Page 67 of Shattered

“You are pregnant,” the doctor confirms, her gaze lifting from the reports to meet mine across her desk.

My mind goes blank.

“Pregnant,” I repeat quietly, staring at her smiling face.

“Yes, your blood reports confirm it. Congratulations.”

“Umm, is the baby okay?” I ask shakily,my hands instinctively resting on my stomach, already feeling protective of the tiny life growing inside me, despite the chaos spinning around in my mind.

Seeing the look on my face, she gives me a reassuring smile. “The tests look normal. But if you want, I can perform a check-up just to be sure.”

With tears in my eyes, I nod silently.

With my heart racing, I follow her instructions and lie down on the examination bed. The next few minutes feel like an eternity as she conducts the examination,each second dragging by as I wait for her to finish. Finally, when I hear her words that everything is normal, a wave of relief washes over me. After thanking her and scheduling my next appointment, I step out of the clinic, my mind still reeling from the news.

I slip into my car, but I don’t immediately pull out of the parking lot. Instead, I drop my head onto the steering wheel, wrapping my hands protectively around my stomach. I need some quiet time to think, to figure out how I’ll share the news with Reyansh. I’m so damn nervous about it. But I know deep down that there’s no way I can keep this from him. It wouldn’t be right to hide such a significant part of our lives from him. Regardless of what his reaction will be,I need to be honest with him.

I take a deep breath to steady myself before shifting the car into gear and driving back home to face the inevitable conversation.

???

My heart jumps into my throat when I see Reyansh’s car parked outside my house.“Time to have the talk,”I tell myself as I step out of the car, my feet moving like lead as I make my way to my house. Reaching my front door, I insert the key and turn the knob, taking a deep breath before stepping inside.

“You are back home, baby!” Sunita Aunty’s voice greets me as she steps out of the kitchen. “Reyansh had been so worried about you. I told him you went out to run some errands, but he wouldn’t stop fretting. He’s even tried calling you several times, but you didn’t answer. I hope everything is okay,” she asks, studying my face.

I let out a nervous laugh. “Of course, Aunty, everything is fine. You know how Reyansh can be, so overprotective,” I say, trying to downplay it.

She nods, but I am not quite sure if she believes my excuse. “He’s waiting for you in your room,” she says.

“Thanks, Aunty,” I reply before heading towards my room to face Reyansh, my nerves fluttering.

As soon as I open the door, Reyansh springs up from the couch, his eyes locking onto mine. “Where were you?” he asks, his voice tinged with concern.

I glance at him nervously,my feet feeling like they’re glued to the floor.“I was out for a walk,” I fib, knowing I should tell him the truth but struggling to bring myself to do so. “Just needed a bit of fresh air.”

It takes him only a few strides to close the distance between us.

“What’s wrong?”he asks softly, cradling my face in his hands as his eyes search mine, concern etched across his features. Tears start to gather in my eyes, but I try to blink them away.

“Nothing,” I murmur,averting my gaze.

His grip on my cheeks tightens as he makes me look back into his eyes. “You okay?”

I bite my lip, struggling to hold back my emotions. “Yes,” I manage to say, my voice barely audible.

“Kavya,” his voice turns stern, causing my lips to quiver.

“It’s nothing,” I say, licking my lips as my palms grow sweaty.

“Talk to me, sweetheart. Don’t hide anything from me, please,” he urges, his tone full of worry, which weakens my resolve to keep things from him.

“I… I…” I start, my words stumbling over each other.

Reyansh notices my unease, and concern fills his eyes. “Breathe, sweetheart. I am right here. Did that asshole contact you again?”

I close my eyes and shake my head. “It’s not him.”

“What is it then? You’re starting to worry me,” he whispers, and I meet his gaze, seeing him swallow hard.

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