Pregnant For The Royal Prince

ROSHNI was at the boutique adjacent to Nurse Ila’s clinic that fateful morning, she had escorted a cousin of hers who wanted to get some clothes from the boutique.

She sat outside at the porch of the boutique and awaited her cousin who kept selecting clothes non-stop. She was still sitting outside when a cab pulled up at the front of the clinic.

At first, she waved it away and kept on looking around, feeding her eyes with the hustlings and bustlings of the town’s inmates.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Then as if on impulse, she glanced at the cab and what she saw, caught her attention. Two ladies came out of the cab and began walking into the clinic.

What? She cleaned her eyes with the back of her palms to be sure they weren’t playing tricks on her. Gee! They weren’t, this was Rina and her mother!

Hmm, she instantly got suspicious and decided to fix her gaze on them. She watched them walk to the house, then stopped at the entrance. Then after a few minutes, they went into the house.

What could possibly prompt Rina to visit Ila? Ila was a nurse, so whatever prompted that might be worth knowing, she thought. Was she sick? And if sick, what kind of sickness? Her curiosity got the best part of her, and she stood up.

She gave a cursory glance at her cousin who was still very much busy selecting and reselecting clothes inside the boutique, then she took a step and ventured out.

She crossed the road and began heading towards the back of Ila’s house, with a really good motive.

She knew her way around the house as it wasn’t her first time of coming there. She got to the back of the house, entered through the small gate which was always ajar, and met Laila, the nurse’s last daughter, and she smiled, this was exactly what she wanted.

Then she whistled, beckoning to Laila who was doing the laundry, washing some bedspreads, and hanging them out on the clothesline.

Laila heard the whistling and turned, behold, it was Roshni. Her face instantly wore a curious look, what does she want? She walked up to her nevertheless.

“Hello Laila, namaste”, Roshni greeted, smiling and grinning.

“Hello”, Laila shortly replied, still puzzled.

“Where is your mum? Is she inside the house?” She asked, glancing around, to see if someone was coming their way.

Laila became befuddled as to what could be prompting this kind of question, and why the hell was she looking around that way? Suspiciously?

“Inside the house. Why do you ask? Any problems?”

“Oh no! No problem”, she said, then began looking around again, like she was hiding or something. When she was satisfied that nobody was around, or looking, she drew herself closer to Laila.

“So I have a little business for you, if only you can comply and do what you are asked to do”, Roshni said, her perky eyes twitching.

Hmm, Laila just stared at her. What exactly does she mean by “business”? She also looked around now, then turned back to Roshni.

“I don’t get Roshni, make me understand”, she said.

Roshni heaved a sigh.

“Okay, I think I would just hit the nail on the head. Some persons are in your house right now, a young girl with her mom”, she said, making it sound more of a question than a statement.

“Rina and her mom?” Roshni asked, she had actually seen them walked in earlier, before going to do the laundry.

“Yes, yes exactly”, she replied, nodding like a lizard.

“Yeah, they are in the house now, talking with my mom. What is the problem? What is the business?” She asked, emphasizing on the last word.

“It is just a simple task. I will need you to just get me the reason they are here, just the reason they are here”, she said.

“Hmmmm”, Laila thought about it. “How much are you paying?” She asked, business type.

Actually, she was the business type, she doesn’t care if this gonna harm anyone, all she wants was the money. That was Laila for you.

Roshni smiled, smiling at how her luck was playing.

“Anything you want, as long as you bring me the information I need”, she said.

“Okay fine, you will get a reply. Just hang around, let me go in and bring you answers to your puzzle”.

“Wow, it is ok. I will be waiting in the boutique across the road”, she said, “thank you so much”, she added.

Laila then left her and went into the house, and that was when Roshni turned and began leaving.

***

Rina was stunned at once as the bombshell came out of Ila’s mouth. That she was what? A month and three weeks gone? Pregnant? Jeez! Seriously?

Now she didn’t even know what to feel anymore, happy, or sad, or joyous, or… Goodness, she was just emotionless at the moment, looking dazed, her face turned white.

“Is there any other thing you want me to do for you Selena?” Ila asked, jolting Rina back into reality.

That was when she even turned to look at her mother, she just sat, sad. She could tell it, she could feel it, melancholy filled her heart.

“Nothing for now Ila, thank you for the one you have done. How much is your service?” She said and picked up her purse lying on the chair beside her.

Ila told her, and she paid.

“We will get going now, thank you”, Selena said and got up, then she turned to Rina who weakly got up.

“Alright dear, have a great day. Incase of anything, I’m here”, Ila said.

Selena forced a smile.

“You need not remind me you are a nurse, a good one at that. I know”, and she turned.

“Alright then, take care”, they left the house and headed for the road.