Chapter 12
Shaurya
I know I am being an asshole, especially while she lies there, weak and exhausted in a hospital bed. Every rational part of me knows I should step back and let her rest, but the thought of losing my child has stripped away the last of my restraint.
I am still fucking furious that Reeva hid this pregnancy from me. She planned to erase me from our baby’s life, and now she expects me to accept her decision without a fight.
No chance in hell.
Perhaps my threats make me every bit the monster she believes I am, but I refuse to stand aside while she takes our child and disappears from my life.
If she thinks I will simply let her walk away, she has another thing coming.
I let her go once because my guilt convinced me it was the right thing to do.
I will not make that mistake again.
This time, I won’t let her go.
Before either of us can continue the argument, a soft knock sounds at the door. A moment later, the doctor enters with a nurse following close behind. I immediately conceal my emotions behind an impassive expression but remain firmly beside Reeva’s bed.
“How are you feeling now, Mrs. Rajvansh?” the doctor asks as the nurse wraps a blood-pressure cuff around Reeva’s arm and checks her pulse.
“Better,” Reeva replies quietly. “A little tired, but the dizziness is gone.”
The nurse records the readings while the doctor continues her examination. “Have you experienced any abdominal pain, severe cramping, or spotting over the past few days?”
“No. Just a little nausea.”
The doctor gives an understanding nod. “That is common during early pregnancy. Your blood pressure has improved with the fluids, and the rest of your reports look reassuring. Both you and the baby are stable, so I see no medical reason to keep you here any longer.”
Hope immediately brightens Reeva’s tired face. “So I can go home?”
“You certainly can,” the doctor says with a reassuring smile.
“What about once she gets home?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest. “Are there any restrictions? Anything she should or shouldn’t be doing?”
Reeva’s gaze snaps towards me, but I keep my attention fixed firmly on the doctor.
“She doesn’t require strict bed rest. She may resume her normal daily activities, but I strongly recommend that she take things easy for the next few days.
Her blood pressure is still on the lower side, so she needs adequate rest, plenty of fluids, and regular, nutritious meals.
She should avoid skipping meals, standing for extended periods, strenuous activity, and prolonged exposure to heat.
” The doctor turns towards Reeva. “Rise slowly whenever you have been sitting or lying down. If the dizziness returns, sit down immediately rather than trying to push through it.”
Reeva nods. “I understand.”
“And most importantly,” the doctor continues, her expression becoming serious, “keep stress to an absolute minimum. Your body has already given you a warning today. Listen to it.”
Stress… the one thing I have brought into Reeva’s life in abundance.
Guilt twists sharply inside me, but beneath it, a fierce determination takes root. I nearly lost both of them today, and I refuse to let that happen again. Whether Reeva wants me beside her or not, I will make certain that she and our baby are safe.
But if I truly intend to protect them, I cannot continue being another source of pain in Reeva’s life.
Yes, I am still fucking hurt and angry that she hid her pregnancy from me, but I cannot let that hurt become another reason I wound her.
I will protect them both, whatever it takes—even if that means protecting them from the worst parts of me.
“I would also like you to schedule an appointment with an obstetrician within the next few days,” she adds. “And if you experience any severe pain or bleeding, return to the hospital immediately.”
“I will,” Reeva promises.
“Good. The nurse will return shortly with your discharge papers.”
After offering one final reassuring smile, the doctor and nurse leave. The door closes behind them, and Reeva looks up at me.
“You can leave now. The doctor said everything is fine, and I’ll ask Meena Aunty to pick me up.”
“That won’t be necessary. I am already here, and I’ll take you home.” I hold her gaze, leaving no room for argument. “And so there is no misunderstanding, I don’t mean your brother’s house. You are coming back to our home with me.”
She closes her eyes and rests her head against the raised pillow. “Please, Shaurya, don’t start this again. I am still trying to process the fact that you intend to stop our divorce. I don’t have the strength for another argument.”
“I don’t want another argument either,” I say, forcing my voice to soften.
“That would be a refreshing change,” she mutters, lifting her head to look at me.
I ignore the jab and pull the chair closer before settling beside her bed. “But you should know that this conversation isn’t over, Reeva.”
“Of course it isn’t.” She turns her face away. “Nothing with you ever ends until you get exactly what you want.”
“You’re right.” A faint, humourless smile touches my lips.
“And this time, what I want is for our child to be safe. You can hate the way I am handling this, but I will not apologise for refusing to take chances with our baby’s life.
” My gaze holds hers. “After watching you collapse today, I need both of you close enough for me to know you are safe and to take care of you both.”
“I don’t want you to take care of me, Shaurya. And I don’t want to go home with you.”
“Reeva, don’t be difficult.”
“Then stop forcing me to do things I don’t want to do.”
The doctor specifically warned that Reeva needs to avoid stress, yet we have been alone for less than a minute and are already arguing again. I am doing the very thing I was told to protect her from.
