• Eternal Night •

20

"I know what ails Shivaay but what ails Annika?" asked Tej. His intense brown eyes remained on Annika and it made her shudder. He was an intimidating man. And right now, in the capacity of Shivaay's well-wisher, he somehow looked more serious. 

"Bhai saheb..." Shakti gave him a look. "Behave."

Annika blinked. Even though Shakti didn't possess his elder brother's ferocity, he could also be very intense when he wanted to. And now, it was about his son. She didn't expect him to be kind to her. 

"You need to talk, Annika!" Shakti's voice was bordering on frustration. "I don't think any of us are in the mental capacity to put up with this behaviour. You will have to tell us what the problem is." 

Annika's gaze fell. What was she supposed to tell them? Would they understand? 

"Annika..." she felt her mother squeeze her shoulder. "They are asking you a question. Speak up!" 

Her mother's voice was quiet but she could sense the underlying anger. She nodded. Annika looked up. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she spoke, "I don't know how to deal with Shivaay's...illness."

There was a beat of silence before Jhanvi broke it. "Is that it?" 

Annika didn't answer. She herself didn't know if that was it. At times, she thought that it might be. At other times, she didn't. At times, Annika couldn't bear to think of anything else but Shivaay. At other times, she thought if she ever loved Shivaay. Because if she did, she wouldn't have these conflicting thoughts, right? 

"If that is it then we don't know how to deal with it either, beta..." mused Pinky. She dapped her eyes with the end of her dupatta. "It's not easy to have a sick child no matter how old he gets. Especially if it is this serious. But that does not mean that I will abandon him." 

Annika sighed. "I am not abandoning him. This is his decision."

Tej took a deep breath. "Because Shivaay and you are not on the same page, Annika. He just wants to protect you from the impending sadness." 

Annika had nothing to say to that. They were never on the same page. Perhaps, she had never tried to be on the same page. In spite of their marriage, their worlds had remained very different. If only they both had tried harder. Or at least, she had. 

Annika's father sighed. Looking at Tej, he whispered, "I don't know what to say." 

"But I know..." said Prithvi. He sat up straight and directly asked Annika, "I am going to ask you what Shivaay did. We won't pressurize you. Just say yes or..."

A phone ring interrupted Prithvi. He glanced at the screen and picked up the call. He heard for some time and all the colour drained from his face. He croaked, "Yeah. We are coming." 

Everyone looked at Prithvi expectantly and sat up straight. Shakti asked, "What is it?" 

Prithvi rose up and rubbed his head. "We need to get moving. Shivaay had gone to the office. He experienced chest pain and Gauri took him to the hospital." 

Pinky screeched and pulled him towards the door. "We need to go."

"I am going to come with you guys," announced Harsh and scrambled to get his car keys. Annika's mother also rushed out with him. "I am also coming."  

Annika looked at the frenzy mutely. She didn't even notice when everyone else had left the house. Her heart pounded like crazy. She just sat there on the armchair trying to make sense of everything. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't understand the situation or her emotions.