• Poisoned •

4.

Annika gently wiped Shivaay's hand with the soft washcloth. The sounds of the multiple monitors beeping every now and then broke the eerie calm of the ICU room that they were in. She tried hard not to look at the large ventilator tube sticking out of Shivaay's mouth. She didn't want to acknowledge his thin frame. She tried very hard to not look at his arm covered with various IV lines or his chest covered with electrodes or the pale hospital clothes.

She forced herself to concentrate on Shivaay's eyes. Yes, they were shut. But they were still the most beautiful eyes in the world for her. And then, Annika just wanted to give Shivaay a good bed bath. Annika knew for a fact that he would appreciate it if she did that. He was a cleanliness freak. Annika wanted to keep him in the same way even when he wasn't breathing on his own. He would always have things done his way. She would make sure of it.

She bit her lip to keep herself from crying. Shivaay hated to see her cry. And Annika was not going to worry him by doing that. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't.

She dipped the washcloth in the water and wriggled out the excess water from it. Then she carefully wiped Shivaay's neck and shoulder blades. It had become a ritual for her. She didn't want the hospital staff to wash her husband. Of course, for the more difficult parts, she sought their help. But wherever she could, Annika wanted to do it herself.

The Doctors had assessed the results of Shivaay's medical tests and concluded that he was orally poisoned. How? No one could tell. They would perhaps have a better idea only after Shivaay woke up. But chances of that happening seemed bleak right now. Annika choked back a sob and took a deep breath.

Sniffling, Annika cleaned his beard with feather hands. She wanted to cause him no more trouble. Annika never thought that she would see such a day. She had never thought that everything would come to this. An intense feeling of helplessness swept through her body. When she and Shivaay had left the Oberoi Mansion and arrived in Goa, this wasn't what she had anticipated. Her fingers clasped Shivaay's cold fingers. She brought his hand to her mouth and left a lingering kiss on it. It was a nightmare.

Why was it that whenever she got attached to someone, something unfortunate happened to them? First her own parents, then her sister, then her adoptive parents and now Shivaay? What was so cursed about her? Why did everyone go away? But Shivaay would stay right? He had promised her a lifetime of happiness. He was a man of his words. He wouldn't cheat her like that.

"Annika..." someone pressed a palm on her shoulder. She looked up to see Om's distraught face. He rasped, "I want to talk with you."

To say that he looked horrible would be a gross statement. He looked dead. Annika wondered how long was it going to take for him to collapse completely. He seemed to be bursting at the edges. Om had stretched himself very thin; handling Shivaay's treatment with the Doctors, comforting Shivaay's parents and his grandmother, to taking care of Annika, managing Sahil to doing something secretive with Rudra. He was doing everything. And then, every night, he sat in the ICU with Shivaay's hand firmly in his so Annika could sleep. Or perhaps, that was the only thing that was keeping him from spiralling into complete madness.

But at least, he was physically present in front of Annika's eyes. His presence gave Annika some comfort. Rudra wasn't. After being inconsolable, completely hysterical for the first two days, he had just vanished into thin air. And Annika didn't know where did he go.

Silently nodding, Annika bent down to kiss Shivaay's head. She left the washcloth in the bowl on the bedstand and left the room with Om. In the corridor, she saw Jhanvi sitting with Pinky. But she withdrew her gaze from her just as quickly. She wanted nothing to do with Jhanvi and Tej. In a way, Shivaay was in this mess because of them. She was never going to forget that.

Keeping her eyes on Shivaay through the glass window in the door, Annika urged Om. "What is it? Tell me quickly. I have to be with Shivaay."

Om caught hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I didn't tell you all these days but Rudra is with Bhavya. They have been investigating this case. They have put together a few things. Bhavya suspects that Veer might be behind these attacks."

Annika's brow furrowed. But she was not surprised. Life had taught her that looks could be deceptive. And anyway, she always had her doubts about that caveman. If Shivaay wasn't that enamoured by him, she would have never befriended him.

She asked, "But we don't have any proof against him."

"Actually," Om's chest heaved. "We do. The CCTV footage from our house shows that the only unfamiliar thing Shivaay was around that day were the notes that he received for Veer."

As realization dawned on Annika, a loud gasp left her mouth. "What?"

She remembered how she had forced Shivaay to put his finger in his mouth. If the notes were indeed poisoned, it only meant one thing. She had played an active role in poisoning Shivaay. She grabbed Om and screeched, "The notes were poisoned?"

Om didn't answer directly. But he took her in a bone-crushing hug and kept his hand on her head. "That's what Bhavya thinks. Veer himself had gone to the courier office to send these notes to himself. How does that make any sense?"

"Om..." Annika whimpered into his chest, her heart shattering into a million pieces. "Do you know what does that mean? I caused all this."

Pulling himself from the hug, Om cradled Annika's face in his hands and shook his head. Before he could say anything, a firm voice from behind Annika spoke.

"No. Nothing has happened because of you."

Annika turned around to look at Shakti. His face was a case study of a helpless, shattered father. Shakti kept a hand on Annika's head and told her, "How were you supposed to know that the notes were poisoned, Annika? Please do not blame yourself for it. Ever! Everything happened because it was in our collective destinies. We had to go through this. Shivaay had to go through this."

"But Papa..."

"No Annika. You will never repeat this again..." asserted Shakti firmly and took her in a hug. His voice cracked as he spoke, "Please listen to your father."

Annika let herself crumble in his arms. She allowed herself to close her eyes and soaked in the warmth of his hug because she knew that he was watching over Shivaay. If nothing, this incident had brought her unbelievably close to both Shakti and Pinky.

"Don't worry Annika," muttered Om. "This time, we will fight this battle together."

Annika hugged Shakti harder and said, "Please tell me that Shivaay will be okay."

Om wrapped his arms around both of them, his eyes misting over. "He has to be."

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One more for the day. :)

Thank you so much for the recco @HiddenEnigma1

I don't know how did you find me but wow, thank you.

And thank you everyone else for the wonderful comments. I am so eggcited! :D