Chapter 3
She was shivering. It was a huge function. Naturally, she had a huge amount of friends. Her fiance was a function co-ordinator so the engagement was a big event. She was surprised that he was there. She had invited the Scindiya's out of politeness. She has spent most of her college years at their house. Of course she needed Prateek there. He was her best friend. But why did he need to come. She was so aware of him. She caught his eyes when they arrived. She had to tear her gaze away from his as he wouldn't look away. She tried to avoid eye contact with him for the rest of the time.
When the engagement took place she felt nervous and stifled. She felt like she was having a panic attack. Put she held it together. She had to. This was it. This was going to be her life. Prashant looked happy, and her parents looked happy. So she would try to be happy. She would try to be a good wife.
He was there because he had to be. Arpita wanted him to come to a family wedding with her, but he made an excuse because he needed be here. But it was difficult. All he wanted to do was to pick her up and carry her off. Away from here. Away from Prashant. He wanted to keep her with him forever. She had was deliberately avoiding looking his way and understood why. He had hoped his presence would make her change her mind. Even when he knew in his heart that he was not being fair to her. When it came to her, rational thought flew out the window.
He looked at her getting engaged. It was a terrible feeling. It felt like those moments when you are watching a car crash. It was horrific but he couldn't do anything to stop it and he couldn't look away. He walked out, into the hotel garden. He was tempted to slam his fist into the wall, to scream out in frustration.
"So you are just going to let this happen?"
"Please Chote, I don't need this now?"
"Then when. When you both are married to the wrong people?"
"Chote, I said ..."
"Yes, I heard you and it breaks my heart to see that two of the people I love most in the world are making the worst mistakes of their lives. You can stop her bhayia. You need to stop this. You love each other."
"You know I can't. You know that Ma and Bauji will never accept her."
"Make them Bhayia. It's up to you. You can make everything right. Why are you letting society dictate who you can marry, who you can love. You are Yash Scindiya. You are a risk taker, you a trendsetter. People respect you. They will accept her if you do. They won't dare say anything against you, you have no idea of the power you hold. Use it to fight for your love."
"It's not as easy as you make it sound Chote."
"No Bhayia, you choose to make too difficult. She was yours for the taking. She gave you everything. She loves you completely and you, you are making a mess of both your lives."
"Chote!"
"Don't worry. I'm going. I've said what I have come to say."
With that Prateek walked away. He looked at his brothers back. When did his younger and frivolous brother turn out to be so mature? Everything he said is true. But over simplistic. And he was just not ready to break out of the mould in such a drastic way. Was he?
It was late. She was exhausted. But the party was still going. All the older folk had left and now it was a real party for the young people. She was standing watching the people on the dancefloor.
"Dance with me." She heard in her ear from the back.
She closed her eyes as her heart starting beating erratically.
"No."
"Please. One last time"
"No"
She felt his hand touching the exposed part of her side gently.
He didn't need to see her face or hear her gasp to know what his touch was doing to her. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist him. He rested his hand on her back and she didn't resist as he walked her to the dance floor.
His gaze was intent on her face, but she wouldn't meet it.
"You look beautiful today. You should wear sarrees more often."
She didn't respond.
"I wish it was for me."
"It could have been. You chose this."
"I love you."
"Please Yash."
"You can't marry him. Baby."
"Fine, I will break my engagement and you break yours."
He was quiet.
"I thought so." she said sarcastically.
Suddenly she was clutching the front of his Sherwani.
"Yash, I am not feeling well. I ... I need fresh air. I feel faint."
He caught her as she fainted and carried her to the foyer of the hotel. He lay her down on the couch there. He was concerned as she pale and her face felt clammy and cold.
"Baby, are you ok?"
She came too. She looked bewildered.
Prateek, Paridhi and Prashant came rushing to them.
"Aarti are you ok?" Prashant asked.
"Yes, I am fine. I think it is just the excitement of the all the events of the day. I am fine now." She tried to get up but her head reeled again.
"No, I am taking you home" said Prashant.
Yash wasn't about to let her leave without him in this condition but Prateek knew his brothers mind. Before he could say anything, Prateek said,
"No Prashant. You both can't leave the party. Paridhi and I will take her home. You can make her excuses. You can call later."
"No, I can't let her go like this."
"Prashant we will take good care of her. Don't worry" said Pari
"Yes Prashant, I will be fine with them."
"Ok then, if you are sure."
She nodded and smiled at him.
"I will carry you to the car."
"I've got that" Yash said a little too fast.
"I will call you later." Prashant said.
She wanted to get up but Yash picked her up instead. She blushed, but she felt too weak to fight him. He put her in the car and sat next to her in car, with Prateek driving and Pari next to him.
They reached her apartment and the doorman contacted the doctor that normally serviced these luxury apartments. He was there in no time.
Yash was pacing anxiously in the lounge as the doctor was examining her.
"Mr. Khuranna, you can come in."
Yash, didn't correct him. He just went into the bedroom.
"What wrong with her doctor."
"Nothing is wrong with your wife sir. In fact it is happy news. She is pregnant. The urine test was positive but I suggest you have a blood tests done to confirm and then see a gynae as soon as possible. Her blood pressure is very low so I have left a script that you can fill in the morning. Congratulations." The doctor smiled and left, oblivious to the shocked people he left behind.
Finally he went to sit on the bed next to her. She was still staring straight ahead in shock.
"Aarti ..."
His voice penetrated her shocked state. She looked at him. He head was starting to spin again. But this time it was because of the news she just received. She lay back against her pillows.
"Aarti, are you ok?"
"I am fine. You can go now."
"Aarti we need to talk."
"There is nothing to talk about. You can go. I can take care of myself. I have done for a long time."
