I don't know how long I was fainted, but when I opened my eyes I was on couch next to window of the same office but only difference was... that girl was not there.

He was standing by my head side. With dark shades, I was about to sit back when he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Stay like that, Doctor said you need rest," He said without looking at me.

I felt as my belly was wet, but how! Was I sweating but how? Its fully air conditioned building, well I have much serious matter to look into. I would had cry to I realize what I had seen before fainting, but I tried to play blind, or he would ask for what he want D...

No! I can't let him do it, I can't live without him, may be my ignorance can give our relation new life, I had to conceal the fact that I know about him and his PA. I get up and move toward the table where Tiffin was placed, I serve the plate and turn to him,
"I thought you must be hungry so I brought lunch for you.." I said stretching the spoon toward him to feed him.

In hope that my love could change his decision.

He stopped my hand in mid,
"Arpita!" he called my name in grave tone, it terrified me, "don't you want to know the reason of your sickness, what made you faint?"

That wasn't my concern, as much I know I got fainted because of what I saw, but I can't accept it.

"May be because of exhaustion, I am fine now, you have food, and tell me how is it?" I tried to lie and again stretch the spoon to feed him.

This time he took plate from my hand and placed it on table, next to him.
"Arpita.. You are Pregnant."

He said it without any expression, but his words brought new life in me.

I am pregnant with his baby, it mean he will be with me.

He can hate me, he can leave me but how can he ditch his own blood. Its not just a child. It's an angle for me who had brought happiness before its arrival in world, now I could not stop myself.

I Hugged him tightly and started to cry. I don't know why I was crying, because of Happiness or because of the pain I was hiding till now. But I can't feel his arms around me.

I didn't care for it, even if he never loved me still I love him and wanted to live with him. He held my shoulders gently to separate from him.

I wiped my tears and looked up at him.

"Look Arpita, I want to be very clear with you. I know that you know everything, so why should we pretend as nothing has happened, I can't stay in this relation any more, I can't bear it. I want divorce and I don't want this child, Just abort it." He said gazing away from me.

"What!..wha.." I couldn't trust what I heard. How could he just say it with so much ease. "What you just said?" now I wish I never asked it again.

"You heard it correct Arpita, as I don't want to carry this marriage then how can I expect you to keep this child and why should you carry it? Abort it and move ahead in life, Right now you should go home and take rest. I thought to inform you that you have an appointment tomorrow for it, I will take you there."

He just said it without any hesitation or any emotion, he was going far from me step by step with each of his word, unable to take it any more, I collapsed  on my knees.

It seemed like he didn't notice it or he didn't care .

I wanted to cry but it felt like end of everything in flick of second.

I gathered my self somehow and didn't realize how I reached, the place which he use to call Home.

I was like paralyzed, don't know when it turned dark and when he came back from his Office.

I came back to senses when Sharad Kaka came to me,
"Arpita bitiya, have something you didn't had anything since morning.." His voice was full of concern like father and when he placed his hand on my head I broke into sobs.

"Aree Bitiya what happened? Why are you crying like this? Avdhesh.." he stopped in mid of sentence and asked again "is there anything wrong?"

"No Kaka, everything is fine, I am not hungry, was just missing dad. After hearing you now I am fine. Is he back? You should give him something."

He didn't reply and left me alone. I lay back again; I think my tears were still rolling down from eyes.

Few more hours passed, He came to room; sit on the other side of bed.
"Please Avdhesh ji, talk to me and ask me to forget what ever happened in office" I begged silently to him but as my pleas were not reaching him he took off his spects and switched off the lights.

I was the fool, wishing everything to end up as a bad dream, I cried a lot for several hours but he didn't respond may be he was sleeping.

Sound of music was reaching our room may be it was Kaka's old radio set, which suppose to take away kaka's fatigue by its melodious old songs, but for me it was like salt to injury as there was an old melody playing,

"Lag jaa gale, ke fir hasin raat ho na ho..
Shayad fir is janam me mulakaat ho na ha."

when I can't take it anymore I sit back and looked at him, as I was feeling as it was my last night with him. He was sleeping but his arm was stretched toward my side, so it was just co incident last night, but this time it was my luck I couldn't stop myself from hugging him, I placed my head on his shoulder and arms across his chest and I started crying bitterly,
it seems like song was depicting my situation.

"Paas aiye ke hum nahi aayenge baar baar,
Baahen gale me daal ke hum ro le zaar zaar,
Fir aapke naseeb me ye baat ho na ho.."
(in case you didn't hear the song try it with subtitles.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APDPELjn9g8

I needed to do that, I was crying and shaking badly as I want to woke him up, I wanted him to ask me, "What happened Arpita? why are you crying?" and then I would tell him about my scary dream.

