Chapter Fourteen
It had been a long time since she met Mansi. After her marriage, they'd only been in contact a few times because Mansi lived in Mumbai and Aarti had stayed at Bhopal... but today Aarti dug out her ex best friend's number. She desperately needed someone to talk to.
Aarti got up from the bed and locked Yash's door so nobody could hear what she was going to tell Mansi. Mansi would be in for the shock of her life.
Aarti didn't know what to do herself. If Yash hadn't married her so suddenly, it would have been very simple. She would have returned to Prashant, apologized, and told him she was pregnant. He'd accept her and they'd get married again.
God seemed to have other plans for her though -- more complicated ones.
Aarti gently patted the sleeping Palak with one hand while she dialed Mansi's number with the other. She bit her lip nervously as the rings went through... how would her best friend react? What was going in her life anyways? Last she knew, Mansi was in a complicated relationship with Akash.
"Hello?" Mansi said from the other end.
"Mansi!" Aarti exclaimed, "It's me, Aarti!"
"Oh my gosh Aarti, how have you been?" she squealed. "It's been so long!"
"I know," Aarti replied, "I'm in Mumbai actually... how are you?"
"Really?" Mansi said happily. "Then we must meet up! I've been fine Aarti."
"Yeah," Aarti said, "Definitely... but I need to talk to you Mansi... urgently."
"Alright, then we'll meet up now," Mansi replied enthusiastically.
"No I can't! There's a funeral going on right now, it won't look good if I leave."
"Funeral?" Mansi asked, shocked. "What? What's going on Aarti?"
"Remember Arpita?" Aarti whispered. She was being extra cautious in case Yash was lingering outside the room. "She... she passed away last night. And it's my fault Mansi. I was driving the car and the car crashed, so Arpita needed to get a premature delivery done. Then she died during childbirth due to the complications, and now Yash married me and I'm taking care of her baby --"
"Wait WHAT?" Mansi shrieked from the other end, causing Aarti to cringe. "What the hell Aarti? What do you mean he married you?"
"I mean he took me the temple and married me because I took away his wife's life. I have to dedicate mine to raising Palak now... his daughter."
"Oh my god Aarti... that is messed up. That is CRAZY. I'm sure it can't be legal!"
"No Mansi, according to tradition we are married, even if it's illegal. And either way, I'm responsible for Arpita's death, so if he chooses to punish me in this way, then I don't mind at all. It's just... things got complicated Mansi."
"Can it get any more complicated Aarti?" Mansi asked, sounding shocked over the phone. "It's so hard to comprehend... all of this happening in a matter of a few hours?" she asked.
"Yeah... well it's the truth, life doesn't always take its sweet old time. It decided to do all this at once Mansi. I don't know why I'm going through all this... anyways I... I'm in a huge dilemma now," Aarti said fearfully. "Mansi... I'm pregnant."
"With whose child?!" she shrieked again from the other end of the line.
"Prashant's!" Aarti said defensively.
"But you two got divorced almost a year ago!"
"I know but I came back to meet him, and we lived together for over a month, and we acted like we were married so we were intimate and now we decided to take a break again, and all of this happened. Mansi what do I do?" Aarti said really fast.
"Okay, okay, hold up. Let me think. This is all so hard to take in... you're already a mother and your next child is due less than nine months from your first one?" Mansi asked.
"Yes Mansi!" Aarti said, getting irritated. "What do I do? Yash hates me! There's no way he'd accept this child."
"Well," Mansi started, "You have a few options. If you want to keep the baby, which I'm assuming you do, then you tell Yash now or you wait. Or... I have another idea."
"What?" Aarti asked curiously.
"Well Aarti, Yash is your husband now."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning this. You sleep with him so you have a reason to be pregnant with his child!"
Aarti's mouth dropped open. "No way! He just lost his wife and I'm in no mood to get close to him at all, forget sleeping with him!"
"I just said it was an option," Mansi responded bitterly.
"Mansi he hates me!" Aarti said dejectedly. "He'll never accept the child... and I don't want to lose it. I deserve to have the most cruel punishment..."
"Aarti it's his fault okay! You had no idea you were going to be pregnant. And for God's sake, you didn't kill Arpita, so stop believing you did. Okay, let's think on the bright side... maybe he'll let you leave once he finds out?" she said brightly.
"I promised Arpita Mansi, I can't just leave Palak either... and this child will be the last living reminder that Prashant was a huge part of my life... I can't get rid of it."
"Then my friend, you're screwed," Mansi said from the other end. "I'm telling you once again though, consider seducing him. If not now, wait for a week or two, but you better hurry up before you start to show."
"Mansi don't be silly," she said before she heard a knock on the door.
"Open the door," Yash said angrily from outside.
"He's here," Aarti gasped, "I'll talk to you later."
Aarti quickly got up from the bed and opened the door.
"Who told you that you could lock the door?" he snapped.
Aarti glanced at him and noticed that he had a plate full of food in his hand.
"I -- I'm sorry," she apologized.
If she hadn't seen that plate and he wasn't so upset, she might have even snapped back.
"Here," he said rudely, giving her the plate. "Eat it and don't fall on me again."
