by Sajni Patel
“I don’t know if I can keep up.”
“It’s okay. I got a private booth, so you can sit and sip all night, we can keep up the energy or slow down. Everything is on your schedule. But if a stripper comes over, well…”
“Liya!” she rasped.
We burst into laughter. To see some fine, ripped guy grinding on poor Reema as she freaked out would be something hysterical to witness, but I would never do such a thing to her. She was not a woman who enjoyed being touched by any man except her own.
“Are there seriously going to be strippers?” Reema demanded as she wiped away tears with both hands.
“We’ll see, sweetie…”
I had to sit against my desk for support. Shocked, my lips parted but I lacked the words to express the mess tumbling through my head. “Can you…can you please say that again?”
Sam cleared his throat and averted his gaze, as excited to tell me the news as I was to hear it. “Despite some of the lawsuits against the MDR products being closed with quiet settlements, most have us reeling. No surprise, but we’re closing.”
“But all the people who stayed on board, who worked their butts off?” I croaked, my eyes misting as I thought of every single face who believed in me and believed enough in this place to keep going. “All that time wasted?”
“Not wasted. Enough to break even, to close without being as deep in the hole as we could’ve been.”
“That doesn’t mean anything to me and everyone else who continued to work here when we should’ve been looking for a new job.”
“We understand that.” He held his hand out to what? Calm me? I glared at his gesture, and he retracted his arm. “Everyone will get a nice severance pay.”
I scoffed. “What? A month or two? That’s not enough to make up for the fact that it can take far longer to find a new job. When are you going to announce this?”
“Next week.”
“Why not now? They deserve to know now so they can get their finances and résumés in order.”
“I’m fighting to send out the announcement now, trust me. I can only do so much.”
“Then why’d you tell me?”
“Because we put you in a bad position.”
“Yeah? No crap. And you expect me to keep my mouth shut for a week?”
“I also wanted to tell you that we recommended you to manage another company, higher pay, better benefits. In Dallas. The one that offered you a job before.”
I paused. “Well, thank you for your consideration, but I’m still pissed. There are dozens of people below me who won’t get that treatment.”
“We’ve written outstanding recommendations for all of them, which is why we’re taking a week to announce. They can have their recommendations with the announcement.”
“It’s still BS.”
“Yes. I agree, but I’m also not the person who handled things this way. Believe me when I say that you’re one of the first people I looked out for, especially when I knew that you took this job over the one in Dallas. Their CEO would personally like to interview you via a video call, and then fly you up to Dallas for an in-person interview to show you around. It would be a fresh start. You always said Houston was a sweltering hellhole filled with idiots.”
I sure did. Mainly Dad and the gossipers. But I had my girls here. I had Jay, sort of, didn’t I?
“I would take the offer if it comes through,” Sam added.
I checked my nails. “I’m not keeping my mouth shut this week.”
“You’re legally required to.”
“What are you going to do? Fire me?” I snapped, pushed past Sam, and stormed out of my office. I wanted to scream. What was this company thinking? I wanted to tell everyone everything, warn them, tell them to get on their way, but I knew that I could do no such thing. I had to get out of here. I could not, for my sanity, look anyone in the eye right now and not feel the soul-crushing need to hug them and tell them the truth.
I walked right into Jay as he rushed out of the elevator. He had his cell phone stuck to his ear, his eyes darting across the office spaces.
“Yeah. Okay. Are you sure? I’m on my way, but there’s traffic,” he spoke into the phone.
He grabbed my wrist and took me with him into the elevator as he continued in short bursts. “Stay calm. I know, I’m sorry. I’ll try to find him. Right! Coming over first! Ma will take care of you, don’t worry.”
He hung up the phone and blew out a hot breath.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I came by to see you before heading home when Shilpa called.”
“Is she okay?”
“She’s in labor.” He hurried out of the elevator on the ground floor, and I jogged after him to his car in a nearby parking space. He opened the door for me, and I slid in without question. All the work drama rushed out the window.
He white-knuckled it all the way to Shilpa’s house, muttering, “She can’t find Jahn. I called his phone, his office, he’s not there.”
“Maybe he’s stuck in traffic and can’t hear the phone ring, or at the market, or something.”
“That guy. I told him to take paternity leave when Shilpa started her maternity leave to be there for this moment.”
“He could’ve gone out for milk and this exact same thing could have happened. It’ll be fine. Did she call an ambulance?”
“No. We have instructions from Preeti for when Shilpa should call the hospital and have us drive her. It’s not an emergency, considering it’s Shilpa’s first baby, water hasn’t broken yet, contractions still ten minutes apart…”
“You know a lot.”
“She just spilled it to me over the phone. I take her word that she knows what’s best.”
I fished through my purse for my phone.
“Who are you calling?” he asked.
“Preeti. Isn’t she Shilpa’s resident doctor? She has to be there for the delivery. And I can ask her if Shilpa should call an ambulance instead of waiting, what, an hour to get there and get her to the hospital?”
“At least.”
I caught Preeti between patients and gave her a rundown on the situation. She agreed that Shilpa not call an ambulance but remain calm, take a shower, eat something light, and pack her things. She’d meet her at the hospital.
