Page 141 of Mrs. Rathore

I took a sharp breath and forced myself to meet his wounded gaze.

“I don’t want to keep this baby.”

I winced as the words left my mouth like shards of glass, and I flinched at his reaction.

Aryan’s hands dropped from my shoulders as his eyes widened in shock. He exhaled, shuddering, his expression hardening as he stared at me like he didn’t recognize the woman in front of him as if I had become someone else in just a second.

He had never looked at me like that. Not even when we hated each other.

“I don’t like this kind of joke,” he said, letting out a dry, humorless laugh. He backed away, raking a hand through his hair. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“I’m not.”

In a heartbeat, Aryan reached out, clutching my arms as if I were slipping away, his grip was not rough but firm. His jaw clenched, eyes blazing with fury.

“What are you going to do, huh?” he growled into my face. “Tell me, Avni. You’re going to kill it? Kill that innocent child just because your dream is more important than everything else? Because it came in the way?”

“Aryan…” I swallowed hard, struggling to hold back my tears. “You can’t kill something that hasn’t even come into life. It’s just a single cell. A part of my body, nothing more.”

“A single cell?” he repeated, his voice cracking with disbelief. “Is that how you see our unborn child?”

He stepped back, shaking his head like the thought of being near me made him sick.

“I never thought you could be so… heartless.”

“We can try again. Later…” I whispered, wiping away a tear. I couldn’t bear to let him go.

“Why can’t you try this competition later?” he shot back.

“Because I can’t, Aryan!” My voice rose with frustration. “A year ago, you took that opportunity away from me. And now you want me to give up my dream again just because I’m carrying your child?”

“Damn it, Avni! You’re talking about killing an innocent life for your stupid competition!” He said with clenched teeth, his voice thundering through the room.

I flinched. His anger was like a storm.

But when he saw my pale, trembling form, his expression softened. He dropped to his knees beside me, gripping my hand like it was the only thing tethering him to hope.

“I’m sorry,” he said, voice cracking. “Please. Just, please don’t do this. I know I’m asking too much, but I want you to keep our baby, Avni.”

He lowered his head to my lap, breathing deeply, fighting to keep his emotions from consuming him.

“We could be a family. A real family.”

My fingers instinctively stroked his hair. My heart ached. I thought of keeping the baby for Aryan. For the man who was everything I ever wanted.

I thought of it… I really did.

But then my dreams flashed before my eyes. The ones I had nurtured for twenty years. The ones that had cost me sweat, sacrifice, and pain. The ones that had kept me alive.

I couldn’t give them up. Not now.

If I had this child, I would always resent it.

And I couldn’t bring a life into this world just to place the weight of my broken dreams on its tiny shoulders.

My hand stopped caressing Aryan’s head.

He stayed still, breathing against my lap, while silent tears streamed down my face and soaked into his hair.