My Unexpected Marriage

chapter 43: First Faint

The next morning, Meerab's phone alarm rang at 6 AM. It was her final year university alarm. But she couldn't get up. Her head was spinning and her stomach was feeling very heavy.

Zayan was already awake, getting ready for office. He saw Meerab struggling to get up.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"University. My final presentation is today. I have to go," Meerab said, holding her head.

"No, you are not going anywhere. You vomited three times yesterday. You are pregnant. You need rest," Zayan said firmly.

"Zayan, it's my final year! If I miss this presentation, I will fail. One year waste. Please, let me go. I will come back early."

Zayan looked at her pale face. He knew how important her degree was for her. She had worked so hard for 3 years.

"Okay, but with three conditions. One, I will drop you and pick you. Two, you will eat whatever I give you in the tiffin. Three, if you feel even a little dizzy, you will call me immediately."

Meerab smiled. "Okay, my possessive husband-c*m-father."

At university, no one knew she was pregnant because she was wearing a loose abaya. But her best friend, Ayesha, noticed.

"Meerab, you look different. You are glowing, but also tired. What happened? Maldives was too tiring?" Ayesha asked during break.

Meerab wanted to tell her, but she remembered her promise to wait for 3 months. So she said, "Nothing, just tired."

But in the presentation hall, when Meerab stood to present, suddenly everything became black. She felt dizzy.

The last thing she heard was Ayesha screaming, "Meerab!"

When she opened her eyes, she was in the university medical room. Zayan was there, holding her hand, his face full of fear. His shirt was half tucked out, as if he ran all the way.

"What happened?" Meerab asked slowly.

"You fainted in class," Zayan said, his voice shaking. "Your friend called me. Meerab, you scared me to death. I thought I lost you and the baby."

The lady doctor came. "She is fine, just weakness. Low blood pressure is common in first trimester. But she needs complete rest for 2 days. No stress, no university."

Zayan nodded. He picked up Meerab in his arms in front of all her friends and took her to the car.

In the car, Meerab was crying. "My presentation? I failed?"

"You didn't fail. Your friend Ayesha explained to your professor. He said you can present online after 2 days. So don't worry," Zayan said, wiping her tears.

"But everyone saw you picking me up. Now everyone will know."

"Let them know. Let the whole university know that you are my wife and you are pregnant with my child. I don't care."

At home, Zayan put her on the bed and put a cold cloth on her forehead.

"Meerab, promise me one thing. From now on, your health and our baby are more important than any degree, any exam. Degree can wait, baby cannot. You understand?"

Meerab held his hand. "I understand. But Zayan, I am scared. What if I cannot be a good mother? I am only 22."

"And I am only 24. We will learn together. We will make mistakes together. But we will love this baby more than anyone in this world. That's what makes a good mother and good father. Not age, but love."

That night, Zayan canceled his important office meeting. He stayed home, made soup for Meerab, fed her with his own hands, and read a pregnancy book loudly so that both Meerab and the baby could hear.

And for the first time, Meerab felt that maybe, just maybe, she could be a mother. Because she had a husband who was already acting like a perfect father, even before the baby was born.

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That night, Meerab was lying on bed, cold cloth on her forehead, Zayan sitting beside her, holding soup bowl.

"Zayan, open your laptop, your important meeting, you canceled for me," she said weakly.

"I canceled because my wife and my baby are more important than any 850 crore deal," he said, feeding her soup with his own hands. "Meerab, do you know what happened when Ayesha called me and said 'Zayan, Meerab fainted in presentation hall'? My whole world stopped. I was in meeting with investors. I left them there. I ran. My shirt half tucked out, like you saw. Because for one second, I thought I lost both of you."

Meerab held his hand. "You didn't lose us. We are here. But Zayan, I failed my final year presentation. 3 years hard work, one year waste because of pregnancy?"

Zayan kept the soup bowl aside and hugged her gently, careful of her 2-month belly.

"Listen to me, my possessive wife," he said. "One year waste is not waste. It's investment. You are investing in our baby. Your friend already told professor, you can present online after 2 days. So degree will wait. But our baby's first trimester, risky period, will not wait. Doctor said complete rest for 2 days. No stress, no university."

"But everyone saw you picking me up in front of all my friends," Meerab whispered. "Now everyone will know I am pregnant, 2 months, first trimester."

Zayan smiled, his possessive smile. "Let them know. Let the whole university know that you are my wife and you are pregnant with my child. I don't care. In fact, I want them to know. So that no boy looks at you again. So that everyone knows Meerab is Zayan Ahmed's wife, mother of his child."

Meerab blushed, even with low blood pressure. "You are so possessive, Zayan. Even in my faint."

"Because I am scared, Meerab," he admitted, his voice soft. "I am only 24, you are only 22. We are too young, but we have to be mother and father. What if I cannot be a good mother? I am only 22, I don't know anything."

Zayan kissed her forehead, the cold cloth still there. "And I am only 24. We will learn together. We will make mistakes together. But we will love this baby more than anyone in this world. That's what makes a good mother and good father. Not age, but love."

He played a pregnancy book loudly, so that both Meerab and the baby could hear. And Meerab, who fainted in class that morning thinking her degree was gone, now felt safe. Because her possessive cousin husband had already become a perfect father, even before baby was born.

Will Meerab be able to present online after 2 days? Will Zayan's possessiveness increase after this faint? Will university friends support her pregnancy?

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