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Part 18 – This is Us

"I think I'm pregnant" Pooja uttered with the same expressionless face.

"What?!" I exclaimed calmly though I was taken aback.

Pooja remained silent rolling her eyes sideways so I continued not understanding what exactly was happening.

"Baby you're not serious right? Say something" I asked very calmly pulling her closer to me by her waist gently. Pooja rested her head on my chest as she snaked her arms around my neck.

"3 din se my health is not well Shaheer... Kal shaam se bohat zyada weakness thi and vomitting bhi hui. I wasn't even in a condition to drive back home so I called Jenny. She came and took me to her house seeing my condition. Waha jaane ke baad I was feeling dizzy...bohath weak feel kar rhi thi... stressed thi, Tumhare sath jagda chal raha tha voh alag" Pooja softly hit my arm as she said her last sentence. I freaked out listening to her and moved her a bit away from me holding her arms.

"Oh god Pooji... How are you feeling now? Come let's go to hospital. How can you ignore your health like this? Saara time mujhe pamper karne mei ya phir shoots mei lagi rehti ho.. Khudko care karna toh bhool hi gayi ho na... Baby I'm telling you mein hota toh kal sham ko hi hospital le jata... Call karna chahiye tha na? Kyu nai bataya mujhe yeh sab? Baby you know that I can't see you like this... Mei bhi kitna besharam hu aate hi shuru ho gaya notice bhi nai ki that your eyes have gone so low, you seem so weak... I'm so sorry Pooji... I'm extremely sorry... Ab chalo hospital chalte hai sath mei... No! Don't tell me media hogi, articles ayenge and all that... I don't care... I just want you to be fine... So ab please hum..." I blabbered in one breathe while Pooja shushed me in between.

"Shhshhh... Jaan please calm down. I'm fine now. Itna stress mat lo... Please...I'm really fine bas thodi si thakaan hai" Pooja tried to calm me down rubbing my biceps up and down.

"Par... Pooja yeh sab... I don't..." I could not form proper sentences to speak as I was hell worried of my girl's health.

"Shaheer please... Come let's sit first..." Pooja walked me till the sofa holding my hand as if I was a little boy crying for getting hurt. I obediently followed her and sat on the sofa, she poured water in a glass and offered me to drink first but I insisted she drinks it considering how pale she already was. Pooja drank half of it and offered it to me again. I gulped down the remaining water at one go and stared into her eyes yearning for an explanation and my lady understood me without even uttering a word.

"Ab suno meri baat... Jenny ke ghar mei dinner ke baad i felt nausea and puked whatever I ate. Then I realised that I have missed my period this month so... I thought of taking up pregnancy test just to be sure. Today morning when I took the tests...unfortunately ek mei positive dikha rahi hai aur ek mei negative..." Pooja confessed startling me for a bit as this was not at all expected.

"Oh god!" is all I could mumble faintly and sensing my plight Pooja hugged me and caressed my back.

"These kits can be faulty sometimes so I think I need to go to the gynaecologist for proper check up..." Pooja mumbled against my chest. She pulled back a bit but still held me in her hands while she continued.

"Shaheer...I know tumhe yeh sab suddenly process karne mei takleef hogi because we both weren't expecting anything like this. So it's fine... Meine khud bohath time liya yeh sab accept karne mei... So I understand how you must be feeling right now..." Pooja spoke with empathy which was the most I needed that moment when I could not fathom the entire run of events that had happened. My eyes had turned moist unknowingly as I just nodded at her unable to let any words come out of my mouth. There were a few moments of silence between us before Pooja continued...

"First of all I'm not even sure if there's a baby or not at this point. But I have thought about all this jaan... I know we both were not ready for this. But agar sach mei humara baby hai mere andar toh I don't think I'll be able to abort it toh mujhe iske bare mei sochne ko bhi mat bolna... You really don't have to feel pressurised for anything. You are free to decide whatever you want to... I completely understand. But if you don't want the baby then I can't be with you..." Pooja had said just like any strong independent girl would do in this situation but I was not inhuman to behave like any male chauvinist.

"Sweetheart, how can I not be with you? I completely understand whatever you said... Yes at this moment all this scares me... Yes I don't think I'm ready. Yes I'm worried about you. But Pooja whatever it is... I'll always be with you. Agar baby aa raha hai tab bhi nahi hai tab bhi... Baby toh mera bhi hissa hoga na? Sirf tumhara nahi... Trust me as I say this mere andar kuch ho raha hai...the feeling is different" I said with a smile and pressed my lips on her forehead and wrapped my hand around her shoulder... I knew that Pooja needed me and my assurance, this warmth from me was all she needed to calm herself down.

