Forgotten But Not Unloved

|| 6. Nightmare ||

Shivaay was mildly surprised to see Annika looking at him like that.

"Why are you looking at me like this?"

"Umm nothing much", Annika said and tried to get up from the bed.

"Annika, you can't go like this yaar. Bata toh doh ki kya baat hai" Shivaay whined.

Annika chuckled to herself but didn't turn back. These were some of the ways she had decided to use to ensure that Shivaay feels normal in the house.

"Annika" She turned back finally listening to his pleading voice.

"Kya hai?"

"Tell me na, why were you laughing like this?"

"Where was I laughing? I was just smiling. Like this" She said as she adjusted her lips into a thin line.

"Ha, that only. Why were you smiling?"

"Why are you so inquisitive anyway?" She asked him with a poker expression on her face.

"Bata bhi do. Because of this, my head has also started throbbing", Shivaay said this while holding his head with his hands.

Annika quickly sat beside him, concern and tension reflecting on her face.

"Shivaay, kya hua? Wait, I will give you your medicines and then you go to sleep"

"But Annika, I won't get proper sleep if you don't tell me why were you smiling"

"Arre woh toh sirf isliye I saw you handling Niku so well. I mean she was the most closest to you only before the accident and so, she was more disturbed than many of us. I was happy seeing you managing her well despite the accident", Annika blabbered while retrieving Shivaay's medicines.

"Ye lijiye, ab ye khaa lijiye" But she was absolutely surprised to see him sit comfortably without showing any trace of pain or discomfort.

"What is all this?" She asked him all exasperated as he had that smug smile on his face.

"What? You think you are the only one who can pull of a drama? I can do that too" Shivaay said victoriously and Annika huffed.

"Look Mr.Oberoi, get this thing straight in your thick, injured head. Never ever do any fun regarding your health. I get petrified. I would have anyway told you the reason. Never ever do this"

And she turned away and swiftly exited the room. Shivaay then realized that he maybe would have gone too far. In normal circumstances, maybe Annika would have taken it in jest, but whatever happened in the past 2 days must have made her paranoid.

And so, when Annika entered the room with a jug of water and kept it besides his bed, he called out to her softly.

"I am really sorry, Mrs.Oberoi. I promise you that I would never trouble you or lie to you about my pain. Please forgive me na"

Annika couldn't help a smile creep up her face. He really looked too cute with that pout on his face.

"Fine, I forgive you but you are to never repeat this mistake, understand?"