She frowned and then she began laughing, too, but wanted to retaliate. That’s when she found out that Ravi, image of masculine power that he was, was also very ticklish. And she was relentless, making him beg for mercy.
“I promise. No more jokes like that,” he said.
“And if you do, you’ll get this again.” She held up her fingers and wiggled them, staring right at his oblique, which were his most ticklish area.
After they settled down into each other’s arms again, they began to talk, more quietly and thoughtfully and seriously. What next? That was the question. Saudi Arabia and New York were hardly close enough for a lot of opportunity to pursue something.
“What can either of us expect, really?” Sasha sighed. She felt slighted for the first time about having to choose her career over a possibly great relationship.
“We’re smart and we have resources. Consider it a challenge.” He took his finger and ran it down her spine, making her shiver and snuggle in tighter to him.
“Time. That’s what neither of us have a lot of.”
“Well, there’s a great deal that I’d give up for you.”
Before Sasha could ask what, his phone rang. “Do you have to get that?”
He got up and went over to his pants, where it was still clipped. “No, not now. It’s my father. I’ll call him tomorrow.”
“You sure? What if it’s important?”
“He has a knack for calling at just the wrong time. You. You’re the here and now for me.”
Sasha smiled, enjoying seeing him in the buff and watching him walk back to the bed and get back under the covers.
“Now, where were we?” Ravi smiled at her and gave her a kiss.
“Discussing strategy.”
“Ah, perhaps we need some motivation to think about it better.”
No more needed to be said.
Minutes turned into an hour of making love, touching and caressing, whispering sweet sentiments that expressed each of their joy and satisfaction for what they were experiencing.
Then the telephone rang again.
Ravi glanced over at it and frowned.
“Your father again?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe you should just answer it.” Sasha stretched and yawned, looking over at the time. It was just after midnight. What a wonderful few hours it had been.
“I suppose.” Ravi reached for the phone and accepted the call.
Sasha didn’t want to listen but she could hear a loud voice coming from the other end, clear sounds of anxiety and anger in it. Despite her not understanding the language, that much was clear.
Then she watched Ravi, curious as to his expression in response. His eyes went from aggravation to wide open to his head flopping down. He said no words other than, “I am on my way home.” After that, he ended the call without saying another word.
On his way home. Those words made Sasha instantly sad, but when Ravi said, “My mother. She died. Heart attack,” she felt like a jerk for thinking so selfishly.
“Oh, Ravi, I’m so sorry,” Sasha said, sitting up and scooting over to him, putting her hand on his back and rubbing it. She didn’t know what else to say.
Ravi didn’t know what to say about what he’d just heard. He felt numb about it. It was unexpected news. His mother had been very healthy, never a problem before. To suddenly have life just end, well, it was impossible to imagine.
“Is there anything I can do to help you prepare?” Sasha asked softly. She looked at him and wondered if he was going to cry. His eyes were glassed over and tormented, but no tears fell. His face was tense and he was fighting it, she was sure of it. It would be okay if he did cry; she wouldn’t think less of him.
“No, I’m sorry about this,” he said, shaking his head.
“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault or my fault. It just happened. I want to help any way I can.”
“I’ll have to leave tonight to get back to the city.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, you stay. You have obligations here.”
Sasha understood his reasoning, but wanted to show that she could be there for him if he needed her. Perhaps he didn’t. It was no time to think that way, but the thought made her stomach plunge.
“Okay, but I’m willing to do whatever you need. It’s not a problem.”
“Why don’t you get dressed and go back to your room. I’m not good at goodbyes and don’t want to say one to you, either.”
Ravi’s anguished voice made her tremble and she found herself being the one with tears streaming down her face. She started and she couldn’t stop. Not wanting to be seen crying, she got up and walked over to her clothes, collecting them and slowly getting dressed, keeping her face hidden.
His hands came up around her and he turned her around. “Don’t cry, please. I can’t bear to see you that way right now.”
She nodded softly, not able to even get a word out for a response.
After she was dressed she looked at Ravi, who was now dressed and also nearly completely packed and he was on his phone, texting someone. He glanced at her and said, “My driver.”
“Oh.”
When he was done he walked up to Sasha and hugged her, lightly at first but it grew more firm and tight the longer it went on, and her response was the same. She didn’t want to let go.
“Now, you go get some rest. I will call you when I’m back home.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t be sad,” he said in a commanding voice.
She had a hard time following that command, as she was sad.
“We’ll see each other soon. I’ll make sure of it.”
His words comforted her and she nodded. “That’s good. I already miss you.”
Then Ravi leaned in and kissed her forehead and took her hand, guiding her out of the bedroom and out of his door.
They gave each other one last, desperate, and sorrowful look. Then the door was shut and he was gone.
From inside the safety of his room, Ravi took one last look at the door, imagining Sasha behind it, and mouthed, “I love you.” He had no idea how he could so quickly, but he knew that he did.
***
“You should have been here.” The angered voice of Ravi’s father echoed through the foyer of their home, which was black and white marble and had tall, vaulted ceilings.
“I came back as soon as I could.” Ravi felt dejected and lousy, finding his father’s scolding both unnecessary and deliberately torturous. He hadn’t even allowed him to enter into the living room. There he stood at the door, luggage in hand, being reprimanded like he was an petulant child. Staff was even around.
“You should have never been gone! Chasing women, chasing toys, and wasting time. It’s disgraceful.”
