"Who are you?" Sana's question momentarily froze him. He was eating the food he had cooked in her kitchen, and what was more surprising was that it was made with bottle gourd, the vegetable he loathed the most.

"I didn't understand," he looked up at her, perplexed by her question, his eyes meeting her intense gaze.

"You can't be Sidharth. There's no way you could eat bottle gourd curry without making a fuss," she said. Her innocence struck him. Out of all the questions and all the resentment she held for him, she asked him that innocent question.

"Life has taught me valuable lessons," he answered, memories of his harrowing experiences flashing through his mind, from surviving in a cramped, odorous container to eating papers to sustain himself for days.

"For me, you're the teacher. I wouldn't have learned so many lessons if not for you," she replied sarcastically. This time, her voice held maturity. He couldn't blame her; he was the cause of her bitterness, and he deserved every bit of it.

Deciding to accept her accusation humbly, he bowed his head.

"Are you ashamed of yourself?" she asked.

He bit his lower lip and nodded in affirmation, his head still hanging in humiliation. Ashamed was an understatement to describe how he felt about himself. He had lost all love, respect, and pride he once had for himself after discovering she was pregnant.

"Why did you do this to me?" she cried.

Her questions were simple, but he had no answers. Each question made him wish the earth would swallow him whole, erasing every trace of his existence.

Any normal person would simply apologize and seek forgiveness for their mistakes, but he didn't believe he deserved any forgiveness for his grave error. His vision blurred, and a tear of pain escaped his tired eyes, landing on his plate. It didn't go unnoticed by her.

She had shed countless tears over the months, mourning the pain he had inflicted upon her with his wrongdoing. Yet, why did his single tear outweigh all her tears and pierce her so deeply? She had just begun to ask her questions, and many more tormented her from within. What was the point of asking when all she received was his silence and tears, tormenting her further?

Didn't she herself claim to hate him? Then why did his state of despair hurt her? Maybe because he wasn't just a friend to her; he was an integral part of her. They had been inseparable since the moment they entered the world, naked and vulnerable. She knew him better than his own mother, and he knew her better than her own parents.

Yet, it was strange that she couldn't decipher him now. It all began when she started menstruating, and her mother warned her to stay away from boys. She followed that advice for a few months, but she couldn't sustain it. Though it was in the past, it felt like years due to the suffering and pain she endured.

His silence and tears became unbearable, fueling her anger. Until now, she had no outlet for her anger.

"Finish the food and get lost," she shouted at him.

He looked up at her face, which revealed more pain than anger. It pained him to see her in such a state.

"Close the door when you leave," Sana said before disappearing into her room.

"Finish the food and get lost.
Finish the food and get lost.
Finish the food and get lost," her words echoed in her own mind.

She regretted her words and tone, even though she reminded herself of the agony he had caused her. Her mind blamed her for yelling at him. Peeking at him from behind the curtains, she saw that he had resumed his work.

"Did I scare you when I yelled?" she asked her baby in the womb.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, caressing her bump. She wanted to apologize for yelling, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize to him. Instead, she directed her apology to her baby.

Turning on the television, she stared at the screen while flipping through the channels. Her hands froze when she landed on a particular channel.

Flashback:

"Hey Sana, what are you watching?" twelve-year-old Sidharth asked as he entered Sana's living room.

"Doraemon," Sana replied lazily, lying on the two-seater couch with her legs resting on its armrest. He pushed off her legs and took a seat beside her, earning a glare from her.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There are two other couches over there where you can park your behind. Why do you want to sit here when I was already comfortably seated?" Sana asked, annoyed.

"Seated? Correction, you were lazily sprawled across that two-seater couch," he teased his dear friend.

"Whatever, it's my house. I can sleep, sit, dance, or even hang upside down on the couch. What's your problem?" she asked, irritated.

"My problem is that I want to sit here," Sidharth answered.

"Why here?" she whined.

"Just because... I like it here," he shrugged.

"You... you... dog!" she scolded, trying to push him off the couch with all her might. Though they were the same age, he had more strength, making it difficult for her to even budge him slightly.

"Ruff ruff... bow-wow," he teased her with a smirk, annoying her even more.

"Arghh!" she grumpily got up and slouched on the other couch, while Sidharth reclined in the same position she had before his arrival, further irritating her.

Sidharth glanced at the screen for a few seconds before looking at her face and then at the remote control in her hand. Sana yawned but continued watching the screen, causing him to roll his eyes.

"Sana, get me some water," Sidharth ordered.

"Huh? I know what you're doing. You want me to leave so you can change the channel," Sana smirked.

"Are you a little kid watching this?" he asked.

"Are you my dad asking me that?" she shot back.

"I'm not, but I can complain to him," he smirked.

"What if I do the same? Complain to Shashank bhaiyya that you come here to watch those stupid Formula One races," she said, wiping the smirk off his face.

