When I Saw Her

“Anika, can you hear me?” The doctor’s voice was calm but carried a serious weight. “You’re going to be a mother, Anika.” Slowly, Anika began to regain consciousness. Her senses were still blurred, but those words—**“You’re pregnant”—**cut through everything like lightning. Eighteen-year-old Anika's frail eyes flew wide open. She was too stunned to even blink. Pregnant? But how...? She couldn’t understand what was happening. She had been married for less than twenty-four hours. Not just that—no man had ever even touched her. So how on earth could she be pregnant? As shocked as Anika was, her father—Mr. Gautam—standing right there in the doctor’s cabin, looked equally devastated. He seemed as though he were bracing himself for an approaching storm. Just then, the doctor spoke again, cautiously addressing them, “Mr. Gautam, please calm down. I understand how difficult this must be for both of you. But before you jump to any conclusions, there’s something important I need to tell you. The pregnancy is already past four months. So abortion is out of the question.” Anika’s entire world collapsed in that moment. Her thoughts screamed—“No, this has to be a mistake. The doctor is wrong. She has to be wrong!” Summoning all the strength she had left, Anika stood up with the help of a nurse, her legs trembling beneath her. Her voice shaky but filled with desperation, she faced the doctor. “What are you saying? This is impossible!” But before the doctor could respond, Mr. Gautam lost his temper completely. Fuming with rage, he stepped toward Anika and slapped her—hard. The sound of the slap echoed in the sterile room. “Don’t explain it to the doctor,” he shouted, his voice trembling with fury. “Explain it to me! You shameless girl!” A while later, inside the car, Anika sat silently in the backseat. Mr. Gautam had chosen to sit in the front seat beside the driver, as if to make it clear he didn’t want to be anywhere near her. His silence spoke louder than words. Anika knew... As a daughter, today she had given her father the greatest pain of his life. A pain so deep—not even her mother’s death had hurt him this much. But what Anika didn’t know was that this was only the beginning. The truth behind her pregnancy... was darker than she could have ever imagined. Despite knowing everything, Anika was neither physically nor mentally capable of doing anything at the moment. Her body had given up, and her spirit had frozen — not just in weakness but in deep shame. Manali, one of the most picturesque towns in India, buzzed with tourists from across the country and the globe. But to Anika, it felt like every eye in Manali carried a question — "Whose child is this?" A question she herself couldn’t answer. Tears welled up in her eyes as she kept thinking the same dreadful thing — “No one has ever even touched me… then how can I be pregnant?” The weight of that thought was crushing her, as was the weight of her own body. Her car rolled slowly through the tall gates of her home — Guleria House — a grand, old bungalow from the British era. Stories went that British officers used to vacation there. The gate, faded and ancient, had forest murals etched into the iron. The mansion, though majestic with antique architecture and a large central courtyard, had begun to resemble a neglected garden in the last few years. As soon as they entered, Gautam — her stepfather — began pacing furiously in the hallway, roaring like a lion whose territory had been invaded. Anika walked behind him, her steps heavy and slow, her body weighed down more than usual today. At barely twenty, she weighed close to 120 kilos — nearly three times heavier than most girls her age. Her round face, bulging stomach, and unusually large thighs made people cruelly compare her to a stuffed grain sack. But behind that unshapely form was an innocence so pure — as if God had taken two soft rasgullas and placed them on either cheek. Her skin was porcelain white, with a soft pink nose that turned red when she cried. Her large brown eyes reflected the innocence of the whole world, but sadly, no one ever looked past her oversized body to see that pure face. That day, all Anika really needed was emotional support from her father figure. "You married into the Dogra family to give us a better life," Gautam said bitterly. “Do you even realize how powerful those people are? They helped us out of every crisis… and in just 24 hours, you’ve dragged us back into hell. When they find out what you’ve done, what will happen to us? Who will marry your younger sister Kamini now? Even if she’s your stepsister, her name will be ruined too.” Gautam was now panicking. “Until this matter is closed, I’ll send Kamini and your new mother Manisha to her brother’s house. And let’s pray that no one finds out about this anytime soon.” He clutched his head and sank into the couch, fear trembling in his voice. "Your husband Kunal," he continued, voice tight with anger, "left just an hour after the wedding. And now, if his family finds out about your pregnancy, God knows what they’ll do. Our reputation is ruined. We’ll fall back into that same pit from which the Dogras had pulled us out… If only you had gone with your mother…” He didn’t finish