Ram was no longer the center of everyone’s attention.
At least…
That was what he had hoped.
The moment Chiranjeevi gently placed him back beside Sushmita, the little girl hugged him possessively with a bright smile, as though reclaiming a precious treasure that everyone had been borrowing all afternoon.
By now, no one even tried to stop her.
Everyone in the family had already accepted that Sushmita had declared herself Ram’s personal guardian.
She happily sat on the sofa with her little brother resting comfortably against her, occasionally humming songs she had made up herself.
Ram didn’t mind.
Compared to constantly being passed from one pair of arms to another, sitting quietly beside his sister felt surprisingly peaceful.
While absentmindedly looking around the room, Sushmita’s attention suddenly shifted toward another baby.
More specifically…
The little girl resting quietly in Sarika’s arms.
Her curious eyes sparkled immediately.
She stared at the baby for several seconds before turning toward Surekha with an excited expression.
“Amma…”
Surekha looked at her daughter and smiled.
“Yes, dear?”
Sushmita pointed toward the baby.
“Can I hold her?”
The innocent request drew everyone’s attention.
The conversations gradually slowed as the adults looked toward the enthusiastic little girl.
“I’ll be very careful,” Sushmita said earnestly.
“I already know how to take care of babies.”
Her confidence was so absolute that several people couldn’t help smiling.
Sarika laughed softly before exchanging a glance with Surekha.
After receiving a reassuring nod, she carefully walked over and gently lowered the baby into Sushmita’s waiting arms.
“Only for a little while,” Sarika reminded her gently.
“And you must be careful.”
“I will!”
Sushmita nodded so seriously that it looked as though she had just accepted an important responsibility.
She adjusted herself carefully on the sofa.
Ram rested comfortably against one side of her.
The baby girl settled on the other.
The sight of a little girl proudly supervising two babies was so adorable that laughter once again spread through the room.
Ram finally had a chance to observe the little girl properly.
She had delicate features, soft cheeks, and bright, curious eyes that wandered around the room with innocent fascination.
Tiny fingers opened and closed as she quietly explored the world around her.
To everyone else, she was simply Kamal Haasan’s infant daughter.
But Ram recognized her immediately.
Shruti.
The future actress.
The future singer.
One of the biggest stars the South Indian film industry would produce.
Yet at this moment…
She was simply another baby.
For several peaceful minutes, nothing unusual happened.
Then Shruti slowly turned her head toward him.
Their eyes met.
She blinked once.
Then, without any warning, an innocent smile spread across her tiny face.
Ram blinked back.
Before he could understand what was happening, she leaned slightly in his direction.
Then a little more.
Then even closer.
Eventually, her tiny body rested comfortably against his side.
To everyone watching, it looked perfectly normal.
Babies often moved toward warm and familiar places.
No one thought anything of it.
Ram, however, wasn’t entirely convinced.
A moment later, Shruti reached out with her tiny hand.
Her little fingers wrapped around his arm.
Then…
She refused to let go.
Ram looked down at their joined hands before looking back at her.
Shruti simply smiled again.
An innocent…
Completely content…
Baby smile.
Ram’s expression gradually became complicated.
Naturally, nobody could hear his thoughts.
Instead, Shruti let out a cheerful little laugh before tightening her tiny grip ever so slightly.
The next several minutes only made things stranger.
Whenever Sushmita adjusted their positions, Shruti instinctively leaned closer again.
Whenever a little distance appeared between them, she somehow managed to close it without anyone noticing.
By the end of it, she was practically resting against Ram as peacefully as if she had known him forever.
Ram stared at the ceiling.
A certain memory quietly resurfaced.
Incubus Physique.
Maximum Charm.
Host is advised to exercise caution.
He had thought the system was exaggerating.
Now…
He wasn’t so confident anymore.
“System…”
“This isn’t your fault…
is it?”
Silence.
Of course, there was no answer.
The system had already entered hibernation.
Leaving him alone to deal with whatever this was.
