Chapter 13
Reeva
Shaurya opens the passenger door and waits until I settle into the seat. When he leans down to fasten my seat belt, my body stiffens instinctively.
Damn him.
His nearness still wreaks havoc on my senses, and I don’t know how I am supposed to live beneath the same roof when simply having him this close leaves me so unsettled.
Once the belt is secured, he closes my door, circles the car, and slides behind the wheel. He adjusts the air conditioning to the exact temperature I prefer, places a bottle of water in the cup holder beside me, and starts the engine.
He remembers every small detail, just as he always has.
But I don’t thank him. This is already difficult enough, and acknowledging his care will only make it harder to maintain the distance I need between us.
Throughout the drive, his gaze shifts towards me every few minutes, but I pretend not to notice. I keep my attention fixed outside the window, watching the trees blur past as we move through the traffic, my thoughts racing uncontrollably.
I was already struggling to accept the end of my marriage and preparing myself to raise this child without him. Now my pregnancy has become another battleground between us.
Worse, I have somehow agreed to let him move into my brother’s home.
What was I thinking?
Rudra Bhai barely tolerated Shaurya even when we were happily married. After discovering the truth behind our marriage, he wanted to tear Shaurya apart with his bare hands. The only reason he stepped back was because I begged him to allow me to handle my marriage myself.
Now I have to tell him that the man who deceived me is moving into his house.
“You’re thinking too loudly,” Shaurya remarks as he changes lanes, pulling me from my thoughts.
I turn to glare at him. “I am trying to decide whether to call my brother and tell him to spend the next thirty minutes doing yoga, or simply reserve a hospital bed for you now.”
The corner of his mouth almost lifts. “Your brother doesn’t frighten me.”
“That is because you have never seen his bad side.”
“I have handled men far more dangerous than Rudra Singhania.”
“When it comes to protecting me, my brother is more dangerous than any man you have ever handled.”
“I am aware. But it is a risk I am willing to take to remain close to our baby.”
I huff. “Trust me, Shaurya, moving into my brother’s house is a terrible idea.”
“Perhaps,” he concedes. “But staying away from our child would be worse.”
My phone rings before I can respond, and Meena Aunty’s name flashes across the screen.
I answer immediately. “Aunty?”
“Reeva, where are you? It has been hours, and you still haven’t returned from your shopping.”
“I am sorry. I fainted and had to be taken to the hospital, but I am fine now.”
“You fainted?” Panic sharpens her voice. “Is the baby all right? Tell me which hospital you’re in. I’ll come and get you immediately.”
“The baby is fine, and I have already been discharged.” I glance toward Shaurya. “I am on my way home. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.”
“We?”
“Shaurya is driving me.”
A long silence follows.
“I see,” she says carefully.
I close my eyes. “Please don’t tell Bhai anything yet. I’ll explain everything when I get there.”
Meena Aunty releases a worried sigh, but thankfully, she doesn’t press me. “Fine. Just come home safely, beta.”
When the call ends, Shaurya glances toward me. “She knew about the baby?”
“Yes.”
His gaze shifts sharply towards me before returning to the road. “And Rudra?”
I look away. “No.”
“You didn’t tell your brother either?”
“I only found out a week ago. I needed time to process everything,” I say, turning towards him.
He gives a single nod but says nothing.
I draw in a deep breath and turn towards the window, allowing the silence to settle between us.
Ten minutes later, the car passes through the gates of my brother’s house, and my stomach tightens.
“This isn’t going to end well,” I murmur.
Shaurya parks the car and switches off the engine. “Stop worrying. I told you, I’ll handle your brother.”
I stare at him. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not the one about to be trapped between two furious, stubborn men.”
“Trust me, none of this is easy for me either.”
Before I can respond, he steps out and circles the car. Shaurya opens my door and offers me his hand. I consider refusing, but the lingering weakness in my legs makes pride seem like a foolish luxury. Reluctantly, I place my hand in his and allow him to help me out.
We make our way towards the house, and the maid opens the front door before we reach it. The moment we enter the living room, Rudra surges to his feet, the phone in his hand instantly forgotten.
“Ree?” His worried gaze sweeps over me before dropping to Shaurya’s hand wrapped around mine. His expression instantly darkens as he looks at Shaurya.
“What the hell are you doing in my house?” he demands.
My brother is only slightly shorter than Shaurya, but the fury radiating from him makes the difference irrelevant.
“I fainted outside a boutique, Bhai,” I explain quickly, tugging my hand free from Shaurya’s firm grip. “He caught me before I fell and took me to the hospital.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Everything happened so quickly. I didn’t get the chance.”
“We need to talk,” Shaurya says.
Rudra’s head snaps towards him. “We have nothing to discuss. You brought my sister home, and now you can leave.” His voice turns lethal. “Get out of my house before I throw you out myself.”
“I am afraid that isn’t going to happen. I am not leaving,” Shaurya replies, infuriatingly calm.
That is all it takes for my brother to lunge forward and seize Shaurya by the collar. Shaurya’s entire body goes rigid, but he makes no attempt to retaliate.
“Stop!” I cry before their anger can erupt into something worse.
Before either man can respond, Meena Aunty rushes into the living room. Her eyes widen when she sees Bhai gripping Shaurya’s collar.
“What in God’s name is happening here?” she demands. “Rudra, let go of him. Now. Reeva has just returned from the hospital, and the two of you are already turning this house into a battlefield.”
Bhai reluctantly releases Shaurya’s collar.
