An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

12| one fine diwali.

"Pinky maa, aapko pata hai, aaj mujhe bahut khushi hai. Ek mahine tak itni mehnat karne ke baad aaj main Shivaay ko apne haath ke laddoo khilaungi. Tasty wale. Unhe bahut pasand aayenge." Annika says with a smile, and Pinky smiles back at her.

"Ja.. dikha de usse apna diwali gift!" Pinky tells her, and she leaves, nodding.

Annika enters her room with a smile holding the plate of laddoos at her back, and goes to Shivaay.

"Shivaay...aapke liye ek surprise hai mere paas!" She tells him in a cute voice.

"Aur kya hai woh surprise?" He replies in a similar voice, but then recalls last diwali when he had to eat her tasty laddoos.

Before she can reveal her 'surprise', he asks her, "tumne phir se laddoo toh nahi bana diye?" In a distraught tone.

"Aise kyu bol rahe hain?" She asks him.
"Nahi, I mean, don't get me wrong, but main nahi chahta ki diwali ke din mujhe food poisoning ho." He says, not realising what he said, until he notices the tears in her eyes.

"Annika I didn't mean-" she stops him.
"Nahi sunna. Nahi sunna mujhe aapka matlab kya tha." She says in a serious tone, and leaves him behind.

"Toh jao yaar nahi sunna toh. Maine kuch galat thode hi kaha hai? Sach hi keh raha hoon na, agar isse nahi hota toh yeh koshish hi kyu karti hai?" He comes out of his room, shaking his head, where Pinky stops him.

"Shivaay, Annika rote hue bahar kyu gayi hai?" She asks him.
"Sach kadwa lag gaya hoga mom." He says, completely disinterested.
"Kaunsa sach?"

"Yahi ki woh bahut bekar laddoo banati hai, usse koshish bhi nahi karni chahiye."
He is going to leave, but Pinky stops him again.

"Ek toh tu business me thoda kam ghusa kar. Kahi aur dhyaan hi nahi jata. Tujhe pata bhi hai, Annika ko poore ek mahine se main, jethaniji aur Gauri milkar laddoo banana sikha rahe hain taaki woh diwali wale din tujhe khush kar sake. Aur tune bewakoofon ki tarah tyohaar ke din usse rula diya."

Shivaay looks at her in shock.

"Kya kaha aapne?"
"Tune suna maine kya kaha. Ab jaa, jake mana usse. Tum dono ko saath me pooja bhi karni hai."
Shivaay rushes without listening to the entire thing.

After a whole search operation, he finds her in the garage, sitting with a stream of tears flowing down her eyes.
He goes and sits beside her, as she turns her head to the other side.
He rests his chin on her shoulder, and whispers in her ear, "I'm sorry," also kissing her earlobe in the process.

She is a bit melted now, but will wait to see till what extent he can go.

"Sorry na," he says again, and she smiles.

"Acha yeh dekho main tumhare liye kya laya," he says, and brings in front of her the plate of her hand made laddoos.
"Lo," he says, and opens his mouth.
She smiles a little, and puts them into his mouth.
"Kaise hain?" She asks, with hope in her eyes.
"Bilkul tumhari tarah," he says, and she raises her eyes in question, "khidkitod." She smiles at him.

"Par," he says, and she looks at him questioningly again, "yeh aur bhi tasty ho sakte hain. Pata hai kaise?" He asks, and she nods no.
He takes a small piece from the laddoo, and puts it on her lips, then taking her lips into his.

She widens her eyes in shock, but reciprocates.

After they part, she is heavily blushing.
"Happy Diwali, my love," he says with a smile.
"Happy Diwali." She replies.

______________________________________
A quick one for my favourite Shivikabest ♥