Chapter 26
"What about Arjun if it's a boy?" Ishwari asked as she flipped through a book of baby names?
"And what does that name mean?" Pagan asked
Ishwari began reading aloud from the book of baby names, listing the qualities of the particular name mentioned. Her and Pagan had discussed baby names frequently but they had yet to decide on one. Not knowing the gender of the baby didn't help matters.
"I'm not sure how I feel about that one. It doesn't exactly stand out to me." Pagan spoke taking a bite of his lunch. "Besides, we don't really need to worry about boy names. We're having a girl." He smiled.
"And what makes you so certain of that?" Ishwari asked as she handed Ajay a banana.
"Because I want a girl, and as king of Kyrat, I always get what I want." He chuckled
Ishwari shook her head. "You're too much sometimes. Why do you want a girl so bad anyways?"
Pagan once again smiled, showing he was in a very good mood. "Because every king deserves a princess." He picked up his napkin wiping his mouth before speaking again. "I actually had a name I liked. Though I'm not sure if it's something you'd enjoy."
"well I'm open to any suggestions. This is your baby too after all, I shouldn't be only one in deciding the name."
"Well I know you read a lot, but have you ever read the epic called 'The Ramayana'?" He asked. Ishwari gave it some thought. She had read so many books in her life but the one Pagan mentioned wasn't ringing any bells. Pagan could see Ishwari's uncertainty. He stood from his seat "Well it will have to be something I order for you as I believe you would love it." He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's a very famous Hindu epic that shaped the Indian art styles that we see today. There is a character in it that always caught my eye. His name was Lakshmana."
"His?" Ishwari asked, expecting Pagan to suggest a girl name.
Pagan leaned in close to her. "Well the character is male, but the name sounds fitting for a girl." Pagan placed a kiss on her cheek before speaking again. "Lakshmana is a very loyal and humble character." He made his way back to his chair to retrieve his blazer that was hanging on the back. "It's just a suggestion though."
"Well we need to decide something soon. We only have a month left after all." Ishwari said looking down at her round stomach.
"We will discuss it more when I return from my trip." Pagan spoke as he buttoned up his suit.
Ishwari let out a sigh. She felt as if Yuma was arranging all these business trips for Pagan specifically to keep him away from her. This trip was going to be a tough one for her as Pagan told her he'd be gone for three days. He had to leave the country to meet with a client who was going to help him recruit more soldiers. Pagan saw Ishwari's dismay. "I'm sorry dear but this is important. It's becoming more dangerous with the terrorists and I want to make sure you, Ajay, and the baby are protected. I need more men."
Ishwari couldn't hide the disappointment in her voice. "I'm just going to miss you."
Pagan walked back over to her, kissing her. "I'll miss you too dear, more than you can imagine." He tucked her bangs behind her ears. "I promise this will be the last trip for a while. Once I get back, I plan on staying right by your side until the baby arrives. I don't care how much Yuma squawks at me. I won't let her make me miss the birth of my child."
Pagan walked over to Ajay, placing a kiss on the toddler's head. "I need to head out now, take care of your mother." Pagan turned his attention to Ishwari. "Dr. Aida will be here in a couple weeks for an extended stay. I prefer her to be close for when the time comes. Make sure Shanna has a room ready for her to stay in."
Ishwari grinned "Maybe I'll just go get it ready myself. Afterall I'll be bored without you around."
Pagan's pressed his lips, not enjoying the thought of her doing any kind of work. "Don't even think about it. I expect you to rest while I'm gone." Pagan began walking towards the door. "I told Shanna to help you with Ajay while I'm gone. I had better not come back to find out that you've done servant work." Pagan turned back to look at Ishwari. "I've left the number of the hotel I'll be staying at on my desk in case of an emergency." With that remark the king walked out of the room.
Ishwari looked down at her almost finished plate of food when she heard Pagan speak again. "Oh, and Ishwari?" She looked up to see Pagan peeking back in the door smiling. "I love you." he said before disappearing again.
