• Eternal Night •

29

Annika didn't remember a time in her recent memory when she had felt so weird. She was back to where she had started. She was sitting in front of a man she had run away from. And the weirdest part was that the man had accepted her right back in.

It was strange really. Wasn't he angry? Or even sad? Maybe she had never understood him at all.  

A shaky breath left her mouth. Everything in her life had forced her back to him. His family, her family, even the non-tangible things. What if the threads of her destiny and his destiny were intertwined? What if he had understood it but she hadn't? What if she had wasted all this time doubting herself, her sanity, their relationship and him? 

Was it possible that she could have loved him from the first day itself and led a good life? How would that be? Would she be at peace?  

She had no idea. She had no answers either. But as she watched him sleep, a strange kind of guilt encompassed her heart. What if something happened to him before they made something out of their marriage? She definitely didn't want anything unfortunate to happen to him. But he didn't look good either. And then, how was she supposed to stop whatever was happening to him? 

Annika hated this helplessness. Nothing was in her control. They both were truly at the mercy of God. 

She was wondering how she was going to deal with everything when Shivaay woke up with a snarl. Half asleep and confused, Annika switched on the lights. Shivaay looked at her with wild, unseeing eyes. 

Annika didn't know when and how her legs took her towards him. She tried to straighten his frowns. He had definitely seen a nightmare. 

"It's okay..." she whispered but his breathing still stayed ragged. 

Without thinking much, she pulled him in a hug. He turned to her and buried his face in her neck. She held him and whispered to him till his shaking subsided.   

"It was just a nightmare. Everything is fine..." 

"Yeah..." he mumbled and let her go. 

Horrified that he had a nightmare in front of her, he looked away in embarrassment. Annika poured some water for him and coaxed him to drink it. "Have some water, you will feel good." 

Shivaay shakily took the glass from her. Seeing his unsteady hands, Annika helped him drink. He fell back on the bed. 

She kept the glass aside and wiped his sweaty forehead. Annika then softly asked him, "Are you okay?" 

He nodded. "I am sorry. I just...I saw something." 

Annika's eyes remained concerned. She asked, "Can you tell me what did you see? If you don't mind that is." 

Shivaay sighed. He had seen a weird dream. He told Annika about it anyway. "I saw that the whole Oberoi Mansion was covered in weeds. I was standing outside and watching it. I swear I saw Dadu. And then suddenly it crumbled to dust. I couldn't do anything. I tried but nothing worked. I could only watch." 

Annika sucked in a breath. Maybe everything was weighing hard on him. He had been the one working the hardest to keep the Oberoi flag flying. Without him, Annika was sure that the companies wouldn't be that successful. And then at home, it always felt like Shivaay held everyone together. Without him, everything would definitely crumble. 

Swallowing her own fear, she inched closer to him. "Now...that can never happen. Right? You will always find a way to salvage the situation. I am sure of it." 

Shivaay's eyes closed tiredly. "I don't think so. Not this time around."

"Why?" asked Annika. She kept a hand on his cheek. "Don't lose hope just yet." 

"Why not?" he looked at her. "I don't have anything in my hands now. Whether I live or not depends on an organ that has never been loyal to me." 

Annika squeezed her eyes shut. He was right. Nothing was in their hands. He was right. 

"You are right..." Annika nodded. "But if it isn't, then why worry about it? Why spoil your sleep for it? What's the point?" 

He snorted. She was right too. He sighed. "You are right." 

She chuckled sarcastically and looked away. Shivaay frowned and asked, "What happened?" 

Smiling, she looked at him and said, "Did you see? We both thought that we were right at the same time. It must be a night of miracles." 

Shivaay's face softened. Looking at her, the details of the nightmare were also fading away from his brain. He reached out and tentatively clasped her fingers with his own cold ones. "I am glad to see you smiling. Just remember that whatever happens to me, to us, keep yourself happy. Your life will always be more than just me." 

Annika blinked. "I hope that you are always there to keep reminding this to me." 

Shivaay couldn't speak. Annika then patted his cheek lightly. "Okay now, go back to sleep. Sweet dreams." 

Exhausted, Shivaay relented and quickly slipped into a still unquiet slumber but he never noticed how Annika never left his hand.