Chapter 29

          Eva was sitting in the bathroom looking at the pregnancy test kit in horror.

     "Oh no, this can't be" She cried.

    Eva remembered Taimur always used contraception before they had sex. Then how could she get pregnant?

     Then as if something clicked in her mind it was the day they made love in the rain. Yes, that was it, he didn't have any protection at that time.

     "Eva is everything ok?" She heard Jane call out from outside.

      "I am coming", she said as she opened the latch and came out in the room they were sharing.

     " So?" Jane asked.

    "It's positive", she replied.

    ”Who’s the father?" Jane asked her.

   ”Someone from work", she muttered. It was not a lie any way she had ended up with Taimur because of her job.

    And now she was here in an African country thinking about what she was going to do?

          Flashback   Eva had resigned from her job the next day she came back from Azmaayir. Aalam and Stevens had tried hard to talk her out of it but she didn't pay them any heed.

    This job had fucked her life forever, yeah life was not great before, but now it sucked.

    She knew it would be nearly impossible to get over Taimur. That man was an enigma unlike any other she had met.

     And what they had shared in those few months, Eva would not be able to forget in years.

     She had stayed in town for a week, met her parents catch up with friends and then she had joined her old archeology group.

     They were on an expedition in Africa, they were glad to have Eva back. And when Eva told them she was not going back to her job their joy was beyond description.

     A month had passed since she joined the expedition and when one morning Eva was having breakfast, Jane looked at her and said, teasing, "You are getting big Eva and you are eating a lot since you returned".

     And then as if something clicked they both looked at each other in alarm.

    " How late are you?" Jane asked, panicked.

   "I don't know maybe two months a week more or less", Eva said, swallowing the gulp in her throat.

   How could she be such a jerk? She didn't realize she was late on her period. She was eating more than she used to and how touchy she had become in the last couple of months.

   She had been under continuous mental stress one after another. First Taimur had locked her up in his home and then when he had kicked her from his life all she could think about was him.

    She didn't have any thoughts other than him, though she had made herself busy in the digging expedition and tried as much as she could to not think about Taimur.

      They had hurried to the nearest pharmacy and bought her the pregnancy test kit. Eva didn't have to wait for the result, it showed positive within seconds.

    End of flashback.

      She was nearly three months pregnant now, Eva didn't know how to react to this news. Should she be happy that they had made a baby together? Or should she be sad because she was not with Taimur anymore?.

     "Are you going to tell him?" Jane asked.

    "I don't know how he is going to react. Don't think he will like it", Eva said thinking about Taimur.

     She knew Taimur wouldn't take this news in a good way. She had read about his engagement on the internet.

     Maybe he would force her for an abortion or he could take her child from her. She knew how possessive Arabs were about their children.

     He will never let his child grow up like a commoner. Eva didn't know what she should do.

     " So will you keep the child?" Jane asked, looking at her with concern.

   "I don't know, I need to sleep on my decision", Eva said, immersed deep in thought.

    " Everything is going to be fine, don't worry. We are with you." Jane hugged and told her.

    "I know it never will be", Eva thought to herself.

     She stayed with the group working on the expedition until she was 6th month pregnant.

       All the group members had been very Cooperative with her. They would take care of all the little things about her and made sure she didn't do any work that might harm her baby.

     She returned back home after her sixth month ended. May and Eva's parents were shocked to find she was pregnant. They tried a lot to ask her who the father was, but she always made excuses.

     She knew the moment she shared this with any other person the day will not be far when Taimur will hear about this. And she didn't want him to know she was having his child.

        The day soon arrived when their daughter was born, Eva was nearly 18 hours in her labor and was cursing herself for deciding to keep the baby.

    But when she saw the little angel wrapped up in a pink blanket, tears of joy started rolling down her cheeks.

     Her daughter was the spitting image of her father, curly black hair and jade green eyes, Eva wanted to forget him and move on but she knew it was nearly impossible when a pair of jade green eyes would be watching her day and night.

      She named their baby girl "Emma".Emma was the most beautiful infant she had ever seen, and whoever saw her fell in love with Emma immediately.

    " Does her father know about her", May asked Eva, who was putting Eva to sleep in her cradle.

   "No he doesn't" Eva replied, tugging the blanket under Emma.

   "Don't you think it's unfair for both of them, Emma would want to know who her father is when she grows up. And her father has every right to know that he has a daughter", May said looking at Eva.

    " May we have been through this a million times since you got to know I was pregnant, and I have told you I don't want to talk about this", Eva snapped in May.

   " I don't know why you avoid this discussion, what are you hiding? " May said, alarmed.

    "I am not hiding anything May, it's just that he might take her away from me, and I don't think I will be able to live without her. My life is already hell, I don't want to increase my misery" Eva said defeated.

   "I am sorry Eva, it's just we are worried about you. We want you to be happy in your life", May said hugging her.

   " I know May, and I am sorry too. But I really can't share anything with you, it really is very complicated", Eva said hugging back May.

      Two years later.

