Page 68 of Shattered

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “I... I have something to tell you,” I begin, hoping it won’t make him panic or run away.

“You can tell me anything, sweetheart,” Reyansh says, his gaze never leaving mineas he gently strokes my cheeks with his thumb.

“I’m... I’m pregnant,” I finally blurt out,my voice trembling as my stomach does a nervous dance.

His eyes widen, and for a moment, there’s silence as he processes the news. His expression shifts from surprise to a mix of emotions that I can’t quite decipher.

“Pregnant?” his voice rumbles as he looks down at my stomach and then back at me.The inscrutable look on his face sends a pang through my chest and makes my stomach feel jumpy.

“Reyansh, I know this is a shock for you, and I also know it’s not the right time for a baby. I’m sorry… I—” I start, my voice trembling slightly.

“What are you talking about?” he cuts me off. “You’ve given me the best news of my life,” he says as he gathers me into his arms and holds me tight.

I pull back from the hug and wring my hands. “We didn’t plan this... and...” I trail off, unsure of how to articulate my thoughts.

Reyansh’s eyes soften as he reaches for my hands, gently stopping my nervous wringing. “It doesn’t matter if it’s sudden,” he says earnestly. “This baby is a blessing.” He smiles as he continues, “I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life. Having a child with you is the most important thing in the world to me. I can’t wait to marry you, start a family, and build our future together.” He places one hand on my stomach. “You and our baby mean everything to me.”He then cups my face with his other hand. “We are getting married, sweetheart.”

Hot tears race down my cheeks as I look at him, feeling torn between my own fears and his dreams. “Reyansh, I’m not ready for marriage right now,”I say softly.

“What?” The horror is evident in his voice. “You’re carrying our child, Kavya. We need to get married. Don’t even think for a second that I’ll let you raise our kid on your own. I am in this with you, and I am not backing down. I want our child to have my name when he/she comes into this world.”

“Reyansh, you need to understand that with everything going on, I just can’t—”

He cuts me off with a determined shake of his head. “I am not compromising on this, Kavya,” he asserts firmly. “I refuse to let anything take away my happiness,not even the chaos around us. Our child deserves to have both of us, no matter what’s happening around.”

“Reyansh, please,” I implore, “I need some time to process everything. Can we please keep this between us for now?”

“You know I hate saying no to you,” hesays with a sigh. “Fine. I’ll give you a few days to process everything. But make no mistake—after that, I won’t keep our child or you a secret. I’ll ask my parents to set a wedding date. We are getting married.”His voice is firm and resolute.

“Okay,”I finally agree. It’s the right decision, and deep down, it’s something I’ve secretly longed for all along.

He gives me a smile that makes my heart flutter.

“I still can’t believe it,”he whispers, gazing tenderly at my belly. “A part of me, a part of you, is growing inside you.” His hands rest gently on my stomach. “I love you more than anything,” he says, his voice low and fierce.

I place my hand on his cheek, and he looks up at me. “I love you too,” I whisper softly.

“My life,” he says, dropping to his knees in front of me. “You are my life.” He gazes up at me, his eyes intense. “I am nothing without you, sweetheart.” He then kisses my stomach. “And I am going to take care of our little one and love him/her with all my heart.”

Smiling down at him, I run my fingers through his hair, feeling all my hesitation and fear melt away. In that moment, I realise our child will be the luckiest child in the world to have a father like him.

Chapter 34

Reyansh

Pregnant. Kavya is pregnant. She’s carrying my child, our child. Happiness feels like an understatement compared to what I am feeling. Each day, when I think I couldn’t possibly love her more, she proves me wrong, making my heart swell and overflow with love for her. Words can’t even express how thrilled I am at the thought of becoming a dad. It still feels surreal that the beautiful woman I love so insanely is now carrying our child.

With the ten-carat diamond solitaire tucked in my pocket,I pull away from the jewellery store, eager to see Kavya.I understand she needs time to think about marriage, and though I am willing to give her that, I need to see a ring on her finger. I fucking want to mark her as mine for the world to see. I am not backing down on this, even if it means going to war with her. That’s why I took a detour to find the ring that would look perfect on her.

Stepping out of my car, I head towards her office. This is yet another thing that grates on my nerves. I want her to quit, now that she’s carrying our child, but her stubborn refusal to budge has me fretting. The thought of anything happening to her or our baby sends a chill down my spine. If something were to go wrong, it would shatter me completely, beyond repair. She ismy everything, and the idea of losing her or our unborn child is unbearable. I need her to see that all I want is to protect her and keep my family safe. Yes, my family. She and our baby are my family, my heart.

“I still love you, Kavya. I know I messed up, but please, I need you back. Give me a chance.”

I stop dead in my tracks outside her office door, those words hitting me like a blow.

“Deepak, you need to go,” I hear Kavya say, and though that should make me happy, I just can’t calm the rage within me.

“Kavya, please...” I don’t hear the rest of the jerk’s voice as I push the door open, causing Kavya to snap her gaze towards me.

---