11. Rendezvous

Everyone was sitting at a round table in the dim-lit fancy restaurant. We were laughing and smiling like we had no problems. But we did, mostly me. Ever since my visit to my parents, I have been being showered with problems.

Ashwin and Vivan were looking at each other with affection in their eyes, it was going to take a while to adjust to but I was totally fine with it if they were both happy and accepting of each other.

It was time for ordering our food and drinks. Everyone ordered either meat of some kind of heavy meal.

The waitress asked me and I said "Can I have a vegetarian Italian chopped salad for dinner and water for beverage?" She nodded as she wrote down my order.

"Your food and drinks will be served soon." She said and left our table.

Everyone got to chattering again but Sanjana looked at me suspiciously.

"Naina, I need to use the restroom." she said to me. It was the universal sis-code to accompany your girl-friend to the restrooms. So I nodded and got up

"Guys, we will be back soon." I said to the boys and we left towards the restrooms.

.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked just as we entered the washroom.

"What? You needed to use the bathroom, not me." I replied.

"No, what is actually wrong with you? You never eat salad and you never have dinner outside without alcohol." She said.

I didn't even think about how well she knew me.

"I- I am fine. don't worry about it." I couldn't tell her that I was pregnant. Just not yet.

"Don't lie to me. You've been throwing up a lot ever since we came back. Now you are eating salad and drinking water instead of alcohol- wait..." she stopped herself before continuing.

"Is it what I'm thinking it is?" she asked me.

"How would I know what you are thinking?" I lied. I knew she thought I was pregnant.

"You're pregnant?"

"Wh-what no! why would I be pregnant?"

"Don't lie to me. You just stuttered."

"Okay fine. Yes, yes I am pregnant." I gave up and admitted, I couldn't lie to her, she lived with me and she was like my sister, she had to know.

"What? When did that happen? Who's the father? When did you know?" she showered me with questions.

"Look, I will tell you all about it when we go home. Sleep in my room tonight? We will talk and eat ice-cream, just like high school days. I promise I won't hide anything. They are waiting for us outside."

"Okay fine, every single detail?"

"Yes, every single detail." I confirmed and we walked out of the bathroom.

.

After changing into our pyjamas, Sanjana came back to my room. Ashwin slept in the guest room with my brother. I didn't even want to think what will happen in there. As Sanjana's room was vacant for the night, we let Shiv sleep there, again, I didn't want to think what he will do in there either.

We snuggled up in the blankets. Sanjana brought a tub of ice-cream from the kitchen and also prepared some coffee for us, considering we had a lot to talk about.

"Okay now spill. When? With who? And how was it?"

"Okay, you remember the night my dad threw a party which he said was for me but wasn't and you went see your brother in between?" she nodded and I continued the whole story, including everything from the party, the club, the morning after, the nightmares, everything. She listened very intently which was very, very rare.

"So you're telling me that shithead is the father of your child?" She asked and I nodded.

"When are you going to tell him?"

"I don't know. I am scared how he would react. Considering my decision to keep the baby. Which is a whole another topic we need to discuss." I told her honestly.

"Well, they are going to leave tomorrow. If you want to, you need to tell him soon."

"I know. I am just not ready to tell him yet. I don't even know him that well. I don't know how he will handle it, considering the man-child that he is."

"So if you are keeping the baby? How will you hide it? Because you will be starting to show in a few months."

"Here, in London, I don't think anyone will care. It's India I'm worried about. I guess I just wouldn't go back for a couple years."

"I think that will do. But after the baby arrives? What will you tell them then?"

"I just don't want to think about it right now. I will deal with it when the baby comes. I will need you here with me more than anyone." I told her. My eyes started to water but I held in the tears.

"I know, I will always be here for you and this baby." she said and I trapped her in a tight hug which she returned. "It will be fine. We will figure it out." she whispered in my ear as she hugged me.

By the time we were finished, the coffee had worn off and we were feeling sleepy. Sanjana fell asleep immediately. I, on the other hand, wasn't able to.

I quietly got up from the bed and walked out of my room making as less noise as possible. I walked into the kitchen to get some water when I heard a voice behind me

"What are you doing up at 3 a.m.?" Shiv asked me.

"The same goes for you. I was just getting some water."

"I was checking if you had some aspirin. I have a killer headache." he said while filling up a glass of water.

"Yeah, I'll get it for you." I said.