"But Shaheer, your career?ammi abbu kya sochenge?We aren't even married and if baby..." Pooja was simply being paranoid so I cut her in between.

"sshhshh...bohat bolti ho Pooji... oh wait! What did you just say?" I said as I suddenly realized something that she blurted.

"What did I say?" Pooja said being oblivious.

"Pooji you just called my parents ammi abbu...!" I quipped bringing a confused look on Pooja's face.

"Really? Ah uh...it may have slipped my tongue" Pooja fumbled while I pecked the top of her head and said

"Pooji,I like it... It was so natural that you addressed them ammi abbu... ab toh you've grown so close to them anyways... who knows may be in few days you may have to call them ammi abbu for lifetime?" I smirked.

"What? What do you mean?" Pooja moved apart and asked in a serious tone.

"Haan... agar baby aa raha hai toh hum shadi karenge hi na?" I said nonchalantly.

"Shaheer really? you're sure about this?mazzak mat karo please..." Pooja huffed.

"Arre bhaisaab! Why would I joke baba? I don't want my child to be born out of a wedlock... and hume kabhi na kabhi toh shadi karni hi thi... so yeah I'm sure about it as long as you're also sure about me and the baby" I said genuinely but Miss Sharma was all concerned only about me.

"Mera chodo tum batao... how will you handle everything? Your career is at peak jaan... isme shadi, baby and all will affect you and your career both...!" Pooja said with a cute worried expression.

"Poojaa... what are you saying? If at all the pregnancy is true... Mine wont't even be half hard as what you will go through...it's you who has to marry me amidst all this, it's you who have to quit working, it's your body that will go through so many changes, it's you who will have to bear the baby for 9 months, it's you who has to be ready for all this! So, it's completely your decision and I will accept whatever it is... I love you baby...I love all of you and nothing can change it...!" I said pulling her into my embrace as I placed few kisses on her forehead. Pooja was so overwhelmed by what I said that tears rolled down her cheeks as she hugged me back and confessed the three words that I was craving to hear from her from past 7 months.

"I love you too Shaheer...! I love you so much!" Pooja mumbled amidst her faint sobs against my chest. I wiped her tears away and lifted her chin up as I pecked her lips softly as I could not express my happiness in any other way since for the very first time my lady had said I love you to me. I always craved to listen this from her but wanted her to willingly say when she truly felt like saying and today I had earned her love...

"I love you more sweetheart...! Finally tumne yeh teen words bol hi diya jo mei sunna chahta tha..." I said breaking apart... Pooja just lowered her eyes and buried her face in my neck.

"Pooji... what if the test result is negative? Tumhe bura lagega?" I asked her out of the blue as I wanted her to be prepared for anything before we went to the gynecologist for proper check up. Pooja moved a bit away from me and smiled faintly before she began saying...

"Shayad... thoda bura lagega. Because now I have thoughts of our baby,my baby in my womb. Yeh feeling aisa hai ki... I don't know how to put in words Shaheer but I think every girl would feel attached emotionally to even just the thought of having her own child so it's normal to feel sad if the test comes out negative but don't worry I'll be fine... yeh sochungi ki humare paas aur bhi time hai to make memories before we bring in our baby into this world..." Pooja spoke very sensibly and maturely... she always outdid herself in being an understanding and practical woman that she is and this quality of hers made her all the more unique.

"You're so smart pooji... I'm proud of you. I'm proud of the way you always handle things in a mature way... mere jaise shaitaan ko handle karti ho voh alag...!" I said taking her in my arms again.

"Haan... yeh correct hai. Tumahre jaise shaitaan ko mere alawa kaun handle kar sakta hai?!" She smirked and giggled after a long time.

"Acha... shaitaan ki girlfriend Maha shaitaan!" I huffed faking anger and she kissed my cheek suddenly.

"Yeh kyat ha?" I asked surprised by her gesture.

"Bohat pyaar aa raha hai tum pe... toh bas..." and she kissed my cheek again, I was happy that my girl was back to being herself. We were back to being our happy selves after so much that we went through in past few days.

