• Eternal Night •

40

"Thanks, Shivaay..." Prithvi mumbled but didn't meet Shivaay's eyes. "Really." 

"For what?" snorted Shivaay. 

Prithvi pointed at the file. "For this." 

Prithvi had gotten Shivaay to sign a few official papers. Since he no longer could go to the office or look over the business, all his projects were being handed over to different heads. Part of Shivaay's head hurt. Even if it wasn't his most favourite thing; the business and the company were special to him. He had nurtured it. He had built it with his own hands. It hurt to let something go that meant so much to him. But then again, a part of him didn't care. He had let go of bigger things and was still alive to tell the tale. 

Instinctively, he looked at Annika. She smiled faintly at him. He reciprocated. 

Shivaay had no idea how to process whatever Annika was doing with him now. She looked very sad. There was a haunted look in her eyes that was never there before. The way she talked with him had changed. The way she treated him had changed. Now it almost felt like she cared for him. Did she really? His heart, his poor broken heart said yes. His head, however, said no. 

It wasn't practical. He was going. He had no business dragging the woman back to him again. No one deserved a heartbreak. No one. Especially not Annika. He had loved her truly and never wanted to see her sad or vulnerable. 

Sighing, he looked away. "It's okay, Dadu. Let it be. I am anyway more nervous for today's test."

Prithvi nodded and leaned in to kiss Shivaay's forehead. "Me too. Are you thirsty?"

"Like hell..." Shivaay managed a small smile. "When can I drink water?" 

Annika caressed his hand. "After the test." 

Shivaay knew that he could do nothing except agree. So he just smiled. "Okay. What are they doing again?" 

"The TEE..." said Annika. "Paul said that we will have a clearer picture of what's going on in your heart with it." 

Prithvi added, "Yes." 

Shivaay wasn't the kind who fretted tests. But for some reason, he was nervous. He let out a loud breath. "So he will stick a camera down my throat?" 

"Kind of..." Prithvi trailed off. 

"Wild!" Shivaay laughed despite everything. "My heart is gonna get a photoshoot. How many people can say that?" 

Prithvi could no longer look at him. So he cleared his throat and said, "Okay then. I will check where Paul is. Excuse me." 

With that, he fled the room. Annika looked at the door close and sighed. It was tough. She was scared to her bones too. But she knew that her focus needed to be on Shivaay and not her own fears. Inhaling, she turned towards Shivaay and sat down beside him. She took his hand in his and said, "Listen. Don't worry. I am going to be there. Today and whenever you need me." 

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

Shivaay felt like he had taken a bite of the most bitter thing in the world. And quite naturally, he gagged. 

The nurse smiled at him. "Your throat will get numb because of this." 

And then she proceeded to spray more of it in his mouth. Shivaay cringed. "It's vile." 

Seeing his face, Annika's grip on his hand tightened. "It's going to help you with the gagging too, Shivaay. It's okay." 

"Yeah, she is right..." said Paul as he helped set the monitors with the other specialists. "Now, I am going to inject a mild sedative in your IV so that you remain calm. But you will be able to hear us okay? Don't worry. There is nothing to fear. It will be over in fifteen minutes." 

Shivaay nodded. Then his eyebrows went up. "Now. Is it the right time to crack choke me daddy jokes?" 

Paul threw his head back and laughed. "No. You can crack jokes. That is okay!" 

The nurse also chuckled. "You can crack as many jokes as the bite block allows you to." 

"Phew!" smiled Shivaay and glanced at Annika. 

Strangely, his throat was supposed to go numb. Not her eyes. Her eyes were not supposed to look like that. His breath hitched in his throat. 

He wanted to do something to comfort her but he didn't get the chance. 

"Now Shivaay," Paul showed him a long apparatus. "I am going to insert the pipe in your throat now." 

Shivaay peeled his eyes from Annika and nodded. The staff turned him on his left and placed the mouth guard. Shivaay felt someone hold his head. Then, Paul slid in the pipe. 

He felt it go down his chest and a low groan escaped his lips. The nurse took it as a sign of gagging and sprayed the numbing spray in the mouth again. 

Shivaay flinched. He hated it. 

"Keep taking deep breaths..." Paul encouraged him. "You are doing so well." 

And then, he felt Annika's warm hand on his back. Perhaps, he was hallucinating too because Shivaay could swear that Annika kissed the back of his head in front of everyone. 

"You are the bravest man I know..." Annika whispered in his ear. "I was a fool to not see it before." 

Shivaay's eyes fluttered close. He didn't know if it was because of the weird pipe down his throat and chest or if it was because of Annika's voice. 

"I am right here, Shivaay. It's going to end soon..." she said again. "We can go out after this. How about having ice cream today? I have heard about this parlour that serves amazing ice creams. Maybe we both can go. It will be the date that you always wanted." 

Shivaay desperately moved his eyes to the corner. He just wanted to see her face. That's when he felt her kiss his earlobe again. And his cheek. She confessed, "You know, you always asked me if I ended up with the wrong brother or not. At some point, I had thought so too. But I don't think like that anymore. Really. There is no one like you. I was wrong. You are the most special man I know." 

Hearing that, Shivaay froze. The buzz around him dulled into nothing. In the next moment, all the noises increased. He tried to take it all in but it was too much for him to process. He tried to clasp his fingers around Annika's hand but his hand slipped. And then, he plunged into darkness.