For one full minute, I could not move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The room blurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The fairy lights near the balcony, the folded baby clothes, the tiny socks drying on the chair, the half-eaten strawberries on my plate\u2014everything looked suddenly unreal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband had held that red saree in his hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had smiled and said, \u201cThis colour will look nice on you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And before giving it to me, he had carried it into a hotel lobby where he stood beside his ex, asking her to help him erase his own child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My baby kicked again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, it hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not physically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like even my body was rejecting the lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha sent another message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe said you were unstable. That you were too attached to your ex Kabir. He wanted old photos, old chats, anything he could twist. He said if I helped him, he would finally give me closure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at the words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Men like Rohan did not give closure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They gave wounds and then asked why you were bleeding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another message came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t believe him at first. Then he showed me Kabir\u2019s comment on your photo and said, \u2018See? She is setting it up.\u2019 Naina, I think he planned this before your shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My throat went dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the shoot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before Kabir\u2019s comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before my red saree became revenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan had already been building a cage and waiting for me to walk into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I typed with trembling fingers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy are you telling me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha replied after a few seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause he did the same to me. Different story, same man.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sat frozen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then my bedroom door opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan stood there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had come home early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His eyes moved from my face to my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His voice was too calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was when fear entered me properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not the loud kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cold kind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The kind that tells a woman her house has become a place where she must protect her own breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I locked the phone and placed it beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stepped inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWere you crying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked at me for a long second, then smiled without softness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou saw Aisha\u2019s message?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My heart stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course he knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe she had warned him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe he had guessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe guilty men can smell the moment a woman stops trusting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I kept my hand on my belly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat message?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His smile widened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t play smart, Naina. Pregnancy does not suit detective work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sentence beneath every sentence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are pregnant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are emotional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are weak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He came closer and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped under his weight, and my body instinctively moved back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noticed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow you are afraid of me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am tired of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His eyes hardened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCareful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The word landed between us like a slap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once, Rohan had been charming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He remembered birthdays. He ordered my favourite momos. He sent flowers to my office just because it was raining. He cried when we heard the baby\u2019s heartbeat for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had mistaken performance for character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, looking at him in our dim bedroom, I understood that some men love you only when your belief makes them look good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The moment you question them, you become the enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He reached for my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I placed my hand over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou are hiding things from your husband now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre we listing crimes in order?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His jaw clenched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNaina, don\u2019t make this ugly. Give me the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at him calmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His hand shot forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I moved faster than I thought I could. I stood up, grabbing the phone, one hand supporting my stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo not touch me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan stood too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For one second, I saw the calculation in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If he grabbed me, I could fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I fell, he could say pregnancy hormones made me clumsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I screamed, neighbours might hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If neighbours heard, he would become the worried husband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stepped toward the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He blocked it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo the living room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSit down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNaina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His voice had dropped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The baby moved again, and suddenly something ancient woke inside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fear was still there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But behind it was something stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not the soft kind from advertisements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The kind with teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at Rohan and said slowly, \u201cMove.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stared at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe he saw it then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That I was no longer his wife standing in our bedroom with hurt feelings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was the woman carrying the child he had tried to deny before birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And I was done asking permission to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stepped aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I walked to the living room, opened the main door, and kept it wide open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan followed, furious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou are creating drama.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo,\u201d I said. \u201cI am creating witnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His face changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across the hall, Mrs. D\u2019Souza from flat 702 opened her door slightly. She was seventy, half-deaf, and sharper than every CCTV camera in the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEverything okay, beta?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, aunty. Please keep your door open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan cursed under his breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I sat on the sofa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My hands were shaking, but my voice did not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTell me, Rohan. Why did you meet Aisha?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked toward Mrs. D\u2019Souza\u2019s door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then back at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOffice work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe works in event marketing. You work in finance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMutual friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt a hotel lobby?