Virat couldn't sleep for a really long time in the night and as a result overslept in the morning.
"Bhabhi, Manvi kaha hai?" Virat asked Jeevika who was peacefully sitting and knitting a small sweater. Virat smiled at her Bhabhi's peaceful motherly glow.
"Woh toh kab ki college chali gayi Virat. Tumare liye breakfast lagao?"
"Nahi babhi, I am getting late for work. See you later."
"Virat???" Jeevika stopped him.
"Haan Bhabhi?"
"Tum dono ke beech main kuch chal raha hai kya? Manvi bhi kuch upset lag rahi thi, usne kuch khaya bhi nahi." Jeevika asked with a worried expression. It was so unlike Manvi to be so quiet and she had not said anything much other than having a formal small talk since she came back.
'Kya?? Kuch khaya nahi usne? Raat ko bhi acche se nahi khaya. Very good!' Virat cursed Manvi in his head for being so irresponsible.
"Nahi bhabi, who toh aaisi hi, uske practicals chal rahe hai, toh usi ki tension main hogi, bas." He avoided his bhabhi's questioning gaze and walked out.
---
It was afternoon and Virat was sitting with Rahul and Priya eating lunch. He had told them about this recent development and both Rahul and Priya seemed to support Manvi more than Virat.
"Virat, being a mother is a very different feeling. A mother becomes very protective and defensive of her children, especially when they are young and dependent on them. Every mother has that defense mechanism naturally built in them. If you try to do anything to her puppies, she becomes an angry mother tigress, she will die to protect them." Priya explained.
"You are right about the angry tigress part." Virat laughed.
They finished eating and were walking back to their ward; Virat's phone rang, it was Sneha, Manvi's friend in school.
"Virat jiju, Manvi became unconscious in the lab, they took her to the student clinic." She told him panicking.
---
By the time Virat got to the clinic, Manvi was revived and was sent to the Dean's office. Virat rushed there anxiously to find Manvi sitting in front of the Dean holding her head.
"How can you not inform us that you were pregnant Manvi? You were in a lab with so many chemicals. The university is liable to the damages, either to you or your baby. You people have been told in the class repeatedly to inform the professors if you were, or plan to be pregnant. This is unacceptable" the Dean was lecturing Manvi.
"Excuse me professor" Virat knocked and entered the room. "Manvi, what's going on? Are you okay?" Virat was only concerned for Manvi's health at this point. Manvi was shocked to see him there, she did not call him because it was part of the promise she made to herself. She wouldn't involve him in anything related to her pregnancy. Her eyes were starting to fill up seeing him there. She needed him so much. How much it hurt her to be apart from him only she knew.
Virat sat with her and heard what the professor was saying. Basically, the hospital asks the students to inform the professors if they were pregnant so that they could take the necessary precautions. Some of the chemicals in the labs were harmful to breath for the mother and child.
But, this was optional, once the professors were informed of such a scenario, they would make the students wear gloves and suggest them to take breaks in between to get fresh air. But, the professor was making a big deal that Manvi did not inform him and was even threatening to suspend her for this. Virat heard all this patiently. "Manvi, were you wearing gloves?" he asked her.
"I was wearing gloves and a mask Virat." she replied softly. She was not in a position to defend herself. There were a million other things going on in her head.
"That settles it then. Sir, with all due respect, all these rules that you are telling us are not mandatory, it is totally upto the student to reveal this information. The student is supposed to take precautions which Manvi perfectly did. She was wearing gloves and even a mask to protect her from the chemicals. I don't see any point in dragging this issue. Just for the record, we only came to know of the pregnancy yesterday, we would have let you know, but there were too many things going on. I am sorry about that." Virat told the dean calmly.
"Why would she faint then?" the principal asked challenging Virat.
"That's probably because she didn't eat anything all day." Virat looked at Manvi angrily and Manvi looked down fully aware of her carelessness. She just wanted to forget everything that happened between them; she had come to the college early and kept herself busy all day. In all this rush she forgot about eating altogether.
The principal let her go with a warning and Virat forced her to come out with him. He took her to the canteen and ordered food for her. As Virat sat beside her, Manvi was on the verge of breaking down.
"I am sorry about all this Virat." she said without looking at him.
"Chup chap khalo." He ordered her. She shut her eyes tightly and a drop of tear rolled down her cheek. She felt so helpless without him. She needed him to say that he was going to be with her one hundred percent, assure her that everything was going to be alright, that he would love her no matter what. But, at the same time she couldn't ask for those things from him. That would be selfish.
