Chapter 4
"Arjun and Sameer..." Ayesha removed her glasses and put her hair up into a bun... Sameer noticed the little strands of her dark fringe that landed on the sides of her forehead... the slight pressing of lips as she tied her hair into the bun...
She looked up for a second to find Sameer peering at her... "What?" she barked at him...
Sameer nodded nothing and looked aside... his eyes meeting hers at times...
Her jaws were stiff... she cracked her knuckles and looked at the two men in front...
"How did you exactly get her?" Ayesha asked...
Arjun recounted everything... Ayesha... by the end of it... pressed her temples and cursed...
"Bachi hai voh Arjun... she's 9 years younger than us... I mean... 19!!!" Ayesha said exasperated...
"And you know what surprises me... ki she is the most matured out of the lot... as we are going to proceed for IVF... commonly known as In Vitro Fertilization..." she looked at them...
"Let me tell you... she has to go through many things... this process is lengthy... and the worst part... she is alone... and it is painful... is waqt pe kisika saath hona kitna maina rakta hai... sigh... she's doing so much for her family... it sounds more like a scene out of movie than reality... seriously!" Ayesha held her head...
Arjun and Sameer just looked at Ayesha and kept quiet...
"She won't be alone Ayesha..." Arjun muttered...
"Yeah okay fine... and Jun tujhe toh main itna jaanti bhi hoon... but what's going on... I mean... according to Advocate Rathore..." Ayesha was stopped...
"You can call me Sameer Dr. Kapoor..." Sameer smiled...
Ayesha squints her eyes a little... "Anyways... according to him... the will is instated to your blood baby... and for that you have taken Sakshi as a surrogate mother... but guys... do you think property, money and company is more than a girl's virginity? Really! Over that Jun you are asking me to believe the fact that you respect her... I don't think so... I mean... I find this terrible..." Ayesha said blankly...
"Well Dr. Kapoor... I understand... but it's not that Arjun will sleep with Sakshi... no way... trust me..." Sameer said...
Ayesha put her glasses back and stared at the the man on her right... fair and having a trimmed mustache, his formal clothes highlighted a lean figure... he looked like a typical corporate lawyer... maybe a handsome one... yet perhaps his brain was more shrewd than clever...
Pushing her glasses up her nose she squared her shoulders and gave a faint forced smile...
"Why should I trust you Advocate Rathore on the fact that Jun wouldn't do anything wrong with her... and for pete's sake... she is a virgin... you know what that means... and when I am going to insert the catheter to check if it's size is fine or not... she is going to feel traumatic!" she looks at them...
"Why traumatic?" Sameer asked her...
" Advocate Rathore, she's never felt anything there... Over that the needle will go through her pelvic cavity to reach the ovaries... and this would be done at least thrice... once it would be a run through... then to retrieve the egg and lastly to transfer the embryo... she's never had that... forget about holding a baby! And you two stop looking aside in embarrassment!" Ayesha gritted her teeth...
Arjun and Sameer were silenced...
"She will have anesthesia on right?" Sameer asked and Ayesha gave an obvious look...
"But a local one... if you ask me... tum log iski faida utha rahe ho yaar... gareeb ghar ki hai... exactly 1920's ki typical situation of disparity and dukhi atmaness... but guys... I can't help you out with this... I mean jab woh apne ghar jayegi with a bulging stomach... you know what our society will call her right!" Ayesha tried to see if some sense had knocked into them...
"She will stay in Arjun's home once her stomach starts showing... mum dad waise bhi hospitalized hai toh koi puchega bhi nahi!" Sameer concluded...
"And see Dr. Kapoor... aap jo keh rahi ho... you are 100% right... but he needs the baby... had it just been the property then he wouldn't have taken this step... agar divorce ab karna chahe toh alumni ki taraf se Sonia ke paas azaadi hai kisi bhi sector of company chose karne ke liye and she is a sly fox... she would definitely chose constructions which is the backbone of the company... 40 saal Rawte uncle ne diye hai... Rawte ka naam... bhikarion se mega tycoon banne ke liye... 40 saal... a lot is at stake Dr. Kapoor... otherwise trust me we would have never ever thought of this..." Sameer advocated...
Ayesha took in a deep breath and gulped in a glass of water...
"And Sonia refused to bear a child right?" Ayesha asked...
