Baarishein

7

Ritwik choked out the question, "Am I a father?" He gripped the phone tighter, surprised he hadn't fumbled it. The tiny face staring back was his mirror image, and the name confirmed his worst suspicions. The idea had flickered in his mind the previous day, but seeing the child made it a horrifying reality.

"I never planned to make love to you," Mishti said flatly, "so there was no protection. But don't worry, I won't expect anything from you. Not your emotional involvement, not your support." His surprise was evident, but his true emotions remained masked. All Mishti could read was the raw surprise that mirrored her turmoil on his face.

Minutes ticked by, the silence thick with tension. Finally, Ritwik spoke, his voice strained. "I asked Dad if the rumors were true. Does he know about Rudrakash? Or did he lie?"

Mishti's heart sank. This wasn't the reassurance she'd craved. "He wasn't lying, Ritwik," she said swiftly. "Rudrakash has your surname because of him. But you should have heard this from me, not him. We both know that, right?"

Her voice softened as she defended the man who'd been her rock. He'd been the only one to share her secret for months, a pillar of support during her self-imposed isolation.

Recalling his father's cryptic response from yesterday, Ritwik muttered, 'That's why he just said you didn't hide babies from their father' when I asked about you being pregnant.

"Ritwik, the truth is, I wasn't as confident as Vijay uncle was. I worried you might resent the baby because of what I did. Remember how you said you'd never look at me the same way again? While I never expected you to abandon your son, I also underestimated the damage I caused. You've been gone for months, even leaving your father behind. I was scared and lost. It's been tough, but uncle assured me you'd want to be a part of Rudrakash's life." Mishti confessed. "Those months were tough, even with the support of everyone in Saarbrücken. But they didn't know the full story, just that I was a single mom. They had no idea about the baggage I carried or how Rudrakash came to be."

"Resenting you for giving me a son? Never. As for hate..." Ritwik's gaze flickered to her, then darted back to the screen as he finished, "That's not there either."

Their history was a tangled mess, a source of resentment and affection. He couldn't reconcile the two, leaving him perpetually stuck. Now, with the revelation of a son, everything shifted. The reasons to hate her remained, but they were overshadowed by the greatest gift she'd ever given him. He yearned to love her, for his son's sake and perhaps for himself. But the path was far from clear.

"A part of me knew to trust him. After all, you're his son, and who knows you better? But another part...Well, I couldn't shake the feeling that his emotions might be clouding his thinking. Is there any chance we can be civil towards each other?" Her voice faltered on the last word, but his eyes met hers again.

"Of course we can," he assured and she offered him a small smile.

"That's great, because Rudy already knows you, even though you've never met. I asked Vijay uncle to copy any videos or recordings of your voice. I made an audio clip of just you and played it for Rudy when I was pregnant, and I still do it every night. He probably recognizes your voice by now," she confessed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

It was a sentimental gesture, she knew, but she wanted Rudrakash to recognize Ritwik's voice, even if his father was absent. A baby might forget a voice in a few months, especially if Ritwik didn't want to be involved. But if Ritwik ever decided to be a part of his life, this could be a small start to their bond.

"You did that?" he asked, a flicker of hope igniting. This was the Mishti he'd always cherished if only he could reconcile her with the woman who had hurt him so deeply.