I found the cabinet it was in but it was on the topmost shelf. I got on my tip-toes but still wasn't able to get hold of it.

"Here, let me." Shiv said and stood behind me, not letting me move. He put one of his arms up and picked up the bottle of aspirin without moving and his other arm was secured on my waist. He stood there behind me for a while and I heard him sniff my hair.

I turned around to face him, only to find him looking down at me, straight into my eyes. That was enough to make my face as red as a tomato.

"Thanks." he whispered, leaning down to my ear. I had goosebumps just by a word from his mouth.

"It-it's fine." I croaked, my voice cracked a bit.

Then he kissed me. Out of nowhere. I did want to do that, I am not going to lie.

I kissed him back. He swiped my lower lip by his tongue, asking for entrance and I obliged by opening my mouth and kissed him. I took his lower lip between my teeth and pulled. He groaned in pleasure.

My hands found their way to his hair. My fingers pulled lightly at the roots of his hair while I felt his strong arms made their way behind my waist. His palms rubbed up and down my back. Then he brought his hands up to cup my cheeks and I brought my hands to his arms and felt his strong biceps.

We pulled away after a while. His forehead rested against mine. I was able to see a small smile on his lips in the dim moonlight coming from the window of the kitchen. I could feel my cheeks heat up.

"I wanted to do that for a while now." He whispered and my breath hitched.

"Me too." I replied as I went on my tiptoes and kissed him again, harder this time.

.

When I woke up the next morning, it was like a rendezvous. My clothes were on the floor and I was naked under the sheets with the same company from last time. The only difference was that his arm was wrapped around my waist and his face was resting in the crook of my neck. I could get used to waking up like this, I thought.

I saw an empty condom wrapper on the night stand.

Great, this time he used a condom! when we didn't even need one. I thought and rolled my eyes.

I looked at the time on the clock, it was 6 a.m.

Good, I thought, no one would've woken up, so I quietly took his arm off my waist and got up to put on my clothes and sat on the bed again, gazing at Shiv's handsome face.

"Shiv." I whispered in his ear to try to wake him up. His eyelashes fluttered a little and he woke up.

He smiled at me. "Good morning." he said in a raspy voice that made me swoon.

"Morning." I said with a smile. "It's still early, go back to sleep. I didn't want to sneak out without telling you."

"Okay. I will talk to you later." he said. I smiled at him one last time before walking out of Sanjana's room.

.

"I will have to burn down my sheets now." Sanjana said as I entered my own room. I jumped when I heard her voice.

"How do you-" I said and cut myself off.

"The walls are thin, Naina. I heard you two go on for about an hour and half. He really does have a lot of stamina though." she said with a wink.

"Oh, will you shut up already?" I said and rolled my eyes.

"No, I wont. So how was it? Well, actually don't tell me. I already know it was good, I heard you scream. And your skin is glowing. You know I had to put ear plugs and sleep."

"Okay now stop. I have to leave for work. By the way, he's still sleeping, not to mention, is very naked so I suggest you don't go in your room till he wakes up." I said and walked towards my bathroom.

.

After getting ready, I stepped out of my room and saw Shiv was sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of cereal in his hands. I walked over to him.

"Hey." I said with a small smile.

"Hi." he replied, returning my smile with a bigger one.

"So...do you want to talk about last night?" I asked him. I really dreaded the talk but asked anyway.

"I think we can go somewhere with this." he said while waving his hand between the both of us.

"I do too. But you're leaving today."

"I will be visiting next month again. My father's office is here. I'm here very frequently. We could make it work. If you want, that is" he said.

"I'd like that." I said with a smile.

"You're going somewhere?" he asked.

"Yes, it is Monday, I have to go to work."

"Okay, you've had breakfast?" He asked with a smirk that I didn't understand.

"Actually no, I saw you sitting here and came straight here." I said as I sat down beside him.

"Okay then, let's feed you." he said and crashed his lips with mine.

I smiled in between the kiss. It was a short kiss, sweet. I could taste the flavour of fruit loops that he was eating.

I smiled as we pulled away. He did too.

"I need to go now. When is your flight?"

"It's at 9 in the night. I hope you'll be free by then." he answered.

"Yes, I will be back at 6. We could go for lunch if you like?" I asked him.

"Sure. Text me the address and time. I will be there."

I nodded and walked out of the flat with a smile on my lips.