ahit's secret

jhalak stepped out of the house and headed straight to the hospital for a checkup.

Her period had been unusually late, and the amount of blood was far less than normal. This had never happened before, and it left her deeply unsettled.

At the hospital, she explained her symptoms to the doctor, who suggested an ultrasound.

An hour later, she received her results.

The scan revealed no signs of bleeding in her womb. Instead, it showed something she hadn't expected a gestational sac.

Jhalak was pregnant.

Measures had to be taken to save the baby due to the bleeding.

The news hit Jhalak like a ton of bricks. Panic surged through her.

"Doctor, what if I don't want to keep the baby?" she asked anxiously.

She was about to divorce Ahit. This was hardly the right time to be pregnant with his child.

The doctor studied Jhalak for a moment, then asked, "Why don't you want it? Do you know how many people long for a child but can't have one?"

Jhalak lowered her gaze, her lips pressed tightly together. She had no answer.

"Why didn't your husband come with you?" the doctor continued. "Even if you don't want the baby, you should discuss it with him first."

Jhalak's brows furrowed at the mention of Ahit.

The doctor, noticing her reaction, glanced at her medical records. "You're only 21? You're not married, then?"

"I… I might as well not be," Jhalak muttered. The divorce was inevitable.

"Surgical abortion isn't a simple procedure," the doctor said. "Even if you want it, I can't fit you in today. Go home and think it over carefully. Whatever your relationship with your boyfriend is, remember the child is innocent."

The doctor handed Jhalak her medical records and added, "Given the bleeding, if we don't take measures soon, it'll be difficult to save the baby anyway."

Jhalak's heart sank. "What do I need to do to save it?" she asked softly.

"Didn't you just say you wanted an abortion? Have you changed your mind?" the doctor asked with a slight smile. "You're a pretty girl, and your child will likely be beautiful too. If you want to keep the baby, I'll prescribe some medication and recommend bed rest for a week. After that, come in for a follow-up."

---

The blazing sun outside the hospital made it hard for Jhalak to keep her eyes open. Sweat soaked her back, and her legs felt like lead.

She was lost. She didn't know where to go or who to talk to. The only thing she was sure of was that Ahit must never find out about this.

If he did, he would undoubtedly send his bodyguards to drag her to the operating table.

She hadn't decided if she wanted to keep the baby. Her mind was a chaotic mess, and she needed time to calm down and make a decision.

She hailed a cab and headed to her Uncle Rohit's house.

Since her parents' divorce, Jhalak's mother, Madhvi Jensen, had been living there.

Rohit Mehra's family was not as wealthy as the Tates, but they were well-off by most standards.

"Jhalak! Did you come alone?" asked Rohit's wife, Neha, her expression cooling when she realized Jhalak had arrived empty-handed.

"I heard you brought lavish gifts to your father's house last time. It seems you've forgotten your manners when visiting someone else's home."

Neha had initially planned to welcome Jhalak warmly, but her attitude shifted when she noticed the lack of gifts.

Jhalak was taken aback. "I'm sorry, Aunt Neha. I didn't mean to be rude. I'll make sure to bring something next time."

"Forget it," Neha snapped. "From the looks of it, you've been kicked out of the Rajvansh house. Ahit Rajvansh 's awake, isn't he? If he cared about you at all, you wouldn't be running to your mommy, crying."

Jhalak's cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Madhvi, unable to bear her daughter being belittled, interjected, "Even if my daughter was kicked out of the Rajvansh family, that doesn't give you the right to mock her."

"I'm just stating the truth. Why so touchy?" Neha shot back. "Don't forget whose house you're living in. If you don't like it, you're free to leave!"

Madhvi's fists clenched in anger, but she knew it was pointless to argue.

Jhalak's chest tightened as she watched the confRohittation. She had thought Uncle Rohit's home would be a refuge for her mother, but now she saw the tension that simmered beneath the surface.

"Mom, why don't you move out and rent a place? I have some money saved up," Jhalak said earnestly.