Ravi was beat up and worn out. “Yes, Father.” He could say no more and whatever he tried to explain did not matter. For the first time ever, his life suddenly seemed unfair. To be anyone else other than who he was would have been a gift. Sasha’s face flickered through his mind, adding to the torture.
Then his father stormed away, leaving a storm brewing in Ravi’s heart.
He felt so much guilt for not being there for his mother, a woman he’d loved dearly and treated with almost a sacred reverence. Then there was the conflict with Sasha. Having to leave her as abruptly as he did had not felt good. He knew that the abrupt action had disappointed her. She’d opened up in a beautiful, magnificent way and he had too—just to have it ripped away immediately. Maybe his years of breaking others hearts had caught up with him. Perhaps karma was ready to retaliate and rear the ugly side of its head to him. And I deserve it, he thought.
Up in his room, Ravi sat on the edge of the bed and decided to text Sasha. He wasn’t sure he could talk to her, because he didn’t want her to hear the weakness he felt at that moment. A text conversation would be better, more protective of his vulnerability. It would have been 4 AM by Sasha and he debated if he should wait, but he knew
that he was being a coward by doing so, that she’d be waiting to hear from him, regardless of the time. She was that type of woman.
Ravi: Hello, I’m back home.
He only had to wait a minute and he saw the three dots blinking, showing she was typing a message in response.
Sasha: Is everything okay?
Ravi: The passing ceremony is scheduled in two days.
Sasha: Are you scared?
He sighed at her questions, knowing they came from kindness, but not sure how to go about answering them. To acknowledge them meant he had to acknowledge that his mother was really gone. He wasn’t ready to do that.
Ravi: Nervous, but there will be much to coordinate.
Sasha: Hopefully your father is doing well…as well as can be expected.
Ravi: He’s in pain, as am I.
Sasha: I’m so sorry. It’s not easy to lose someone. I am here for you.
Ravi: I know. Thank you. Now, I must go. I’ll try to call in three days time.
Sasha had just arrived back home from the conference. The rest of it had been tough for her and without her excellent team, it would have been a disaster by all accounts. Bev had been an angel and had covered for her, helping Sasha play off a bad headache as the excuse for not being all present. If anyone suspected it was a lie, they didn’t question it.
Knowing that she had to wait three days for Ravi’s call would be tough. Thankfully work would be busy enough to keep her on the go. The catch-up days after conferences were always packed with meetings, new initiatives, and with great fortune, new orders, too.
One thought kept haunting Sasha—that she had fallen in love. That quickly. She felt like what she had experienced could be nothing short of it, although she’d never been in love before. For some reason, at night she kept dreaming of Ravi and could hear him looking at her, pained and soulful eyes, whispering, “I love you. I love you.” Over and over, until she’d wake up. It felt so real.
Sasha needed to talk with him and see if that connection was there, even with the tragedy and distance. So, thankfully, three days passed by quickly. But he didn’t call. Finally, on day four, he did.
When her phone rang she was relieved that she was at home for the day so she could have privacy and enjoy a glass of red wine, too. It had been hard earned.
“Ravi, hi.” She tried to sound casual, but she was eager.
“Hello, you sound well.”
“I am. It’s been really busy. But you, how are you?”
“Busy, as well. It’s nice to have everything…over.”
“Do you feel at peace?” She sensed how reserved his voice was and how calculated his words were, like he was fearful of saying or doing something that he’d want to take back. He must have been so stressed and she wished she could just give him a hug and a massage.
“Hardly, I feel crumbled, and my father has certainly added to that.”
“What do you mean?”
“That I wasn’t here. That I let down my mother and the family.”
Sasha felt an instant rush of rage enter into her veins. “Certainly you can’t believe that is true. He’s just sad and scared, lashing out.”
“I should have been here.”
Sasha’s heart plummeted. He’d bought into what his father had said. “Do you really believe that?”
“I do.”
She didn’t know what to say, exactly, because that statement had just been the nail on the coffin of their relationship. She sensed it. He confirmed it. So much for love, the vault was sealed and shut.
“I’m not sure when I’ll be able to get back to the States, Sasha. I have a great deal to do now, and to make up for.”
“That’s okay, I understand.” She did not feel what she said, but she wasn’t going to be an added source of misery for Ravi. He was a grown man and had to navigate those things himself, take a stand for what he really believed in. If it was their relationship, he’d have to show it now. There was nothing she could do.
From there, the conversation was forced and had none of the electric energy that their previous conversations with each other had entailed. Even the initial ones where they were battling against each other, trying to outsmart and outwit.
When they said goodbye, Sasha sensed that it was forever, which was really tough to handle. Forcing herself to let go of something she’d actually been so willing to accept didn’t come easy. She kept thinking, maybe I’m wrong.
However, the next weeks proved her right. Courteous texts that had nice words, but no passion or spark.
***
Sasha stared down at the stick and shook her head. “No, no, no,” she kept repeating, each “no” growing louder. It couldn’t be true. Then she glanced to the other stick on her bathroom counter, which also showed a “+” sign. It was true.
She charged over to her bedroom and flopped on her bed, staring up at the ceiling and feeling numb from head to toe. Her hair was over her eyes and her hands fidgeted, going from her sides to her stomach and then back to her sides.
What was she going to do? A baby; her life was hardly cut out for motherhood, much less single motherhood. And Ravi…was it worth telling him or would that open up a can of worms that she wasn’t ready to deal with, either? She realized she was biting her lip as she contemplated it all and it had actually started to bleed.
“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 forc
ing 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.”
SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance Page 6