She hoped he would retaliate, but the mention of Shashank silenced him.

"Go ahead, complain. He might send me to boarding school, and then you can enjoy your Doraemon alone," he threatened, attempting to get up. But she quickly grabbed his arm.

"Sorry... Siddhuuu... Sorry," she apologized, pouting.

"Why do you always have to annoy me?" he asked.

"Because I like to annoy you. After all, you're my only best friend," she cried.

"Yet you want to send me away," he said, frowning.

"Never. You're not going anywhere," she said firmly.

"I can't watch Doraemon, unlike you, I'm not a kid anymore," he grunted.

"I can't watch that F1 either," she complained.

"Hmm... let's make peace," he suggested. She agreed, and they sat together, changing channels one by one.

"Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (Movie name)," they both exclaimed in unison and looked at each other.

"Huh! Of course, that's your favorite male actor," Sidharth smirked.

"Yeah! Don't act saintly. I know you have a crush on the female lead," Sana teased him with her tongue out.

"Yeah, yeah! Whatever works, as long as I don't have to hear the irritating voices of your cartoon characters," Sidharth said.

"Don't you dare say anything about Nobita and Shizuka," Sana warned him, making him roll his eyes.

Flashback ends:

Sana turned off the television, which had been playing the same movie, and went to sleep.

As usual, Sana went to the nearby park for her evening walk. Sitting on a wooden bench, she glanced at Sidharth, who, as usual, followed her. He put his head down, caught red-handed, unaware that she had known all along.

"Come here," she called him. He obeyed her instruction and sauntered over to her.

"Why do you follow me every day?" she asked.

"Huh?" He was taken aback.

"I'm not a kid for you to follow me every day," she scolded.

"No, I was just making sure you're safe," he explained.

"Safe from whom?" she questioned.

"I... I mean... healthwise," he stuttered, looking at her.

"Don't... don't look at me. It reminds me of that day. The day you saw me without my clothes... I feel mortified" she paused, her voice filled with pain, putting her head down.

He immediately lowered his head, overwhelmed with regret for his actions. He nodded, staring at her feet instead of looking at her face.

"Sit here," she pointed to the other end of the bench, and he quietly complied. There was a brief silence between the two as they watched the children swinging on the swings in the playground.

Somewhere, Sidharth was reminded of their childhood when they played together. Sidharth would easily give Sana a gentle push on the swing, but Sana would struggle to push him, often causing him to swing haywire. How he wished he could go back and undo the mistakes that had changed their lives.

"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Papa is busy," she spoke, bringing him back from his thoughts.

"What time is the appointment?" he asked.

"Nine o'clock," she said.

"I'll book a taxi for eight o'clock," he said.

"Don't you have a Myki card?" she asked.

"I do," he replied.

"Let's take public transport then," she suggested, and he hummed in agreement.

...
...
...
The journey to the hospital was quiet, and they arrived 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment. After another 15 minutes of waiting, the doctor finally called Sana inside. The midwife conducted the routine check-up, assessing her weight, pulse, blood pressure, and the baby's heartbeat. The doctor then measured Sana's belly with a measuring tape and examined the position of the fetus inside the womb using her hands.

"Sana, who do you live with?" the doctor asked.

"My father," Sana replied.

"Is he here with you today?" the doctor inquired.

Sana shook her head, indicating he wasn't present.

"The person who was sitting beside you outside, is he your partner?" the doctor asked.

Sana looked at her, uncertain about how to respond. If this question had been asked earlier, she would have immediately referred to him as her best friend. But now things were different. Could she still call him her friend after what she had been through because of him?

"Hmm," she nodded, agreeing to refer to him as her partner. The partner in crime, as they say.

"Can we call him in?" the doctor suggested.

"Why?" Sana asked immediately.

"I just wanted to talk to him," the doctor replied.

"Hmm," Sana reluctantly agreed, and the midwife called Sidharth inside.

"Hi, I'm Sue, one of the obstetricians at the clinic, looking after Sana," the doctor introduced herself to Sidharth.

"Hi, I'm Sid," Sidharth replied with a slight smile.

"Sid, the reason why I asked you to come in is that I wanted to inform you that Sana's latest scan showed that the baby's development is not progressing as expected. She is currently 34 weeks along, which means we have a few more weeks until she arrives, and during this time, we need to ensure that Sana receives proper nourishment. It's important for her to eat well and consume foods rich in nutrients. Make sure she stays happy," the doctor advised.

"I will," Sidharth nodded, affirmatively taking note of the doctor's instructions.

"My baby... will she be okay?" Sana asked fearfully. Sidharth bit his lip, hearing her words. He realized how attached she already was to the baby.

"Yes, she will be, as long as you take good care of her," the doctor reassured.

______

To be continued ❤️❤️