"Yep... she can't put her figure to risk and blah blah... and that she can't f*** Arjun for property waghera waghera..." Sameer said...
Ayesha glared at him... "Advocate Rathoree I would prefer if you would stay away from profanities when having a conversation with me... and Jun..."
Ayesha looked up at Arjun... "Arjun... tera aur Sonia ka kya khayal ho raha hai yaar... I mean... shadi ke samay toh woh theek thaak thi..."
Arjun breathed in deeply... "Aur kya... I thought of divorcing her... phir papa guzar gaye... and will main it's given to my child... isliye Sakshi... but trust me Ayesha... I will respect and be grateful to her till the end of my life... trust me..." Arjun closed his eyes...
"Waise... why did you opt for the egg to belong to Sakshi... as in simple words.. the child being genetically related to her?" Ayesha spoke...
"I didn't want my baby to have any trace of Sonia..." he sighed...
Ayesha squeezed Arjun's palm... "I know... but be her friend out there... she needs a company..." she said...
Arjun looked at his best friend Ayesha... "Dekh Ash... I know ki Sakshi ek virgin hai... and she hasn't done any of these stuffs... but trust me Ash... main usse ghalat nazariyo se nahi dekh raha hoon... I will treat her as an equal... not only for the fact that she's going to be the mother of my child... nope..." Arjun breathed in...
"And she is a wonderful person... ab dekh agar tu meri cousin na hoti then I would have asked you to hold my baby... and when I say this it doesn't mean that I am having sexual desires... no... I don't have any desires left in my life at all... bas sirf aur sirf main chahta hoon ke someone's bears my child and gives it to me... unfortunately I am a man and obviously I can't bear a child..." Arjun said...
"And see Ash... take Sakshi in place of me... suppose she needed to be a mother... but no husband and stuff... you would take her to the sperm bank right... waha se ek suitable sperm donor se jo dena hoga doge right... and suppose the donor is me... does it mean ki mera aur Sakshi ka koi shararik samband hai?" he knew he had Ayesha's attention...
"If she gets to know that cool I am the person who is helping her with the baby... but it won't create an alliance with me right... if a man can be a sperm donor and be a happy man around... why can't a woman be a surrogate mother and be a happy woman... aur Ash... virginity loss is not by the breakage of hymen... it's when she would hopefully mate with someone for a happy future... I am ever grateful to her for giving me my baby... that's all that I have to say..." Arjun said... a little emotional...
Ayesha took a deep breath and looked at the matured man in front... this wasn't her casual 2nd cousin anymore...
A matured man now stood before her...
Ayesha for a second couldn't believe that it was the same carefree cousin who would roam around... go to clubs... have an active social life... now become silent, reclusive and someone who understands a woman...
She smiled and got up... patting Arjun's shoulders... "Tu bada ho gaya hai... aisa hi reh..." she said softly...
Arjun smiled back at Ayesha...
When they heard a shuffle of feet...
Sakshi was standing there... her mouth was slightly parted... her eyes were slightly squinted... she was almost smiling... her eyes locked with Arjun's...
They were like that... for a few minutes... talking to each other with their eyes...
His eyelashes fluttered a bit.. his eyebrows tensed... a hesitant yet grateful look...
Her mahogany brown eyes softened... her eyebrows relaxed... the corner of her eyes crinkled as she appreciated his thought..
His eyebrows tensed suddenly... he tried to read her eyes... in case she was forced...
Her eyes widened a little... her eyelids half closed... signaling a no... their gazes met... their pupils stuck to each other's... and it dilated as they read each other...
One pair of jet black eyes grateful... the other seemed slightly apprehensive yet appreciative...
Ayesha squinted her eyes slightly... she cracked her knuckles and guided Sakshi to the room...
Sakshi nodded and left immediately...
"And to think that these two have no emotions in between..." Ayesha muttered in her mind...
She left the cabin... her mind stuck towards Sakshi...
Suddenly she felt Sameer's gaze on her as she walked... before entering the other room she
turned around and looked at Sameer who held the door open for her...
SHe raised her eyebrows and asked him "Advocate Rathore aapko kuch bolna hai?"
"I must say aap bohot skilled hai Dr. Kapoor..." Sameer gave a genuine smile...
"Agar aap baton se keh rahe hai toh Advocate Rathore... I have seen so many cases in front of me... ki baatein toh apne aap aatein hai... people sometimes don't realize the value of life... and waise it's Jun who spoke more than me..." Ayesha squinted at Sameer...