     Emma was nearly two years old, she was a very bright and inquisitive child. Emma learned to speak just when she was a year old. And now she was able to speak sentences. Though she still had problems pronouncing some alphabets, it didn't stop her from bombarding everyone with questions.

  Sometimes she would drive Eva crazy with her questions. Her favorite question was "Where's daddy?". Eva knew she was a child but still it stunned her whenever Eva asked Eva questions about her father.

     Eva had told Emma that her daddy was away fighting at war. And hence he couldn't stay with them or visit them.      Sometimes lying is only the solution. She knew she was being unjust, but Eva couldn't help it.

     Eva had started working at the local museum of her city. She loved her job and used to spend her leisure time with Emma.

     Eva tried to get back to a normal life, she had also started dating. The few guys she met through an online dating app were really nice. But the problem was who could have followed Taimur Jahaan.

     Eva had read about his marriage and had seen the pictures of his wife, she was really beautiful and they both compliment each other.

    Eva used to follow every news detail about him, she knew he had moved on in his life and it was time for her to move on too. But how was it possible when he lived with her day and night in a female form.

  Eva used to wonder how life would have been if things have worked out between them. Emma would have been a Princess.

  She sometimes felt she was doing wrong with Emma and Taimur by hiding the truth from them. But she was afraid he might take Emma from her.

    "Mommy, Emma wants ice ceam (Emma wants Ice Cream)", Emma said to Eva pulling her skirt.

    "My baby wans ice ceam", Eva leaned and picked Emma in her arms and said tickling her.

     She had brought Emma to a nearby park in the evening when Emma saw the ice cream truck and started asking for it.

    "Yes Mommy", She said, shaking her head.

     "Come let's get ice cream for us", Eva said as she walked up to the truck.

    Eva then bought two strawberry ice cream cones for them, she handed one to Emma. Emma's jade green eyes suddenly got bright after seeing the ice cream, strawberry was her favorite flavor.

    Eva paid for the ice cream and as she turned to get back, she collided with someone. Eva lost her balance and was about to fall when two hands held her till she was steady on her feet.

    "Señorita, you must be careful", a cheerful voice said.

    Eva's eyes shot up to the face of the stranger, a pair of brown eyes were smiling at her. The man was really handsome, he had brown hair and a brown pair of eyes. His lips were curled up in a smile, he had a prominent nose. And from his accent, Eva understood he was Spanish.

    She then noticed the stranger's t-shirt was covered with the ice cream. The word Señorita had brought back many painful memories. Eva just mumbled a sorry to the stranger then walked away with Emma.

    She carried Emma to a nearby bench and sat with her. A few minutes might have passed when the stranger approached her with two cones of ice cream.

   " Here Señorita, you forgot your ice cream on my clothes", He said smiling.

  Eva glared at him for a few moments and said "My name is not Señorita", she didn't like how he was trying to start a conversation with her.

    "But I feel like calling you Señorita, I am Mateo Rodriguez. I work in a bank", He said forwarding the ice cream.

   " Mommy if you don't wan ice ceam, Emma can eat it", Emma said greedily looking at the ice cream.

    Eva shot her with a glare and took the ice cream from Mateo.

    "Thanks", Eva said to him.

    " Is this your daughter?" He asked sitting on the corner of the bench.

   "Yeah, she is Emma", Eva said smiling at Emma.

   " Well, hello Emma. You are a pretty girl just like your mommy", Mateo said as he patted on Emma's cheek.

   Eva looked at him irritated, the asshole was flirting with her in front of her daughter.

   "Mommy is very pity", Emma agreed with him, laughing.

   " And your daddy, how is your daddy?" He asked Emma.

   "I don know daddy" Emma replied to him.

  Eva stood up in anger, this was too much for her. The guy had no manners, poking his nose in others' life.

   "Emma we need to go home", She picked Emma in her arms and started walking hurriedly.

   " Señorita what's the hurry?" He followed Eva with quick steps.

   "Look, Mister, whoever you are I am not interested in speaking to you. And it would be better if you just leave me alone", She snapped at him.

   " Mommy, is he daddy?" Emma asked with wide eyes.

  "No honey, I told you daddy is not with us. He is away fighting at war ", Eva repeated the lie she had been telling Eva since her little mind started asking questions about her father.

   " You shouldn't lie to children", Mateo said with scorn.

   "And who are you to advise me?" Eva said with a frown.

  "I don't know how you are going to take this, but it's that I like you. I have been coming to this park for three months now and I often see you here with Emma", Mateo said nervously.

  Eva was shocked by his declaration "Excuse me", she said glaring at him.

   " Please give me a chance, I really want to be with you", Mateo was afraid Eva might slap him.

  "Mommy he likes you, l like him mommy, he is cute", Emma said looking at them both.

  Eva didn't know what happened to her but she just burst out laughing at Emma's words.  

  " So this means you are not mad at me?" Mateo asked, smiling.

  " I am still mad at you, but I think I will give you a chance because my daughter likes you", She said smiling.

   And this was how she met Mateo.