Published on 16th March 2021.

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Happy reading!

– S H R U T I –

"Do you remember that senior of ours?" Aditi asked.

"Which one are you exactly talking about?" I asked.

"Sahil Arora, the University heartthrob from journalism department."

"The one who was three years elder to us?" I asked and she nodded. "So, what do you want to talk about him?"

"I went on a double blind date yesterday, where I met him. And guess what? He was interested too!" She grinned and I nodded.

No wonder Parth's mood was on toll today!

He was acting all moody and grumpy!

We both know what a big fan-girl she was, of Sahil! Yet, they never had a future together. How can they, when their personalities were miles apart?

Fan-girling was other thing and being in a relationship was other.

Even though she liked him, but I never found him good enough for her. He's just too mysterious! But then, it's her life to do what she wants.

"Shruti, can you pass this to your friend?" Parth asked while directing towards Aditi. To my friend? Isn't she his friend too?

"Sure." I said and gave the file to Aditi.

I guess it's another stage in their love story.

They're just too wierd for me to understand!

✨

"Can you pass that to me?" Rishabh asked and directed towards the dessert. I took the bowl and passed it to him. As my dinner was about to be over, I took my kheer and ate it.

As soon as the milk tasted my tongue, I felt nauseous and drank a glass of water. Sometimes, milk make me feel like that! It's just intolerable.

I took a spoon of it and slipped it in my mouth. As everything was alright this time, I finished eating it. I stood up to keep my plates in sink and felt a different taste running through my taste-buds.

I ran towards our room to wash my mouth and felt ma calling my name.

Vomiting all the food I ate, I washed my mouth and walked out where I saw everyone sitting worried. "Shruti, is everything fine?" Ma asked and I nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"But you vomited."

"Hmm... I think it's due to some di-"

"You're pregnant!" Mom shouted and I saw Rishabh choking on his drink.

Pregnant?

Out of all the possibilities, pregnancy?

"Ma, I'm-"

"That's the reason you're glowing. It's such a great news." She grinned and hugged me tightly. How should I tell her that I'm not pregnant when she's not willing to listen? "I still can't believe we're going to have two grandchildren in the coming year."

"Ma, listen-"

"Just go and relax. Now, you need more rest." She said and made me go in our room. "You don't have to come out. Lie down and have a good sleep." She smiled and walked out.

Walking inside the bathroom, I sat there and closed my eyes.

Wow!

I'm pregnant!

Even without doing the deed!

If we would've kissed atleast once, I could've believed the theory that we can be pregnant just with a kiss!

But here, the only intimate act we did is cuddling, that too while sleeping!

But why does she believe that I'm pregnant? Just because I vomited?

I walked out of the bathroom and saw Rishabh sitting on the bed, busy in his laptop. Just when he saw me entering the room, he looked up and smiled.

"Congratulations."

"Huh?"

"You're pregnant." He said and I narrowed my eyes.

"You're making fun of me?"

"Maybe." He shook his head and chuckled. I walked towards the bed and sat on my side. "Well, how many weeks it is?"

"Seriously? How can I be pregnant when we haven't done anything?" I said and widened my eyes when I knew what I had said. I looked towards him and saw him already gazing me.

"Do you want to?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want to go through the process?" He asked and I could say nothing. He was about to say something but his phone rang in between.

He picked his phone to attend the call while I took a book to read. Thanks to the call or I would've been embarrassed by now!

I opened the book and engrossed myself in reading it.

As the time went by, he closed his laptop and lied on the bed. "Switch the lights off Shruti!"

"Just a minute." I said as the suspense was just going be over. He snatched the book from my hand and kept it on the side-table.

What the hell!

"Your hand is burning."

"Burning?"

"You have fever. How come you don't know about it?" He sat up and leaned on the bedrest.

"It's not much severe." I said and he touched my forehead.

"Really? We could even boil water with this heat!" He said and I narrowed my eyes.

"That was a poor joke."

"Now lie down and sleep. There's no need to wake late at night." He said and made me lie on my back. Descending the bed, he opened the drawers to look for the thermometer.

I'm not dying because of an acute fever!

He passed the thermometer to me and I checked my temperature.

"Hundred point nine degree Fahrenheit. And you call it low!" He glared and walked back towards the drawer to search for something.

He's not going to inject me with injection?

Is he?

But he's not from medical field.

He came back and gave me medicines. "This would help." He said while passing the glass of water to me. Keeping the bitter tablet on my tongue, I sipped the water and gulped it immediately. "Do you always have this high temperature during fever?"