Ishwari smiled at the king's affectionate remark. She really was going to miss him over the next three days. "Dad?" Ishwari turned her attention to her son. Ajay was calling out for Pagan and she knew without a doubt he would miss him too. She stood up to retrieve her son from his highchair and there was a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Remaining still she waited for it to pass. She had similar pains with Ajay that lasted weeks before she actually delivered him. Past experience told her that the pain was nothing to be concerned over.
After a few seconds the pain passed and Ishwari carried on, picking up Ajay from his highchair and placing him on the floor. "Let's go find Shanna" she told her son as she grabbed his hand and led him to the hall. Shanna was in her usual location performing her daily cleaning chores.
"Shanna!" Ajay shouted with glee when he saw the woman.
"Hey there little prince." Shanna smiled at the boy, bending over to give him a hug. Standing up She turned to Ishwari. "What are you up to today?"
"Haven't decided yet." Ishwari answered. "Pagan left for a few days so now I have no idea what to do with myself. It's always so boring without him around. Before he left though he wanted me to ask you about getting the room ready for Dr. Aida."
Shanna laughed "Well considering we clean every room every day it should already be ready." Shanna looked up as if thinking. "But I suppose I could put extra blankets in there as well as extra towels in her bathroom."
"Anything I can do to help?" Ishwari asked, wanting to be polite.
Shanna's face gained a look of frustration. "Do you want the king to have my head?" Shaking her head, she picked up Ajay. "He personally told me that you are to rest. It's my responsibility to make sure you follow his wishes.
"He treats me like I'm so fragile. I sometimes think he forgets where I come from. I've worked hard most of my life." Aggravated about Pagans restrictions on her.
"As far as I know, you and Ajay are the most important things in the world to him. Not to mention you're carrying his child, who without a doubt will be just as important." Shanna smiled. "You can't blame him from wanting to protect the things that keep him grounded. I want to protect you too, after all, I enjoy having a kind king around as opposed to the frightening tyrant that he used to be before he met you."
Ishwari and Shanna ventured to the library, resting in the soft chairs that furnished it, continuing to converse for the better part of the day, while Ajay ran around playing. Eventually they took notice of the time and how late it was getting. Ishwari was so glad to have a friend like Shanna. She always made small inconveniences more bearable. Inviting Shanna to accompany her at dinner, they made their way to the dining hall to fill up before bedtime.
"I'll give Ajay and bath and get him ready for bed. Why don't you go get cleaned up and relax yourself?" Shanna stood up and grabbed a tired Ajay. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Ishwari nodded. "Sure. Thank you for your company and all your help today." Shanna smiled at Ishwari's gratitude as she disappeared from the dining hall with young Ajay. Deciding that is was about time to call it a night, Ishwari stood from the table and headed in the direction of her and Pagan's bedroom. Once inside she went to the bathroom and stared at the jacuzzi tub, she could really use a nice bath to allow her swollen feet to soak. After some debate she decided against it, taking into consideration the difficulty she would have standing back up with her temporarily large body. In the end she settled with a warm shower.
Now all clean and warm, she could feel her eyes becoming heavy. Deciding it was bedtime she walked over to the large bathroom sink to brush her teeth in preparation for bed. She looked over at the cup that held her and Pagan's toothbrushes, beside it sitting a small bottle of Pagan's cologne. She reached over, picking up the fragrance, she sniffed the spray nozzle. The smell helped her visualize Pagan. He always would smell so good and the scent made her miss him even more. She couldn't wait for the three days to pass so she could be back in his arms again. Letting out a sigh she placed the cologne back where it belonged and then reached for her toothbrush. She was halfway into cleaning her teeth when she felt a warm liquid running down her leg. Instinctively she glanced down to see what was causing the unusual feeling.
There on the floor was a puddle of water and she knew what that meant. "Oh no..." Ishwari said with a hint of fear in her voice.