Madhvi nodded with a sad smile. "Alright, I'll pack my things."

Within half an hour, Jhalak and Madhvi left Rohit's house and got into a cab.

"Don't worry about me, Jhalak," Madhvi said, forcing a smile. "I've saved some money over the years. I only stayed there because your grandmother wanted me to take care of her. Now that she's gone, there's no reason for me to stay."

Jhalak lowered her gaze and, after a moment of contemplation, said softly, "Aunt Neha wasn't wrong, you know? I'll be getting a divorce from Ahit in a couple of days."

Madhvi was stunned. She quickly composed herself and began to console her daughter.

"It's okay, sweetheart. You haven't even graduated yet. Now, you can focus on preparing for graduation after the divorce."

"Yeah," Jhalak replied, leaning her head against Madhvi's shoulder. "I won't go back to the Tate house after the divorce. Let's live together, Mom!"

Jhalak had no intention of telling her mother about her pregnancy. She knew it would only make Madhvi worry unnecessarily.

That evening, when Jhalak returned to the Foster mansion, she was greeted by an eerie silence in the large living room.

Deepa appeared suddenly, startling Jhalak into a cold sweat.

"Have you had dinner, Madam? I left some food for you. Oh, and I got you some tampons."

"Thanks, Deepa . I've already eaten," Jhalak replied. Then, noticing the quietness around her, she asked, "Why is the house so silent? Is he not home?"

"Master Ahit hasn't returned," Deepa explained with a sigh. "The doctor told him to rest at home, but you know him. He wouldn't listen. He's always been stubborn. Nobody can make him do anything he doesn't want to."

Jhalak gave a slight nod, recalling her impression of Ahit from their limited encounters. He was rebellious, ruthless, and insufferably arrogant. Any faint sympathy she might have felt for him when he was sick had disappeared the moment he regained consciousness.

That night, Jhalak lay in bed, tossing and turning.

She couldn't stop thinking about the child growing inside her. Instead of finding clarity, her thoughts only became more chaotic and restless.

The next morning arrived too quickly. Jhalak didn't want to run into Ahit, so she decided to stay in her room for a while.

At 9:30 a.m., Deepa knocked on her door. "Master Ahit has just left, Madam. You can come out for breakfast now."

Jhalak hadn't expected Deepa to understand her concerns so well, and her cheeks flushed red.

After breakfast, she received a call from a college classmate offering her a job translating manuscripts.

"I know you're busy with your graduation thesis," the classmate said, "but this manuscript should be easy for you. The pay is good, but they need it done by noon today."

Short on money, Jhalak agreed after a brief hesitation.

By 11:30 a.m., she had finished translating the manuscript. After double-checking her work for errors, she prepared to send the file to her classmate.

Suddenly, her laptop screen began to flicker.

Jhalak's eyes widened in horror as the screen turned blue, then black. Her laptop had completely crashed!

Thankfully, she had saved the file on a USB drive.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she pulled the drive from the laptop. Now, she just needed another computer to send the file.

"Deepa , my laptop isn't working, but I'm in a hurry. Is there another computer in the house I can use?"

"There is," Deepa replied, "but it's Master Ahit's."

Jhalak froze. The idea of using Ahit's computer made her stomach turn.

"It's just one file. It won't take long," Deepa said, sensing Jhalak's hesitation. "Master Ahit might be intimidating, but he's not heartless. I doubt he'd mind, especially since it's an emergency."

Jhalak glanced at the clock. It was already 11:50 a.m., and she needed to send the file before noon.

Ahit's study was on the second floor of the mansion.

Since he had been bedridden, nobody except the cleaning staff had been allowed inside.

Jhalak's nerves were on edge, but she had no choice. The money was too important—she needed it, especially if she decided to get an abortion.

In her mind, borrowing Ahit's computer was a small compensation for the medical expenses she would need to cover.

She entered the study and walked straight to the desk.

Turning on the computer, Jhalak held her breath, half-expecting it to be password-protected.

To her surprise, the screen lit up immediately.