RISING FROM THE ASHES.

Unease Settles In With Two Positive Lines.

The tension between Aryan and Riya didn't ease after the evening with Arjun. If anything, it became more palpable, like an unspoken barrier neither of them could break. Riya found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions-her mind consumed with doubt, her heart aching with love. But something deeper began to take root within her, something she couldn't ignore.

It was late one night when Riya first noticed the change. She had been feeling off for a few days-tired, nauseous, and strangely emotional. At first, she chalked it up to stress from her strained relationship with Aryan. But soon, the feelings became too persistent to ignore.

One morning, after waking up with a wave of dizziness, Riya sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the calendar on her phone. Her mind raced as she counted the days, realizing with a jolt that she was late. Very late.

Her heart pounded as panic set in. Could it be possible? Could she be pregnant?

The thought sent a chill down her spine. She wasn't ready for this-she wasn't even sure where she stood with Aryan anymore. Their relationship had been so shaky recently that the idea of bringing a child into the mix seemed impossible to comprehend.

Unable to shake the anxiety building inside her, Riya made a decision. She hurried to the nearest pharmacy, her hands trembling as she grabbed a pregnancy test off the shelf. The walk home felt endless, her mind racing with possibilities, with fears, with hopes she couldn't even admit to herself.

Back at her apartment, she locked herself in the bathroom and took the test. The minutes that followed felt like an eternity as she sat there, her pulse racing, waiting for the result. When the time finally passed, she took a deep breath and looked down at the test.

Two lines.

Positive.

Her breath hitched, and she felt a sudden rush of emotions-shock, fear, disbelief. Tears welled up in her eyes as the reality of the situation sank in. She was pregnant. Aryan's child.

But as the initial shock wore off, Riya was hit with a wave of uncertainty. How could she tell Aryan? He had been distant lately, wrapped up in his own frustrations, and she wasn't sure how he would react. Would he be excited? Angry? Or worse-indifferent?

For the rest of the day, Riya found herself lost in a fog of confusion. She hadn't told anyone yet-not even her closest friends. She wasn't ready to say the words out loud, to make it real. But she knew she couldn't hide it forever. Sooner or later, she would have to tell Aryan.

That evening, Riya made her way to Aryan's apartment, her heart heavy with the weight of what she needed to say. When she arrived, she found him in the living room, casually flipping through the channels on TV. He looked up at her with a smile, but there was something off about his expression. It wasn't the warm, genuine smile she used to know. It was distant, almost forced.

"Hey, babe," he said, patting the spot next to him on the couch. "How was your day?"

Riya sat down beside him, her stomach churning with nerves. "It was... fine," she replied quietly, her voice trembling slightly.

Aryan noticed the shift in her tone, and his brows furrowed in concern. "What's wrong?" he asked, turning off the TV and focusing his attention on her. "You seem... off."

Riya took a deep breath, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. She wasn't ready to say it, but she knew she had to. "Aryan, I... I need to talk to you about something."

The seriousness in her voice made Aryan tense. He straightened up, his expression growing more focused. "What is it?"

She hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. But there were no right words. Nothing could make this easier. So she just said it.

"I'm pregnant."

Aryan's reaction was instant. His eyes widened in shock, his body stiffening as if the words had physically hit him. He stared at her, speechless, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to process what she had just said.

"You're... what?" he finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Riya nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm pregnant, Aryan. I found out today."

For a moment, the room was silent, the weight of the revelation hanging heavy between them. Aryan ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to wrap his mind around the news. But his reaction wasn't what Riya had hoped for. There was no joy, no excitement. Just confusion, and something else she couldn't quite place-doubt.

"How... how did this happen?" Aryan stammered, still in shock.

Riya blinked, taken aback by the question. "What do you mean how? We... we've been together for months, Aryan. You know how it happened."

Aryan stood up, pacing the room, his mind racing. "Yeah, but... I just didn't think... I mean, we were always careful, weren't we?"

Riya felt a pang of hurt at his words. She hadn't expected this reaction-not the immediate distance, the questioning. It wasn't the fear of the future she saw in Aryan's eyes. It was something deeper, something darker.

"Are you saying you don't believe me?" Riya's voice cracked with disbelief, her eyes narrowing as she stood up to face him.

Aryan froze, the tension between them rising. "No, that's not what I'm saying," he said quickly, though his tone wasn't convincing. "It's just... it's a lot to process, okay? I wasn't expecting this."

Riya swallowed hard, her heart aching at the way he was reacting. "Neither was I," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But it's happening, Aryan. I'm pregnant, and I need to know where we stand. Do you even want this?"

Aryan didn't answer right away. He turned away from her, running a hand through his hair in frustration. The silence between them grew heavy, suffocating. And in that silence, Riya's suspicions deepened.

Something was wrong. Something had been wrong for a while, and now, with this pregnancy, it felt like all the cracks in their relationship were coming to the surface.

"I need time to think," Aryan said finally, his voice distant. "This is a big deal, Riya. We both need time to figure out what we want."

Riya stared at him, her heart sinking. She had thought this moment would bring them closer, that Aryan would be the support she needed. But instead, it felt like he was slipping away.

"Fine," she said quietly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Take your time, Aryan. But I'm not waiting forever."

As she walked out of his apartment, her mind swirled with doubts and fears. Something was off. And she couldn't shake the feeling that Aryan wasn't telling her everything.