You have to stop stalking me like this.”
The deep, familiar voice roused Samira from her doze, and she opened her eyes to find Manish grinning at her, looking dapper in his white coat and stethoscope draped around his neck.
“What are you doing here?”
She struggled into a sitting position and glanced around the room, looking for Kushi.
“I sent your mom to the cafeteria for something to eat. She looked pale and tired.”
“It’s been a long night.” She winced. “I had a miscarriage scare.”
His smile vanished as he nodded, grave. “I saw your notes. You came through the ER, and I always go through last night’s cases for handover.”
“Ah, right,” she said, feeling oddly comforted that she’d chosen the hospital where he worked to check in last night.
It hadn’t really registered at the time, but it had the best reputation in Melbourne, and it had seemed like the natural choice. In a way, she was glad he hadn’t been on duty in the ER last night, because that would’ve been too weird. Friendship and medical emergencies didn’t mix.
“You’re feeling okay?”
“Yeah, but only slightly less terrified than last night.”
He nodded. “We’re going to discharge you shortly, but come back if you’re worried at all.”
He laid a hand on her lower leg. “Or better yet, call me.”
She smiled her gratitude, and of course that was the moment her mom chose to enter the room. Her astute gaze zeroed in on Manish’s hand touching her, and she positively beamed.
Samira wriggled a little, and he removed his hand, but not before shooting her a cheeky wink that said he knew exactly what Kushi was thinking: she should book the reception venue immediately.
“Have you eaten, Auntie?”
Kushi visibly melted under the onslaught of Manish’s concern. “Yes, Manish, thank you.” She turned to Samira and sent her a pointed look. “He’s such a nice boy.”
Samira bit back a groan. Only her mother could turn a horrid hospital visit into a matchmaking opportunity.
“He is, Mom. Manny’s a good friend.”
Kushi’s scoffing pfft made Manish smile.
“He could be so much more if you had half a brain in your head,” Kushi said, waggling her ring finger, while Samira felt heat scorch her cheeks.
“Mom, he’s right there.”
“I know, and that’s why I’m speaking my mind.” Kushi waved her hand between them. “Samira is moving back home to Melbourne. She’s having a baby. She needs a good man to be her husband, and I think that is you, Manish.”
Manny’s grin widened, and Samira shot him a death glare. “You are right, Auntie. I am a good man. But alas, I have offered to marry your daughter, and she has refused me. She is very stubborn.”
“Yes, she always has been.” Kushi’s loud, theatrical sigh made Samira want to giggle.
Manny had a killer sense of humor, and he was playing up to her mom at her expense. She’d make him pay for it another time.
“On that note, I have rounds to do.” Manish gave a mock bow. “Ladies, if you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to contact me.”
He glanced at Samira, and this time, his gaze held concern rather than teasing. “Seriously, if you need anything, call me.”
“Thanks, Manny.” Samira waved while her mom rushed after him. She couldn’t hear what they said at the door, but she guessed it had something to do with inviting Manny to a family dinner for three, where Kushi would proceed to find something to do, leaving the two of them alone.
When the door closed, Samira held up her hand before Kushi could say a word. “He was joking when he asked me to marry him. He has a good sense of humor, and we’re friends, that’s it, as I’ve told you countless times before.”
“But, betee, he is so wonderful. What man would offer to raise another man’s child?”
“Exactly.” Samira snapped her fingers. “Don’t you think it’s strange we hardly know each other yet he’d offer to do that? He must have an ulterior motive.”
Kushi rolled her eyes, where the kohl had smudged from their shared tears of relief last night. “Why can’t you take him at face value?”
“Because I’m older and wiser, Mom, and not the naive, stars-in-her-eyes girl I was years ago.”
Kushi made a disapproving clucking noise in the back of her throat. “I think you are still being naive if you think it’s easy to raise a child on your own. This man is being noble and chivalrous. Why can’t you take a chance on him? Love may grow—”
“We’ve discussed this, and I’m not going down the traditional route again.”
Though a small part of her knew her mom was right. Love had grown with Avi once she’d opened herself up to the possibility.
And look how that had turned out.
But Manish wasn’t like Avi, and while he may have offered to marry her in jest, and she wondered at his motivation for doing so, she allowed herself to daydream for a moment what it would be like to be married to him.
Culturally, she’d be accepted back into the fold of the extended Indian community. She wouldn’t be judged or gossiped about, which was exactly what would happen when they discovered she was pregnant. Her child would grow up with a stable, respectable father figure. She would have help and support and many laughs.
But her baby already had a father, and she didn’t love Manish. Which meant she had to introduce Rory into her mom’s network to soften the blow of her pregnancy news and let the aunties do their worst.
“Mom, I’d like you to meet Rory.”
Kushi rolled her eyes again. “This Ro-ry. Where was he last night when you needed him, huh?” She threw her arms wide. “Not here. What kind of father will he make? What kind of partner to you if he can’t be here when you need him the most?”
Samira glimpsed fear in her mom’s eyes, and she knew her concern came from the right place. But she wouldn’t let her malign Rory, not when he didn’t deserve it.
“He’s away for work, Mom, in far north Queensland, so please don’t cast aspersions on him when you don’t know him.”
Affronted, Kushi tilted her nose in the air. “Fine, you tell me when he’s back and I will arrange a party.”
That’s what Samira had been afraid of, but there was no easy way to do this: Rory would be thrown into the deep end of endless speculation because of his age and nationality, and once the aunties learned of her pregnancy, he’d be scrutinized even more.
Besides, she wanted to see how he handled himself with her extended family network, because with her moving back to Melbourne, she’d be reabsorbed into her culture whether she liked it or not.
“Thanks, Mom, but keep it low-key, okay?”
“Of course,” Kushi said, nodding, but Samira didn’t trust the calculated gleam in her mom’s eyes, not one bit.