Sameer's lips twitched at the corners... "Interesting... waise ab kya ho raha hai?" he asked as Ayesha walked towards Sakshi's cabin...
"Ab ek mock embryo transfer chal raha hai... basically a "practice run" for the embryo transfer which allows me to test the size and placement of the catheter with Sakshi's body before the big day." Ayesha answered...
"In short... During the procedure, an ultra-thin catheter is inserted into the uterus while a sonogram guides the process on a monitor." Ayesha explained...
"I see...I totally understand everything... " Sameer nodded... though truth be told everything went above his head...
Before Ayesha walked in she folded her arms across her waist... "Advocate sahab... aap ek bohot bure liar hai!" Ayesha smirked and walked in...
"Kya karoon... aapko dekh ke achi aadat bigad jaati hai..." Sameer flirted and Ayesha just hit her head...
She was about to enter when Arjun called her...
"Kya... kya main aa sakta hoon?" Arjun asked... Ayesha nodded...
"Sure... if Sakshi is comfortable enough that is..." Ayesha smiled and walked into the room...
Sakshi was wearing a blue hospital gown... she was nervous... her stance said so...
"Sakshi would you mind if I would stand at a corner of the room?" Arjun asked her...
Sakshi scratched her head... she meekly shrugged her shoulders...
Ayesha made Sakshi lie down...
"Okay then Sakshi... this is just a run through as to what would happen on the main day okay? It would be almost painless..." Ayesha smiled at Sakshi who held the sides of her chair tight...
Ayesha pressed her palms... "Arrey main koi khalnayak dentist nahi hoon... chill maar yaar!" she joked... to which even Arjun smiled...
"Hmm... see I will medically tear your hymen... it would be almost painless ok..." Ayesha put on her mask and got the equipment ready...
"Par... kyun?" Sakshi asked in a small voice...
"Sakshi now see... for the little baby to soon come into your tummy na I would have to insert the equipment and release it near your follicles... now for that your hymen needs to be broken
na..." Ayesha explained...
"Okay..." Sakshi mumbled softly...
She frantically looked here and there... her eyes stuck with Arjun's for a minute... he looked back at her... his eyes held a small look of gratitude... she turned her eyes back to Ayesha...
"Ah!" Sakshi yelped a little as the hymen broke... it did hurt... she clenched her eyes shut... especially when Ayesha inserted the catheter...
Sakshi started to perspirate... She never knew that muscles over there even existed!
"Easy there... you are a strong girl na... there... it's done..." Ayesha spoke encouragingly...
After a quick run through Ayesha made Sakshi sit up...
However Arjun noticed the little tear that trickled down her cheek...
"You okay?" he asked and Sakshi nodded... she hastily wiped her tear off...
Ayesha patted her shoulders slightly...
"Now Sakshi... yeh main tumhe hormonal injections de rahi hoon so as to it increase your egg production... medicines nahi dena chahti cause it will go through your stomach and stuff... toh utna acha nahi hoga... and haan... weekly aa jaana for blood tests and transvaginal ultrasound scans... then we can know if you are good to go for a baby... okay!" Ayesha tried to sound as cheerful as possible...
But Sakshi just nodded...
"After few weeks we will go forward to egg retrieval.. okay? Aur uske baad we will get to as in 3-5 days we would put the embryo in your tummy... okay?" Ayesha looked at Sakshi expectantly...
But Sakshi just nodded...
"Main change kar loon?" Sakshi almost whispered...
"Sure!" Ayesha smiled bright but Sakshi disappeared into the changing room...
Ayesha sighed.. she looked at Arjun who seemed out of place at the moment... "Ao Arjun sahab... viraajmaan ho..." Ayesha said...
"I think usse thoda dukha... woh hymen break karne main... but then it was necessity also... just see that she is happy and fine... not that ki woh tumhari responsibility hai... but you see woh bohot chup chap hai... and often IVF thodi si traumatic hoti hai... regular check ups with tests, injections, medications... so you see..." Ayesha spoke and Arjun nodded...
"I would be with her all the time..." Arjun smiled and squeezed Ayesha's hand...
"Par tumhara image..." AYesha asked...
"Ash... who's gonna see anything by the way? She's having my baby... she does the designs for my company.. she's already doing a lot for me... I can at least be her dost na..." Arjun smiled...
