'She called me Viv.' Vivan's eyes widened upon hearing the intimate way Ira greeted him. His mom was the only one who had ever called him that.
Looking at the cute kitten attached to his body, Vivan remained rooted at the spot as if a wrong move on his part would alarm her, pushing him away in the next instant. It shamed him to admit that her tears brought him much joy. She showed her weak and fragile self to him for the first time.
Wait! What did she say?
It took an eternity for her words to register in his brain—Ira was really pregnant! His arms snaked their way around her waist like a wolf locked on its prey.
Ira struggled to get out of his embrace.
He sighed in disappointment when he felt her resisting his hug. 'As expected,'
Soon, he found Ira racing to the bathroom. He ran to follow her.
Ira was puking her guts out when he entered the bathroom. He rushed to her side and rubbed her back to ease her distress.
Vivan removed the hand that covered her mouth and wiped the corners of her lips with his thumb.
"Why did you do that? It's yucky!" Ira protested, mortified by the fact that he had wiped away the residue of her vomit.
"It's just some leftover spit," Vivan said with an indifferent expression.
"And some pizza I ate in the evening," she smiled smugly.
Looking at her prideful smile and tearful eyes, the man's lips curved into a smile. He imagined her as a pitiful but fierce kitten.
"Why are you smiling? So unfair, why is it that only females get pregnant? Why don't you get pregnant?" And so the tyrant was back.
He pursed his lips tight to keep himself from laughing out loud.
Vivan moved away from her to pour a glass of water before passing it to her and replied in a sweet voice, "You are right, Doll. I agree; you see, I'm a feminist."
After a couple of sips, she felt her stomach settling.
"I'm not a doll, a puppet, or a plaything. I am a human. And you call yourself a feminist? Pei!"
"Um yes, Your Majesty," he nodded.
Even though she smiled, Ira shook her head at the irony.
'In my past life, I was so strong-headed. I just wished to be at the top of the world, all the while neglecting the man who loved me, letting go of an innocent unborn child just for my pride. I wanted to prove I was different from other women. But, I realized much later that I am not. Women are caring in general. Her family becomes her priority. And if she neglects any of her roles in her family: a mother, a wife, a daughter, and a sister, what remains is guilt and self-blame which I was caught with.'
Vivan led her to the bedroom and ducked her in the sheets. As he was about to leave, she pulled him back.
Ira clutched at his shirt, not letting him go. So he laid down beside her and they slowly drifted into sleep.
Moments later, at midnight with Vivan asleep, Ira snuggled closer to him. She could not sleep as her thoughts kept her awake, 'Will he vanish if I close my eyes?'
She kept staring at the man beside her. 'The cold and vicious businesswoman Ira, and the warm and gentle Viv. In what way do we match?'
Mr. Vivan Shah and Mrs. Ira Shah. She chuckled.
It didn't sound bad. In her past life, she refused to take his surname or even hated to be called as his wife. All her life, she remained Ira Rai, proud of her Rai family and lineage.
God has given her another opportunity to love this man.
Love! The previous her did not even respect this man. Instead, she despised him.
Ira, being a year older and more successful than him, held in contempt towards the man. She always thought of her and Vivan's relationship as 'a toad wishing to eat swan meat.'
Yet, even after they divorced, in her worst times, he helped her from the shadows.
Now, as they lay together, she realized that his strong arms made her feel secure. She traced a finger across his sharp eyebrows and lips. Warmth seeped from the man beside her.
'Four years of marriage… was I blind? She pinched his nose and tucked her head into his chest in embarrassment. You'll only be mine in this life.'
What she never imagined was that Vivan was not asleep. As her breathing stabilized, he opened his eyes.
Vivan's eyes were misty. He never believed he would live to see the day where Ira would cuddle and caress his face so gently.
This gesture made him feel as if it was all a dream. He tried to calm his erratic heart.
Married for two years, they slept in separate bedrooms for a couple of years. Even after a year of sharing beds, they never snuggled, hugged, or even kissed. It was all a mechanical farce with no passion and no feelings. The last time they held hands was a month ago which was for mere appearance' sake.
The physical relationship between them was for the sake of a child. Her father, Tej Rai had pressured her into having a child… his grandchild. Unfortunately, that was the sole reason she was in his bed.
He bowed his head to kiss her parted mouth. When their lips were her inches apart, he stopped.
'What if she wakes up? Will she hate me?'
He brushed her cheeks. His hand moved to touch her tummy and thought 'Ira, it seems you have accepted us, the baby and me!'
At daybreak, with her eyes still closed, Ira stretched her arm across the bed to reach for the sleeping Vivan. To her disappointment, the space beside her was empty.
She opened her eyes, expecting to see Vivan's warm demeanor but a pair of cold and piercing eyes greeted her.
His voice was filled with endless rage and a tinge of grief. The sound of it shattered the atmosphere of the almost pleasant morning.
"You wanted to abort my child..."