Nearby, Sarika finally noticed her daughter’s behavior.
She chuckled warmly.
“It looks like Shruti has already made a new friend.”
Surekha smiled as she watched the babies.
“Apparently she likes Ram very much.”
Even Kamal Haasan laughed.
“Looks like our little madam has already chosen her favorite person.”
The adults found the scene adorable.
Only Ram felt slightly helpless.
Fortunately, the topic soon shifted again.
Fresh cups of tea were served while the conversation returned to cinema.
Nagendra Babu enthusiastically shared amusing incidents from various film sets, filling the room with laughter.
Pawan, meanwhile, listened carefully whenever Kamal Haasan spoke.
Whenever the discussion turned toward acting or filmmaking, he asked thoughtful questions with genuine curiosity.
Rather than brushing him aside, Kamal answered each one patiently.
“There are no shortcuts in acting,” he explained calmly.
“Talent helps, but discipline and observation are what truly shape an actor.
Watch people carefully.
Learn how they think, how they speak, and how they express emotions.
The more you understand people, the more truthful your performances will become.”
Pawan listened with complete attention, nodding seriously after every sentence.
Even Chiranjeevi smiled approvingly.
Ram silently memorized every word.
Although he was still a baby, he had no intention of wasting valuable advice from someone of Kamal Haasan’s experience.
Time passed quickly.
Soon the warm afternoon sunlight outside began turning golden, casting long shadows across the courtyard.
Realizing it was getting late, Kamal Haasan finally stood up.
“We should leave before it gets dark.”
Sarika nodded in agreement as she gently lifted Shruti into her arms.
The families exchanged warm smiles while everyone walked toward the entrance together.
Just then…
Something unexpected happened.
The moment Shruti was carried away from Sushmita, she turned her tiny head toward Ram.
She looked at him quietly.
Then at her mother.
Then back at him again.
Her tiny lips slowly trembled.
A second later—
“Waaah…”
The peaceful house echoed with the sound of a crying baby.
Everyone stopped.
Sarika blinked in surprise.
Kamal Haasan looked genuinely puzzled.
Surekha instinctively stepped closer.
Even Sushmita looked confused.
“What happened?” she asked innocently.
Sarika gently rocked her daughter, trying to comfort her.
But every time Shruti calmed down, her eyes wandered back toward Ram.
It almost looked as though she didn’t want to leave him behind.
After several minutes of patient comforting, the crying finally subsided.
Even then, before stepping outside, Shruti continued glancing toward Ram with quiet curiosity.
The adults simply laughed, finding the entire incident heartwarming.
“It seems she became attached to him rather quickly,” Kamal Haasan joked with an amused smile.
“Perhaps they’ll become good friends when they grow up.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Only Ram felt an indescribable sense of unease.
Fortunately, after another round of farewells, Kamal Haasan and Sarika finally departed with their daughter.
As the car disappeared down the road, the lively house gradually returned to its peaceful rhythm.
That night, after dinner, everyone retired to their rooms.
The excitement of the day slowly faded into silence.
Wrapped comfortably in his blanket, Ram lay awake, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling.
The events of the afternoon replayed themselves in his mind.
Then…
The system’s warning echoed inside his memory once again.
Host is advised to exercise caution.
Excessive attention from the opposite gender may occur in the future.
At the time, he had dismissed those words as ridiculous.
Now…
He wasn’t so sure.
If things were already becoming strange while everyone involved was still a baby…
What exactly awaited him in the future?
The thought alone made him sigh inwardly.
Outside, the night breeze rustled gently through the trees surrounding the house.
Inside, the Konidela family slept peacefully, completely unaware that the newest member of the household was already worrying about problems that belonged many years in the future.
And with that uneasy thought lingering in his mind, Ram slowly closed his eyes.
Another peaceful day had come to an end.
Yet somewhere deep inside, he had a feeling that his extraordinary life was only beginning.
To be continued…
Author’s Note:
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