"Jun... I really think tu kaunsi mahoos ghadi main uss Sonia se shadi ki... you are a good guy you know!" Ayesha smiled..
"Tujhse toh kehraha tha... teri uss Banglore waali dost se mujhe shadi karne de... par tune toh help hi nahi ki!" Arjun smiled...
"You know tujhe itne din baad hasta hua dekh ke khush hua... aise hasta reh.. and next time don't get your idiot lawyer over here..." Ayesha chuckled...
"Sam? Usne kya kiya?" Arjun asked...
"Flirt..." Ayesha smiled as Sakshi came in... Arjun shook his head...
"Hey there Sakshi! Jab bhi koi doubt ho toh mennu ek call kar do... Punju ho na?" Ayesha smiled...
"Haan... main Punjabi hoon..." Sakshi said softly...
"Ok... bye then!" Ayesha said and Sakshi nodded...
She went to the hospital pharmacy and collected the medicine...
Arjun dropped her back to his home... she was quiet throughout... it was as if over there something was throbbing... she squeezed her legs further together...
Arjun didn't fail to notice the small things... he wanted to say something soothing... but found himself to be at a loss of words...
"Sakshi... umm you know... thank you... this baby means a lot for me... I wish I could express my gratitude..." Arjun told her as he stopped in front of his house...
Sakshi looked at Arjun and half smiled... "Respect... that's all I need..." Sakshi sighed and looked outside... she took slow steps...
~*~
"Chickoo..." he called her softly... she closed her eyes tightly as she felt his warm breath near her cheek...
She was still hugging Arjun when he got up... carrying her in his arms... she almost had a steel tight grip on his shirt... palpitating...
She could feel the heat from his body...
As he kept her on the bed... she bit her lips... in tension... and in something unknown...
Arjun sat beside her... caressing her cheek slightly... he noticed the creases on her forehead...
"Do you fear me? Tumhe mujhse darr lagta hai kya?" he looked into her big doe shaped eyes...
She blinked for a few seconds... then nodded negatively...
"Open up... whatever's going in your mind... tell me..." he prodded her...
Sakshi took in a deep breath...
"Arjun... mujhe nahi pata... you are my best friend... you mean everything to me... tumne mujhe humesha help kiya... be it the first hormonal injection ya anything... bas... ab jab... hum saath main... the fact is that I don't understand what is immoral... ki tum shadi shuda ho... ya phir yeh ki humne shadi nahi ki... it's... I don't know... ek taraf se my mind's battling something... from the other side my heart is battling something... I mean"
"... sleeping with a person... I don't know kya hoga... kya karoge... sh*t I don't even know how s*x happens! I don't know whether I have to be unclothed! Argh... mera dimaag fat raha hai... mujhe nahi pata tum kaha kaha chuoge mujhe... I've never even been kissed Arjun... I don't know... not that at the moment I would stop this... because yeh important hai... tumhare liye... and maybe... I don't know anything..." she was on the verge of tears... huddling herself...
Arjun felt like a beast... "Sakshi... do you think i'm raping you?" Arjun said and stared at her face... his throat felt dry... he didn't want to exactly force himself on her... if there was a little bit of attachment... a bit of desire... a bit of something... at least something...
Sakshi's gaze shot to Arjun... why did he feel as if he was forcing himself on her?
She bit her lips... and turned her face towards him... "No... I know Arjun... that had it not been for my circumstances and yours... this wouldn't have happened... and no... you aren't doing that to me... I would have killed you myself then... it's just that I don't know what happens... you tell me... kya kya hota hai... without a hindrance tell me everything..." Sakshi said softly...
Sakshi had learnt about it in her one biology class... but then... she knew that has a difference to this... she looked at the apprehension in his eyes...
He pressed his temples and told her everything... the atmosphere turned thick and uncomfortable... he promised not to kiss her or explore her... he just promised to do that... and his child... the future of the child would be decided by Sakshi...
Sakshi set her jaws... she closed her eyes... it would be the matter of just a few hours... maximum... if it just goes on... then... for those few hours she would in return get everything...
She ran her hands through her hair...
It's either now or never... she turned towards him...
"Arjun... just let's get done with this..." she whispered... Arjun clenched his jaws...
"You're sure?" he asked...
Love Friendship Dating and Relationships
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