Waking up beside Shiv was the highlight of my day. His arm around my waist and my head on his bare chest. It was all cupcakes and rainbows until...
The morning sickness kicked in.
I took his arm off my body as soon as I could and ran to the bathroom. He woke up and noticed me. He walked over, rubbing his eyes, shirtless. If I wasn't throwing up, I would've pounced up on him.
He held my hair back as I threw up. He gently rubbed my back while I did so.
When I was all cleaned up, he asked me "What's wrong?"
"Oh, don't worry; it's nothing, morning sickness. I deal with it almost every morning." I replied as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Okay." he replied with a nod.
We brushed our teeth and I walked out of my room to prepare breakfast.
"Wait." he stopped me.
He put his hands on my shoulders and guided me towards the dining table.
"I am incharge of your meals from now." He informed me.
"You don't have to do this. I can make it. You are the one who needs rest, you were in an accident just last night, remember?" I said.
"Just sit. I am fine, you will be too because I am making pancakes." he said, excitedly.
I couldn't help but smile. "Okay, at least let me make the coffee." I said and didn't give him a chance to protest as I got up and walked to the coffee machine.
After getting a cup for myself and leaving his on the heating pad, I sat back down on the chair.
We were in the middle of a conversation about penguins when I heard the front door open.
"Sanj? Where were you? It's almost noon." I asked her. I didn't even notice that she wasn't home last night.
I am a horrible friend, I thought.
"Um...you remember that date I had last night?" she began.
"Yeah, I do. Your boss told you to." I said. She had told me last night that it was a fake date just to lure the guy in for a deal.
"I kind of got caught up."
"What do you m- wait a minute." I said and continued after a pause. "You were with him all this time? You said it was just a fake date. Why would you stay with him all night and the next morning?" I asked. Something had happened.
"You know, you two seem busy. I am going to go and shower." she changed the subject.
"I am not letting you go until you tell me what is going on." I said, firmly.
"Fine, come with me." she said to me and then turned to Shiv. "No eavesdropping."
I looked at him and he nodded his head, telling me to go.
.
"What the hell is going on?" I asked as soon as we entered her room.
"Okay, so the person my boss set me up on a fake date is this really hot guy and he is very rich and famous and the club we went to was his. We were really hitting it off and we decided to go to his place which was right above the club, more like 3 or 4 floors above it but you get the point. So, we went there and at his front door, there were these two huge men wearing all black and had guns with them. I didn't understand but then I thought that maybe it's just because he is partly famous and very rich so I shrugged it off." She said in one breath.
"Where are you going with this, I don't understand."
"If you would let me finish." She said, getting annoyed.
"Okay, go on."
"So he is this mysterious guy and we go inside and his place was so huge and so damn pretty, you could actually see all of London from his bedroom. So we get to, you know, the thing. Then we slept off. He didn't try to send me away after it was done like I thought he would. But this morning he woke up before me and made breakfast for me. He wanted me to stay. So we talked about a lot of things, not about penguins like you and Shiv." she said and rolled her eyes. "But getting back to the point. So, we talked and I actually started to like him. Then I went to the bathroom for a shower. When I opened a cabinet looking for shampoo, I found guns, around four or five of them, stacked up. I freaked out but then I thought that if he is dangerous and I freak out about knowing, he would probably kill me. so I kept quiet and took a quick shower and got out. When I did get out, he asked me 'so you saw them' I swear to God Naina, I have never been so scared in my life before." She finished.
"I still don't get it."
"Again, let me finish." she said and I rolled my eyes.
"How long is this going to go for? I am bored." I said, honestly
"Shut up. So, he asked me and I got really paranoid then he said 'I really like you, I would like to go out with you again.' and I got really confused because I just saw freaking guns in his bathroom and he thought I will go out with him again but then he continued 'but you need to know who I am.' he is a freaking gangster! and I have no other option than to go out with him. I am really scared right now and i don't know what to do." she said.
"You, my friend, are in some deep shit." I said.
"Why are you in such a good mood today? Did you even pay attention to what I said?"
"Yes, every single word of it. And now I am going to give you some advice. See, if he actually likes you, there is no harm. He didn't hurt you, he treated you well, he let you go after you got to know his secret and he was honest with you about it. I am saying that if you go on a second date, get to know him, maybe it will work out for you." I said.
"I guess you are right." she said with a sigh. "but I am still scared"
"I get that you are scared. but imagine if it works out; It will be like one of those mafia novels." I said, jokingly.
"Ha-ha very funny." she said with a roll of her eyes.
"What is his name though?" I asked, maybe I knew something about him.
"Lorenzo Moretti." She said.
"He's Italian?"