Meena Aunty immediately moves towards me, cupping my face with one hand as she searches my features with concern. “Reeva, are you all right?”
“I am fine.” I hesitate, knowing there is no gentle way to reveal the rest. “The baby is fine too.”
My brother goes completely still. “The what?”
“I am pregnant,” I say softly.
Bhai’s eyes widen as his gaze drops to my stomach before shifting back to my face and then towards Meena Aunty. Realisation dawns across his features when she doesn’t appear surprised.
“You knew?”
“She needed time,” Meena Aunty answers gently.
“And neither of you thought I deserved to know?” The hurt in his voice lands like a blow.
“I am sorry, Bhai,” I say, my throat tightening. “Everything was already falling apart, and I didn’t know how to tell you.”
Bhai closes his eyes and draws in a slow breath. When he opens them again, his gaze shifts to Shaurya.
“You need to leave.”
“I am not leaving,” Shaurya replies.
My brother’s expression turns dangerously cold. “You are standing in my house. I suggest you reconsider your tone.”
“I am fully aware that this is your house, but I intend to remain with my wife and child.”
Bhai takes a threatening step towards him. “You manipulated my sister into marrying you, shattered her trust, and then signed the divorce papers in exchange for a piece of land. Now you discover she is pregnant, and suddenly decide you deserve a place in her life again as her husband?”
“I have a place in my child’s life.”
“That child is growing inside my sister,” Bhai fires back. “And once I ensure that your divorce is finalised, both she and her baby will be Singhanias, not Rajvanshs.”
Shaurya’s restraint finally snaps. “Don’t you dare even think of doing that,” he growls.
“This baby is a Rajvansh, and you do not get to erase that simply because you hate me.” His eyes blaze with fury.
“You will not decide my child’s identity or remove me from their life to punish me for my mistakes. ”
“Mistakes?” Bhai releases a cold, humourless laugh. “Forgetting an anniversary is a mistake. Building an entire marriage around revenge is a calculated betrayal.”
“Bhai, please.” A dull ache begins throbbing behind my eyes, and I press a hand to my temple.
Meena Aunty notices immediately. “That is enough, both of you. Look at her.”
The anger vanishes from their faces the instant they turn towards me, replaced by identical concern. They both move at once, but before either can reach me, Meena Aunty guides me to the sofa, places a cushion behind my back, and hands me a glass of water. I drink without protest.
Bhai and Shaurya crouch in front of me, their bodies still rigid with hostility. Two enemies forced into a temporary ceasefire for my sake.
Meena Aunty settles beside me. “Rudra, you have protected Reeva since you were a child yourself, and no one respects you more for that than I do. But she is no longer four years old. You cannot make this decision for her simply because you hate the choice in front of you.”
“Is this what you want? Do you genuinely want him here?” Bhai asks.
“No,” I answer honestly. “But I want to remain here with you and Aunty. And if Shaurya is determined to stay close throughout the pregnancy, I would rather he do so under this roof, where I have both of you beside me, than allow him to force me back into the Rajvansh mansion.”
Meena Aunty nods. “If you refuse, Shaurya will not simply disappear, and you know that. He will either continue coming here, or he will try to take Reeva back to the mansion. At least if he stays here, she remains in her own home, surrounded by people she trusts. And you will be here to ensure that he never hurts her again.”
Bhai turns towards Shaurya, and for several seconds, they simply stare at each other.
The tension between them remains razor-sharp, but I see something shift.
It isn’t acceptance, and it certainly isn’t forgiveness.
They are nowhere close to either. It is recognition.
Bhai understands that Shaurya will not abandon his child and will go to any lengths to remain part of the baby’s life, while Shaurya understands that my brother will never allow him to hurt me again.
Neither man trusts the other, but for the first time, they recognise that they share the same purpose: to protect me and my baby.
“You will stay in the guest room,” Bhai says through gritted teeth. “But if I discover that you have hurt her or caused her any distress, I will throw you out myself.”
Shaurya’s expression tightens. “I am not here to hurt her.”
Bhai’s mouth twists bitterly. “Your word doesn’t carry much value in this house.
But you can stay, not because I trust you, and certainly not because I forgive you.
You are staying because of my sister, and because her peace matters more than my anger.
” His gaze hardens. “Don’t mistake permission for a welcome, and don’t test me under my own roof. ”
Shaurya holds his stare. “As long as you don’t try to keep me away from my child, we won’t have a problem.”
Bhai’s eyes narrow, but before he can respond, Meena Aunty rises and extends her hand towards me.
“Come, beta. You need to lie down.”
I place my hand in hers and carefully rise from the sofa.
“I’ll return to the mansion and get some clothes,” Shaurya says, rising to his feet.
Bhai stands as well. Although, his expression suggests he had been hoping Shaurya might forget the entire arrangement. “Take your time. No one here is eager to have you back anytime soon.”
Shaurya ignores the remark and looks at me. “I’ll be back within an hour.”
I give him a small nod.
Shaurya’s gaze drops briefly to my stomach before returning to my face.
“Rest,” he says quietly.
I should tell him not to order me around. I should remind him that living beneath the same roof changes nothing between us. But I am too tired to fight another battle.
Instead, I turn away and follow Meena Aunty towards my room, painfully aware of the cruel irony. I wanted distance from Shaurya. I fought for the freedom to build a life without him.
Yet somehow, in trying to protect my child from the ruins of our marriage, I have invited the man who destroyed it back into the heart of my life.