Virat turned her to face him and started feeding her with his hands. Manvi ate everything obediently. Even as all this was happening, she couldn't look into his eyes. There was guilt, guilt of walking away from him and refusing to understand his point of view; there was hurt, hurt that he refused to understand her point of view. After she finishing eating, she thanked Virat and got up to leave and get back to her classes.
"Sit back Manvi." Virat instructed her angrily. She sat down slowly still avoiding his gaze. "What are you doing? Ye sab kya hai Manvi? Itna hi hai humara rishta? You decide something, I decide something and we go separate ways, is that it?"
"Badi bolti ho, I love you so much and you don't love me as much as I do. Itna hi hai tumhara pyaar? Bolo Manvi, chup kyu ho??"
"Stop it Virat!!!!!!!!!" Manvi covered her face and broke down. "Tum kabhi nahi samjoge." She cried.
His heart was bleeding seeing her in so much pain, he moved closer to her and gently removed her palms cupping her face and wiped her tears. "Stop crying baby, enough!!!! I can't see you in so much pain. Jo bhi ho, we will figure things out together okay?" he told her in a low husky voice.
He lifted her chin so that she will look into his eyes. The minute her eyes met with his, she couldn't resist anymore, she flung herself in his arms and hugged him tightly and cried her heart out.
"Agli baar mujhe kabhi chod ke jani ki koshish ki toh dono taange thod dunga!" Virat warned her, wiping the tears. "Abhi bas kar yaar, sab sochenge ki main tum ko rula raha hoon"
"And what about this?" Manvi looked up at him and touched the crevice of his eye. There was a small drop of tear on her finger now. "Virat bhi lo laha hai??" she teased him in between her sniffs.
"Kya? No, no, that is just natural moisture in my eyes, main kyu rone lagunga yaar, tumhare tarah dramebaaz thodi hoon." He pulled away from her embarrassed.
"Accha? tumhare aasu natural moisture aur mere artificial hai? Dramebaazi kar rahi hoon?" he hit his shoulder softly.
"Bas kar meri ma, waise, seriously yaar, I am not even 25, you want me make me a father?? Mera reputation ka thoda toh khayal karo." He said with a sad face.
"kya?? I am making you a father? Bol toh aaise rahe ho ki maine koi test tube baby apne main rakvaya ho!!! YOU got me pregnant Virat Vadhera !" she yelled at him offended, to which people around the canteen turned around and stared at her, whispering between themselves. Manvi then realized what she just said, bit her tongue and hid her face in Virat's chest. Virat smiled naughtily and hugged her tightly. "Chalo, main tum ko ghar chod deta hoon. Aur bhabhi se baat karlena, she is worried sick as to why the chatterbox is not working."
---
Back home that night, Virat was finishing up his online applications for the fellowship in his room. They both decided it was best to stay in Vadhera house now, Manvi was pregnant and she needed her di and Vanshika ma to advice her on the innumerable number of things that they have to go through in the coming months. He was about to submit the online application when he turned around from his desk and looked at Manvi looking at her stomach in the mirror, he smiled at her silliness. Career was important and Manvi was equally important. He couldn't see Manvi sad and hurt at any cost. He was going to support her unconditionally. Whatever happens, he was going to leave it to destiny. Even if he did get the position, if would be in August, almost 10 months away. He would reevaluate everything at that point. Now, he only needed to focus on the present. He clicked on the submit button and walked near Manvi.
He hugged her from behind. "Manvi, you are only four weeks pregnant, your stomach is not going to show anything until five months. Tum class main sirf sothi ho ya kuch padayi bhi karti ho?"
Manvi smiled and moved both his hands onto her stomach and smiled looking at him in the mirror. "Do you feel anything she asked?" Virat gulped and stared at her in the mirror for a few seconds, he moved her hands gently around her waist and closed his eyes 'That was his baby in there'
He opened his eyes to see Manvi with a wide smile and blushing. He decided to tease her "I feel that..you have very sexy abs Manvi.." he replied winking at her.
"Virat!!!!!!!!!!" she turned around and started hitting him. "Ouch!! acha baba they are not sexy at all...very ugly!!..." He stopped her hitting by grabbing her wrists tightly. Their eyes met in a passionate eyelock and Virat slowly leaned in and kissed her gently on her lips. She looked away blushing some more.
"Virat????? tum aaise kaise bol sakte hoon? Abhi se junior ko bigaad rahe ho.." she said in a low voice, just about audible.
"Usko bhi toh pata chale, how loved much his mama is loved.." he put her hands around his neck and kissed her again, breaking away, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed and switched off the lights.
---
