Chapter 8

-FlashBack-

My name is Armaan Mallik as you already know. I'm 27 years old. I'm an only child. I have been a police officer for the past 8 years. I was born and raised in New York. I come from a blended family. My father Billy is from a small town in India. He came here when he was 17 years old after his parent's or my grandparents passed away. He didn't have any real ambitions at the time. He just wanted to start a new life. He's a simple guy. He doesn't like to make things complicated when they don't have to be. He's a business man here. He runs his own company and is pretty busy with it. My mom Molly on the other hand is a New Yorker. She was born and raised here. She's Christian. So you can imagine what happened when my Dad fell in love with my mom. His whole world changed. He had to learn proper English as my mom didn't understand a word of Hindi. My dad still tells me stories of how he used to communicate with her. He would say one thing and she would take it in a whole other way. But then again I guess love has its way. Language doesn't pose as an obstacle. It finds a way to make things work. And that's what happened with my parents. They put aside the fact that they were from two different worlds and just accepted each other the way they were. But I guess that doesn't always happen with everyone. Not everyone is as lucky as they are. I should know. I learned that the hard way.

They say that throughout your life, you will find one person who is unlike any other. You could talk to this person for hours and never get bored. You could tell them things and they won't judge you. This person is your soul mate, your best friend. Don't ever let them go. I know that sounds cheesy but for me that had become my reality. I just wish at times that I didn't have to regret the fact that I had believed that saying with all my heart.

Her name was Jessica Henderson. She was a model. I met her at a fashion show where I had been sent to arrest a guy who had drank a little too much and was causing havoc. I had felt a connection with her at first sight. I don't know what it was about her that had attracted me towards her. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was perfect. And I knew I wanted to be with her. After that day I had tried to find out as much as I could about her. So that when I actually did speak to her it wouldn't be awkward. And surprisingly enough the day I had actually spoken to her we ended up hitting it off and became friends. And that was it. A few weeks later we began dating. I felt like I was the happiest man in the world. Things couldn't have been more perfect. A few months later we moved into a small apartment and began living with each other. But little did I know that my dream world was about to turn sour.

Armaan paused as he felt himself become heavy. It had been a while since he had recalled his past. He had tried to move on from it trying to close that chapter of his life. But now that he was reliving it he felt the pain return. It was like he was ripping off the band aid and exposing old wounds that he had tried to cover up. Composing himself once again he took a deep breath and continued on with his story.

I had gotten off work early one day and came home to find the lights off. It was strange because usually Jessica would leave the lights on when I wasn't around. At first I thought that maybe she wasn't home yet and that I had just reached early and so brushing off any disturbing thoughts I made my way to our room to change. It was only when I entered the room that I found Jessica lying on the bed in her red bikini top and short blue shorts staring at me with a seductive smile. I stared at her and felt my mouth begin to dry up. I had never seen her look sexier. I tried to control myself but my inner desires got the better of me and the next thing I knew we were making love like wild animals. It was at that moment that I knew I loved her. I wanted to be with her forever. I just didn't know that what I thought was forever would turn out to be the end.

I still remember that day clearly. It was the day that my whole entire world ended as I knew it. I had gone to meet her at a restaurant that she had told me to come to when I saw her sitting with another man. I didn't know what to do. I felt like my world had come crashing down. I wanted to go and ask her who he was and why she was with him but my feet just wouldn't move. I stood motionless. It took me a few minutes to compose myself before walking right back out of the door that I had entered from.

It was around 10 when she came home and I finally confronted her. She told me that the man she was sitting with was her brother. He had come to visit her from Texas. I can't tell you how relieved I was at that moment. I had almost felt as if I had lost her. She then told me that she had something else to tell me. I felt my heart race. I didn't know what to expect. I just hoped that it wasn't something that was going to take her away from me.

I still remember each word of that conversation like it happened yesterday.

"Armaan. I have to tell you something hun."

"Yeah sure sweetie. Tell me. What is it?"

"I don't know how to tell you this but...

"But what?"

"I'm..I'm pregnant."

"You're what!"

"I'm going to have a baby!"

A baby! We were going to have a baby! I was going to be a father! I was so happy that day! I can't even begin to tell you. I wanted to yell and scream that I was going to be a father but before I could even express my emotions Jessica burst my bubble.

"Omg! I'm going to be a father!"

"Armaan! I'm not finished yet."

"Oh sorry. Go ahead."

"I'm..sorry but the..baby..isn't...yours."

I stared at her with a blank face. I didn't know how to react. One minute I was floating in the sky and the next second I had been slammed to the ground. How could that be? How could she even dare to say that the baby wasn't mine?

"What do you mean it's not mine?"

"It's not yours because...I..I cheated on you."

"YOU WHAT!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It just happened."

"WHO IS HE?"

"Now hunny. Please. Just listen to me."

"WHO THE **** IS HE!"

"David."

"David? Who's David?"

"He's my ex. I ran into him a few days ago. We started talking and then one thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together. I'm really sorry!"

Sorry. It sounded so disgusting coming from her mouth. We fought after that and ended up breaking up. I didn't want to be with someone who had made a fool out of me. She had worn this perfect mask and ruined me. I felt so stupid for falling in love with her. I promised myself that day that I would never fall in love let alone let any woman come near me. I was never going to make friends with a woman ever again. After that I never saw her again. But I guess just like you Riddhima destiny played its game with me too.

I was at work when I got a call from a local hospital. They asked if I could come. I was a little reluctant but seeing as I didn't really have a choice I went to see what had happened. When I got there I was told that Jessica had been brought in earlier in the day and had given birth to a baby girl but because of some major complications she had passed away. The hospital told me that since the birth father was no where to be found and that since I was on Jessica's emergency list they had called me. A few days later Jessica's lawyer came to see me. He told me that Jessica had signed an adoption paper saying that I was now the legal guardian of her child. She had said that incase anything had happened to her that I would get the child because she didn't trust her own family. In a matter of minutes I had become a single father to Ava who isn't even mine.

-FlashBack Ends-

"Ever since I have been taking care of Ava and she thinks that I'm her dad. I don't have the heart to tell her the truth right now. But I will one day when she is old enough. "

As he finished speaking he looked at Riddhima for a reaction. But she was just looking at him with a blank face. It was like she was trying to absorb what she had heard.

"Riddhima?"

"I can't believe you went through all of that. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. And besides I still have to answer your question."

"My question? What question?"

"You asked me if I loved you or not."

"Oh yeah. Well do you?"

"Before I answer that do you still love me after hearing what I just told you?"

Did she still love him? Could she accept him regardless of his past? Could she accept that fact that he was raising a child that wasn't his? Riddhima thought over everything and finally when she got her answer she responded to his questioning gaze.

"Yes. I do still love you. And I would really love to meet Ava."

Armaan looked at her in awe. He just couldn't believe she had said that. She really was one amazing woman.

"I love you too Riddhima. I love you. And I can't wait for you to meet Ava."

Riddhima looked at him and she couldn't help but smile. She had finally found someone who truly did love her. And so without being able to control herself any longer she flung her arms around him and hugged him allowing herself to finally feel what is was to be in love.