"Hmm..."

"Do you catch cold easily?" He asked while lying on the bed.

"No. It's quite rare. It's like an annual thing for me. And mostly, it's because of digestion problems."

"That's the reason you threw up?"

"Hmm."

"And everyone thought that you're pregnant." He sighed and switched the lights off. I lied on my side, my back facing his front. Feeling his arms holding me from back, I relaxed and closed my eyes.

The only thing I could feel now was a little headache and cold. As the cold air touched my naked arms and face, I shivered.

Fever is really bad.

That too in November, when weather is constantly changing.

I rubbed my arms to produce some heat and slipped them inside my t-shirt. When my belly skin wasn't providing me enough heat, I did the last thing possible.

I turned back to face him and took a deep breath before gliding my arms around his torso.

He won't mind it, right?

Maybe, maybe not!

As his arms travelled to my back to hold me, I sighed in relief and closed my eyes to drown in sleep.

✨

I came out in our room after taking shower and saw Rishabh still sleeping. My temperature was lower and I was feeling better that last night.

As my phone rang, I picked it up immediately. I didn't want him to wake up just because of someone's call.

"Hello."

"Hmm... Wasn't it a little fast?"

"What?"

"It's not even two weeks to your wedding and you're pregnant!" Aditi said and I widened my eyes.

"Who told this to you?"

"Akriti di. Even though it's too early, it's a good news. I never thought that you both would go so fast."

"Aditi! I'm not pregnant."

"What? Then why did she say-"

"I'll ask her. And yes, I'm not pregnant. I mean it's our thirteenth day together. How can you expect us to..."

"Okay. I thought I was going to see a child in a few months. But, no worries, you still have much time for that."

"Aditi!" I whined and she hanged the call.

Akriti was the one who told Aditi about this!

Literally!

How many people know about this?

I called Akriti while walking towards the balcony and she recieved it immediately.

"So finally, you got some time for me."

"Akriti, what is this?"

"That's what I want to ask. When I asked you about the details of your first night, you told nothing happened. Did it all happen after your Pagphera?" She asked and I mentally banged my head on wall.

To whom I was talking to?

She's Akriti!

"Akriti, nothing has happened. I'm not pregnant."

"Seriously?" She asked and I hummed. "Then why did Rishabh's mother told us that you're pregnant?"

"Ma told this to you?"

"Yes, she called us last night. But, are you sure that you're not pregnant?"

Ofcourse!

A virgin can't be pregnant!

"I am not. Just because I threw up a lot yesterday, ma assumed that I'm pregnant. How wierd it is!"

"What's the matter with you?"

"Just a fever."

"Shruti! How many times-"

"Akriti, I know. But I'm completely fine now."

"Hmm... I expect that Rishabh is taking care of you and is treating you good."

"He is. You don't need to worry."

"I need to go. Adit is shouting from the toilet." She said before cancelling the call.

Walking in, I saw him getting up from the bed. He looked towards me and smiled before mumbling good morning. Wishing him morning, I walked towards the dressing table to use my moisturizer.

"How are you feeling now? Is it better?"

"Yes. And temperature is normal now." I said and he touched my forehead. He nodded and walked inside the bathroom while I walked out to search his mother.

"Ma, I'm-"

"Why are you here? Just go and relax. Breakfast is ready, you can have it."

"Ma I'm not pregnant."

"What?"

"I am not pregnant. I threw up because of indigestion, not pregnancy."

"Really?" She asked and I nodded. She held her head between her hands and said, "It's so tiring. I told everyone we're going to have another grandchild."

How many people know about my non-existent pregnancy?

"Now I need to tell them that you're not pregnant. Let's go and have breakfast first." She said and I nodded.

Having our breakfast together, we went out and Rishabh started the car.

"Shruti, would you like to go out in evening?"

Evening?

What's so good in evening?

"It's there something special?" I asked.

"No. It's Saturday. We can travel out in free time."

"But ma and papa-"

"They too travel out on weekends." He said and I nodded.

"Then I'll clear all my work by noon." I said and he smiled.

This smile will kill me someday!

Reaching my firm, he stopped the car and I walked out. "Don't forget. I'll be here by five." He said and I nodded. Bidding bye to him, I walked in and scanned my ID.

What is he planning?

Where are we going in evening?

Is there a surprise for me?

Hope it's good.

〰️⭕⚫⭕〰️

YOURS, WITH LOVE

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