Almost told you

Rhea arora

~I was standing alone in the bathroom, my fingers clenched tightly around the test tube I had been holding for the last three minutes. Two more minutes. Just two.

My heart beat so loudly it felt like it might tear through my chest.

“No… no… please, God,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Please spare me this time. I promise I’ll be careful. Just this once… please.”

The seconds crawled by, heavy and cruel.

When the time was up, I forced myself to look.

Two lines.

My breath caught. The room seemed to spin, and I had to steady myself against the sink.

“Oh God… why me?” I thought. My mind screamed, but my body felt numb—empty.

A sudden knock broke the silence.

"Rhea ! How much time are you going to take? Come out fast!” Asha my best friend, shouted from outside.

Panic rushed through me. I splashed water on my face, wiped my eyes, but the tears wouldn’t stop. With shaking hands, I unlocked the door.

Asha stood there, irritation written across her face—until she saw me.

Her expression changed instantly.

“Hey… what happened?” she asked, her voice softening.

She stepped closer, cupping my face gently, wiping away my tears. That simple touch shattered whatever strength I had left.

“Did someone hurt you?” she asked, holding my arms, checking me as if searching for bruises.

I shook my head quickly. “No… I’m fine,” I lied.

She didn’t believe me.

“No, you’re not,” she said firmly. “Look at me and tell me the truth.”

She lifted my chin. The moment our eyes met, my control broke. Tears spilled freely, my chest tightening as sobs escaped.

She pulled me into her arms.

“It’s okay,” she whispered. “Come. Sit down. And tell me everything.”

She guided me to the living room and made me sit on the couch. She sat beside me, holding my hands—steady, warm.

“Now tell me,” she said gently. “What happened?”

I stared at my trembling fingers. Silence stretched between us.

She sighed softly.

“I don’t have magical powers to read minds,” she said calmly. “But I know something is very wrong. Please… don’t keep it inside.”

My throat tightened.

“I…” My voice cracked. “I—I am pregnant.”

The words felt unreal as they left my mouth.

She froze.

“What?” she whispered.

I nodded, tears spilling again. “I prayed it wouldn’t be true.”

For a long moment, she didn’t say anything. That silence hurt more than any reaction.

Then she asked carefully,

“Do you know… who it is?”

I nodded.

“Is it… his?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “We’ve been together for two years. He’s my first everything.”

My voice shook.

“But what if he doesn’t want this? What if he says he isn’t ready? What if he....denies me?”

Another fear rose, heavier than the rest.

"Rhea listen....—" Asha was cut off by me.

“Mumma and Papa,” I cried. “They’ll never accept this.”

I shook my head helplessly.

“They’ll throw me out. I can survive alone—I have a job—but they’ll cut all ties with me. In our house… this is unforgivable.”

Aasha pulled me into her arms again, holding me tightly.

“We’ll face this,” she said firmly. “But first, we need to be sure.”

She pulled back and looked at me.

“We’ll go to the doctor.”

I nodded slowly.

Fear still lived inside me—but now, so did truth