Chapter 50 Common Sin - Chapter 6
Morning dawned under a gray sky, heavy like the tightness in Gabi's chest. She found Ravi on the porch, his suitcase already positioned next to the car. He was staring at the horizon, as if trying to etch every detail of the landscape into his memory before his departure.
"So you're really leaving," she stated, not as a question, but as an indictment.
Ravi turned around slowly. His eyes were shadowy, but she noticed the strain in his jawline, the way his fingers balled into fists.
"It's for the best," he responded, his voice raspy.
"Best for whom?" Gabi advanced, her heart racing. "You're just running away."
He didn't contradict her.
"If I stay, I won't be able to restrain myself. And you know what happens if someone discovers our secret."
Gabi felt her eyes stinging with tears, but she refused to let them fall. "So you're a coward."
Ravi moved too swiftly for her to react. Within a blink, he had her pinned against the side of the house, his large, warm body trapping her in place.
"Coward?" he growled, his face so close she could feel his warm breath. "You have no idea what lengths I would go to for you."
Gabi shivered, but didn't back down. "Then prove it."
He kissed her fiercely, his lips forcefully meeting hers in a kiss that was almost painful. His hands held her wrists captive above her head while his body pressed against hers. Gabi moaned, feeling his already hard arousal pressing against her thigh.
"Do you really want me to prove it?" he whispered, his teeth grazing her neck. "Do you want me to show you just how much of a coward I am?"
Gabi arched against him. "Yes," she breathed.
He led her to the bedroom with the fervor of a man possessed. No sooner had the door closed than their clothes began to hit the floor. Ravi didn't merely kiss her—he devoured her, as if aiming to consume her entirely before dawn.
Gabi fell onto the bed, bare and gasping for breath, while he stood before her, shedding his own clothes with hurried movements. His body was a sculpture of taut muscles, each one rigid from the exertion of restraining himself.
"You'll never forget me," he vowed, before collapsing onto her.
This time, there was no hurry. He explored her with his mouth and hands, marking every inch of her skin as if he sought to engrave her scent, her taste, her moans into his memory. When he finally entered her, it was with torturous slowness, his eyes locked on hers as he sank in completely.
"You're mine," he growled, his hips crashing against hers. "Even if I have to leave."
Gabi let out a scream as she climaxed, her nails digging into his back. He didn't stop, continuing to thrust inside her until his own body convulsed, releasing warmth deep within her.
As the first light of day touched the horizon, Ravi was already up, dressed, and ready to depart. Gabi stayed in bed, her body sore, her heart shattered.
He cast a final glance at her, his dark eyes unreadable.
"This is goodbye," he declared.
But when the door closed behind him, Gabi recognized the truth.
Neither of them truly believed it.
Two months had elapsed since Ravi's departure.
Gabi was nestled in the family home's restroom, clutching the pregnancy test with quivering hands. The positive outcome shone like an unavoidable judgment.
"This can't be happening..."
But it was indeed.
She leaned her icy forehead against the mirror, feeling panic swell like an incoming tide. Her mother was already growing suspicious - Gabi had been under the weather for weeks, her body morphing in ways she couldn't conceal much longer.
And now, this tiny piece of plastic confirmed what her gut had already suspected:
She was carrying Ravi's child.
The phone gave three rings before he answered.
"Gabi?" Ravi's voice sounded raspy, like he hadn't slept in days.
She closed her eyes. "I need to see you."
"We can't—"
"I'm pregnant."
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Gabi could almost hear his heartbeat through the phone.
"...I'll be back tomorrow," he finally managed to say, his voice raspy.
Ravi burst through the door like a storm, his dark eyes ablaze with a mix of panic and something deeper.
"Are you certain?" was the first thing he asked.
Gabi simply handed him the medical reports. He scanned them, his large hands trembling slightly.
"My God..." He collapsed onto the couch, raking his fingers through his hair. "What are we going to do?"
Gabi knelt before him, taking his hands in hers. "You have a choice. You can pack your stuff and leave again. I won't hold it against you." She took a deep breath. "Or, you can stay. And we... we'll figure it out."
Ravi gazed at her, his eyes meticulously scanning every detail of her face.
"You're insane," he murmured, but he was already pulling her into his lap.
She could feel the precise moment he made his decision.
"We're leaving," he declared, his words brushing against her lips. "Today."
Gabi pulled back, her face a picture of surprise. "What?"
Do you think I'm going to leave you here, pregnant with my child, to face this alone?" His eyes sparkled with resolve. "We're going far away. We'll start anew.
She trembled. "And our family?"
"Our family," he kissed away her tears, "can go to hell."
That very night, they packed what they could into Ravi's old car.
As he helped her into the car, his hands lingered on her still flat belly, as if he could already feel the life growing inside.
"Are you certain?" Gabi asked one last time.
Ravi replied without uttering a word, sealing their lips with a kiss that tasted like a promise.
The car vanished down the darkened road, carrying them towards an uncertain future - but together.
Epilogue: One Year Later
The cozy apartment was filled with the aroma of fresh coffee and new diapers.
Gabi was gently cradling the baby in her arms, while Ravi was bringing in the groceries, his face, once stern, now softened into a warm smile.
"Has he fallen asleep?" he whispered, gently running his fingers through their son's soft hair.
"At last," Gabi smiled, weary but joyous.
Ravi planted a kiss on her forehead, followed by her lips.
Neither of them brought up the families they had left behind. The letters left unanswered. The calls left unheeded.
They had all they needed right there.
The end