BONUS 1
4 years later~
The morning sunlight filtered through the cream curtains, casting a warm golden hue across the master bedroom of the Singhania Mansion. Everything looked peaceful too peaceful for my racing heart.
I stared at the two pink lines for the hundredth time.
No, seriously. A hundredth time.
I even shook the stick like that would change the result. "This can't be real," I whispered, pacing the bathroom floor with the test clutched in my trembling hand.
Four years.
Four years of chaotic love, stolen kisses in the kitchen, passionate fights over laundry and toothpaste caps, cuddles on rainy days, and a ridiculous number of puppy toys lying around the house thanks to Simba.
But this?
This was next-level chaos.
"I'm pregnant," I mumbled, sitting on the edge of the bathtub and burying my face in my hands. "Oh my god, I'm pregnant."
Panic swirled in my chest, not because I wasn't happy no, no my heart was a puddle of soft goo just thinking about holding a tiny Rudra-Maya in my arms. But... how the hell am I supposed to tell Rudra?
Mr. Khadoos Singhania.
The mafia of mathematics.
The grumpy husband who still loses his mind if I don't separate the whites and colored laundry.
"He's going to faint," I whispered to myself, already imagining Rudra dropping his precious glass of orange juice mid-sip when I break the news.
Or worse... what if he turns into a bigger overprotective psycho than he already is?
"Are you okay?" A voice called from outside the door.
Crap. Speak of the devil.
I quickly stuffed the test under the towel, wiped my face and opened the door to see Rudra standing there in his crisp white shirt, tie half-knotted, holding a spoon in his hand and looking utterly confused.
"You've been in there forever. Did the shower attack you?"
I blinked. "W-What? No! Just... long hair. Lots of conditioner."
He squinted. "You look pale. And your eyes are suspicious."
"Suspicious?" I squeaked.
"Yes." He leaned in, eyes narrowing. "Did you burn the kitchen again?"
I gasped. "That was once, Rudra. And it was toast, not the kitchen!"
We stared at each other for a moment before I blurted out the only thing my scrambled brain could think of.
"Let's go out tonight."
His brows rose. "You want to go out? You hate crowds."
"Iβuhβchanged my mind. Let's have a date night. Just us. Romantic and quiet. Maybe candlelight. I'll tell you something..."
Rudra raised an eyebrow, his lips tugging into a smirk. "Maya Raichand-Singhania... what are you hiding?"
"Nothing!" I chirped, pushing him out of the bathroom. "Now go knot your tie before I do it for youβand strangle you in the process."
As he walked away, shaking his head, I closed the door and pressed a hand over my stomach.
A tiny smile bloomed on my lips.
"You, little one, are going to turn our world upside down."
And Rudra?
Well...
He has no idea what's coming.
Something was up.
I knew Maya too well. Her 'I'm-totally-not-hiding-anything' face had been on since morning, and the way she was tiptoeing around me like she hadn't accidentally ordered a new puppy bed instead of a laundry basket last week? Yeah, that said it all.
She was hiding something.
And Maya never hides anything. She rants. She storms into my office mid-lecture just to show me memes. She throws samosas at me when she's annoyed. But today?
She was quiet.
Too quiet.
Now we were seated in our favorite corner booth of the rooftop restaurant she had insisted on β with fairy lights twinkling above, candles flickering between us, and that same nervous glint in her eyes. She had barely touched her food. Maya. Not eating. That's illegal in her world.
"You're staring at me again," she mumbled, taking a sip of her mocktail.
"You're not eating," I replied, my tone low and suspicious.
"I'm... watching my diet," she said.
My brows shot up. "Since when do you care about carbs? You once ate six jalebis before dinner."
She blinked. "That was a different Maya."
I leaned back, crossing my arms. "This Maya is lying."
She rolled her eyes, then reached across the table and took my hand. "Okay. I have to tell you something."
I straightened immediately. My brain went into hyperdrive. Was she angry? Did someone say something to her? Was someone going to die tonight?
Then her fingers gently laced with mine, and she said softly, "I'm pregnant."
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
The earth might've paused for a second.
"I'm... sorry?" I asked, dumbly.
"I'm pregnant," she repeated, her eyes watching me like I was the ticking bomb now.
And I? I just stared at her for a moment. Processing. Calculating. Recalculating.
And then I laughed.
I actually laughed.
Loud and full and unrestrained.
Maya looked offended. "Are you seriously laughing right now?! I thought you'd faint!"
I stood up, walked around the table, pulled her into my arms, and whispered against her temple, "You're carrying my child... our child."
She nodded into my chest, her voice trembling. "Yeah."
My hands gently cradled her face, eyes stinging as emotions I didn't even know existed flooded through me. Fear, awe, protectiveness, overwhelming love.
I kissed her.
Right there, with the stars above and the city lights below. A kiss that said a million things I didn't know how to say.
When I pulled back, I muttered against her lips, "God help this world. There's going to be a mini-Maya."
She giggled through her tears. "Or a mini-Rudra."
I shuddered. "That poor child."
And we both laughed.
But inside?
I was already planning to babyproof the entire mansion.
Starting with the stairs.
Because this was no longer just about us anymore...
This was the beginning of our next adventure.
And I couldn't wait.
*Target vote 70+
(Hey sweeties!!!! I'm back with Bonus chapter of MAYA and Rudra so do you like the Bonus chapter? If yes then please drop a Vote and comment your opinion on it..And kindly drop on chapter 43,44, 45, 46 ) ??