Fantasy- MaAn shots

|The Storm| - Shot 4

Heart racing wildly, her eyes fluttered close, trying to reign in her haywire nerves. Shudders skirting down her spine owing to his proximity, Anupama took in a flustered breath as she held his arms and tried turning around to face him but he refused to budge.

"Anuj..." She protested weakly. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and especially when the subject of her affections was so damn close,there was no way that her senses were going to stay intact. She needed to put some distance between them, lest her heart would slip.

"Anuj..plea—

"Why, Anu?"

That whisper of a question interrupted her and she ceased with her efforts, his uneven breathing alarming her.

"W-Why do you want to leave me?" Anuj whimpered, too afraid to face her, too afraid to be abandoned, too afraid to be crushed, too afraid of this moment being a dream that would shatter and she would disappear.

He had given up on living the second he had found her ID.But seeing her again, like that had ruffled all his feathers for good. He had survived without her, would have still breathed if the nightmare would have been true but living without her was not a possibility anymore. He had played it cautious and all he had achieved was distance. This distance was bearable no more. She was his oxygen, even a second without her now would choke him, gut him...cut him. He had been patient,satisfied with their status quo but now, he wanted her, in his life, he wanted that surety, that assurance that come what may she would not leave him, ever,ever.

"M-main aapko ky-u chodungi?" Anupama stammered, trying to feign innocence. Her heart was already at it ropes with that near brush of death, and now they were alone in this room, as a storm raged outside while an even greater one was going berserk within her heart. His proximity, his vulnerability was messing with her head.

He laughed bitterly then, turning her around by grabbing her shoulders. "Look into my eyes, and say that I am being paranoid. Keh do, ki aisa kuch nahi hai. Keh do, ki tum hum dono ke beech faasle nahi badha rahi ho.Look into my eyes and say it".

"M-main aisa ku— the words died as she looked into his eyes and found them curtailed by sadness.

He held her hands then, his fingers grazing her knuckles, a block forming in his throat. "W-Why Anu? Why must you punish me like that? Kya maine kuch galat kiya? Kya maine tumhara dil dukhaya? If I did, then I am truly very sorry. Tum kahogi toh main tumhare per—

He was about to go for her legs when she held him and shook her head in negative, tears of guilt flowing out of her eyes. To think, she had made him feel so insufficient, so small and so lacking that he had to apologize,for no fault at that.

"Aapne kuch galat nahi kiya Anuj. Aap bahot ache hain. Aapse acha toh koi aur hai hi nahi—

"Fir kyun, Anu? Kyun?!' He asked as he stepped closer and cupped her face, her eyes fluttering close at the cool touch of his hands against her warm face.

"I-I—

"Is it because of Mukku?"

Her eyes flew open then and her silence spoke to him as he shook his head at her stupidity, "You stupid women, tum mere aur mukku ke beech nahi aa rahi ho. Why must you think like that? As a fact, tumhari wajah se hi there is some semblance of stability in her life. She needs you more than she needs me"

She was amazed to have her thoughts read to the T. No wonder she fell in love with him. "Anuj, she needs you fully. The counselor said that she needs as much love and care as possible. Mukku itni achi hain ki, mujhse gussa bhi nahi kar sakti shayad. Aap bhai hain, Anuj. Aur main koi nhi".