"No he is Indian. What else do you think?" she said.
"Hey, just asking and trying to lighten up your mood." I said while I raised my hands up in defence.
"I am not sorry, but my head has been messed up."
"We will do some research on him before you do go out with him again. I still don't want you to be unsafe." I said and she nodded.
"So do you want pancakes?" I continued.
"I can eat, even though I did have breakfast already."
I just laughed and shook my head. We walked out to the kitchen and saw Shiv making pancakes, still shirtless.
"I see why you are in such a good mood." she said to me with a wink. "And I see that you are still here." she said to shiv.
"Yeah, I don't think there can be a day when I don't bother you. So I am here just to annoy you." he said.
"And to be my personal chef." I said and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"That too." he said with a smile.
"Aw, you're cute. It's gross." Sanjana interrupted.
"So, why exactly are you still here?" She asked again.
"It kind of slipped up while we were talking last night, that I am pregnant." I started.
"And he took it that well?" She said, suspiciously.
"No, I did get angry enough to storm out. I left for the airport but then I realised how wrong I was to leave her alone like that so then I escaped death to come back to her." He said, instead of letting me explain.
"Literally." I said, referring to his accident last night.
"What do you mean?" Sanjana did not know about the accident.
"He got in an accident. Can you not see the cut on his forehead?" I thought she would've noticed it.
"Oh shit, I didn't notice." she said. "I got distracted by the part below his head." she said to me with a wink.
"Why don't you concentrate on your own hottie you gained last night?" I asked her and then turned to my boyfriend. "Shiv you really need to wear clothes now, we have a pervert in the house."
"But I don't have any." he said.
"Yes, you do. I washed yours from last night and they are already dried up."
"Fine! I will, once I shower."
"You both are already turning into a married couple. Disgusting." Sanjana said.
We ate the pancakes while talking about more weird things. Shiv and I were still stuck on the fact that penguins can drink sea water.
Sanjana went to her room after she ate, leaving the two of us alone.
"You know, I never said it, but I do want this. I want to be with you, through this pregnancy and everything after that. I want this baby." he said, genuinely.
"You didn't need to say it. I figured it out when you came back to me last night." I said with a smile.
"But I needed to say it." he said and held my hand.
"Okay. thank you." I said and gave him a small smile.
"So, what are you doing today?" he asked, changing the topic.
"I took the day off from work so I guess I am free."
"Get ready then, we are going out." he said with a grin.
"Where?"
"I am not going to tell you." he said.
"What? No, you can't do that. I have to know. I need to know." I hated surprises.
"Not telling." he said casually and walked away into my room.
I cleaned up the kitchen and the dishes till he was showering. Then I went back into my room and saw Shiv standing in his clothes from last night, a plain black T-shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans with rips on the knees.
"Get ready quickly." he said, giving me a kiss on the forehead and walked out.
I took a quick shower and put on an off the shoulders white top, tucked in the blue, high waisted skinny jeans. I wore my usual black boots. I put on some moisturiser, a thin coat of mascara and a wine shade of lipstick. I quickly brushed through my hair which reached till my lower back and left them open.
"You look beautiful." Shiv said with a smile.
"Thank you." I said and placed a kiss on his cheek.
When I lifted my hand up to wipe away the lipstick print from his cheek, he stopped me.
"Leave it there."
"Are you crazy?" I asked him, well he was but I asked anyway.
"You very well know the answer to that question."
"Yeah I do. But please wipe that off."
"No, I want to keep it." he pouted. I was dating a five-year old.
"Just wipe it, I will give you lots of lip prints when we get back home. I promise." I told him
"Fine. But don't forget your promise."
.
"Give me the keys, Naina."
"No, I am not giving you the keys. You shouldn't drive."
"I am fine. Just give me the keys. I will tell you if I feel something. Also, I have to drive because I want to surprise you, which I will have to give away if I let you drive."
"Okay, but be careful." I said and tossed him the keys.
We got in the car and he started playing bollywood songs. They are fun to listen to, not going to lie.
He moved his left hand from the steering wheel and placed it on my thigh, tracing circles on it with his thumb. My insides became jelly. During the ride, all I did was stare at him. His face was covered in cuts and bruises but he still looked very attractive. His biceps bulged a bit, making his t-shirt stick to his skin.
"We are here." he said and I looked out.
"The mall?" I questioned.
"Yeah, I need new clothes. And I am treating you to some new clothes and shoes too. You're welcome." he said.
"No, you are not buying anything for me." I stated.
"We will see." he said and stepped out of the car and I mirrored his actions.
We walked into the mall and I felt him take my hand in his. It was a small gesture but it made me feel like I had conquered the world.