Prejudice

17. Overshadowed

"The oranges are getting expensive." She spoke. She rushed to the door of the bedroom with such a grace, that was impossible for a woman of her age.

Shraddha looked at her with furrowed eyebrows and blinked in confusion.
Next moment, there was an impatient knock and she opened the door wide to let in Jay.

Shraddha was filled with fear, when Jay entered the room with a frown on his face.

He looked around for a moment and realized that there was no one apart from the two women.

He looked at Tara with questions swarming in his eyes.

"Why the orange alert?" He asked.

She crossed her arms and looked at him.
"She is pregnant. And was aware of the fact before we left."

Jay blinked at her, shocked.
He looked at Shraddha and closed his eyes briefly.

"Is she stating the fact? Are you pregnant?" He asked.

Shraddha was suddenly filled with rage.
"What do you expect after eight months of being married?" She snapped.

"We expect some responsible behavior from you. You have not only put yourself, but your unborn baby too, at stake. And you dared to hide the facts from my brother." Jay replied in a menacingly cold voice and was seething in anger.

Shraddha was taken aback at his outburst.

He lightly rubbed his forehead.

He then looked at Tara.
"We will leave tonight after the wedding rituals. I will keep the plane ready."

When Tara nodded obediently, Shraddha so wanted to protest. But one glare from him, and she felt tongue tied.

He again looked at Tara.
"This is between three of us Tara. It should not go out. Not even to her parents or Bhai. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Came a crisp reply.

He nodded and looked at his sister-in-law.
"Power off your phone and hand it over."

Shraddha tightened her grip on the phone for a moment, but gave in next moment and switching it off, extended it to Jay. He gestured Tara to take it, who slipped it in the inner pockets of her lehenga.

"Be careful with what she eats." He gave the final instructions, before he walked away.

After closing the door, Tara just ignored her outburst and helped her get ready.
It came as a shocker when, Jay informed her parents about their abrupt departure. Their bags were packed at an insane speed and Jay was not patient enough to wait until the final moments of the rituals.

Without letting her eat anything at the wedding, they were on the way, in the same helicopter, that they had come, taking back a softly sniffling Shraddha.
She did not know, why everything around her was happening without her consent. She so wanted to protest, but knew, Jay would not budge from following his brother ardently.

As soon as they were in the plane, she was presented with variety of packed cookies and a tall glass of milk.  The fruits were washed and cleaned properly and were waiting to be cut.

Jay did not risk her with a single morsel of cooked food. He had himself gone to a nearby local shop and got those cookies from a renowned brand. He had made the flight attendant drink a sip from the milk that she served to Shraddha. The fruits were cleaned with special solutions to check of they had any smallest amount of toxic substance in it.

He very well knew, that was not enough for a pregnant woman. But it was just a matter of few more hours and she would be able to have all she wanted, provided that, it was cooked by RaniMaa or Neetu.

It came as a shocker to Pranav, when the car entered the premises of Villa. He was wide awake already. And the sudden entry of his wife and brother sent him in frenzy.

He stood at the bottom stair, looking at both of them, with wide apprehensive eyes, thinking, what made them show up, two days early.

While Shraddha stood rooted to her place, blinking, and thinking about the way, Pranav would deal with her, Jay walked forward and stood in front of his brother.

Pranav blinked when Jay held both of his hands. He spread Pranav's fingers and interlocked them.

Pranav looked at the gesture and parted his lips in surprise and shock. He once looked at his brother and then at his wife, who was still rooted to her place, not able to understand what Jay was trying to do.

Jay had just used American sign language to gesture her state of pregnancy.

Pranav stood rooted to his spot for a moment, observing his wife and Jay chose to walk away to his room. His work of bringing her back safely was done.

Pranav came forward and looked at Tara, who was still not relived from her duty.

He smiled at her.
"Looks like I will need you more."

She nodded crisply and extended Shraddha's phone to him and walked to the room she occupied on Jay's floor.

Shraddha had her breath caught in her throat.
"Tired?" He asked her calmly.

She was taken aback by his calm demeanor.

"Go and freshen up. I will arrange something for you to eat. You need to rest." He said, maintaining the same cool.

Taking the cue to leave, and relived that the consequences were procrastinated for some time, she rushed to the room, she shared with him.
Calling Neetu, he asked her make something warm and quick.

He was lost in his thoughts when Neetu handed him a bowl of chicken soup and a two grilled sandwiches.
When he reached the room, Shraddha had freshened up and changed in a comfortable pair. He locked the door from inside and kept the tray in front of her. She looked at the food and then at him.
He was looking at her already.

"Do you want something else?" He asked in the same calm composure.

She blinked and shook her head in denial.

"Then eat." came a soft order.

She looked at him as he leaned on the headrest of the bed on his side, giving her space and time to fill herself.
While she chewed on the sandwich, she was filled with fear. Pranav was calm as always. He did not even ask her single question. He did not confront her. She did not know, if he would burst out after she was done eating.

But to her surprise, he just lied down pulling her close to him, and patted her absentmindedly to sleep. The room was submerged in darkness as always.

Not a single word was shared.

He was neither happy, nor upset at the news.

She sighed at her fate and closed her eyes.

But on the contrary, Pranav could not make himself sleep a wink.
He knew, he will have to face a day that he will be hit by the news of her pregnancy. But when it actually happened, he found himself unprepared.

Now along with the fragile woman in his arms, he was responsible to keep one more life alive.

The happiness of being a father was overshadowed by the stress to keep the unborn life alive, until it was born, and then until the eternity.

------------------------------------------

Another chapter up.

Vote......
Comment.....

Love.......