Healing Him | ✓

15.

Annika sat on the window seat quietly. The book lying forgotten in her lap. A month has passed. And finals were just next week. But her mind couldn't focus on the monotonous letters printed on the pages. The structures and diagrams seemed of no coherence. Her heart was aching. She placed the book beside and hugged her knees close. Her chin was resting on her arms.

Her mother's phone was still by her side. It has become hers now. She never left it alone. It had all the pictures she and Shivaay had taken together. It had pictures of his birthday party. Some pictures of him when he wasn't looking. And some were taken by her mother when they both weren't paying attention.

She again tried the number but nobody answered the call. She won't lose hope. He will answer the call, it doesn't matter if it's days late. She doesn't care, all she wants is to talk to him.

The breakfast was abandoned on her study table. "Annika?" There was a knock on her door. It was her father. "Yes dad?" She asked. She didn't want to meet anyone right now. Not even her parents.

"Did you have your breakfast?" She sighed, her breath fogging against the window glass. "Am not feeling hungry. I will eat it later." She leaned against the glass watching the scenery. The sky was grey and it did nothing to uplift her mood. She shrunk back pulling the blanket over her.

Her eyes snuck over to the phone screen. There were no notifications nor calls. Her eyes teared up on their own. Was he made at her?

'Call me back, so that I can apologise.' She thought. 'Are you so angry that you don't even want to talk to me?'

"I'm coming in." Her father said and opened the door. He sighed, she was on her usual spot sitting quietly. He hated seeing his daughter like that. She has lost her shine. A frown settled, he eyed the untouched breakfast in disapproval. "What's this Annika? You haven't even touched it. Don't insult the food like this—" She pouted holding back her tears.

"I don't want to eat. I had already informed mom." Her voice cracked but she held back waiting for her father to exit the room. She didn't want to cry in front of him, she didn't want to her father. 'Never let me see tears in them, princess. It hurts me immensely.' Her father had said that when she was seven.

"Annika, you can talk to me, love." She shook her head, it was getting hard to hold the urge to cry. "I-i am okay dad. It's nothing." She sniffled. Harsh stood there and waited, he knew her daughter was trying to be strong. But she doesn't have to be when he was with her. The sniffles soon turned into whimpers. She got off the seat and ran into her father's arms and cried. He held her placing his hand on the back of head. Sudha observed everything from the doorway. She wiped her tears and left, Harsh will handle it.

"Shhh....now enough. You have hurt me so much today." Annika pouted sadly at that mumbling out a small apology. Harsh took the breakfast tray and seated her on the bed. "Open up." He said sternly but she pursed her lips. "I don't have appetite." Harsh sighed.

"Annika, you didn't even eat the dinner yesterday. You must have this." He tried again holding the spoon to her lips. She pushed his hand away. "I mean it, dad." And in the end he lost, she didn't even eat a bite out of his hands. He placed the tray aside.

She has lost weight. It was as if ever since he had disappeared the joy from her eyes did too. She didn't seem interested in anything now, her sketching equipments now lay forgotten. She never touched them anymore earlier she used to complain that her sketchbooks filled too early for her liking but the present one was lying blank except for a few pages. The last sketch was left incomplete.

"Dad, please tell him to stop being angry at me na. I'm sorry, I swear would never let that happen if I was awake." She mumbled. Harsh rubbed her back soothingly. "I know love. He will come around. Give him some time." He assured, he didn't want to give her fake hopes but what more he could do. "I will be waiting." She sighed tired. She looked pale and exhausted. He was losing their beloved daughter.