We remained in each other's arms cuddling on the sofa for some more time before we slipped into sleep on the same small couch one above another. We missed sleeping together, we missed cuddling, we missed our warmth, we missed being us and our emotional connect in the past 3 weeks so we did not mind spending some more time at home before we decided that Pooja would go consult her gynecologist with Jenny for the tests.

As much as I wanted to be with her during the tests, we could not risk going to a hospital together and getting clicked by any media as already there were many rumors floating about us dating. We had neither accepted nor denied and had kept mum on this topic so we did not want more gossip columns to fill up with articles about us visiting a hospital together. I wanted my privacy; these things were too personal to be out in the open for discussions among people's drawing rooms when articles are published. Though I understand that celebrities lives are almost public and it came with stardom we get, I feel we should sometimes be seen as normal human beings and give us our life to lead normally just like others.

********

After a peaceful slumber of about 2 hours, I woke up feeling a slight pain in my arm as it was stuck beneath my alpha male's body since I slept on him entangling my whole body with his. Shaheer still slept like a baby, snoring a bit, perhaps due to the stress and the jet lag. I couldn't stop myself from placing feathery kisses all over his face and neck thus waking him up.

"Awe... someone can't resist me" He smirked with a lopsided grin, pulling me closer on top of him as he slid his fingers underneath my top sending chills on my bare skin of my waist.

"Mmm... yeah... I can't and so do you Sheikh saab" I taunted rolling my eyes towards his hands that drew abstract patterns on my waist.

"Hmm toh kisne kaha itna irresistibly hot dikhne ko?" He said peppering kisses on my jawline and going down my neck.

"Hushh... abhi inn sab ka time nahi hai... leave me. Forgot kya? Mujhe hospital jaana hai Jenny ke sath" I said as I tried to free myself from his clutches and got up easily as he left me the moment he heard hospital.

"Hmm..." He mumbled and sat up on the sofa still in a drowsy state, while I made my hair in a bun and called up Jenny and told her to directly meet me at the hospital in an hour. We both freshened up and ate some food that we cooked together and I got ready to leave to the hospital.

Once, I was ready I told him to go attend his meetings that were scheduled regarding his upcoming projects and not to worry about me. And he seemed and behaved all okay in front of me but I knew how worried and tensed he was though he said he was okay with anything the result was. It was natural of him to react this way in fact I had thought he would go mad but he handled everything in a matured way. Shaheer was always my rock solid support now and he never let a chance to prove it.

I was myself nervous about this pregnancy test and all but Shaheer comforted me like he would comfort a little baby. He hugged me tight and kissed my forehead assuring me that he will be my side no matter what. This was all a girl could ever want from her man and I felt lucky to have got Shaheer as my man.

I reached the hospital in some time and Jenny was already waiting for me there. She had already taken the appointment with the doctor and had made sure everything was done under utmost confidentiality. I felt nervous and timid before giving my blood sample for the test, during the checkup and while I discussed my symptoms with the doctor but I tried to be normal and calm just for the words Shaheer had told me. He was with me though he was not present physically.

After the procedure was done, the doctor informed that the reports shall be emailed by evening and that I can speak to her on the phone regarding the same if needed. We thanked the doctor and left to my house as I had already informed Shaheer to visit my place after his meetings.

We reached home after half an hour and found Shaheer already at the flat. As I entered he took me in his embrace and kissed my head.

"Are you okay baby?" He asked with concern.

"I'm fine jaan... are you okay?" I asked wrapping my hands around his torso.

"Hmm..." He replied curtly still holding me in his arms.

"Everything went fine... sham tak reports mail kardengi doctor" I said.

We moved apart and Shaheer hugged Jenny and thanked her profusely for being there with me when he wasn't.

"Don't worry guys! Report positive ho ya negative dono achi hi hai... Positive huyi toh shadi + baby, negative huyi toh anyways thode din you can romance freely!" Jenny chuckled as she tried to lighten up the situation. We had a hearty laugh and she bid us adieu.

To divert our mind from all this nervousness, I and Shaheer decided to watch his favourite movie Andaz Apna Apna. We enjoyed the movie with some popcorn and fruit juice as Mr Sheikh was being fussy about aerated drinks reasoning that what if I was pregnant. I could only think how caring he would get if we really have a baby.

After the movie, we just lazed around in the balcony watering the plants before it was time for the reports to come.

My mobile buzzed with the email notification and I quickly opened it without wasting a second. I went through the report and saw the impression at the end of the report while Shaheer was eagerly waiting. He took the mobile from my hand and read it.

The report read "Negative"

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