"Viswa?" familiar female voice called him for first time.

He need not turn to find who the speaker is.

Viswa, you are dead today! Last time she just sent you the note, now she is going to bash you in front of the employees.

He looked up from his lunch plate and looked at her.

Shruti was standing with her glowing face. At the instant, his heart skipped a beat.

"Can I sit here?" she asked with a small smile, to which he nodded his head.

"Umm, thanks for bringing up that idea. Even I didn't have such ideas to put forth to our facilities team." Shruti smiled at him with gratitude.

Viswa was shocked for a minute.

"I appreciate your concern about the pregnant women." her smile widen so was his.

There must have been a misunderstanding in regarding that pillow.

He relaxed and smiled at her. Being curious was his character, so he couldn't help but ask.

"What was the commotion going at the reception on that day?" he asked. He wasn't there to witness the scene, but he pretty well guessed, she would have bashed the delivery boy.

"Ah, that one?" she chuckled.

"My ex-fiance delivered a gift for me. Who asked for that from him? I seriously hate the nerve of that jerk. How could he think I would accept him after behaving like that?" she said.

"Your ex-fiancee?" he choked on his food.

"Wait." she started to pat his head.

Ahh, that defines her actions. Oh Shruti, I am so sorry for judging you.

"Yeah, he came one week before that incident and apologized to me. The looks of it seemed like he want me to accept him. I strictly said no to him. That time he came to know that I am pregnant. That idiot sent me the pillow as a gift."

He mentally chuckled how the situation turned out to be.

"Why so much hatred? I mean you need not tell me if it is like reviving the past." he asked out of blue. He never believed in rumours, but he was curious to know what made her to stop the wedding.

"No no. I moved on. I thought you would have known the reasons." she said.

"You heard of Chinese whispers game?" he raised his eyebrow at her.

She chuckled. She was glad that he didn't want to believe in the rumours. Already she had a good opinion of Viswa before, now it grew into many times.

She revealed how her wedding got cancelled.

Viswa searched for sadness in her eyes, but he didn't. If anyone had asked him the question he would have narrated with bit of sadness. But she didn't.

She wasn't ashamed of someone else's deeds. She had moved on.

This made him to look at her in completely different way. This made him to respect her more and he also started to admire the way she carry herself with the problem.

"If it was from someone I would have accepted the gift. Since it was from him, I didn't want him to think, that I forgave him. Actually I thought of buying one, before that you suggested one to the office." she said.

"I couldn't thank you enough. That cab idea, it was great. Now I am able to drive my car, but I don't I will be able to drive the car in third trimester. Though I have a maid to pick me and drop, can't say the same for all single woman out there." Shruti didn't mean to say that she was single, but Viswa captured that word.

"You are staying alone?" he confirmed the assumption he made.

"Yes, but I have a maid. She is taking care of me."

"Parents?" he wondered.

She looked down.

For the first time Viswa noticed sadness in her face.

"They didn't accept me. They couldn't accept that I am carrying a child born out of wedlock. They emotionally blackmailed me by asking to abort the baby. But I didn't. So a rift is created in family. They are sad and angry on me" she shrugged.

He couldn't see her like this. His heart broke when he saw her about to cry. He wanted to console, but at the same time, he didn't want her to think, that he is taking advantage of her vulnerable side. Plus the way she spoke, he noticed that, she didn't like anyone pitying her. So he thought of diverting the topic.

"But I should say I am glad that you are pregnant" he said without thinking as he was searching for diversion.

What? great way to divert the topic!

"Huh?" she frowned at him, but seeing his mischievous smile, she understood he is trying to divert the topic.

"Why is that so sir?" she raised an eyebrow at him playfully.

"Let's say, you took away The Most Gossiped Celebrity of the Quarter title from me." he winked.

She laughed. She knew how his marriage was broke. Many rumours were passed, about him being abusive and having affair.

But she saw him the way he took care of his ex-wife.

She wanted to ask him, why he abandoned his wife when she was pregnant. But he didn't seem like that. Because she knew the way his face beamed with happiness when he said they were expecting. Plus the way he suggested ideas for pregnant woman to the company head, she was 200% sure that, he wasn't so called abusers or cheaters.

Maybe the child wasn't his? Suddenly the thought came to her. But she brushed it off.

No No. It is none of my business. She mentally shook her head to clear the thoughts.

"So you repaid me by suggesting maternity package idea to the facilities team?" she teased.

He shurgged and with mischievous smile he said. "Maybe"

That was the last proper conversation they had. After that whenever they cross each other's path, they pass a smile to the other.

Soon Shruti took maternity leave after completion of 8 months of pregnancy.

On the other hand, Viswa was made to take up Shruti's project as her project manager had taken sick leave.

It was mid afternoon, some issues were raised by customer which were needed to be fixed immediately. Since he was new to the project, he called the other project manager, Akshay but his cell was switched off.

With no other option he called Shurti.