Jay eased his white knuckles, but he drove like a maniac, as if this were his wife about to have his baby.
I touched his lap. “Is your mom worried?”
“No. Just Shilpa, but mainly because she can’t find Jahn.” He blew out a breath, anxious and annoyed.
“Where’s your phone?”
“In my front pants pocket.”
“Who puts a phone into their front pocket?”
“Someone who was going to put it into the console and forgot. What are you doing?”
I slipped my hand into his pants pocket. He practically jumped out of his seat.
“Whoa!”
“Sorry!” I couldn’t help but giggle. “Trying to get the phone in case Jahn or Shilpa calls.”
“The phone is the flat, hard thing.”
“Not the other hard thing?”
“Liya…” He half grinned.
“Sorry, not the time, but your face is so cute. Okay. Got it.” I sat back and checked his screen for messages and calls, noticing Kaajal had texted. From the locked screen, the text notice cut off partway, but said, “I missed talking to you after the tournament. You did a great…”
I almost asked Jay if they still communicated, but that would come across as jealous and bitter. If he trusted me not to flirt with other guys, then I had to trust him, too, right? So then why did her text drive me freaking crazy? That woman needed to back off.
“Anything?” he asked.
“Not yet. Shilpa must be calm enough. Just concentrate on driving safely.”
“If these idiots would get out of the way…” he muttered, agitated but absolutely adorable about getting to his bhabhi.
I took the liberty of
texting Shilpa from my phone about Preeti’s directions and to update her about our whereabouts. She was ready to go, anxious, scared, nervous, all the things a new mother could be.
“Stay here,” Jay ordered as he shot out of his car in Shilpa’s driveway. Five minutes later, Jay’s mother emerged, helping a waddling Shilpa to the car as I crawled out, offering her the front seat. She waved me away and slipped into the back seat.
Jay sprinted to the car just as I closed the door on his mom’s side. He tossed two black duffel bags into the trunk, and we took off.
I twisted in my seat and waited for the pain to subside from Shilpa’s clenched face before asking, “Are you doing okay back there? Need water?”
“No. Just want this baby out,” Shilpa said in between panting.
“Did you remember my gift?”
“First thing I packed.” She winked.
“I called Preeti. She’ll be waiting for you at the emergency room entrance. She’ll get you to a room and we’ll park the car.”
“Thank you, Liya.”
“Any word from Jahn?”
“Yes,” Jay’s mother responded, a pink phone in her hand as she answered and told him where to meet us. She flinched as Jahn yelled into the phone, enthusiastic and completely freaking out. I’d never heard a man so excited to become a father.
I laughed and turned around in my seat, catching Jay’s eye. He chuckled and landed a hand on mine over my thigh. I froze.
We weren’t alone. His mother was in the back seat and could see our hand placement if she leaned to the left. Shilpa could see us if she wasn’t in a pain-induced haze.
He licked his lips and gave me a slight nod, as if to reassure me, to tell me this was all right. Were we serious? Was I ready for this?
What did his family think? Was I good enough? Did they disapprove? Why did I care so much?
I was tense the entire way, even when Jay squeezed my hand. He didn’t release it until we pulled into the emergency entrance. He hopped out, opened the car door for Shilpa as Preeti walked out of the sliding glass doors with a wheelchair. Once Shilpa was on her way, with Jay’s mother right behind them, we parked and weaved through the endless halls to the labor and delivery unit.
“You go first,” Jay said outside of Shilpa’s room.
I touched his stomach. “It’s fine. She’s not stripped down naked and pushing a giant baby out of her vagina just yet.”
He cringed. “God, why, Liya, why?”
“Because it’s cute to see how anxious you are.” I kissed his cheek and knocked on the door before entering.
Jay’s mother called for us to come in, but he needed some convincing, as in me taking his hand and pulling him through the door, past the curtain, and to the bench seat across from his mother, who sat in a chair at Shilpa’s bedside.
Shilpa was already in a gown, under the sheets, as a nurse hooked her up to machines and took her information. Preeti pulled up a rolling stool. Shilpa threw us a smile and grinned even bigger seeing Jay tensely bent over, his arms on his thighs.
Even though this wasn’t my family, I was ridiculously excited.
Preeti glanced at the monitors, the one that recorded contraction intensity and fetal heart rate. “Are you okay with everyone here while we get the belts on?”
“Yeah,” Shilpa replied anxiously.
Preeti pulled the sheet down to Shilpa’s waist and lifted her gown to expose a giant belly. Jay silently groaned, his hands fists in front of his face, as he turned into me and pressed his head against my shoulder. I touched his head and whispered, “It’s okay. You won’t feel a thing.”
He chuckled against me. “I’m going to be sick.”
“The fun stuff hasn’t even begun.”
In another minute, we heard the baby’s heartbeat like sonar pulsating through the room. Preeti pulled out gloves and a little packet of lube. Snapping on the gloves, she beamed at Jay and said, “Guess what’s next?”
Jay shot to his feet. “My cue to leave. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
“I’m in good hands,” Shilpa said.
