Chapter 16

To say that Arjun Ranawat was astounded would have been an understatement. Jyotsna's ardent request as a mother to the father in him had touched the chords of his heart which he was previously unaware of. But the saner part of him knew that the proposition would pave the way for destruction to both of them, in the most excruciating way possible.

"Jyotsna? I hope you are realizing the gravity of the situation and the demand you are placing in front of me. You have not just endured a painful miscarriage, but the doctors have confirmed that you are showing the signs of depression. In this situation, you want to try for another child. I won't let you suffer this heartbreak once again," he declared, holding her shoulders in an affectionate grip.

Jyotsna stared into his chocolate orbs, searching for approval and any hint of weakness which she could use to compel him into accepting her demand. The frustration of being unable to find the favorable emotions made Jyotsna brush his arms away from her.

"It doesn't look like you regret this loss as much as I. Because if you had, you would agree to the only way to bring back what we have lost," she spat, averting her eyes from his.

In a sudden action, startling Jyotsna, Arjun grabbed her forearms in a vice-like grip and his actions forced her to look him in the eye.

"Ms. Khanna, get one thing clear. If there is one thing I hate in this world, it is emotional blackmail. It would never work on me and anything you try to achieve through it would certainly fail," articulated Arjun, emphasizing every word of his as the memory of his sister and grandmother blackmailing him into surrogacy floated in the front of his mind.

"You are the same," she whispered, tears flowing through her eyes against her will. "You are the same as others. I thought you were different; you would respect others despite your position and your words were not hollow, but you are the same."

Her words laced with disappointment and pain made Arjun loosen his grip on her as he realized what he did in a fit of anger. He was not right in punishing someone enduring an irreplaceable loss for the deeds of someone else.

Taking advantage of the weakened grip, Jyotsna tried to move, ignoring the twitches and the ache throughout the body but her muscular incoordination could not support the strong will in her mind. But Arjun 's arms became the support she needed and held her in her place.

"I am sorry, Jyotsna. I really did not mean to come across in that way. I really hate when people use emotional blackmail, after all my own family misuses it to suit their own interests," he said, his eyes conveying his sincerity to her in the language which her heart would understand.

"I don't care about anything right now! I just need my child back, no matter what. Ms. Ranawat was right when she said that the mother should be exposed to the father's antigens or it can lead to immune reactions. It is the same immune reaction which took my baby's life. It was my mistake. I want to rectify my sins, and bring my baby into this world, irrespective of what I have to do for the same," she replied, furiously trying to erase the signs of tears but they did not seem to heed to her wishes and continue flowing in the memory of the child.

Arjun knew that she was right but the path which her maternal concern was taking was wrong. He was aware of the direction which the conversation was taking.

"Jyotsna, it is improper to try for another child so early. Your body has not recuperated completely. You need rest and peace right now. We can have this conversation later too," he tried reasoning, cupping her jaw gently.

"I will find peace only when I know that I will be seeing my baby soon. It is also what the contract had proposed. If the first pregnancy ends disastrously, the parties will try for another. Isn't that the clause you had placed, Mr. Ranawat?" she demanded, trying to have her way with the one used to have his way always.

Arjun closed his eyes in tiredness. It was not him who had placed that clause, in fact, he was against the same but his adamant and insolent family was behind the drafting of such an outrageous clause, given they were so against surrogacy to start with.

"That contract stands broken, Jyotsna. I never agreed for that clause. Believe me, if there was anything, I could do to bring back our child, I could have done it. Even by paying the price of my soul if it requires, but I am not ready to trade your soul in it, Jyotsna. You have endured enough due to this. Think of it this way, even if we have another child, my family will not allow you to stay with that child and the contract we have signed can be upheld to sue you in the court. I don't wish to confer that fate onto you when I have a choice," revealed Arjun, tears stinging in his own eyes.

"But they say something is better than nothing. At least, I would have a child and the contract says that no one can stop me from meeting the child. So, what if the plant you have grown gives fruits and flowers of happiness to someone else? You would love that plant and cherish its presence from afar. Please, for the child's sake, for my sake and for the sake of my sanity, please agree, Arjun. I will never ask anything from you. You can keep the contract money. I don't care what Varun would say, I will try to return the advance amount."

Arjun 's finger on her moving lips stopped her from completing the list of things she would do to ensure the presence of their child in her life.

"I don't care about any of those you are mentioning. My only concern right now is your well being. First, you get well, Jyotsna. I promise that I will listen to you and give this a try for sure. But for now, please take care and rest. I will not be able to forgive myself ever in this life if irreversible damage occurs to you. For my sake, can you do this?" he requested, her eyes reading the pain and agony in his eyes.

She nodded in affirmation as she looked down into her lap and in lieu, her now completely flat abdomen, as fresh tears made their way out. Arjun pulled her into his strong arms, allowing her to relish the solace and affection it offered as he lulled her into sleep with the slight pat on her shoulders and tender caress on the back of her palm. Her tears seeped right through his shirt and touched his heart, both literally and metaphorically.

He gently changed her position into a sleeping position and adjusted the pillows to her comfort. He had studied how she liked to have her pillows over the few days she had been his guest and he almost had it memorized. As he was pulling away, he felt a weak grip stopping him from leaving, and he knew that despite being weak it held the power to stop him.

Her determination, her attitude towards everything, her self-esteem, and her unabashed way of taking the reins of her life into her own hands had touched his heart on more than one occasion. The one for whom the idea of love seemed vague wondered if they had met in some other dimension, in a different time and at a different place, love would be written in their fate but he knew that it was not the time to wonder about alternative universes but set their present one right.

He took the place beside her, adjusting in the little space beside her and the ending of the bed, as he tried to not disturb the sleep by pulling his hand away from her hands. He had successfully erased her worries temporarily by pulling her into slumber and hoped that sleep would embrace him too, away from the pain of loss of his unborn and the myriads of emotions weaving a thin thread towards the woman in his arms.

Destiny cracked a slight smile at the ones it had united, fulfilling his wish of being transported to the land of slumber.