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou and Kabir seem very friendly. Should I ask questions too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beautiful little trap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had commented on his ex\u2019s photo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had responded by posting myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabir commented the same word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now Rohan had the story he wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pregnant wife reconnects with ex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Husband doubts paternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cruel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I opened Instagram and showed him my post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid I reply to Kabir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid I message him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDid I meet him secretly in a hotel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His lips pressed together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. D\u2019Souza\u2019s door opened wider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan lowered his voice. \u201cYou are crossing limits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, Rohan. You crossed them. I am marking where they were.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My phone vibrated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have audio. He spoke clearly. I\u2019m sending it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A file arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My thumb hovered over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His face went white.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNaina.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I pressed play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His voice filled the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Casual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unmistakable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust say she was still attached to Kabir. One message, one old photo, anything. Once I put doubt in my family\u2019s head, she will break. She is pregnant. She cannot fight much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha\u2019s voice came next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd the baby?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan laughed softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is exactly the point. If I accept it now, I am trapped forever. If I create doubt before birth, everything becomes negotiable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recording ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My living room became colder than marble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan looked at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then at the open door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then at my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou recorded me?\u201d he whispered, as if I had betrayed him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha had recorded him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I let him believe I had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some truths are stronger when guilty people confess to the wrong witness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stepped toward me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mrs. D\u2019Souza shouted from the hallway, \u201cRohan beta, I am calling security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good husband mask cracked completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou think this proves anything?\u201d he hissed. \u201cAisha is bitter. Kabir wants you. You are unstable. Everyone knows pregnant women become irrational.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou keep saying unstable,\u201d I said. \u201cWho suggested that word? Your mother or your lawyer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His silence answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mother-in-law, Savita Mehra, had never loved me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not openly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She smiled in public, sent me badam milk during pregnancy, and told relatives, \u201cNaina is like my daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But behind closed doors, she measured my worth in obedience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wanted a grandson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wanted a daughter-in-law who stayed grateful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She wanted a family story clean enough for society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A pregnant wife leaving her husband would stain everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But a pregnant wife suspected of another man?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That stain could be shifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My phone rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unknown number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I answered without thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A man\u2019s voice said, \u201cMrs. Mehra? This is Dr. Sandeep Verma\u2019s clinic. Your husband called regarding prenatal paternity documentation. We need your consent for any sample verification.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The room stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan lunged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I put the call on speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man continued, confused. \u201cMadam, we received an inquiry about testing after birth and also a request to prepare a note saying the father\u2019s identity is disputed. We cannot issue such a note without your written statement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at Rohan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His face had lost all colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat father\u2019s identity is disputed?\u201d I asked calmly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man hesitated. \u201cMadam, your husband said there were marital concerns and he needed medical language for legal proceedings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Legal proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before confrontation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I even knew there was a war, Rohan had already reached the doctor\u2019s gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease send everything to my email,\u201d I said. \u201cAnd do not speak to my husband again without my written consent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, madam.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I ended the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNaina, listen\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis was only precaution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou embarrassed me with those photos.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stepped closer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy body carrying your child embarrassed you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He looked away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I understood then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was not Kabir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was not Aisha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was not even the comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My red saree had done something he could not forgive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It had made me visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For months, I had become useful suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vomiting wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The swollen wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The emotional wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The woman folding baby clothes quietly while he flirted online and collected sympathy from old flames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that photoshoot showed a woman who had not disappeared into pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A woman other people saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Admired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Rohan could tolerate anything except a wife who remembered she existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned away and called my elder brother, Arvind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He answered on the first ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not hello.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That is how brothers answer when they have been waiting years for a husband to finally prove them right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCome,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan laughed bitterly. \u201cCalling your family? Good. Let everyone see how dramatic you are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEveryone will see,\u201d I said. \u201cThat is the point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Within thirty minutes, my brother arrived with my mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Behind them came Kabir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I did not know Arvind had called him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I saw him at the door, tall, quiet, eyes full of worry, I froze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan smiled immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPerfect. The lover arrives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabir looked at him once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNaina, are you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That question almost undid me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not because of romance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because it had been asked without accusation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan clapped slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeautiful scene.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabir\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI came because Arvind said you were threatening her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am her husband.