The shark and the saint

15. Responsibility

The next morning, Kukki was excited to see Prerna and went and grabbed her suitcase to show her all the things she got. Kukki had gotten a lot of toys, probably as a way for Rishabh to get her to go to the doctor. She also got toys for her baby brother and some souvenirs and jewelry for Prerna.

Prerna felt bad every time Kukki did something for the baby. She didn't know how long she would stay with Rishabh. For Kukki's sake, Prerna hoped the little girl got better soon. And then...

Rishabh came down to see them and convinced Kukki to go to school. He told her she could take gifts for her friends, and that both him and Prerna would take her to school. Kukki accepted the deal and Prerna helped the girl get ready and have breakfast. Rishabh had asked the kitchen staff to put plenty of fruits on the table, because he knew if he asked Kukki to eat some, then Prerna would eat them as well.

It had been a while since Rishabh had taken care of a pregnant lady, but he had a good memory for the important stuff. He had to remind himself that Ms. Sharma was only here for Kukki, and that she belonged to someone else. The sooner Kukki could get better, the sooner Prerna could leave and he could go back to destroying the Basus.

Breakfast was over and they got in the car and went to school. Rishabh drove them. They dropped off Kukki and then it was just Rishabh and Prerna in the car.

"Aap mujhe market drop off kardein. Aapke raaste mein aye gi. Kafi dinon se kui ghar pe nahi tha, to gro..."

"Groceries are not your responsibility," Rishabh said as he kept driving in a new direction, that wasn't going to the house or his office. "Everyone has their role in my house. Kitchen staff ko pata hai kabh kya lena hai. Aap ki responsibility sirf Kukki hai. Aur jabh tak aap mere saath hain, you're my responsibility."

Prerna was slowly starting to understand where they were going as the way became familiar. "How am I your responsibility? Aap ne khud kaha tha ke hum dono ka relationship aisa nahi hai..."

"You can't take care of my daughter properly agar aap khud ki care nahi kar sakti," Rishabh responded with facts as they turned on the road to a clinic. "Aur main itna bura nahi hoon jitna aap mujhe samajhti hain."

Prerna had no response for that and stayed silent until they reached the clinic building. There were a few cars around in the parking lot, and Prerna was hesitant to get out.

"Agar kisi ne..."

Rishabh turned off the engine and turned to her. "Yeh cars sirf doctors ki hain. Main ne sara clinic reserve kya hai. Jabh tak hum yahaan hain, aur koi patients nahi hon ge."

Prerna could only stare at his back as Rishabh got out of the car. Itna considerate to shayad Anurag bhi nahi hota. Maybe Mr. Bajaj wasn't as bad as she thought. He'd taken her only for Kukki's sake, and never once tried to take advantage of her or break his promises.

She was lost in thought when Rishabh opened her door, startling Prerna. She shook her head and took his hand to help herself out of the car. Since he was being kind, maybe Prerna could accept his help.

The Bajaj couple walked into the clinic and a nurse met them. She took them into a room and got Prerna's vitals before the doctor came in. The lady doctor seemed to be already familiar with Mr. Bajaj and was chatty with him as Rishabh told her what she needed to know.

He also told her his worries about Prerna's health and the doctor ensured him that she would take good care of Prerna. The doctor invited Rishabh to come along as she was taking Prerna to the exam room, but Rishabh excused himself, leaving the women to talk.

In the other room, the doctor prepared Prerna for some ultrasounds. They got to see the baby's size and movements and listen to its heartbeat. This was all a first for Prerna and she got teared up from 'meeting' her baby for the first time.

The doctor asked Prerna what her normal weight usually is, and then compared it to her pregnancy chart.

"Mr. Bajaj was right. Aap khud ka ziyada khayal nahi rakhti," the doctor said, without a tone in her voice.

Prerna fixed her shirt and sat up. "Kyun? Anything to worry about, doctor?"

"Ziyada nahi. But you're both a little under weight. Aur upar se you have a fast metabolism, jiski wajah se aap show nahi karti, but you need to eat more. First pregnancy mein upar niche ho jata hai kabhi, so it's good to be on top of things with your doctor. Aaj to aap thori der drip laga lein, aur phir I can write you prescriptions for any vitamins or pills you may need."

Prerna stuttered. "D-drip? Zaroori hai? Koi, koi vitamins nahi le sakti main? I promise I'll be good."

The doctor laughed. "Sorry, but I want you to stay here for some time so I can monitor your health. Ziyada time nahi lage ga. Main nurse ko bhej deti hoon, she'll get you started as soon as possible," the doctor said and left.