Sharon eyes fluttered open and she blinked, trying to remember where she was. As she tried to shift, she felt a arm draped over her stomach. It all came back to her. His revelation, her revelation, the soul tearing kiss, the night they spent together. She stopped trying to move and sighed as she saw him snuggled against her. His head lay on her shoulder, his hair spread all over his face. His mouth was partially open and Sharon smiled as a light snore escaped his lips. He looked so peaceful and innocent, worlds apart from the broken man she had seen yesterday.
Swayam moved suddenly and Sharon froze, wondering if she had woken him up. As if to disperse her worries, Swayam's eyes stayed shut as he snuggled closer to her, his face resting in the crook of her neck as his grip tightened, pulling her closer. The involuntary gesture threatened to tear her up. He had been so caring, so protective, holding her as she fell down. Last night had been a haze for Sharon, hormones raging in her, but she didn't regret it. Any of it. She understood that the rapport they both had formed as friends would be lost now, replaced by a sense of awkwardness. Nevertheless, she had needed it. He had needed it. Granted, it wasn't the best method for consolation, but it sure had worked. God help her, it had. Helped her forget for a minute that she had as good as killed her sister. Helped him forget that he had been betrayed by the woman he loved and the man he called his brother.
The only regret she felt was for the loss of this friendship. Sharon moved her free hand into his hair, feeling the silky strands run past her fingers. Bending her head, she kissed the top of his head and whispered against his hair.
"Thank you, for everything."
--
SEPTEMBER 2015 (TWO MONTHS AGO) India
"Congratulations on surviving one more year Sharon."
"You have a long way to go before you make me laugh, young Padawan. Still, thanks."
"How's the project coming along?"
"It's coming along okay."
"...well?"
"Well...I guess that's it?"
"Okay, bye."
"Ciao."
Swayam slammed his phone on the table, annoyed. This is how it had turned out. Their friendship and camaraderie had taken a plunge in the ocean, failing to resurface, leaving behind a mess of emotions and confusion. He ran his fingers through his hair and remembered a similar memory, except the fingers had been hers.
Goddamit.
She had certainly got under his skin.
Swayam wasn't used to dealing with such confusing emotions. He knew the clear cut ones, he could manage them. But this unfathomable feeling had steered him off course. He didn't know how to deal with it, didn't understand what his feelings toward Sharon was. He sighed, this was not good. Not good at all.
"Sir?" the office peon peeked through his door.
"Yes?"
"There's someone to meet you. Says her name is Nisha Kapoor."
Swayam sprang up, sending his chair crashing to the wall behind him. Nisha? Here? What? He rushed outside his cabin and moved towards the reception to see her seated on the sofa. He skidded to a stop as he took in her form from a distance and did a double take. She was pregnant. Possibly entering her third trimester by the look of her.
What the hell?
--
FRANCE
Sharon could feel his disappointment radiating through his voice as she hung the phone. Well, what could she do? Things had turned too awkward between them, much more than she had thought. In hindsight, accepting this project had turned out to be a good choice. At least the awkward silent meetings could be avoided.
She and Swayam had not talked about their night together. Apart from the fact that both were scared out of their wits at the prospect of that particular confrontation, they both knew that starting the topic would only lead to cause discomfort to both of them. They knew talking was pointless when both of them were unaware of their own emotions, thoughts. Awkward silence it is then.
Sharon for her part had accepted that she liked Swayam, a lot. Not the platonic like, mind you. The not-platonic one. She also accepted that the development of these feelings would hit her right where it hurt the most, just like all the others did. She didn't wish for that to happen. She didn't wish for another heartbreak. There was only so much a human could take.
She thought of that night, as she had done everyday for the past two months. How his fingers had glided on her skin, how he touched her, how she had nearly cried at his tenderness. All of it filled her brain, trying to convince her to give this new emotion a chance. To do so, even if the possibility that he won't reciprocate is present. To take a risk.
Was she ready to take a risk?
--
INDIA
'Nisha" he breathed.
Her face broke into a weak smile. Swayam realised, with a jolt, how weak she looked. Nevertheless, still beautiful, a traitorous part of him mind hissed. No, no. Swayam knew better than to think that way. His soreness over her betrayal had annihilated every romantic feeling he had had for her. Looking at her now, he wondered why she was here now? To rub it in his face that she was happy with his brother? Why?
"Swayam. Can I- can I talk to you, somewhere alone?"
"Okay." he said dubiously. "Come on, we can talk in my cabin."
She nodded and turned around, bending to pick her bag. Swayam sighed and beat her to it. "I've got it."
"Thanks."
Nisha tapped her fingers on the desk, Swayam's desk, she corrected herself. She was clueless of how to break the news to him. Shaken by the events of the past few days herself she knew Swayam would not take it nicely.
"Congratulations."
"Huh?" She said lamely.
He pointed towards her baby bump. "I see Saurav is keeping you happy." he said indifferently. Indifference? She had expected disgust, hatred, anger, (love?) anything but indiffernce. It stung her to hear Saurav's name and she flinched, wondering how she was supposed to break the news to Swayam.
"Saurav...That is what I wanted to talk to you about, Swayam."
"With me?"
"Saurav, he-he left me."
Swayam stared at her for a moment and gave out a humourless laugh. "Honestly woman! You come to me, your ex-boyfriend, to say that your current boyfriend and your child's father, with whom you were cheating on me, has left you! I appreciate your nerve, Nisha. I really do."
She flinched once again. Whom had she wronged to be punished like this? Well she knew whom she had wronged, but still.
"That's why he left me."
"What?"
"He's not the father."
"..."
"You're the father."
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