Preeti winked at us as I followed him out. We paced for a few minutes before an anxious Jahn ran down the hall, stopping in front of us to wheeze.
“Is she?” he gasped.
“She’s still pregnant,” I assured him.
“Should I go in there?” He looked at the door quizzically.
“You did this to her, I’m sure she wants you in there.”
“Can you check?”
“Unlike me, you’ve already seen her lady parts. Just knock and go in. The curtain is closed in case she yells at you to leave.”
“Okay.”
“You got this.” I slapped his shoulder as he walked inside. “You guys are both hilarious. Why are you so worried?”
“She’s had some difficulties,” Jay explained.
I frowned. “Oh. I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s made it this far. Just a little further to go. Preeti will make sure she’s taken care of.”
“Right. I know.”
I rubbed his arm. “You’re going to be okay, too, kaka.”
He scratched the back of his head. “I better get used to being called that.”
“I’m excited.” I grinned so hard that my face actually hurt.
“Me, too. Do you think about having kids?”
Way to knock my smile off… “And put myself through that? No, thank you.”
“Eventually your ovaries will be exploding every time you see me.” He wagged his brows and then winked at me.
I laughed so hard that I had to cover my mouth. It was funny until someone down the hall screamed bloody murder. “Oh, no. I can’t give birth. I don’t know how anyone does this.”
Preeti slipped out a few minutes later. “You guys can go in.”
“Is she okay? Is she close?” Jay asked.
“She’s fine, baby is great. And she’s only dilated to four. She was two in the office yesterday. Her contractions are closer, and her membrane is thinning.”
“Ugh, please, Preeti…” Jay groaned.
“This means she’s in labor and progressing. We’re going to keep her and see if she keeps progressing or if her water breaks.”
“She might get sent home?” he asked.
“It’s a possibility.”
“She’s going to be miserable if she has to go home pregnant.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll do our best to help her as much as possible. You’re welcome to stay as long she wants visitors, but I recommend letting her get some sleep tonight. I don’t foresee her delivering today,” Preeti said.
“Thanks.” He walked past her but looked back at me. “You coming?”
“Yeah, in a minute,” I replied.
When he disappeared into the room, Preeti grabbed my arms and muffled a squeal. “Tell me! What is this? You guys are freaking adorable!”
“Adorable?” I’d been called many things, but adorable was not one of them.
She batted her eyelashes and grinned so hard, her face might actually have gotten stuck that way. She nudged my arm with hers. “Look at you right now.”
“What? Something gross?” I went to touch my cheeks, my nose.
“You’re glowing,” she whispered, “like you’re in love.”
And that’s when a sudden truth hit me. Adrenaline pounded through me, both terrifying and exhilarating. Oh, lord. Was this real? Was this fantasy that only happened in other people’s lives happening to me?
“Oh, my god. You are…” Preeti cut off her squeal by clamping her lips together.
And just like that. Just like biting into a tiny, unexpected green chili in the middle of a bowl of sweet lilo chevdo snack and bam! Life, much like those unsuspecting taste buds, got a hell of a wake-up call.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Jay
I was incomprehensibly glad for this moment. My nephew was due to arrive soon. A baby in the family, a new life, joy with endless potential, and I had
the privilege of being a part of this day.
This was a family moment, but only one person was missing. He would’ve loved this. He would’ve been smiling and laughing and telling old-school dad jokes that he, no doubt, would’ve continued to tell his grandson for years to come. He would’ve had boxes and boxes of sweets to give away to every family member, uncle and auntie, and showered the nurses and doctors and staff with cookies. A dozen bouquets for Shilpa and Ma. The best chocolates from Europe flown in for Jahn. He would’ve placed a big hand around Jahn’s shoulders and walked him down the hall to get coffee and tell stories of when Jahn was born.
Dad should’ve been here for this.
My chest squeezed, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My head buzzed, and I dragged my fingers through my hair. My hands shook.
This child was going to be born and it would be one of the happiest days of my life. But it also foreshadowed the anniversary of Dad’s death. Looking around the room at my family, I didn’t know how they did this. How they could be so happy but not torn the way my heart was? They saw the best, and I kept reliving the worst.
I concentrated on my breathing, on the goodness of what was happening all around this room. Ma was safe and happy. Shilpa was calm and healthy. Jahn was a frazzled mess but excited. Their baby was doing fine and prepared to meet us. Liya was a refreshing sight in a chaotic storm.
My nerves settled around eleven, only when I had dozed off for a few minutes. Shilpa hadn’t delivered, but she dilated to five, which meant they’d probably keep her and hopefully she would deliver tomorrow.
I needed sleep. I didn’t have the excuse that Jahn had to miss work. Liya was slumped against me on the bench seat, her bare feet tucked beneath her, my jacket over her as she slept off and on. I nudged her cheek with my lips and bit her earlobe, rousing her from sleep.
“I’m taking you home.”
She nodded and blinked away drowsiness.
“Want me to take Ma home so you can stay here?” I asked Jahn.
He shook his head. “I’ll take her. I have to shower and get some clothes and food anyway. Shilpa will be fine for a few hours. She needs sleep. Preeti said they’ll call me if anything happens.”