Check if you've read the previous chapter given 4 days ago.
Sana and Sidharth got into the cab's backseat.
"What's the location, young man?", The driver asked staring at Sidharth through the rare mirror, in anticipation of an answer. Sidharth looked at Sana.
"T.. Tarneit", Sana stuttered.
"Where in Tarneit, Miss.?", the driver asked.
"28 Wedgewood Road", she gave the address hesitantly. While the driver fed in the GPS location into his device, Sidharth mentally took note of the address.
"Miss, fasten your seatbelts please.", The driver requested.
Sana nodded but struggled with her seatbelt. She couldn't view the buckle due to her baby bump.
"May I?", Sidharth asked irresolutely.
Sana ignored him and kept searching for the buckle under her seat by moving her right hand blindly. Sidharth grabbed the latch in her hand and pushed it into the buckle.
"Are you comfortable, Miss?", Asked the driver to which Sana agreed by shaking her head.
The car was now in motion. Sana stared blankly out of her window while on the other, Sidharth pretended to look at the front but kept his attention on her. There was an utter silence in the car but a lot of noise, even more questions and tension in both their minds.
"San...", He spoke at the same time she opened her mouth.
"Why did you come here?", She asked with an expression filled with pain and anger. He knew that his mistake was the cause for antagonising her.
"I.. I.. I am your sinner.. I..", He was interrupted by her words.
"Go back from here. I have nothing else to give you. I've lost everything because of my one mistake.", She said. He shook his head in guilt and feeling disgraced.
"Sana.. I plead guilty. I want you to punish me.", Sidharth said.
"What punishment Sidharth? What punishment are you talking about? Would punishing you revert everything to as it was before? Would it give me an opportunity to go back and complete my studies? Would it erase the nightmares and agony I went through each day after that disastrous day? Would my parents stop feeling ashamed of me and feel proud of me again? Would I get their same love I got before this mistake? Would my Maa return home? Would I get my innocence back?", Sana questioned Sidharth to which he had no answers. He put his head down feeling ashamed.
"We've arrived at the destination", the driver said.
"Hmm.. Thanks..", Sana said unbuckling her seatbelt before getting down from the car.
Sidharth immediately paid the driver and got down to see her going inside the compound of the house.
"Sana..", Sidharth hesitantly called her.
"Sidharth please leave me alone. Your face is the last thing I want to see.", She said angrily.
"Please Sana. I don't know what I should do but I don't want you to go through all this alone. I want to do as much as I can to reduce your burden and pain.", Sidharth said.
"Really? You want to reduce my pain and burden? Can you carry this baby in your womb, Sidharth?", Sana asked. He nodded no biting his lips.
"Can you bring back my Maa, who left me and Papa?", She asked.
Sidharth nodded his head in no while looking down mortified.
"Then? What would you do to reduce the pain?", She asked.
He looked up into her eyes, they looked sleep deprived and held so much guilt. They were screaming for her mercy. She had to hate him for all she had gone through but she wasn't able to. Looking into his eyes made her feel guilty instead.
If only she had listened to her mother's instruction to stay away from boys even though her mother never told her the reason. Maybe their lives would have been so much better. Why didn't she say no to him that day? Why did she fall prey to his anger and felt greedy to earn back his friendship which she lost anyways after that incident?
"Why did you do this to me Sidharth? Why did you make this mistake? Why did you put me through so much? Why did you spoil our lives? Why? I hate you Sidharth..", she screamed at him and went inside leaving him standing outside.
He didn't know how long he stayed there but her painful cries pushed him even deeper into guilt.
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It had been two days since Sana met Sidharth. Rajiv mostly stayed late at office to complete his work while Sana was alone at home. Sana would do all household chores in her mother's absence. She would stay indoors the whole day except for short walk outside to the nearest park in the evening as instructed by her doctor.
She went out near the gate to pick the mail from the mailbox, when she felt someone stare at her from the opposite side of the road in the petrol station. A quick glance left her shocked. She immediately went in after picking up the mails. To confirm if she wasn't hallucinating, she peeped through the gap between the curtains from her window. There was no one. She opened the curtain fully now and looked properly but couldn't see anyone familiar.
It was 4 in the evening, when she slammed the door to go out for a walk and take a breath of fresh air. Upon reaching the reserve, she sat on the bench looking at the surroundings.
As the evening sun began to dip below the horizon, Sana found herself lost in a sea of emotions. The fresh air did little to ease her troubled mind as she watched the happy faces of girls her own age playing football on the nearby oval. Despite the joyous atmosphere, she couldn't shake the feeling of being left out and missing out on the carefree days of her adolescence. The parents cheering for their daughters only added to her sense of despair and longing.