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd yet she opened the door before speaking to you,\u201d Kabir replied. \u201cThat says enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mother moved to me and placed both hands on my face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPack your hospital file,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo discussion. A woman in her seventh month does not sleep in a house where her husband is collecting doubt like weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan stepped forward. \u201cAunty, don\u2019t interfere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mother turned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soft-spoken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A woman who still covered her head in front of elders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But that night, her eyes were fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI gave my daughter to a husband, not a courtroom strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan had no answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arvind went into the bedroom with me while Maa stood guard in the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I packed slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hospital reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Baby clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My vitamins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The red saree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I lifted it, my hands stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Silk slid through my fingers like flame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That saree had begun as revenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now it felt like evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I folded it carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan watched from the doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His voice was quieter now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou will regret this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo. I will grieve it. There is a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We left that night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not forever on paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But forever had already begun inside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At my mother\u2019s house, I did not sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 2:40 a.m., Aisha called.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am outside,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I went to the balcony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She stood below in the lane, wearing jeans, no makeup, holding a brown envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabir, who had stayed in the hall with Arvind, walked down with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha did not look at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She handed me the envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI found why he wanted the baby denied.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My fingers tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked guilty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afraid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis father\u2019s will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I opened the envelope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside was a photocopy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mehra family settlement deed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first legitimate child born to Rohan Mehra within marriage would receive controlling rights to Mehra House, the ancestral land in Alibaug, and shares in the family business trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My breath caught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The baby was not a burden to Rohan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The baby was an asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then why deny him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha pointed to one clause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If paternity dispute is raised before birth, trustees may suspend transfer until genetic confirmation after delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I read it twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then she handed me one more page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRohan has loans,\u201d she whispered. \u201cBig ones. Gambling. Crypto. Private lenders. If the baby is accepted legally before birth, the trust locks assets for the child. He cannot touch them. If he disputes the baby, he gets time. Enough time to pressure you into signing a settlement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabir swore under his breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I leaned against the gate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The night air felt too thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All this time, I thought he feared responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He feared losing control over money that belonged to a child who had not even taken his first breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha\u2019s eyes filled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am sorry, Naina. I thought he was just confused. Then I heard him say he would make you sign after delivery when you were weak.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My palm moved to my stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My son kicked once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then my phone rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I let it ring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A message came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Come back before morning. We can fix this privately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you involve lawyers, I will make sure no one believes that child is mine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I showed the screen to Aisha, Kabir, and my brother standing behind us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabir took one slow breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then said, \u201cNaina, there is something else you need to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His face had gone pale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He pulled out his phone and showed me an old message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From three months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan had contacted Kabir first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not after my photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not after his comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The message read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stay close to Naina online. Comment when I tell you. I will pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My hand went numb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabir said softly, \u201cI ignored it. I thought he was drunk. Then today, Arvind called me, and I understood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The streetlights blurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My husband had not reacted to Kabir\u2019s comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had arranged the wound and then pretended to bleed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is one more name in his lender list,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSavita Mehra.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mother-in-law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The woman feeding me badam milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The woman touching my belly and saying, \u201cOur heir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The woman smiling at my baby shower while her son prepared to question my child\u2019s blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before I could speak, a car stopped at the end of the lane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A black Mercedes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan stepped out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beside him stood his mother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Savita Mehra held a file in one hand and my sonography photo in the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She looked at my stomach first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEnough drama, Naina,\u201d she said coldly. \u201cCome home. The child belongs to our family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I lifted my chin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her smile disappeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rohan stood behind her, eyes dark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then Savita opened the file and said the sentence that made every person in that lane go silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you do not return tonight, we will prove you were never carrying Rohan\u2019s child at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aisha stepped beside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kabir stood on my other side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My brother moved in front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for the first time, my red saree inside the bag felt less like revenge and more like a flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because the war had finally stopped hiding behind beautiful words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Naina\u2019s red saree, Rohan\u2019s cruel plan, and the secret hidden inside the family will made your blood boil, write what you feel in the comments and follow the page\u2014because the baby they tried to deny may be the one who inherits everything they were desperate to steal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For one full minute, I could not move. The room blurred. The fairy lights near the balcony, the folded baby clothes, the tiny socks drying on the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4197"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4200,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4197\/revisions\/4200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}