The Marriage Contract

65 - I Trust You as Much as I Love You, To Infinity

She pulled open the front door to see the coast was clear before she turned around to face Abhimanyu again, rushing up to him and crushing her lips against his, eagerly, sighing in relief.

"I did not sleep with Shreya. I swear on our love, I swear on my life, I did not sleep with Shreya." Abhimanyu mumbled, panicking at even the slightest thought of cheating on Akshara.

He would never do that to her.

"Shhh." She cupped Abhimanyu's cheeks, trying to calm him down. "I know. I trust you. I trust you, Abhi!" Her voice was soft, calm, almost chirpy.

His Akshara.

"But..."

"Come." She slipped her hand in his, intwining their fingers together.

Akshara lead Abhimanyu to the sofa and they both sat down, their shoulders brushing against each other, in close proximity. Akshara did not let go of Abhimanyu's hand, gently caressing it.

"I am sorry, Abhi. I am sorry for leaving you alone last night. I should have been here. The pregnancy thing —it was equally a shocker for you as it was for me. I am so sorry."

"No, no, I don't fucking care about that. I care that you are here with me. Now. This moment. This is all I care about. I don't give a shit about anything else." Abhimanyu shook his head, just grateful that Akshara was here with him now. To hell with everything else.

She was all that mattered.

"Abhi, Riva. Do you remember her?" Akshara asked, a hopeful sparkle in her eyes.

He shook his head diligently. "No. Never. I don't ever remember meeting her, let alone sleeping with her."

Akshara gave him a soft victorious smile. "Good."

"What do you mean good?"

"Abhi, I...I just want you to know that I wouldn't have abandoned you. I admit I was hurt knowing that there was another girl out there in the world carrying a small part of you, a part which would tie you down to her forever. I am very selfish when it comes to you. I don't want any other girl to have you. Let alone have a part of you. The thought of her being pregnant with your child, it drove me crazy."

"Akshara..."

"No! I admit the only babies of yours I want this world to know our the ones I carry. Our babies. But if, if this girl is actually pregnant with your baby, then I will support you, every step of the way. I am not going anywhere. I will be right here, by your side. Okay?"

"I love you, Akshara." Abhimanyu blurted out, overwhelmed by Akshara's acceptance.

"And I'm sorry. Sorry for pulling away from you. I shouldn't have done that. Please forgive me." She blinked her eyes at a disheveled Abhimanyu.

"No, no. Never. Please don't say sorry. Nothing else matters to me, except you." Abhimanyu shook his head, pulling her hands towards him.

Anxious.

He was anxious, dazed but still somewhat content.

He had his Akshara by his side.

"But I am happy I...I'm happy I had that moment to myself. The time I spent away —it gave me some clarity. And you, you confirming you've never seen or heard of Riva before..."

"Never."

Akshara smiled, "I know! I trust you. My brain had just turned hazy with her coming here out the blue. But then I remembered what you had told me when we'd first met."

Abhimanyu shook his head, trying hard to rack his brain until the lightbulb of understanding finally dawned on him. "That I always remember the faces of the girls I have slept with!"

Akshara grinned. "Exactly! And when you said you couldn't recall who Riva was, I should have trusted you —but I guess I was just hurt and in shock! But then when I got some time to reflect on it, my brain finally started working! And I thought, maybe, just maybe, someone is playing a dirty game with us, trying to drive  us apart. And then when I came home —ready to talk to you, I saw Shreya—

"Akshara I swear it wasn't what it looked like. I would never cheat on you!" Abhimanyu was panicked.

"I know! I know! As soon as I saw Shreya and what she was trying to imply, my suspicions strengthened! I think she is behind all this! This is all her intricate plan to drive a wedge between us. She wants to separate us. It makes sense! She hates me. You rejected her. You hurt her ego. And now she wants revenge. She bid on you at the auction. Then becoming a board member, designing the Children's charity ward? She is cunning and manipulative —I knew that but stooping so low?! That bitch!" Akshara was appalled. Disgusted.

Abhimanyu let out a sigh of relief. He felt like bawling. Akshara trusted him.

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"I was sitting, having a drink of whiskey when the doorbell rang. I thought it was you. I opened the door and came face to face with Shreya. She said she needed to discuss an urgent matter with me regarding the Children's ward. I was hesitant."

"But you said okay because it pertained to the Children's ward. That conniving bitch knew exactly what buttons to push. She knows you will never say no to a discussion pertaining to the Children's ward."

"So I invited her in. I told her to make it quick. I just wanted her gone. She came and sat down here. Right here." Abhimanyu pointed to where he and Akshara were sitting.

"And then?"

"Then she began coughing. She asked me to get her a glass of water. I went tot get it for her. When I returned and sat down, all I remember is finishing the remainder of my glass of whiskey and then...my head started feeling heavy, spinning and then..." Abhimanyu looked at Akshara. "And then I don't remember anything. Almost as if I was..."

"Drugged." They both say in unison.

Akshara and Abhimanyu's eyes flared in triumph and acknowledgment as they began putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

"She drugged you!"

"She drugged me!" Abhimanyu was outraged.

"Yes, she did! And I also have a hunch that Riva was also planted by Shreya so we would react exactly the way we did, giving her the perfect in. But we won't let her win." Akshara affirmed.

"So does that mean Riva is not pregnant?"

"I...uh...don't know about that. But if she is, and it's not a ploy, then I will still by your side. But I am 99% sure that the baby —if there is any —isn't yours. You aren't getting rid of me anytime soon, Dr. Abhimanyu 'Dumdum' Birla. You are stuck with me, for the better and the worst."

"Definitely for the better." Abhimanyu grinned shyly, finally being able to breathe, bask in Akshara's presence. "But first things first. I need a drug panel done on me. I want to know what Shreya drugged me with."

"You can't go to hospital. We have to catch Shreya red handed, falling straight into her trap of lies and manipulation. Riva too."

"I'll call Rohan then. He can come home, do my blood test and then run the samples discreetly." Abhimanyu offered.

Akshara nodded her head. "Good idea!" She then looked at Abhimanyu, her eyes and voice softening. "And Abhi, whatever the results are —we will get through it together. I promise."

"I know." He smiled at her, holding her hand up to his cheek.

"Okay, you call Rohan and I will make you a very nice lime soda. It will help with your headache!" Akshara grinned, getting up from the sofa just as Abhimanyu took out his phone to dial a doctor.