SHANTI woke up one Sunday morning, two weeks after Raj had left on a business trip, feeling dizzy and nauseous. The ill feeling persisted all day until her mother voiced her suspicion.
“You may want to see a doctor?”

“Why?” Shanti asked weakly, “Why am I so sick?”

“Because you may be pregnant.”

Shanti looked at her shocked, speechless for a long moment, then she exclaimed, “Oh my God!” and her hand instinctively touched her stomach

“I can’t believe this happened,” she expressed ecstatically after the doctor confirmed the pregnancy.

But that happy feeling slowly ebbed to uncertainty after she had some time to think of the serious complications her pregnancy could have on her and Raj, given his family would not accept her and the worrying question on her mind was, “Would Raj be happy about this?”

She did not go to work for two days and when she did return she tried her best to control the sick feeling. She had no way of sending a message to Raj, just waiting patiently for his return. He would be back soon, she knew, but his father extended his trip to another few weeks.

As the days passed, unknown to Shanti, her mother and step-father were plotting how to benefit from the new situation she was in.

In the eighth week of her pregnancy, Shanti was summoned by Raj’s mother and father. Fear entered her heart and as she walked to the study, she prayed silently, “Please God, don’t let them know about this.”

But it was too late!

The cold anger on Raj’s parents’ faces was enough to tell Shanti they knew something.

“So,” the lady spoke first, “Do you have any news for us?”

“N-no, ma’am.”

“What about the weekends at the Abary river resort, Aruwai and Lake Mainstay? Can you say anything about that?”

Shanti said nothing, so scared, she felt her body trembling, wondering how they knew about that.

“How often have I not reminded you of your position as a maid, of your low status, unworthy of my son?!”

There was such deep contempt in her voice, Shanti could find no words to answer.

“You thought it would benefit you greatly to get pregnant for him?”

“N-no,” Shanti shook her head, “Please don’t say that.”

She could now, not stop the tears and Raj’s father spoke for the first time in a low, harsh tone, “Your mother and step-father were here late yesterday to bargain with us to save my son the embarrassment of an illegitimate child if the price was right, so it can be aborted.”

“What?”

The shock and dismay Shanti felt were like a dagger through her heart.

“I don’t know anything about that.”

“It doesn’t matter what you know or how you feel,” the lady said heartlessly, “It’s unacceptable for you to be carrying my son’s child.”

Raj’s father put several packets of money on the desk in front of Shanti, a sharp edge in his voice, “Here’s one million dollars, for you to abort the baby and have nothing more to do with my son.”

Shanti looked at the money, and wiping the tears from her eyes, she took a deep breath to summon the courage to speak for herself and her unborn child.

“Do you think that’s enough for a life?” she asked.

“How much do you want?” the mother asked, icy hatred in her eyes.

“You don’t have enough money to pay me,” Shanti said bravely, “A life is a blessing from God, it’s priceless.”

She turned and walked away feeling scared, unhappy and betrayed.

On reaching home, Shanti looked at the woman who betrayed her daughter for money and she told her, “I can’t hate you, I just pity you because you’re lost. I hope you find your way back for the sake of your young sons.”

Three days passed as Shanti tried to figure out where she could go to live and work. She awoke in the night, thirsty and went downstairs for a glass of water when she heard low voices outside. A strange voice was saying, “The boss has sent a message to you, that you must do the job for the money he paid you. Your step-daughter has to lose the baby before Raj returns.”

“No worries,” the step-father responded, “It will be done.”

Shanti put her hand over her mouth to stop the shocked gasp.

Her step-father had taken payment to kill her unborn child!

She couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night, fearful now for her life and Raj’s return had been delayed even further.

By dawn, an idea had occurred to her and later that morning she told her mother she was going to see a gynaecologist. The doctor was a nice lady Shanti had once worked for and she told her her story, asking advice for somewhere she could go. The doctor gave her the address of a Help and Shelter institution far away from home.

It broke Shanti’s heart to leave her two brothers but they promised they would take good care of themselves until she returned.

Not one day passed without her thinking of Raj as her pregnancy advanced, hoping he would come looking for her. On the night the labour pains came, he was not there with her. She was all alone, just his name on her lips.

It had been four years now since that night when her son was born.

The alarm clock on her bedside awoke her at 3am and Shanti got up, sighing deeply, still tired from the day before. She began her day early every day to finish the food preparations on time for the market, to say her prayers and give Arun his bath and breakfast. She was brushing his hair in the morning when he asked in his sweet, innocent voice, “Momma, when is papa coming?”

Her hand froze, a pained look flickering in her eyes and hugging him, she answered, “Sometime, soon,” not sure herself of the answer.

Her son’s question played in her mind all day and she wished she could have given him a true answer.

“I miss you so much, Raj,” she said softly as her eyes closed in sleep that night, “Have you forgotten me?”

Raj stood on the balcony of his bedroom, staring blankly into the night. He felt so empty inside, with no excitement and passion for life anymore. He had turned with great plans for a future with Shanti, the poor girl who would not be a maid anymore but a lady of her own house. But the shocking news of what happened and the fact that she was gone hit him like a freak storm. He found it difficult to believe his mother and father that Shanti took money to abort the baby but his mother, fiercely determined to break their relationship, told him about Shanti’s visit to the gynaecologist.

Raj was left puzzled, but in his heart, he knew something was wrong somewhere.

He had to find her!

Her family knew nothing, the doctor she had visited refused to disclose any information, but that did not deter Raj. After searching tirelessly for her with no success, he hired a private detective and gave him her photograph.

“This is something only you and I know because she’s fearful for her life and living somewhere pretty much unknown. I want you to find her at any cost.”

As time went on, deep tension developed between him and his parents and he eventually left his father’s company to start his own business.

Four years went by for him, nights when he couldn’t sleep, days when he sat lost in thought thinking of her.

“I miss you, Shanti,” he said quietly, “Where are you?”

One day, not long after, whilst he was on a business call, a rap on the door interrupted him and the elderly maid announced, “A detective is here to see you, sir.”

He immediately postponed the call and hurried downstairs.

The detective handed him Shanti’s picture, an expressionless look on his face.

“Tell me you have good news for me, man,” he said with almost a plea in his voice.

The detective didn’t answer for a moment then he smiled, “I found her.”

It was the day of Maha Shivratri and Shanti sat in the mandir, Arun in her lap, listening to the divine songs and prayers but somehow her mind kept wandering. Something was different today and she didn’t know what. She lifted Arun in her arms after the service and walked home slowly, not noticing the dark SUV parked on the street corner, nor the person who stepped out until he called her name.

“Shanti.”

Shanti froze at the gate, hearing a voice she hadn’t heard in four years. She turned around slowly, joy and relief triggering through her body on seeing him.

“Raj.”

He looked at her and Arun, and asked in a choked voice, “Our baby?”

She nodded.

“I’ve been waiting for you so long.”

“And I’ve been searching for you for four long years.”

He hugged her and so overwhelmed they both were, they broke down in tears.

That night after putting their son to bed, Raj said, looking at him with adoration, “He’s such a sweet child, I know you would have been happy to have our baby.”

She smiled, still emotional,” he asked about you and I wasn’t sure what to tell him.”

“Well now you can,” he said and taking a diamond ring from his pocket, he slipped it on her finger.

“I told you I’ll be yours forever, didn’t I?”

She looked at the ring, tears filling her eyes and with his lips close to hers, he asked, “Will you be my wife?”

“Yes,” she answered through her tears.

He lifted her in his arms, their love story to continue, chapter after chapter.