She took the plate from him and he walked to the bed where Palak was sleeping.
Aarti walked to the other side of the bed and sat on the edge as she watched Yash pat his daughter lovingly. He bent down and kissed her cheek, paying no attention to Aarti.
Aarti ate the food quietly and placed the plate on the side table. Then she plopped up the pillow and leaned back on it, hugging her knees to her chest.
Yash was quietly staring at Palak and Aarti just quietly looked forward, both of them were lost in their own thoughts.
Soon Yash got up and left the room again while Aarti closed her eyes and fell asleep next to Palak.
Yash entered the room that night to see Aarti sleeping on his side of the bed. He walked towards her and for some reason, he couldn't remove his gaze from her. She looked so peaceful when she slept. His hand reached out to touch her cheek but instead, he changed his target and grabbed her shoulder instead.
"What do you think you're doing?" he snarled.
Aarti sat up, a shocked expression on her face.
"I was sleeping," she replied.
"Get off," he said coldly. "Your place is there on that couch."
She stood up from the bed and opened her mouth to say something to him, but she closed her mouth instead. "Okay, fine," she replied. "I'll sleep on the couch."
Yash lay down on his bed and turned his head to the side to look at Arpita's picture. It's already so hard to live without you Arpita... please come back, he said in his mind.
Aarti adjusted herself on the couch and tried to sleep... but she couldn't. She instinctively placed a hand on her belly. There was a small baby growing in there. Tomorrow, she'd have to find a way to visit a doctor and find out exactly how far along she was.
She closed her eyes and drifted off.
She was awoken by Palak's cries. She got up from the couch quickly and rushed over to the bed. Yash was already holding her, trying to keep her quiet. Aarti sat next to Yash and held out her arms to take Palak.
"I've got her," he said, rocking her.
"She might be hungry again. Or... check if she made a mess. I changed her diaper earlier but I heard babies make a mess often."
"No, she didn't. I already checked."
"Alright then, she's hungry," Aarti said getting up. "I'll go down and make milk for her, you just keep rocking her."
"I already brought the water boiler and the formula upstairs," Yash told her. "It's filled with clean water, just turn it on."
Aarti smiled at him appreciatively and went to make the formula. After she made it, she shook it and tested it. The milk felt warm on her hand. She quickly returned to Yash and Palak.
Aarti placed the bottle in Palak's mouth and Palak's hands reached up to hold the bottle. One of her hands curled around Arti's hand, causing Aarti to smile.
"She wants to be with you," Yash pointed out.
He placed Palak in Aarti's arms, holding the bottle instead.
Aarti looked at him, surprised that he was capable of handing Palak to her so easily. Then Palak started crying again and she removed the bottle from her mouth. "Ooh baby Palak, you aren't hungry?" Aarti asked.
She rocked her gently, but Palak kept on crying.
"Are you hurt? Is everything okay my princess?" she asked.
"She can't talk..." Yash said bluntly.
"I know that!" Aarti snapped. "But there's nothing wrong with trying to have a conversation with a baby. If you don't like it then you don't talk to her."
She kissed Palak's cheek and continued to rock her. "Mommy's here with you, everything will be okay. Don't cry my little angel."
"Is she an angel or a princess?" Yash asked, clearly confused.
Aarti gave a heavy sigh.
"Nevermind, you won't understand Yash."
"I was just asking..."
"Do something better with your time and sleep. I'll take care of her."
Yash shook his head. "No it's okay, I'll stay awake too."
"As you wish."
She continued to rock the crying Palak. "Hush little baby don't you cry..." she started singing and Palak fell asleep in her arms in no time.
She glanced over at Yash and noticed that he seemed to have fallen asleep too. Yash looked very innocent sleeping like that, with his arms folded. Aarti gently lay Palak down beside him and pulled up the blanket to cover Yash. Aarti got into the blanket too and adjusted Palak so the blanket wouldn't come in the way of Palak's breathing. Aarti patted Palak's stomach until she fell asleep too.
Yash and Aarti both woke up again when the baby cried an hour later. Yash noticed Aarti in his bed, but didn't say anything. It would be easier for her and Palak both if she slept there.
"I'll... move to the couch," he said.
"No Yash, it's okay. This is your bed, you sleep here," Aarti said, picking up the baby and trying to feed her milk. "I'll go back to the couch once she falls asleep."
"She'll wake up very often Aarti, you sleep here so you can take care of her."
"Yash just go to sleep. We'll both sleep here... I know you hate me, but we can do this for Palak's sake."
Yash nodded and lay down again, while Aarti sang to Palak until she fell asleep. Aarti's lullaby also worked on Yash once again.
The next morning Aarti felt like she had to throw up.
"Yash... Yash!" she said, waking Yash up. "Take care of Palak if she wakes up."
Yash looked at her, confused, as she ran into the bathroom and locked the door. Inside the bathroom, she threw up into the toilet. She washed her face with cold water and wiped it dry before she left the bathroom.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, sounding concerned.
"Yeah," she said, trying to sound normal.
Aarti knew that she needed to tell Yash fast... but how would she tell him? He would kill her and the family would react even worse. They would never accept another man's child. What could she do? She remembered the phone conversation with Mansi...
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