SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance (8 page)

“Get a grip,” she said, charging back into the bathroom. She looked at the pregnancy tests again, hoping they’d gone negative, but instead, the bright pink “+” sign had grown even brighter—like she was super pregnant or something. She tossed the sticks in the garbage and walked out to her living room.

Getting on her treadmill in the corner she began to walk, hoping she could think things through with a bit of exercise. So many questions. Should I have a baby? Do I want to have a baby? Should Ravi know? Is it immoral to not let him know? These were questions that she’d never contemplated before. She was a careful and cautious woman, not someone who was prone to accidents like this. She was on the pill, for gosh’s sake! She’d always strived to be exceptional, but being a part of that 1% was not exceptional—it was abysmal.

It had been three weeks since she’d spoken with Ravi on the phone, four days since she’d texted with him, and five weeks since she’d seen him. Due to “life”, they had been stopped dead in their tracks for the relationship they thought was there. It had been painful, but Sasha had her work to help mend her—that was her therapy. But with what was growing in her belly at that moment, there would be no forgetting Ravi—ever—regardless of what she chose to do. You didn’t just forget about having a life begin inside of you. Or ending it. Or bringing it to full term and allowing it to enter into this world. None of it could be forgotten!

She was tempted to put off calling Ravi so she could dwell on things for a few days to make sure it was the best decision. But in her instincts she knew that he deserved the call and to know. He was the other half of this impacted party, whether he knew it or not.

It was now 7 AM. Sasha was definitely going to be late for work and she texted Bev, telling her to cancel out her morning appointments and reschedule them for any available times further out in the week. She’d explain later. Now it was time to call Ravi. It would be mid-afternoon for him and he’d likely be busy, but she could leave a message if he was.

She dialed his number and it rang, then kept ringing. Just as she thought,
yes, avoidance
, he said, “Sasha, hello.”

“Uh…um…hi.”

“Hi.” He was quiet.

She was quiet, not certain how to even start. Small talk? Right to the point?

“Hello,” Ravi said, this time a bit louder. “I think I lost you.”

“I’m here.” She blurted it out and realized she was clenching her free hand, the palm sweaty and her nails digging in. If she didn’t get a grip she’d have a bleeding palm to match her bleeding lip.

“Are you okay? You sound panicked.”

“Yes, maybe, I guess.” She’s suddenly regretted forcing herself to call right away. It hadn’t been a good idea, but there was no turning back, so…

“What’s wrong?”

His voice was so tender and filled with concern that it caught her breathe, but somehow calmed her down. She visualized him hugging her tightly, and it helped.

“I got some news.”

“Good, I hope.”

“I’m not sure, really.”

“Okay, well, what is it? You must want me to know.” Raj had no idea what this scatter brained conversation with Sasha was about, but he wished she’d just spit it out. It was painful talking with her, because he longed to forget her. His life had been hell lately.

“I found out I’m pregnant.” She suddenly felt like having a baby was all wrong and she began to back pedal, driven by fear and this strange raw feeling that came from exposing the reality.

“With my child?” Raj could have kicked himself for saying that, as he knew that Sasha was not a promiscuous woman. “I’m sorry, that didn’t sound right.”

Sasha had been frowning, but she had to admit that it was a legitimate question—a first reaction.

“That’s okay. Yes, it’s yours, but I’m not certain if I’m going to keep it. I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“Don’t just decide that,” Ravi blurted. “Please.”

“A baby is a big task to take on alone, Ravi, and I just don’t know that I’d be doing any favors for anyone by assuming I could. You know.”

“You wouldn’t be alone,” he said. He knew that she had every reason to believe she would be, though.

“Ravi, really? Yes, I would be. Our destiny was pretty short lived, just long enough to involve someone else in it.”

They were both silent for a moment.

“Please, don’t do anything. I’m on my way to the States. I’ll leave by tomorrow at the latest.”

“No, don’t do that. You have too much to do,” Sasha said. She began shaking. Not once in her quick processing of the situation did she think he’d take off to see her. “You’re not obligated to me, regardless of what the decision is.”

