"Some bonds are created by blood, while others are forged through silent sacrifices."

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Riva’s pregnancy had now entered its third month. The baby growing inside her brought her both joy and fear. Joy, because she was giving life to something beautiful. Fear, because she knew this child would never be hers.

She had signed the contract, fully aware of the consequences. But what she hadn’t prepared for was the emotional bond she would form with the unborn child—and with the father, Aarav Mehta.

---

Riva was walking down the college corridor when she spotted Aarav leaving the staff room. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world around her blurred.

“Riva,” Aarav called out, walking toward her. “Can we talk?”

She nodded silently and followed him to the empty library.

As they sat across from each other, Aarav’s gaze softened. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Riva replied, forcing a smile. “The baby is healthy.”

Aarav let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you for doing this. I… I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

“You don’t have to,” Riva said softly. “I’m doing this because I want to. Not just for the money… but because I know how much this baby means to you.”

Aarav’s eyes flickered with something Riva couldn’t define—pain, longing, and perhaps, something deeper.

“Do you… do you ever feel lonely, sir?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Aarav’s gaze lowered. “Every single day.”

Riva’s heart clenched. She could see the emptiness in his eyes, the loneliness he hid behind his calm demeanor.

“I wish I could change things for you,” she whispered.

“You already have, Riva,” Aarav replied. “You’re giving me the one thing I’ve always craved—a family.”

Their eyes locked, and an unspoken connection passed between them.

---

As Riva’s belly began to show, rumors started spreading around the college.

“Did you hear? That girl Riva is pregnant!”

“Whose baby is it?”

“Maybe she got involved with some rich guy for money.”

Riva heard every whisper, every judgmental comment. But she stayed silent.

Aarav, on the other hand, couldn’t bear to see her suffer alone.

One evening, after their routine check-up, Aarav insisted on dropping her home.

As they stood outside her apartment, he asked, “Why don’t you tell your family the truth?”

Riva smiled bitterly. “My mother is already broken after my father’s death. If she finds out I’m carrying a child that isn’t mine, it’ll destroy her.”

Aarav’s heart ached at her words. He wished he could protect her from the world’s harsh judgment.

---

Meanwhile, Tasha remained distant and cold.

She never attended the appointments and barely asked about the baby. Her focus remained on her career and social status.

One evening, Aarav confronted her.

“Why did you even agree to this surrogacy if you don’t care about the child?”

Tasha smirked. “I agreed because you wouldn’t stop nagging about having a child. Now that we’re getting what you wanted, what more do you expect from me?”

Aarav felt disgusted. The woman he once loved was now nothing but a stranger.

---

Riva, on the other hand, found herself becoming more attached to the baby.

She would often place her hand on her belly and whisper softly to the little life growing inside her.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get to hold you after you’re born,” she murmured. “But I want you to know… I love you.”

Unbeknownst to her, Aarav stood outside her door, listening to her words.

His heart clenched.

In that moment, he realized something terrifying.

He wasn’t just falling in love with the baby.

He was falling for Riva.

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