"How did it happen? I thought you were careful. I thought you used contraceptives."
"I didn't need it anymore when we broke up. And I didn't even think about it that night after Prateek's party. Why do you ask? Do you think I wanted to trap you? You are the one that came into my home uninvited. You came after me, not the other way around."
"I know that. I am not accusing your of anything. Surely you can't go through with the marriage now." He didn't have to ask to know that it was his.
"I know that."
He touched her hand but she pulled it away.
"Please leave now."
"Aarti, we are having a baby."
"I am well aware of that."
"Do you think I am just going to walk away from that?"
She looked at him defiantly,
"Yes, I do. I expect you to walk away. Because Yash Scindiya cannot have a bas***d child."
"Aarti ..."
"Go Yash, just go. You have your life and I have mine."
"I will not walk away from my child."
"No Yash, you will have no involvement in my child's life. I can take care of him or her myself. I don't need a man to do that."
"What. You won't keep my child away from me."
"Please Yash. Will you ever admit to anyone that you fathered an illegitimate child with Aarti Khuranna." she laughed derisively.
"We both know you won't. My child won't be your dirty little secret. You won't schedule him or her into your life in your time, secretly. My child won't go through that."
"The baby needs his father."
"I agree that each child needs a father. But one that loves him unconditionally, one that won't break his heart because he is secondary to a legitimate family. I would rather have a fatherless child than you."
Her words cut him deep.
"I will be involved in my child's life Aarti. Whether you want it or not. I am his father and nothing you can do or say can change that. I will go now, but I will see you tomorrow. We will make an appointment for you to see a doctor. I will a part of this pregnancy and a part of my child's life. I understand you are shocked and tired. So I will leave now, but we will have this talk again."
He left the bedroom where Prateek and Par were sitting there awkwardly. They heard everything.
"Prateek will you and Pari stay with her. I will be back in the morning,"
"Yes, bhayia."
Aarti sank back in her bed. Prateek came to her.
"What a mess I made of my life, Prateek. Now that I finally decided that I want to move on, I am pregnant with his child."
"Are you upset about not marrying Prashant?"
"No, I am just upset that we have involved a new life in this mess we made of our lives. Why must Love hurt so much, Prateek?"
He came and held her while she cried. Pari stood in the doorway, wiping away the tears from her cheeks too.
He drove home on auto pilot. He stopped when he reached there but he couldn't remember how he got there. He looked at his phone. There were so many missed calls from Arpita. She would not be back for 2 days. It was too late to call her back now. He would call her in the morning, but he would wait till she was back to break the news to her. But before that he had to tell his parents.
He was tempted to wake them up now. But that would have to wait. He wished he could stay with her, but she needed her space now and so did he. But he had made up his mind. He had to marry her. He loved her and now she has his child growing inside of her. Yes, it was a bizarre culmination of the past events but it was definitely not the worst thing that could have happened. After all she is what he always wanted. Now his family would have to accept her. She was carrying their heir.
He smiled. No it was not the worst thing in the world. Soon she would be his wife and they would have their own family. The thought made him happy. He could deal with everything that comes his way. His family's reaction and his break up with Arpita. He was sorry about that but he had to do it.
He was up early the next day and went back her apartment. They were all still sleeping. Prateek opened the door. He went to her bedroom, and saw her sleeping form. He went to her and gathered her to him and in her sleep she snuggled up against him and sighed contentedly. He rubbed her hair and just lay there enjoying her close to him.
She woke up in his arms. First she snuggled up enjoying his closeness then the memory of the previous day's events came flooding back. She moved away from him.
"Good morning, love."
"What are you doing here?"
"I told you I would be back. We need to make an appointment with the gynae."
"WE don't have to do anything. I will do the necessary. Why don't you go back to your fiance? "
"No WE are doing this together. When Arpita comes back from Dehli I will tell her that I am marrying you and I will tell Ma & Bauji later today."
"What? Marrying me? I don't think so."
"Of course we are getting married"
"Get out!"
"Aarti"
"Get out!"
"No, I am not going anywhere. And I am not leaving you alone and you better calm down, it's not good for the baby."
"I told you we don't need you in our lives."
"Nevertheless I will be there. Every step of the way."
"You have had your chance Yash. You didn't want me. I wasn't good enough for you. I wasn't good enough marriage material for the Scindiya's. What has changed? Are you feeling guilty now that I am having your baby? No need. I can do this on my own. I will not marry you now that I am pregnant. I am not the girl that has to get pregnant for a man to choose her. I am not the girl that is chosen by default. I am the girl that you choose first, because you want her, because you love her. For no other reason. You run along to Arpita. I am glad that this has happened. Finally I see the light. Finally I am not pining away for you anymore. Finally I am over you."
He was shocked at her outburst. This was not the reaction he expected.
"I love you."
"You don't love me Yash. If you did, you would have married me. You would have fought for me. You would have accepted me. It took me long enough to realise this, but now that I have I feel liberated. It is finally over between us.
"No, I am not letting you go. You are mine. The baby is mine. We will be together Aarti. We will be a family. I love you, whether you believe me or not. And I will have you no matter what I have to do to make that happen. I WILL have you."
"You are too late Yash. Too late."
The stared at each other, both with equal determination. There would be a battle and they each determined to be victorious. And they both had the drive and ability to win this war.
"Let me know when you have made the appointment. I want to go with you. I will have Ma & Bauji go ask for your hand once Arpita comes back. And I will speak to Prashant."
"I will speak to Prashant."
"Fine."
"I will be back later. U have arranged for your medication to be delivered."
He left but he would be there later, he would be there always from now on. Whether she wanted him to be or not.
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