Chapter 15
Aarush, Radhika, Love and Sameera, all four of them went to Sahil’s house the next morning. They rang the doorbell and Sahil, in his pyjamas, opened the door, least expecting them like this – all of a sudden!
‘Hey, you guys. Welcome!’ he cheerfully let them in, still confused and clueless about their purpose of visit.
‘Hey Sahil…how have you been?’ Aarush hugged him and Love shook hands. He still had issues with hugging men.
‘I am wonderful, you all say, what’s up? And is there anything I should know?’ Sahil didn’t know how else to put his dilemma.
‘No! Nothing serious, we just wanted to show you something…’ Love said.
‘And inform you about something as well…’ Radhika completed.
‘What?’ Sahil asked.
‘This…’ Sameera took out the napkin from her hand bag that had that pregnancy test, with very faintly visible two lines.
‘What is this?’
‘Why does everyone ask the same question every time?’ Love cried.
‘This is a positive pregnancy test and we think it might be of Sheeba’s.’
‘WHAT?’ Sahil got up in shock.
‘See? I wasn’t the weird one to react that way. Every man would react that way!’ Love looked at Sameera who was staring at ground.
‘Yeah! We think Sheeba might be the one…’ Radhika said.
‘No! That is simply impossible, how can you say that?’ Sahil was still standing up.
‘Because she didn’t drink anything at the party and she was feeling nauseous too…’ Sameera laid down the reasons that forced them to come here and inquire.
‘What? She was sick! She had viral fever and throat infection, which is why she was feeling sick. She’s not pregnant, she can’t be! Sheeba…?’ Sahil went inside to call her.
‘Fuck!’ Aarush stared at Love, and Love stared at Sameera. They had started this stupid circle of scaring boyfriends about their girlfriends by revealing them that they might be pregnant!
‘After this, any dude will be scared to death, to have sex with his own partner…’ Love ogled at the ceiling, thinking of Sahil who might be terrified right now, as he was a few days ago.
‘But maybe she’s actually pregnant?’ Sameera tried to reassure.
‘And what if you are? I am still not satisfied, I will have you tested!’ Love remarked.
‘Oh, you can!’ Sameera assured him that she wasn’t pregnant.
‘Shut up you guys, Sheeba is coming.’ Radhika scolded everyone as she saw a scared, pale-white and thin girl accompanying Sahil from inside.
‘Hey Sheeba…how are you?’ Radhika hugged her tight, and the girl didn’t say a word. Maybe she was too terrified.
‘What happened?’ Sameera patted her back, as Sheeba started crying.
‘I am not pregnant! Sahil told me that you have brought a positive pregnancy test, but believe me, I am not the one!’
‘Hey, we believe you.’
‘No, I don’t!’ Love pranced at the girl, and Sahil came in the middle to stop him.
‘Hey, calm down you!’ Aarush asked Love.
‘Is there any proof?’
‘Yes!’ Sheeba neared Radhika, ‘I am on my periods, what more can I say?’ Sheeba whispered in her ear.
‘Oh. Okay! No more proof needed.’ Radhika asked everyone to walk out immediately. They had the wrong girl.
‘What happened? Why did you drag us all out?’ Love asked Radhika once inside Aarush’s car.
‘Because she said she was on her period. How can I tell you that in front of everyone, when she herself whispered that in my ear?’
‘Absolutely! And Love, what is the matter with you? Stop scaring poor women!’ Aarush scolded Love who was becoming more and more restless now.
‘Hey man, please take us to the doctors. I want to have her tested.’
‘I will get the tests myself and show you the reports, Love!’ Sameera requested him not to make a public scene out of this but Love wasn’t ready to listen.
‘Aarush…’ Love said and Aarush obeyed him, as he turned the car towards the hospital.
‘Here we are…’ Aarush said, ‘We will wait in the car, you both go inside. All the best!’
‘Don’t be scared Sameera, it will be over before you realize it has started.’ Radhika tried to comfort her.
Sameera and Love entered the hospital while Aarush and Radhika were chatting outside in the car.
‘What do you think can happen?’ Aarush asked her.
‘I think she’s not pregnant, why will she lie about it, Aarush?’
‘You never know! And with a man like Love, I think his bad time has started. He’s going to seriously repay for his past sins now…’
‘Oh shut up! You always mock him, I pity him instead, poor guy…’ Radhika looked at the gate, Love and Sameera had checked in.
‘Love is a man who doesn’t trust anyone that easily. You know how we both met! We both worked together in Infosys, and he was my team-mate there, and for months, he could not trust me. But one day when I saved his laptop from getting stolen, we became friends. And this is how it started. Since then we have been good friends, and as far as I know him, he’s the one who will do anything in the world to satisfy himself. He can’t even sleep if something is going on in his mind!’ Aarush explained things to Radhika.
‘I know that about him already. I still remember his condition when you had your accident. How restless and anxious he was in those days…God!’ Radhika sighed, even she could not forget that time.
‘How is Koel?’ Aarush asked Radhika.
‘What? I’m not in touch with her!’
‘Ahan? You are the one who said that we are going to be friends, now that everything has gotten over!’ Aarush pulled her leg.
‘No, I didn’t! I just said that I won’t mind if you are friends with her, even after marriage, so I should be asking you about her wellbeing!’ Radhika winked at him.
‘You are smart! But honestly, I am not in touch with her anymore. I think after our marriage, she must have understood that there’s no point in running after me now, or hoping for anything to happen between us.’ Aarush ran a hand through his hair. Radhika just loved it when he did that.
She neared him to kiss him on his cheek that her phone buzzed.
‘Check your phone first, wife. It might be Love or Sameera!’ Aarush kissed her on her lips.
‘Hold on…’ Radhika took out a kilogram worth stuff from her hand bag and finally found her phone that was buried under everything else.
‘I wonder why do you pack so much stuff before leaving the house? What is all this? Earthquake prevention kit?’ Aarush picked up all the cosmetics and looked at his wife.
‘What. The. Fuck!’ Radhika couldn’t believe her eyes. She handed over her phone to Aarush and asked him to read the message.
‘Holy Shit!’ Aarush tossed her phone back in her lap and ran inside the hospital after Love and Sameera. Radhika took a screen shot, and sent it to Aarush’s phone.
‘Have you had the tests?’ Aarush asked Love who was waiting outside, while Sameera was inside the doctor’s cabin.
‘No, Sameera is having them as we talk, what happened?’
‘There’s no need of tests, just come with me!’ Aarush grabbed his hand and took him to a secluded corner.
‘Radhika got a message just a minute back. We might know who’s pregnant, but you have to tell me one thing, did you invite Koel on that house party of yours?’ Aarush asked.
‘Yeah! I did. You only said that you are friends with her, and she also came to your wedding. Besides, she’s dating some new guy now.’ Love explained.
‘Fucker! She’s pregnant with ‘your’ child!’