An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

21| a role reversal?

"Annika yaar. Tum kaise bhool sakti ho kal kya hai?"

"Shivaay please. Aap mujhe pareshaan karne ke alawa kuch nahi kar rahe. Mujhe kaam karne dijiye, ek bahut important event aa raha hai jiske liye bahut kaam rehta hai. Aap nahi samjhenge ki yeh acche se nahi hua toh kya ho sakta hai."

Shivaay sighs. Despite being a workaholic himself, he refuses to believe that a woman can get so engrossed in work so as to forget her own anniversary.

Well, not exactly anniversary - nikkah-versary - in celebration of the day they performed a nikkah - their third wedding.

Shivaay knows this is a bit too much and it's not really important to celebrate it properly - but anything that involves Annika is very close to his heart, and he wants it to be done in style.

"Accha woh sab chhodo. Kal kahin ghumne chalein?"

Annika lets out a deep breath. "Shivaay maine aapse kya kaha abhi? Mujhe bahut kaam hai. Jab tak yeh event nahi ho jaata, mai ghumne jane ke baare me soch bhi nahi sakti."

"Toh theek hai phir." Shivaay says angrily, standing up, "jaao apne kaam ke paas tum. Meri toh chinta hi nahi hai na tumhe, chipki raho apne kaam se." He says, and leaves.

"Theek hai!" She says loudly behind him.

"Hua kya hai inhe? Achanak se ghumne ki kya padi hai? Jab khud ko itna kaam hota hai tab bhi toh rukte hain na? Mera saath dene ki jagah gussa ho kar chale gaye."
She says, standing up, and leaving for her own work.

In the evening.....

Annika comes back, completely exhausted, and goes to her room.
Despite it being late, she doesn't find Shivaay there - instead, a note sits on the side table.

She picks it up, and starts reading,
"Aaj ghar nahi aaunga shayad. Mera wait mat karna- ek minute. Mai yeh sab tumhe kyu bata raha hoon? Tumhe toh mere hone na hone se koi farak nahi padta. Tumhe toh yeh kehna chaiye ki apna kaam acche se karna. Bye."

She sighs. "Aise kyu hain yeh?"

She has only decided to call him up when Om enters the room.

"Om tum? Om dekho na. Shivaay ko pata nahi kya ho gaya hai. Pehle toh itne nakhre noor jahan ke nahi karte the. Peeche hi pad gaye hain ki ghoomne chalo. Mai apna kaam kaise chhod doon? Aur ab pata nahi kahan gayab ho gaye hain yeh note chhod ke."

"Bhabhi, meri pyaari bhabhi." Om holds her by her shoulders, and sits beside her, "Bhabhi. Shivaay kahin nahi gaya hai. Guest room me hi hai. Par woh aapse bahut naraaz hai ki aap usse zyada apne kaam ko priority de rahi hain."

"Uski demand zyada nahi hai. Woh bas kal ka din aapke saath spend karna chahta hai. Lekin aapko usse acche se manana hoga. Nahi toh shayad woh maane bhi na."

"Kal ka din? Kal kya hai?" She asks, confused.

"Bhabhi, woh aapko khud yaad aaye toh zyada better hoga." Om says, and standing up, leaves.

"Kal kya hai ab?" She says, and opens the calendar in her phone.

"15 June?" She says, still confused, before her eyes widen.

"Kal toh..." She says, looking at her phone again, "mai bhool kaise sakti hoon yeh din?" She says, facepalming, and moves to the cupboard.

From it, she brings out a piece of paper.  
"Dekhte hai yeh kaise nahi maante." She says, smiling, and moves out.

Reaching the guest room, she knocks on the door with a full-blown smile on her face.
Shivaay opens the door with a grumpy face.