"Tera hak nahi banta tha dukh dene ka, tujhe to zindagi ke har dukh bataye the."
She stood frozen, the pregnancy test in her trembling hand, staring at the two pink lines as if they might vanish if she looked hard enough. Her chest tightened, and she struggled to breathe, the shock hitting her in waves.
“I’m… pregnant?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Her legs felt weak, and she sank to the floor.
“How did I let this happen?” she choked out, her fingers gripping her hair as she rocked back and forth.
A sob escaped her, and she buried her face in her hands. “Mom and Dad will never forgive me. They’ll think I’ve betrayed them, ruined everything they wanted for me.”
“This is all my fault,” she whispered, wiping away her tears, though they kept falling. “I shouldn’t have gone to that party."
Her hands moved instinctively to her stomach, she felt a pang of confusion. “What am I going to do?” she whispered.
She hugged herself tightly, searching for answers in the silence, but all she could hear were her own doubts, echoing over and over again. “I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
And there, on the bathroom floor, she let herself cry, feeling trapped and lost in a life that had spun completely out of her control.
She stood there, clutching her phone, her mind racing with doubts and fears. There was only one person she could think to call, though she wasn’t even sure why his name had come to mind. But before she could second-guess herself, her fingers had already dialed his number.
The phone rang twice before he picked up.
"Hello, Dev," she said, her voice unsteady.
"Bhabhi ji, aap?" he replied, chuckling lightly.
But this time, her voice was serious. "Dev, I need to meet you. It’s… really important."
There was a brief pause before he answered, "Okay, okay, cool down. I’m at your office. Let’s meet here."
"Alright… I’m coming," she replied, quickly ending the call before she could let herself overthink it.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions inside her. She had no idea what she would say to him or why she felt this urge to see him. But she knew that, somehow, she couldn’t face this alone.
■
In the office cafe, Dev sat at a corner table, nervously adjusting his hair. He hadn’t expected Naira to call him, and now, as he waited for her. He had even brought a flower bouquet, hoping today might be the day he could finally tell her how he felt.
He glanced up just in time to see her walking toward him, her steps hurried, her expression lost and tired. His heart sank. Why does my sweetheart look so broken? he thought, concern replacing his excitement. But when she nearly tripped in her rush, he was on his feet instantly, catching her before she could fall.
She clung to him, burying herself in his arms as if she had nowhere else to turn. He held her, a faint smile crossing his lips as he whispered, “Careful, Naira.” But as he looked down at her, her always pretty eyes, were red and swollen from crying.
Guiding her to a seat, he held her hands, his tone soft and gentle. “Naira, what’s wrong? What happened?”
Naira took a shaky breath, looking at him with tear-filled eyes. "Dev… I didn’t know who else to tell,” she whispered. “I… I’m pregnant.”