“That’s not your decision to make—my obligation. It’s mine.” Ravi was rattled and scared by what Sasha had said, yet, in it he saw something of hope. He just had to get her to wait.

“Look, as the father, please, don’t do anything without me. Let us talk about it face to face. Will you please promise me that?”

“I don’t know.” Sasha didn’t want to get caught up in emotions when she had to make such a serious life choice. His presence would surely do that to her.

“Please,” Ravi said. The he looked at his office door. There was a knock and Jada was standing there. She mouthed, “Your father is here.”

“Look, please don’t go out of your way—”

Ravi had to go, but he had to state his case and hope that Sasha was the type of woman he believed she’d been. “—I will be there within forty-eight hours. Please, don’t do anything. I have to see you. I have to go, I’m sorry, I wish I didn’t.”

He hung up, not wanting to give her the chance to have any extra input.
Please wait for me, Sasha, I’m sorry
, he thought.

Jada looked at Ravi, trying to read his expression. He looked really distraught, but in a different way than he’d looked after his mother’s death.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. She didn’t want to invade, but her friend and boss looked like he was having an out of body experience—completely shocked and surprised about something.

“I’m fine. Father can come in.”

“Good,” his father said, rudely brushing past Jada and entering the office. He turned to look at her and she turned to leave, shutting the door behind him.

Ravi couldn’t stand his father’s abrasive behaviors since his mother had passed away. He’d always been short on patience and a bit overbearing, but he’d gone too far as of late. Yes, he was scared and lonely, he knew, but the man was taking it too far.

“Tomorrow we need to go check on the real estate by the Madain Saleh; the project is behind schedule and running over in cost.”

“I can’t,” Ravi said. He braced himself for the retaliation, which was swift.

“It is not a request. We are going.”

“I cannot go. I have to go to the States tomorrow, it’s urgent.”

“For what?” His father’s eyes squinted, doubling the amount of crow’s feet he had around his eyes and the veins in his temples instantly bulged out.

“It’s personal.”

“Nothing personal is urgent. Madain Saleh, that is urgent.”

“I’m sorry, Father. Do as you will, I am going.”

“Why?”

“I cannot say right now. I just have to have a face-to-face conversation with her before it’s too late.”

“Her. Too late. For what?”

Ravi didn’t answer and he glanced at his father, who was shooting daggers at him and looking like he was going to blow a gasket. “Look, Father, I’m sorry for being so elusive, but this is important and I must go. There is no other option, and time is of the essence in the matter.”

“You take an awful lot for granted, Ravi, and I assure you that everything you have—the title, wealth, and everything—is not a guarantee for your life, it is still a privilege, one that must be earned.”

“I understand.” Ravi did understand but the answer further angered his father, because it showed that he would not submit to his demand. He was not going to get out of this situation without feeling the burn of the angered man. Might as well just end it.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, Father, I’m very busy and I have a lot to get done in a short amount of time. The numbers for the new proposition will be to you by morning, as well, so you can review them when I’m gone. The meeting with the Patel family about the Greece project will be attended by Kareem, who can easily fill in for me. Jada will attend, as well, and take notes.”

“Are you dismissing me?”

“You may sit there if you like, Father, but I have things that I must get done. Both for you, and for me.”

With no way to gracefully end the conversation, his father got up and stormed out of the office, leaving the door wide open.

Jada appeared from around the corner and looked into the office.

Ravi looked at her and said, “Sasha’s pregnant.”

No more needed to be said. “Oh, I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”

Jada had been the one person that Ravi had confided in about Sasha and the feelings he’d developed. She’d been kind and supportive, not of the relationship as much as the wrath of his father. It was not easy to be the child of a sheikh, even if you were a sheik, yourself, by title.

If I can get Sasha to keep our child, I shall never be that type of father
, he thought. His child would have freedom to love, explore, and pave their own destiny on their own terms.