“Listen…”
“No, you listen.” Her voice remains weak but firm.
“I understand that you don’t want the divorce.
Fine. I will set that argument aside for now because I don’t have the strength to fight you.
But don’t ask me to return home with you.
That house stopped being my home the day I discovered the truth.
” She draws in a slow breath, her hand settling protectively over her stomach.
“You heard the doctor, Shaurya. I need to avoid stress, and your mother has made it perfectly clear that she will never welcome me back. Every day in that house would be unbearable for me. Returning there wouldn’t protect our baby.
It would only place me under even more stress. ”
I absorb her words, and as much as I hate to admit it, she isn’t wrong.
Mom will be overjoyed to learn that she is going to become a grandmother, but that doesn’t mean she will suddenly accept Reeva. Taking her back to the mansion could turn every day into another battle, and that is the last thing she or our baby needs.
Yet the thought of letting her return to Rudra’s house, of being shut out of every precious moment of this pregnancy, is unbearable. I have already lost the moment when I should have learned that I was going to be a father.
I refuse to miss another step.
With the battle raging inside me, I force the word out. “Fine.”
Her eyes widen, suspicion immediately flickering across her face. “Fine?”
“If you want to recover at your brother’s house, I won’t force you to return to the Rajvansh mansion.”
She studies me carefully, waiting for the condition she knows is coming. She knows me far too well to believe I would surrender that easily.
I fold my arms across my chest and deliver it. “But I am moving into Rudra’s house with you.”
For several seconds, she simply stares at me as though I have lost my mind. Then she finally finds her voice.
“There is no way you are moving into my brother’s house.”
“Are we really going to argue about every single thing?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at her.
“As long as you keep issuing orders and disguising them as compromises, yes,” she fires back. “You don’t get to invite yourself into my brother’s home.”
“This is the closest thing to a compromise I am willing to offer.” The final thread of my patience pulls taut as I hold her gaze. “Either I move into your brother’s house, or you return to mine.”
“I really hate myself for ever loving an arrogant, infuriating man like you,” she says bitterly.
“Hate me if you need to, but make your choice before I make it for you,” I reply evenly. “And you are free to add ‘controlling jerk’ to the growing list of things you already believe I am.”
She draws in a deep breath. “Even if I agreed, my brother would throw you out before you made it through the front door.”
“He wasn’t happy about our marriage, but he eventually accepted it. He will accept this too. Now make your decision and let me worry about your brother.”
“You really believe everyone will bend to your will, don’t you?” She releases a weary, defeated breath.
“Most people do,” I reply with an unapologetic smirk. “The stubborn ones simply take longer and usually learn the hard way.”
She glares at me for several seconds before replying, “Fine. You can speak to Bhai. But if he refuses, you will leave without creating another scene. And even if, for some inexplicable reason, he agrees, don’t misunderstand what this means.
It doesn’t erase what you did. It doesn’t repair our marriage.
And it certainly doesn’t make me trust you again. ”
“I know all of that. I don’t expect this to erase anything, and I am not asking you to forgive me. I am only asking to be present for our child.” I pause briefly. “As for your brother, if he refuses, I can’t promise there won’t be a scene.”
She looks away, her fingers absently clutching the hospital blanket. I can almost see the battle taking place inside her. Every instinct tells her to refuse me, but exhaustion, and perhaps concern for our baby, makes her hesitate.
Finally, she releases a defeated sigh and looks at me. “I’ll speak to Bhai and ask him to let you stay.”
Relief surges through me, but I keep my expression carefully controlled. “That will save all of us the drama.”
She narrows her eyes. “You will stay in the guest room. And you will respect my boundaries.”
“I understand.”
The easy agreement seems to unsettle her more than an argument would have. She studies me as though searching for the trap hidden beneath it.
“Fine.” She leans back against the pillow and closes her eyes.
One small word, yet it feels like the first sliver of hope I have had in weeks.
Not because she has forgiven me. She hasn’t.
Not because our marriage is suddenly repaired. It isn’t.
But because she has finally given me the chance to be present in our child’s life without courtrooms, custody battles, or another war that would only make everything harder for both of us.
A nurse enters a few minutes later carrying the discharge papers. She removes Reeva’s IV, places a small dressing over the back of her hand, and explains the prescribed supplements and follow-up instructions. I listen carefully, committing every word to memory.
When Reeva shifts towards the edge of the bed, I immediately rise and offer her my hand.
Her gaze drops to it.
For one painful second, I am certain she will refuse. Then, with obvious reluctance, she places her fingers in mine.
The feeling of her hand in mine awakens something fierce inside me. The hurt of knowing she planned to shut me out of this pregnancy has not disappeared, but my anger is powerless against the love I already feel for our baby and my need to protect them both.
Soon, we will be living beneath the same roof again. I don’t know what awaits us there… anger, silence, or another hundred battles. But I know one thing with absolute certainty.
Whatever remains unresolved between Reeva and me, I will not let it stand in the way of caring for her and our child.