When she picked up the call he heard her saying 'Hello' in sleepy voice. He regretted for disturbing her.

"Sorry for disturbing you. I just need some clarifications regarding the project you have been working."

"It was pushed to customers right?" she asked.

In background he heard some female voice.

'I will go and buy the necessary vegetables for tonight and tomorrow.'

'Okay Lakshmi' she replied.

"Sorry, I got carried away. What happened?"

"Customer have raised issues."

"Uh-huh. How can I help you now?"

He asked for few details and after getting the information he thought of hanging up the call, as there were many work to be done.

He couldn't help but ask few questions regarding her health for few minutes.

"When is the date?" he asked.

"Four days after." she replied. He smiled.

"Ouch"

Suddenly he heard her screaming in pain.

"Shruti what happened?"

In return he heard her screaming in pain.

He pushed his chair and rushed towards parking lot.

After one minute she replied in hoarse voice, "I think it is contractio..." before she could complete he heard another scream.

"Shruti calm down, I am on the way. I will call ambulan..." before he could speak he heard her phone hitting the floor.

"Sh!t" he cursed. He immediately searched for nearby multispecial hospital and informed them. Then he drove his bike as fast as he could.

Soon he reached her house which was on second floor. He went towards the direction of her screaming.

His heart clenched on seeing her withering in pain on bed. He rushed towards her and made her to stand along with him. Meanwhile he picked up her phone as he might need it to call her maid.

When he felt she was losing balance, he lifted her with his arms and carried towards the hall, soon he heard ambulance sound.

On the way to hospital he was trying to soothe her by rubbing her hand and saying encouraging words.

Truth to be told he was scared more than her. This was first time he is witnessing a labour pain. In movies he used to see, but it had scenes barley about for five minutes. But on witnessing in real life, he was scared. At the same time he composed himself for her sake.

Soon they took her to delivery room and he was waiting outside. He was glad that he picked her phone in that tension.

He switched on her mobile and searched for Lakshmi and dialled her number. He informed about the situation and asked to come to hospital.

He thought of leaving soon after maid's arrival, but her continuous screams made him to wait.

A nurse came out.

"Would you like to be with your wife in delivery?" she asked.

He didn't want to correct the nurse about her not being her wife. What if they say a family member is needed. He wasn't ready for any more risk so he went with the flow.

"Why?" he wondered.

Blood, all those equipments! This is the reason I didn't take biology stream in my 11th.

The nurse was taken back by his question.

"Umm, emotional support. I mean pregnant woman will be in pain. Some emotional support would calm them. That's why." she explained.

"First time?" she asked.

He nodded.

"It's fine. If you want you can come in." saying that she left.

She might need to an emotional support during labor.

He kept thinking for a while. Only then Lakshmi came to the hospital.

"Do you know the father of the child?" he asked her.

They maybe had a hard breakup, but at this time his support would be helpful. Who knows they may even patch up.

He thought playing match maker.

"I don't know sir." she replied.

"What? What you mean you don't? Haven't she spoke about her boyfriend-father of the child?" he asked.

He thought her maid would have known everything about her.

"She doesn't have boyfriend as far as I know. I only know that her marriage got cancelled. I never asked about the father, it wasn't part of my work, but I do remember her saying she doesn't know the father of the child."

She doesn't know the father of the child? I thought she had a boyfriend and had breakup.

If girl doesn't know father of her child means, only two scenarios. One she might have had one night stand. Shruti is not like sort of girl. I know that much about her.

Two, she might have been raped. Oh my! That's make sense. That's why her parents wanted her to get aborted! They didn't support her when she refused.

"Oh poor Shruti!" he looked at the delivery room and whispered.

How hurt she would have been when she was raped? Inspite of that she managed to come out. Being pregnant with rapist would have hit her hard, but she moved on and started to love the baby even though she had no one to support her.

The more he started to think, the more he started to pity her.

"Sir, can you look after for half an hour. I will go home and need to bring man's wallet. I straight away came from market as you called."

He nodded his head absent mindedly. His mind was filled concern about her.

Throwing away his biology fear, he called the nurse so that he could enter the delivery room.

"What if C-section was to be performed?" he questioned out.

His most fear is was watching cutting of frogs in his tenth standard. His teacher was explaining biology of frogs. During that class itself he rushed out to restroom to throw up.

That was the main reason he didn't want get into biology stream even when his parents wanted him to be a doctor.

"Don't worry sir, we will escort you out if case like that happens. But in her case it is normal delivery only." nurse gave him encouraging smile.

Nervously he stepped onto the delivery room.

************************

Hi guys! How was the chapter? I thought of covering delivery part too but already this chapter has exceeded 2k words. So stopping with this.

Just like Viswa has fear of biology I had one too. Later I took up biotech out of interest.

Yes Viswa was little tube light. Even though he himself was a donor, he didn't think of third possibility. What to say, our hero is dumb in this case alone. Plus yes, it would be because of pity at first. Only for few days, later his view will change about her.