***

When she got word from Jada, Ravi’s assistant, that he would be arriving at her home at 7 PM that day she was scared and over the top with anticipation too. She wanted to see him so badly, of course, but now her guards were up and the game had changed. Too bad she never got to master the first one. He’d been taken away so quickly, and without a proper adieu, that she’d felt like she’d been robbed of what she deserved.

Her phone rang and she looked over. It was the front desk of her apartment building. “Ms. Mason, a…” A voice in the background talked. “A, Sheikh Ravi Kapoor is here to see you.” They sounded confused and she had to admit, it made her laugh, which felt good. It relieved the nerves that were making her temperature fluctuate and her cheeks flush.

“Send him up, please.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

It took about five minutes to get from the desk to her door, assuming there wasn’t too long of a wait at the elevator. Sasha stared at her front door and wondered if Ravi would take the stairs up the ten flights or the elevator. It didn’t really matter, but it offered a distraction that seemed necessary. She put her hand on her stomach and envisioned that the butterflies swimming around in it were picking up her baby and gently swaying it to sleep.

The knock on the door was soft.

She walked over quietly and slowly, taking a large breath in before she slowly opened it up. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Ravi looked right at her stomach and then in her eyes. “You didn’t do anything, did you?”

He didn’t waste time, she had to give him that. “It’s nice to see you, Ravi, and no, I haven’t done anything.”

“Good. Please don’t; not until you hear me out.”

“Okay. Do you want something to drink? I have wine or beer.”

“You’re not drinking, are you?” His eyes were wide. “That’s not healthy.”

“No, I’m not, but it’s strange, news like this kind of makes you want to have a glass of wine to relax, but I’ve been good.”

“I don’t want anything now.” He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, keeping his hips back a bit. “Except to hug you, of course.”

His warmth felt good and the way he made sure he didn’t crush her belly entertained her greatly. It already seemed nice to have him there, because she’d had no one else to talk to about the situation t that point.

“I am so happy to see you,” Ravi said.

“But yet, it wouldn’t have been if not for our little emergency.” Sasha sighed; that was a lousy reality.

“I’m sorry. I wanted to. Really I did. I’ll explain more later, but for now, we need to discuss this.” He moved back and put his hand on her belly.

“I know. I’m interested to hear what you have to say.”

Sitting on the couch, two glasses of water in front of them, Sasha turned to Ravi. She wasn’t going to say anything or lead. All she needed was to know what he was thinking.

His hands pressed against his jeans and he tried to calm down his heart. He’d thought he was poised, until…he saw her. Just one look at her reminded him of what he’d thought he could leave behind. He’d tried and failed, even without “the news”.

“How far along are you?” he asked.

“Seven weeks, I guess. That’s how long ago the conference was.”

“Yes, of course,” he said.

A moment of silence, where he played out what he wanted to say in his mind first, because he didn’t want to say the wrong thing. He just couldn’t risk it.

“I really want us to have this baby, Sasha.”

“How can it be us? We live in two different countries, each of us unable to leave for our own various reasons.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but I will leave. I can leave there, but I won’t leave you.”

“But you were willing to leave me before you knew about the baby.”

“If I’m going to be a father, I’m going to be a father who is present. You can count on me.”

“I don’t doubt your integrity, Ravi, but you shouldn’t feel obligated. I know you have so many people tugging on you from all directions. I’m not going to be a person like that.”

“If you keep the baby I’ll marry you.”

Whoa! That shocked her. She never would have suspected that comment to come from his mouth.

“I’m not asking for that, or looking for that. Did you get the impression that I was?”

“No, but it’s the thing of honor to do. We have something very special, we both felt it before the madness set in.”

“Intense feelings at the beginning of a relationship don’t necessarily mean we’re meant to be together, Ravi. It could be lust, passion, a number of things.”

“Including love.”

“Well, let me put your mind at ease, Ravi. I have decided to keep the baby, but I am not going to marry you. So, if that’s a problem, you’d better think of how you’ll handle it. Marriage is off the table.”

Ravi breathed a sigh of relief. She had to laugh at that. “Well, now you make me wish that I would have said yes.” His jaw dropped, which made her laugh again. “Just kidding.”