In search of solace, Sana rose from the bench and wandered a bit further, eventually finding herself settled on another bench overlooking a small play area for younger children. The soft chirping of birds and the distant laughter of kids playing was calming to her frazzled nerves. Suddenly, a friendly-looking woman pushing a pram caught her attention and their eyes met with a shared smile.
"Go play. Mama and Sarah are watching you from here, okay?", The lady said to her 5 year old kid, while pushing the cover back from above the pram. In the pram, there was a little 7 month old baby which squeaked in joy.
"Bye mama, bye Sarah..", the toddler said and ran towards the slide.
The lady sat beside Sana and baby talked to her little one.
"Mum-mum-mum-yummm..aaaaa", the chubby little baby blabbered.
"Awww.. Sweetheart, did you just call me mum?", The lady asked excited to her baby.
"Mum-mummmm-aaaaa", the baby said yet again. The lady placed her palm on her mouth and looked at Sana. Sana observed her expression. The joy on her face was unmatched. The lady took out her phone and dialled her partner.
"James, listen to this. Sarah just called me mumma..", she said.
Sana could hear the man's voice as it was a video call. When the lady requests the baby to say mumma again, the baby blows blueberries in reply with a "brrrrrrrrr"..
Sana burst out laughing at the cute antics of baby. It was the first time that she had laughed out her heart after that day. The lady disconnects the call and looks at Sana.
"Sorry.. I couldn't hold my laughter on her mischief. She is so adorable", Sana said with a pouty face.
The lady shrugged and laughed along with Sana.
"Thank you and nevermind! Soon, you would also have such lovely and mischievous moments with your bub.", Said the lady pointing at her bump.
Sana's smile slowly faded away. She stared at her baby bump.
"Mummm-aaaaa", the baby in the pram squeaked yet again.
"There she goes again. You naughty little baby. Awww.. I love you so much sweetheart!", The lady said tickling the baby's tummy who was all giggles.
"Ethan, let's go home baby.", The lady called her son who sprinted to her and soon they started to leave.
"Boo-Boo-Baaa..", Sana stared at the little baby talk gibberish in the pram, who was staring at her with her big blue eyes until they disappeared. She then looked back to her belly. Lost in her thoughts, she slowly caressed her bump. It was a moment of realisation of motherhood. All this while, she had been depressed that she was left alone but today she realised that she wasn't. She was carrying an entire life inside her belly all this time.
"I am sorry baby. I ignored you just the way my parents ignore me. I know it feels horrible. I promise, I won't ignore you anymore. I promise.", She said stroking her bump.
"Sana.. ", her hand froze realizing the presence of a familiar person. She looked up at him.
"You? So I wasn't hallucinating? It was you at the petrol station earlier.", Sana said.
"Hmm.. I got a car washer job there.", Sidharth said.
"Why? I told you to stay away from me.", She yelled looking at Sidharth who stood in front of her like a criminal guilty of his act.
"Please listen to me Sana..", Sidharth cried.
"I don't want to talk to you Sidharth. Go back else I will tell my father about you.", Sana said getting up from the seat.
"Please Sana.. please..", he fell on his knees in front of her with his hands folded.
"Aren't you satisfied after humiliating me that you are causing me more embarrassment?", She said.
"Sana, I'll do whatever you say but please don't ask me to leave. I want to take responsibility for my actions. I know I have wronged and I won't ask for your forgiveness. Because, I don't deserve one. But, you don't deserve to suffer either for my wrong doing. I will do whatever possible to bring happiness to you. Please give me one chance.", He pleads to her still on his knees. She sighed and sat down again on the bench.
"At the moment, I want you to stand up. For Godsake stand up!!", She yelled.
He immediately stood up on his feet. However, his posture now looked like a slave standing in front of his owner with his hands clasped together in the front and his back bent forward in guilt.
"Sit down!!", She shouted glaring at him and he followed her command immediately.
"God!!", She rubbed her palm on her temple irked by his behaviour.
"Are you having a headache?", He asked.
She glared at him.
"Yes, you are my headache. Why don't you understand? If my father comes to know about you, he will kill you. Just stay away from me for your own good and for my peace of mind.", she said before leaving him alone.
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The Sun had long set in the west and the night had appeared. Rajiv wasn't home yet. Though she knew it was a safe place, she still feared of being alone. Sitting near the window, she observed Sidharth, who spread the quilt on the flattened cardboard boxes and sat on it.
Why is he sleeping outside? Doesn't he have a place to stay? Did he eat something? Why did he come to Australia? What about his family?
Why do you care Sana? How can you forget what all you have gone through and what you have to face because of him?
Her mind kept asking questions about him without any answers. She realised that his eyes were looking at her and she closed the curtains.
He lay down and curled up covering himself in the quilt trying to sleep after a tiring day at work.
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To be continued ❤️❤️