"Dream! yes its all just a bad dream, when I will wake up in morning everything will be normal, My Avdhesh ji can't leave me like this." I consoled my self and don't know when I slept holding him tightly and in my imaginations I was in his strong hold.

Next Morning'..
When I woke up with the vain hope that the previous day never existed in reality, He was bathing, I sat back silently.

He came out and without looking at me, "Kaka, get our Breakfast, we will leave in half an hour, Arpita has an appointment with doctor." I don't know he was asking for breakfast or reminding me that its all happened in reality and he didn't want our child to came in our life.

I get in bathroom, took shower and when I came out he was combing hair, breakfast was on bed, there was breakfast for only one person, of course he didn't want to share any moment with me but how can he expect me to take anything in this situation.

I kept staring at him with pleading eyes but he didn't looked at me.

Suddenly he looked up while wearing his jacket, our eyes met, and I tried to convince him with my pleading looks tears came itself in my eyes but as he didn't care , he put on his dark glasses and turned to take his bag. I was ready to follow him anywhere he wish.

I followed him to leave the room, suddenly he stopped and turned to me.
"Don't you think you are forgetting something?" he said coldly.

I really didn't get what he meant by it. I gave a blank look.
"What??"

"Kaka brought your breakfast in room, have it we can leave after 15 minutes." He said while returning to room.

"No I don't feel like having any thing." My voice started to shake.

"Stop your nonsense and have it." He scolded me and forced me to hold the juice glass.

"NO, I will not." I plainly denied.

"OK as you wish!" he said with irritation and placed back the glass.

I followed him silently wiping my tears. We get in car and he drove to the clinic.

I was looking at him all the way with pleading eyes saying to my self "No Avdhesh ji, you can't do this to us, to our baby, to our relation, how can you?" but he never looked back at me.

He was driving as he was alone there.
Finally we reached the clinic. I saw its name it's same which report I found yesterday at his PA's table. Does that mean she want me to abort our child?

He was following her wish. No I will not let it happen; I can't let her spoil my world.

He get down from car and looked at me to do the same but now I can't; I felt as my body got paralyzed except eyes I looked at him and shake my head in denial.

He turn his face as he didn't want any excuse, but I couldn't do what he wants from me this time, It's matter of our child, how could I think to kill him or her before birth, no I couldn't.

He came to me, opened the door and pulled me out by seizing my wrist.
I almost fell but he hold me back and make me stand on my own, the moment I stepped out a young child came to us and pleads in front of him for a penny.

I saw his face and it feels like my baby was crying for life and tears started from my eyes he took some pennies and throw it on ground the child run to collect it and Avdhesh ji dragged me into the clinic.

He took me to the doctor, till now I was unable to utter a word. We met the doctor and he said, "Doctor, we are getting separate, so we don't want any link between us and if this child came, it will suffer whole life. We don't want it."

Again he said it all without any hesitation, I was looking at him in shock, how could he say "WE" don't want this child."

And he left me alone with the doctor as she asked him to do so for abortion.

Doctor took me to bed. I was shaking badly unable to think, what to do? How to save my baby?

Doctor might get that I didn't want it to happened.

"Mrs. Thakur are you sure you want to terminate your first pregnancy?"
Her words gave me a shock.

"No, NO I don't want to loose my baby, I can't live without my Husband and how can you expect me to live without my baby? No, I am not going to allow you or anyone to harm my child." I shouted on her and head toward the door to leave the cabin.

"Mrs. Thakur I appreciate your concern for your child, but as your husband said, Are you guys getting separate? What will you do in that case?"
She asked me with a bit of concern. I don't know what to reply her.

"I don't know, but all I know is, I will not let him go like this, and killing our baby is out of question." I replied with firmness. She smiled at me and I left the cabin.

***

"Sazaye baithe the khwabon ke ashiyaan,
Samandar kinare, unke intzaar me,
Vo bekhbar mouz se aake chal diye,
Aur chod gaye ret ke tute gharonde sa hume."

I was decorating our sand castle
Expecting him to join me in it,
He came and went away like an ignorant wave leaving me shattered like sand behind...
__________________________
Thanks for your time,

Please let me know your views 😊

P.S: As I have mentioned in the blurb of book, this story is based in a fictional territory of northern Uttar Pradesh, where illeagal things are common. Please don't take incidents in this chapter as legal.
I don't support any kind of suppression.