Heeriye

Fifteen.

Sidharth

A baby.

My Baby.

It feels surreal. And overwhelming. And completely fucking inconvenient. Was it so recently that I thought Shehnaaz was the answer to all my problems?

Despite everything that's gone down, I don't regret the pregnancy. I'm glad Shehnaaz's pregnant. And that alone is confusing as hell. I should want nothing to do with her. I should want to move her into her own separate residence immediately, just as she'd asked.

But what's the point of an excuse if you don't use it?

No matter how foolish it might be.

My mood is dark when Kanan walks in, looking as though he's spent an hour in the boxing ring. "Those girls," he whistles. "They are a handful."

"Babysitting again?"

Kanan collapses onto the leather sofa. "Someone has to." I ignore the subtle jab. "And Shehnaaz?"

"She came back from your rendezvous with a chip on her shoulder and ushered the kids to their rooms. So I assumed she had a ball during your little chat. No one else can inspire that kind of reaction."

"Pregnant," I spit in disgust. "How the hell did that slip past me?"

"Easy. Because you weren't interested."

"She should have told me herself."

"Right, because you're so easy to talk to," he drawls.
"How exactly did she manage to wrap you around her little finger?"

Kanan chuckles. "She hasn't wrapped me around anything. I simply decided to believe her." I get up and walk around my desk. "You spy and steal and torture people for a living.'Simply believing people' is not in your job description."

"I torture people who deserve it." He shrugs nonchalantly. "She doesn't seem like the type of person to deceive intentionally. She didn't tell you about the baby because she didn't think she could. And she'd have been right."

Is there anyone left on my side?I think irritably to myself.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I tried to tell you about the baby and you refused to listen." I drop down opposite him. "Say that again."

"Remember the medical file I stole right after Shehnaaz checked into the hospital? It was all there in black and white. Sonogram and all. I knew she was pregnant and I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise."

Fuck.

"So what? You tried to tell; I didn't listen. So you were prepared to let her take my child and run from me?"

He rolls his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. She wasn't running from you."

I tense up. "Who else could she have been running from?"

"Bhavan."

Somehow, I wasn't expecting that. "Bhavan?"

"Who do you think gave her all those injuries?" Kanan asks with a skeptical eyebrow.

"That was Bhavan?"

"Well, she didn't just trip."

I remember walking into the apartment and seeing the broken coffee table. Fucker had pushed her right through the glass. No wonder she'd been cut up all over. Fucking bastard. My hands tighten into fists on my lap.

"He's gonna pay for that."

"I thought you didn't care about Shehnaaz." kanan makes a big show of tapping his lip like he's deep in thought. "Why ever would you want to avenge a woman you claim you have no feelings for?"

Thankfully, I have my answer locked and loaded. "Because she's carrying my child," I snap.

"Right. What a satisfying, wholesome, extremely believable explanation."

I don't like that look on his face. It's entirely too smug for my liking. He sighs and continues, "I've already spoken to Judge. He'll be able to resolve the custody order soon enough. Convert Shehnaaz temporary custody into permanent custody."

"Good. Keep me in the loop." I walk back to my desk and glare down at the massive stack of resumes piled on top of it. "Now, I have to get back to work."

"That's it?" Kanan asks, setting his feet back on the ground.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not going to talk to Shehnaaz?"

"I already did." I rake a hand through my hair and exhale at the memory of that frustrating exchange. "I told her where we stand. I explained how the addendum will work going forward. There's nothing else to discuss."

Kanan looks disappointed in me. "Is this really the kind of environment you want your kid growing up in, Sidharth?"

"What are you looking for us to be, Kanan? One big, happy family? Shehnaaz shot that future to hell when she started running her mouth to Ranjhit." He starts to talk but I hold my hand up to shut him up. "Before you defend her, let me remind you that she's the reason the contract is out there in the ether, being leveraged for personal gain by that slimy little shit. I trusted her once and look where that got me."

"It got you a child? A family? The chance to carry on the family name? Which one of those is supposed to be the bad thing?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "Get out."

He sighs and raises his hands in self-defense. "I'm going. Anything else you need before I do?"

I pick up half the stack of papers on my desk and offer them to him. "Go through these resumes and narrow it down for me. I have to hire someone by the end of the week. Work's piling up as we speak."

"You know, Shehnaaz has experience with—"

"Get out."

Giggling like a schoolgirl, he walks the resumes out of my office. I hadn't counted on Kanan doing a full one-eighty on me. He is the one person who always has my back. I have no doubt he still does—in the important ways, at least—but I can sense that he's questioning my choices.

Yeah? Well, screw him. I know better.And it's better that I keep my distance from Shehnaaz Gill.

Things got out of hand there for a minute. I let my desire for her cloud my better judgment. But now, I'm thinking clearly again. And this time, I refuse to give in. Baby or not, she isn't getting any part of me. Not my dick or my heart or anything in between.

I've seen what happens when you give your heart to someone and they have the gall to die and take it to the grave with them.

I don't intend to repeat my father's mistakes.