Unsteady | ✓

Chapter 8 : Heartbroken

"No, Mumma, I haven't spoken anything yet," Anika spoke drawing patterns on the bedsheet lost in thoughts. Her mother had advised her to talk to Shivaay about Omkara and Gauri. Anika didn't want Omkara to create havoc in Gauri's life again. However, her mother had other opinions. She wanted Gauri to talk to Omkara.

"Thinking about me?" Shivaay asked as he entered the room shutting the door this time. "Sorry, I didn't see you were on call!" He muttered turning around and noticing that she had her phone pressed against her ear and was almost close to glaring at him.

He flopped on the other side of the bed looking at her. "Yes, Mumma. Okay, good night. Sweet dreams!" She smiled and ended the call.

She glanced down at her husband who was lying down beside her scrolling through his phone. "Shivaay,"

"Hmm,"

"Can we talk?"

"You have to ask?" He looked up at her placing his phone aside.

"Um, what did Omkara tell you?" She finally asked.

His smile faded at her question. He wasn't expecting that. "Anika, do we really..."

"Yes, we have to." She answered firmly. "Does he still think that Gauri cheated on him?"

Shivaay sat up and placed a pillow behind his back. "Yes, he does," he answered looking at her. "But he still loves her, which is really beyond me." He muttered looking down at the circular white patterns on the black bedsheet.

"You said about Gauri being pregnant..." He looked up at her curiously.

"She was and it was Omkara's," Anika answered crisply.

Shivaay looked unconvinced. "How is she so sure?"

Anika had never thought she'd be having a conversation such as this with him. "Because he was the only one!" Anika answered feeling sick that Shivaay could actually go far to think that it wasn't Omkara who got Gauri pregnant.

"Anika, Omkara told me that Gauri was with another guy, Liam."

Anika stared at Shivaay, "I know, Gauri told me about that. Omkara believed what he saw. Did he ever ask Gauri what was happening? Did he ever try to think through that the man who tried to force himself on her once could do that again? Did he hear Gauri out when she tried to approach him at so many instances?"

Shivaay sat still almost like a statue listening to those questions. He had a bitter feeling consume him. It all hinted at the fact that Gauri never actually cheated. It could have been Omkara's misunderstanding. "Oh no!" He muttered under his breath. "You mean, Liam was the one to blame?"

Anika nodded.

"What happened to the baby?" Shivaay asked horrified.

Anika took a deep breath breaking eye contact, recollecting everything that her mother retold her. "Gauri came back to India after her graduation. She didn't have a family so she started living in a ladies hostel. Mumma met her one day at a supermarket. She was four months pregnant then and had collapsed. Mumma came to know from her that she lived all alone and she suggested her to shift to Devi Women's Home where Mumma visited frequently."

"A home to those women that are looked down upon by their own families and have no one to care for. They take care of each other. Mumma, went there often as a life-coach to help the residents deal with personal problems and teach them to live again. Gauri got close to Mumma. Mumma also had developed a soft spot for Gauri. Gauri was in depression. Mumma started helping her out. One day when I accompanied her for an event, I met Gauri. Everything was falling into place. Until in the eight-month of her pregnancy, Gauri attempted to commit suicide. She jumped off the terrace." Anika paused.