Kismet...

Ch09|For better or worse

Shiv jumped into his bed, after an exhausting week in and out the hospital. An "Ah" escaped from him, when his king size memory form mattress absorbed his tired body.

Yesterday he had fallen asleep on the chair, and did something to his neck. A stiff neck was no joke, when he couldn't even turn his neck 20 degrees. Thankfully Annika was a pro, and could write a book on hospital survival. She shared her hot water bag with him, and put a heat plaster for him. Strangely he felt better the moment she started worrying about him, so even if the medication was working, he continued to wince, whenever he moved.

"Dude...What's with the frown?" Ansh pulled on his cheek, when the nurses were prepping him for the procedure. Annika was holding Ansh's hand and showering him with kisses, he pushed her away at one point for smothering him too much.

"Ewww Momma...Elina will see..."

"Elina?" Ann raised an eyebrow.

"Dude who cares about Elina, Your mom won't get to kiss you for two weeks once your back...So let her...Heck with it I am going to kiss you too!" They both kissed Ansh on his cheeks continuously making him laugh.

"Seriously who is Elina?" Ann asked once Ansh was taken out of the room.

"Bzzzzzzzz....." Shiv rolled his eyes at her mimicking the sound of a bee.

"Hey...C'mon tell me...Who is it?" She pouted, narrowing her eyebrows, and placing her hands on her hips.

"Sorry Guy code...Can't tell you...no snitching...that's our policy...OW...OW..." She held him up in a head lock.

"You boys are annoying...Urgh!!! Tell me Shivaay...Now...." She threatened him tightening her grip around his neck, and he seemed to be enjoying it! Instead of pushing her away, he just held on to her arm softly, making sure she doesn't fall, when he stood up.

"Nope...Not even if you kill me...Ouch...My neck though...Ow...Ow..."

"Mr.Oberoi if you don't spill now, you will have to just keep looking at me for the rest of your life...."  She said, when he turned to his right.

"Ah...Would that be so bad now?" He blurted out, smiling like a man who just won the lottery.

Their eyes met, and he could feel her heart thumping against his back, faster than the midnight train. He felt her warm breath fanning his neck, slow down. If he turned a few degrees more, despite the excruciating pain in his neck, he'd probably be able to brush his cheek against her lips. Her lips...Her very very kissable lips...

She loosened her grip, and took a few steps back, and bit her lower lip, looking down. For a moment, her eyes shone bright, reminding of that playful, silly girl he met years ago. Then the permanent melancholy residing in her them, took over.

"Ansh...He'll be okay right?" She nervously looked at the clock on wall. In fifteen minutes they were going to start the transplant and he knew she was drowning in worry.

"Of course...Momster...He'll be more than okay..." He held her hand and gave a reassuring squeeze.

They sat outside the theatre for an hour, holding hands.

"By the way who is Elina? The tall one or the short one?" She asked again making him chuckle.

"Told ya...Guy code...My lips are sealed Mommy..."

"Daddy please..." She squealed and batted her eyelashes. Apart from the endearment he felt towards her for calling him that, he also felt a gush of desire running through his veins—Unfortunately not upwards, towards his brain. Out of the blue, he imagined her, in nothing but one of his shirts, looking at him with her big doe eyes, through those thick curtains of eye lashes, pleading. He squirmed a little, and gave her an awkward smile, shaking his head.