Strings of Us

32★

Rudra groaned. "God help this child."

That night, after the guests had left and the penthouse was quiet again, Mehul lay curled against Shaurya's chest, fingers gently tracing patterns on his shirt.

"Your friends are really something," he whispered with a small laugh.

Shaurya chuckled, brushing his lips against Mehul's forehead. "They're idiots. But my idiots."

Mehul's fingers stilled. "They accepted me so easily..."

Shaurya tightened his hold. "Because you're easy to love."

There was a moment of silence.

Then Mehul whispered, "Do you think I will be good parent...?"

Shaurya kissed the crown of his head. "The best. Because this child will be raised with more love than most people know exists."

Mehul smiled softly and closed his eyes, listening to Shaurya's heartbeat as one hand rested protectively over the growing life between them.

The next few days were a soft dream-one that neither Mehul nor Shaurya wanted to wake up from.

Every morning began with Shaurya pressing a kiss to Mehul's cheek, murmuring a sweet "good morning" before carefully placing his hand over Mehul's belly, as if greeting their baby too. Mehul would smile, his sleepy eyes fluttering open to meet Shaurya's gentle gaze.

Their home was filled with laughter, morning tea in the balcony, late-night whispers under the warm blankets, and Shaurya's increasingly sweet attempts at cooking for Mehul-though most of the time, it ended in a mess with Mehul giggling over burnt parathas or oddly shaped pancakes.

One sunny morning, they finally went for the first proper ultrasound appointment.

Shaurya had arranged for a private session at the best clinic, wanting to make sure everything was perfect. He was nervous the entire ride-one hand on Mehul's thigh, the other holding his hand tight.

"You're more nervous than I am," Mehul teased, squeezing his hand.

"Of course, I am. It's our baby. I don't want anything to go wrong," Shaurya mumbled, eyes flicking between Mehul and the road.

Mehul smiled softly. "Nothing will go wrong. We're going to meet our baby today."

The room was quiet, soft music playing in the background. The doctor gently applied the gel to Mehul's stomach while Shaurya sat beside him, gripping his hand a little too tight.

And then-

The screen lit up.

There it was. A tiny heartbeat, a flutter, like the wings of a hummingbird.

Shaurya's eyes widened, and his breath hitched.

Mehul turned to look at him, whispering, "That's... our baby."

Shaurya didn't say a word at first. His eyes were glassy, lips slightly parted as he stared at the screen. Then, slowly, he leaned down and pressed the softest kiss to Mehul's temple.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful," he whispered.

Mehul smiled, tears gathering in his eyes.

The doctor printed the ultrasound image and handed it to them.

Shaurya held it like a sacred treasure.

"This is going in a frame," he declared.

"On your office desk?" Mehul teased.

Shaurya nodded seriously. "On every desk. In every Evara branch."

Back home, the news spread like wildfire. Abeer arrived within hours, dragging Rudra with him. He barged in, holding a new gift bag.

"Did you get the baby's first picture printed?! Show me!!" he demanded like an overly enthusiastic child.

Mehul handed over the framed ultrasound image shyly.

Abeer gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "I'm emotional. Look at this tiny bean. I swear I'll cry again."

Rudra rolled his eyes. "You are crying again."

"Of course, I am! Do you even understand the gravity of this moment?! This is the first Evara heir and my future shopping partner!"

Shaurya groaned, "You're not naming the child, Abeer."

"I already have suggestions!"

Mehul laughed so hard his cheeks hurt.

That evening, Shaurya and Mehul curled up on their plush living room couch with a warm blanket wrapped around them. The ultrasound image was now sitting proudly on the nearby shelf, surrounded by tiny fairy lights Shaurya had insisted on adding.

"Are you happy?" Shaurya asked softly, fingers stroking through Mehul's hair.

Mehul nodded, snuggling closer. "I'm... the happiest I've ever been. I feel loved. Safe. And now... we're going to have a little piece of us in this world."

Shaurya kissed his forehead. "I'll love you both more than anything. I promise."

And in that peaceful, love-filled silence, their hearts beat together-three now instead of two.
.
.
.
.
.
.
To be Continued...

_____________________

Vote★ Comment 💬 Follow 🤍

Thank you 🌷