the sentence — but Anika had heard enough. She was used to hurtful words, but this time it was different. Her character was being questioned. Her purity was under suspicion. She wanted to escape this storm, but had no idea how. Was everything happening to her some cruel joke? The next morning, Gautam ordered all CCTV footage from the last five months. And after hours of meticulous review, it became clear — Anika hadn’t stepped outside the house even once. She had been ill and bedridden. Gautam’s rage turned into disbelief. There was no physical evidence that Anika had even left the house. Something was wrong. Very wrong. But more than confusion, he now feared: What would the Dogra family do? A nurse was soon hired for Anika. Regular care and medication slowly improved her condition, but with that improvement came something else — a strange joy. A tiny life was breathing inside her. Despite her young age and all the fear and shame, that unborn child was giving her hope. That baby would be hers and only hers. Four months had passed. Anika had grown emotionally attached to her baby and had shut herself off from the world. She stopped meeting people. No one came to see her either. Her days were spent talking to her unborn baby in whispers, like two friends sharing secrets no one else could hear. One day, while watering the garden, Anika felt a sudden flutter beneath her feet. Before she could understand what was happening, a powerful engine roared from behind the main gate. A black sportbike zipped in like a bullet, and with it, chaos entered Guleria House once again. She dropped the pipe and immediately clutched her stomach protectively. The bike came to a halt near the mansion steps. The rider wore leather shoes, tight jeans, a dark blue t-shirt, and yellow-tinted sunglasses. His eyes burned with intensity. It was Kunal Dogra. Twenty-one years old. Her husband. The man who had left her right after the wedding. He got off the bike with stylish confidence and slowly walked toward her. Their eyes met. Fear gripped Anika. Though she was innocent, she felt… exposed. She quickly tried calling her father, but his phone was unreachable. Kunal was now only a few feet away. He stood still, examining her from top to bottom — her pale, tired face… her swollen belly, her heavy hands and legs. Pregnancy had made her even more unrecognizable. He bit his lip, took a deep breath… and slammed his fist into the ground in rage. Anika’s heart pounded. Her legs gave out slightly. It felt like her body was betraying her all over again. As Kunal moved forward, his piercing leather shoes thudded against the floor — Anika kept retreating like a frightened lamb. It felt like he might trample her. Just then, Gautam’s car pulled in through the gate. He stepped out and rushed toward them. “You said you were coming… Are your college holidays over?” he asked, trying to defuse the tension. Kunal scoffed, still staring at Anika’s stomach. "You’re welcoming me like nothing has changed? A lot has changed here." He pulled out a flask from his pocket and took a long swig. Gautam tried to gesture him inside. “Come, let’s talk.” But Kunal ignored him completely. Instead, he spat, “If you think I’ll accept this sham of a marriage, you’re wrong. My old man forced me to marry this fat lump and now expects me to give my name to this illegitimate child? Are you mad?” He was yelling now. “You think I’m some criminal being punished for a crime I didn’t commit? That’s why I ran away right after the wedding. I couldn’t stand even a moment with her!” His words were knives. Each one dug deeper. “I mean, look at her!” he pointed at Anika, “Pregnant with someone else’s child while taking wedding vows with me! And even now, standing here shamelessly.” He stepped toward her threateningly, but due to the alcohol, he stumbled. Gautam rushed to steady him. But Anika — she had heard enough. Despite being used to body shaming, this… this was different. Someone had insulted her unborn child. And that was the last straw. She looked Kunal straight in the eye and said, “I don’t accept this marriage anymore.” Both men were stunned. Kunal couldn’t believe this soft-spoken girl had dared to defy him. Before he could respond, Gautam tried to manage the situation. “She’s not well. Don’t take her words seriously. And about the baby — we’ll make sure she never sees it again.” Anika froze. Her father’s words struck like lightning. Her breathing halted. Her vision blurred. And then, a sharp pain pierced her stomach. She gasped, then collapsed to the ground. Gautam immediately called an ambulance. As the nurse ran toward her, Kunal just stood there — sipping from his flask, unmoved. The sky dimmed. Her vision faded. The only sound that echoed was a child’s voice… "Mummy… Mummy, wake up… The plane is landing." --- Six Years Later… Anika jolted awake in her cushioned business-class seat. In front of her was a beautiful six-year-old girl — Riya — her daughter. Her hazel eyes glimmered with innocence. They were on a flight to Manali, returning after six long years. Riya smiled sweetly, “Mom, are we going to find my dad in Manali?” Anika took a deep breath and said gently, “I’ve told you so many times, sweetheart… you don’t have a dad.”