An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

23.2| you're my life. [Part 3]

"yeh window...bhabhi shayad yahi se nikli hain." Bhavya says, inspecting the broken window.

Om heard her, but did not reply, being too busy with Shivaay.

"Om," Rudra says, and he looks at him. "Yahan time waste karne se kuch nahi hoga. Mai bhaiya ko hospital leke jaata hoon, aap jaake bhabhi ko dhundo. I don't think woh zyada aage gayi hongi."

Om looks at Rudra again, shock evident on his face. When did his younger brother get so sensible?

He nods at him.

"Bhavya," he says, standing up, "tumhari team jo 2 cars lekar aayi hai usme se ek me tum dono Shivaay ko lekar hospital jaao. Dusre me in goons ko bhejo, aur jiss car me hum aaye hain usme mai jaake bhabhi ko dhundta hoon."

Bhavya nods at him, and proceeds accordingly. 

When both the cars leave and Om is assured that Shivaay will reach the hospital and will be safe, he sits in his car and goes on his search operation for Annika.

He has no idea where Annika might be. What he knows is that Bhavya said that this is the way that Annika might have used to escape, so without second thoughts he came here.

And Rudra was right, too - she probably lacks energy, having been kidnapped for three days - and cannot go much far. So if he follows her with his car, he can easily match her pace while walking.

Annika is still sitting under the tree, exhausted to the core. She needs food.

She stands up and is going to walk ahead, in an attempt to get out of the wilderness and get some food, when blinding lights come up in front of her, piercing her eyes.

She puts her palm over them, letting them adjust to the brightness of the lights among the darkness, and opens them slowly.

By now, someone is standing in front of her with a bottle of water in his hands.

She looks at him in surprise, unable to believe her eyes. It was like she was breathing again after three days.

"Om tum?" She says weakly, yet with a smile on her blood-stained face.

Om smiles back at her, but doesn't fail to notice her condition - similar, yet so much worse than Shivaay's. These two are truly two hearts, one soul, he thought.

He forwards the bottle of water to her.
She takes it, but before opening, asks the most obvious question, just like Om was expecting.

"Shivaay?" She asks, looking at him with question and concern in her eyes.
Om sighs, though smiling back at her,
"Uss ke paas hi toh le jaane aaya hoon aapko. Par pehle paani pi lijiye. 3 dinon me shayad hi mila hoga aapko."

She nods, and without thinking much, gulps the entire bottle in one go. Her throat was dry as a desert as it is.

Wiping her face with her hand after finishing the entire bottle altogether, she looks at him. They are about to leave when Om receives a call from Rudra.

Om answers the call, "Rudra-"
"Om, kahan ho aap? Bhaiya ko ICU me admit kiya hai, keh rahe hain ki unki condition critical hai."

Om's eyes widen listening to him.
"Rudra sun-" he says, but cannot complete his sentence as Rudra just says "jaldi aao" and disconnects the call.

"Kya hua Om?" Annika asks him, still standing with the support of the tree.
"Kuch- kuch nahi bhabhi, mujhe kya hona tha? Aap chaliye, Shivaay aapka wait kar raha hai kab se," he says.