An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

03| two hearts, one soul.

"OmRu!" Annika calls out, as the phone falls from her hands.
Both of them come, running, from different sides of the house.
"What happened, bhabhi? Aap aise chilla kyu rahi hain?" Rudy asks her.
Annika doesn't say a single word.
"Bhabhi, why are you silent? Tell us, what happened?" Om asks her, before she finally decides to relent.
"I got a call from city hospital." She says in a stern, strong voice, with an expressionless face.
"They said," she continues, "They received a body from a recent car accident. The person is still breathing."
"And?" Om provokes her to continue, dreading the worst.
She looks at him, both sharing the same look, "They suspect it to be Shivaay's." She says, with the same expressionless face, as if unaffected by this entire thing.
"What?" Rudra screams, on the top of his voice, "aisa nahi ho sakta." He says, "and anyway, if this was the case, it would have been all over the news, which its not, so any-" he is paused in his words, as he looks at the TV, now switched on by Om.
"Famous industrialist Shivaay Singh Oberoi involved in a car accident near his residence in Mumbai, rushed to City Hospital" the news anchor said.
As soon as the anchor finished, Annika was out of the house at jet speed, followed by OmRu.
"Jaldi chalo, Om," Annika keeps repeating throughout their journey to the hospital.
Om follows her orders, forgetting everything and breaking all traffic rules, as they reach the hospital.
Annika jumps out of the car, rushing into the hospital, ignoring all glares, with tears in her eyes and a completely disheveled condition, and landing in front of room number 32, as told to her by the receptionist.
Within a minute, OmRu are right behind her.
"Bhabhi..." Rudra extends, looking at her with tearful eyes.
She doesn't reply, but with trembling hands, opens the door of the room.
There, lay her lifeline: with a pale face, and multiple machines attached to him.
"Shivaay..." is all she can say, before rushing to where he lay, as the doctor notices her.
"Mrs. Oberoi." He says, before continuing to tell her about Shivaay's health.
"Doctor, Shivaay..." She extends, with pleading eyes.
"He's still critical." He says, and Annika looks at the doctor seriously.
"If he doesn't recover within 5 hours, I'm afraid he might slip into coma."
"If he does recover, which I'll pray to god about, he'll be okay,"
"But," the doctor continues, bringing back Annika's focus,
"But?" She asks him.
"Some precautions will need to be taken."
"Complete bed rest for 6 weeks. If this isn't followed, his heart can be affected, as he is also a heart patient," he says, and Annika suddenly gets serious about this whole precautions thing.
"Also, no mental stress. This means he cannot sit at home and work, or something like that,"
"I'll make sure of it, doctor." She says, as the doctor goes out, telling Om to get some medicines.

Annika goes, and sits beside Shivaay.
"Shivaay..." She says, holding his hand, with a drip attached to it, and kissing his fingers.
"Shivaay, yeh kya ho gaya? Subah tak toh aap acche-khaase they na, toh aap mujhe chhodke kyu jaa rahe hain?"
"Aap toh hamesha kehte hain, Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki jaan itni aasani se nahi jayegi. Toh phir yeh?"
"Aap kuch bol kyu nahi rahe, Shivaay? Baat kijiye na mujhse," "Aap na, pure tadibaaaz hain. Kabhi meri baat nahi maante," She says to him, even as tears are continuously falling from her eyes. 
"Aapko pata hai, doctors keh rahe hain ki aap coma me ja sakte hain. Par mai nahi maanti. Mere Shivaay ko kuch nahi hoga. Aap hamesha kehte hain na, 'Shivaay Singh Oberoi ne haath chhodne ke liye nahi pakda'? Toh aap mera haath pakde bina kaise reh sakte hain, haina?"
At this moment, she notices Om standing beside her with a hand on her shoulder.
She stands up, and faces him.
"Om, dekho na! Shivaay mujhse baat hi nahi kar rahe! Waise toh kehte hain ki meri awaaz sune bina reh nahi sakte. Ab main bol rahi hoon toh jawaab bhi nahi de rahe. Bolo na inhe!"
"Bhabhi..." Om says, trying to console her, though with tears in his eyes, "kuch nahi hoga Shivaay ko. He's the Great Wall of Shivaay Singh Oberoi, jiski jaan itni aasani se nahi jayegi."
"Aur waise bhi, aap dono toh do dil, ek jaan hai na? Jab tak aap theek hain, tab tak Shivaay ko kuch nahi ho sakta," he tells her, as she leaves him to go sit beside Shivaay, again.

"Shivaay," she says, tears falling from her eyes, "mai na, aapse baat nahi karungi. Mere baare me toh soch lete ek baar!" She says, kissing his hand.
Then, as if on cue, one of the tears from her eyes falls on his hand, and his eyes start fluttering.
"Shivaay?" Annika says, shocked by the development, as she signals OmRu to call the doctor.
"Shivaay!" She whisper-screams again, as he opens his eyes and tightens his grip on her hand.
"Annika," he says, trying to gather strength, "tum- tum ro k-kyu rahi ho?" He asks her, stammering.
"Shivaay, aap theek hain?" She asks him, ignoring his question, though not failing to notice how he's concerned about her despite having just beaten death himself.
"Mujhe kya hua hai? Mai bilkul theek hoon," he says, making Annika smile,
"Tumhe pata hai na, Shivaay-"
"Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki jaan itni aasani se nahi jayegi," she completes his statement, as they both smile, and she hugs him.
The next morning, Shivaay is discharged from the hospital, and his laying on his bed when he tries to get up.
"Lete rahiye," Annika tells him, not looking at him.
He sighs.
He looks at her, who is cutting fruits for him, sitting on the couch, and smiles at the concern she's showing towards him.
But just at the same time, he notices that she is about to cut her hand.
He runs towards her, taking the knife away, and screams at her, "dhyaan kahan hai tumhara?!? Abhi haath kat jaata," he says, examining her hand.

She notices him sitting beside her, which meant that he came running.
She lets go of his hold on her hand, now bursting on him because she has absolutely no patience left,
"Kya problem hai aapko? Ek baar samajh nahi aata ki aapko bed se hilna bhi nahi hai? Kya zaroorat thi bhaag ke aane ki? Katne dete na mera haath!" She screams at him, with tears, which she had been holding ever since the doctor declared he was out of danger and he was brought home.
Shivaay also looks at her seriously, considering she had been the strongest in these two days since his accident. Even OmRu had come and cried with him, not being able to look at him that way, but she hadn't reacted like this.
"Shivaay..." She says, coming back to reality, and hugs him.
He caresses her hair.
"Annika, mai theek hoon," he says, trying to comfort her.
"Shivaay, mai bahut zyaada dar gayi thi aapko uss haalat me dekhke. Agar aapko kuch ho jaata toh meri jaan-"
He keeps a finger on her lips.
"Nahi Annika. Tum aisi baatein dobara nahi karogi. Tum hi toh meri jaan ho, aur tumhe toh pata hi hai ki Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki jaan itni aasani se nahi jayegi." He says, smiling at her.
She smiles back at him,
"Chaliye. Ab waapas bed par jaiye, mai aapke liye soup laati hoon."
"Nahi Annika. Mai soup pee-peekar pak gaya hoon." He says, with a grumpy face.
"Shivaay," she says, narrowing her eyes at him, "peena padega. Aap jaldi se theek tabhi honge. Workaholic SSO ko aisa bed pe pada kaun dekh payega?"
She smiles at him, and leaves to get soup for him.
"Kya kiya tha maine aisi biwi paane ke liye," he asks himself, or maybe the gods above, "I love you, Annika."