• Eternal Night •

31

A lot of times, Shivaay felt okay. And then there were a lot of times when he felt like he wasn't even capable of keeping his eyes open or even breathing. He still tried though. He looked at Prithvi and Kalyani trying to talk with him but he could understand only a few things. They were talking about their home, something about Annika and him. Rest was a blur of incoherent noises for him. His head spun and his vision plunged into darkness. 

He then felt cool hands on his cheek. He didn't want to ever open his eyes but he did. Annika was looking down at him. She asked something but he didn't get it. But it was nice to have him near. He smiled. 

"Shivaay?" Annika asked. "Are you okay?" 

She then turned to look at Prithvi. "I think we need to call the doctor." 

"It's okay," he told her. "His blood pressure has been fluctuating a lot today. The doctor checked him already. He is just tired. Let him sleep." 

"Haven't they given him anything?" asked Annika. 

"They have. But he has hypertension so it happens a lot..." replied Prithvi. 

"No..." Shivaay mumbled incoherently. "I am not taking tension Dadu..." 

Prithvi laughed. He leaned in and gave a kiss to Shivaay. "Yes, you are not. I am taking the tension on your behalf." 

Shivaay groaned like a child and wiped his cheek. "Yuck." 

Both Prithvi and Kalyani laughed. Kalyani nudged Prithvi, "Has his age also reversed?" 

"I have no idea..." chuckled Prithvi. 

Kalyani looked at Annika. "You know, when he was a child, he used to do this. Whenever someone kissed him, he would wipe it off and angrily demand his kiss back." 

Annika smiled at the story and Prithvi sighed dreamily. He picked Shivaay's hand and pressed it on his lips. "Woh bhi kya din the. What would I not give to see my child well and healthy?" 

Annika didn't know why but she felt the need to comfort the old couple. But how was she supposed to lie to them? Her own throat felt like it was closing. Yet, she put on a brave face and told them, "It's gonna be okay." 

Kalyani nodded. "I hope it does. I really hope it does. Shivaay does not deserve this ill fate." 

"Yeah, I feel a little more ill today..." Shivaay mumbled.

Annika went near him and bent down. She whisper asked him, "Can you hear me?" 

He moaned. "Yeah." 

"Go to sleep," Annika told him. "We can talk later."

Shivaay groggily nodded and slacked on the pillow. Annika felt something at the back of her throat. She didn't understand what it was. But every time she looked at Shivaay, she felt a little more culpable and a little less confused. 

*****************************

"Can you stop giving me this medicine?" Shivaay complained. "It just makes me floppy..." 

The doctor laughed. "What the hell is floppy?" 

"It makes me feel like I am made of jelly....and just...weird!" Shivaay made his point. "I cannot even hold myself up." 

The doctor nodded sincerely. He looked at Om and Mallika and smirked. "Given that Shivaay's wife is here now, that's a shame."