An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

27.2| bonds and misunderstandings. [Part 3]

After sometime of sitting and contemplating over how to tell Shivaay the reason for his condition, Annika and OmRu are brought out of their thoughts when a doctor comes to them.

"Ab aap patient se mil sakte hain," he tells them, and when Annika nods at him, he leaves.
She looks at OmRu, and they give her a sign of approval.
She goes into the room.

She slowly opens the door to see Shivaay on the hospital bed. A smile forms on her face, probably at the thought that he is safe now.
Walking to him, she sits down on the stool beside him, and caresses his bandaged forehead.
He winces a little, in pain, but does not open his eyes. Annika withdraws her hand immediately.

Her eyes, already brimming with tears, look at him with love, adoration and pain. Looking at him like this hurt. She wasn't used to it.
She holds his hand into hers, and kisses his fingers.
"Shivaay," she says, slowly, and kisses his fingers again.
He moves slightly, and then, wriggles? , using whatever energy he has to get out of her hold.
Annika doesn't let go of his hand, but she cannot believe what is happening either.
"Chhod do mujhe tum," he says in a slow voice, his eyes still closed, "kholo mujhe. Bahar nikalo yahan se." He says again.
Annika lets go of his hand in shock.

She understood that he is not fully conscious. He still thinks that he is trapped where he was before.
The tears she was holding back finally start falling from her eyes, at the thought of how they must have treated him, and the trauma he must be going through.

She caresses his forehead again.
"Shivaay," she says, in a tearful voice, and the tears from her eyes fall on Shivaay's hand.
He tries to open his eyes, flinching, before finally opening them with a jerk, as if doing so after a lot of effort.
After opening his eyes, he looks at Annika, who is caressing his forehead while crying.

"Annika?" He says slowly, although the shock is clear in his voice, "tum- tum yahan kaise? Woh log tumhe bhi yahan le aaye? Dekho-" Annika stops him by keeping a finger on his lips.
"Shaant ho jaiye, Shivaay," she says, and keeps her head above his rapidly beating heart.
His hand automatically starts caressing her hair, he closes his eyes again, relishing the moment of being with her, no matter in what circumstances.
Annika sits up properly and sees that his eyes are closed.

"Apni aankhein kholiye, Shivaay," she says, holding his hand into hers.
He opens his eyes, and she looks at him with a smile.
"Dekhiye, hum hospital me hain."
"H-hospital?" He asks, confused. "Lekin mai toh wahan-" Annika silences him again.

"Woh ab important nahi hai, Shivaay," she tells him, "important yeh hai ki ab aap safe hain. Aur bilkul theek hain. Pata hai, doctor ne kaha hai ki aaj shaam tak aapko discharge bhi mil jaayega." She says, not looking at him.
"Annika," he calls her out, tightening his hold on her hand, "meri taraf dekho."
After a lot of resistance, she looks at him, even as the tears in her eyes threaten to fall again.
"Tum ro rahi ho na?" He asks her, looking at her tenderly.

She turns away from him again, and he takes the support of her arm to sit up properly.
Once he is seated, he turns her face towards himself.
"Mujhe dekho, Annika," he says, and she looks at him with her teary eyes,
"Ro kyu rahi ho?" He asks her with concern.
She replies, by hugging him tightly.
His hands automatically make way to her back, as he starts comforting her.
"Shaant ho jaao, Annika,"

"Mai bahut zyada darr gayi thi, Shivaay," she says, crying, "aapko uss haalat me dekh ke mujhe laga jaise koi mujhse meri saansein cheen raha ho." She comes out of the hug, and looks directly at him, "agar aapko kuch ho jaata toh meri jaan-" she is paused when Shivaay kisses her forehead.
"Tumse kitni baar kaha hai, yeh marne marane ki baatein mat kiya karo," he tells her angrily.
"Aur tumne soch bhi kaise liya ki mujhe kuch ho sakta hai, haan?"
"Tumhe pata hai na ki mujhe kuch kyu nahi hoga?"