"Hey, baby?" I smile cheekily, grabbing Shreyan's attention and the girl beside him.
He facepalms and looks at me, "Avyuktha?"
"You look handsome, boyfriend." I wink at him and look at the girl beside him. "I'm sorry to say this. He's taken. We hav...
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"Am I doing the right thing?" I whisper to myself, caressing my teeny tiny baby bump. A smile touches my lips when I realise I am gonna become a mother, every girl's favourite period of her life ever. "I will never let anything happen to you. I will always protect you. Even... From your dad."
I close my eyes and push my tears back.
"We are here, mam," the cab driver says. I nod at him and pay the fare. As soon as I get down, my father rushes to me.
"Avi, are you fine, beta?" he asks, looking at me worried, "When you told us to meet you at our home, we are kind of freaked out."
I smile at him. "I am fine. I have something to tell you all," I say we both walk inside.
"Good or bad?"
I press my quivering teeth between my lips, "Both!"
When I walk inside, I find both my and Shreyan's families talking to each other and playing with my niece.
Mom looks at me and she rushes to me, "Oh, God! You are back? Why didn't you call us for a week? Your phone was switched off too. Do you have an idea of how we were tensed?" she continues her babbling making me sigh, "Wait! You seem different," she scans my appearance. I dress in a cream cotton kurta and pants. I wrapped myself in a red shawl to not let my tiny baby bump show out. "Is it regarding health?"
"Mom, sit down. I need to talk first," I tell her. She looks at me perplexed but obliges anyway. I ignore Shreyan's gaze which boring in my head. Dad and my father-in-law sit comfortably waiting for me to speak while my mother and mother-in-law seem tense. "I am pregnant," their lips break out into a huge smile. Mom smiles at me with her palm over her lips. My father-in-law pats Shreyan's hand which is on his shoulder. "And I want my child custody only to me."
They look at me confused. "Custody?" they whisper in shock. I nod. "But, beta, custody is given when the parents are splitting up?" Shreya Aunty says with a discomfort smile.
"I am divorcing Shreyan," I whisper with closed eyes. They all gasp. "Shreyan betrayed me. He lured me in the name of love. It's done."
"Avi, what happened?" Ridha asks, putting her hand on my shoulder.
Shreyan sighs, running both his fingers through his hair, "If you are done, let's go back to our home, Yuktha," he says, coming toward me.
"I am not coming," I snap and look at my parents who have tears in their eyes, "I am neither staying here. I don't want my baby to become gossip in people's mouths. I don't want anyone to talk about you and Mom. Society doesn't accept a married daughter at her parents' house. Parents will be bad-mouthed. So, I decided, Daddy. I will rent a flat and start a fresh life with my daughter."
