Shivika SS : The Ties that Bind

Part 4

After 2 weeks in recuperation, Shivaay was getting anxious to get discharged to get home. He couldn't shake that feeling, that he was forgetting something important. He got tired of asking himself what it was. He tried getting back into his routine for some normalcy.

Lost some memories, my foot. Felt like large puzzle pieces were missing. He seems to have forgotten than Om was married t o Gauri and Rudy was about to be married to a policewoman named Bhavya. His head started to hurt something fierce whenever he tried to recall things, that he started consciously avoiding it. The whole idea of imperfection in his memories was annoying him. He prided in never forgetting things.

OmRu have been trying hard to fill in the blanks for him but his headaches were unbearable that he had to tell them to stop as he couldn't, he just couldn't. Doctors told everyone to take things slow.

He really needed to get out of this hospital.

For what reason he had no idea. He just needed to get somewhere.

Where? He didn't know.

***

One month later , he walked into his offices with Khanna, eager to get back to form. It was a good morning, he jumped right back into the seamless routine at work, feeling normal again. Home never felt like home, that unnamed restlessness hounded him everywhere.

And then suddenly during a coffee break, he felt his heart pick up pace for no good reason. He got up and opened the door to his reception area and saw her. That beautiful crying woman from the hospital, who ran away. She locked eyes with him, it felt like the whole place was staring at the two of them. It became awkward, and he dismissed all of them. She was led into his office, to his surprise she had come to meet him after all.

She was dressed in yellow, and she looked so enchantingly pretty. He stamped down his eagerness and offered her refreshments to which she silently refused.

She was nervous. Why ?

"Hi, we need to introduce ourselves here, before you run out on me again. Hi, I am Shivaay Singh Oberoi, and you?" he asked a tad too forwardly.

"Annika." she said simply.

"Annika, ....?" He echoed. He loved the way her name just rolled off his tongue with familiarity, like he'd said a thousand times.

"Sirf Annika..." and a million questions burned his mind clamouring for answers. His head started pounding mildly, a sign of impending migraine.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Oberoi. I shouldn't intrude on your busy day. But I am the caretaker of an orphanage that you own, Hope Orphanage. You have given us a large amount of funds and we are obliged to give you regular reports as to our activities."

He was taken aback with the formality in her voice, like she was keeping it strictly business. But his headache faded away, and his curiosity was piqued. He invited, and she gave a short presentation as to how the funds were used. He pledged a raise in between, suggested improvements to the facility, simply to see her eyes light up and a smile break the seriousness that didn't seem to suit her.

He handed her a glass of water and as she took it, he felt the instinct to duck at the same time. An involuntary giggle erupted from her, escalating into a full scale laugh. Her eyes teared as she laughed, and he found himself grinning for no reason at all. Lord, she's beautiful. But who is she?

Voice tinged with laughter, he offered coffee.

"Black , Sairabano..." she said with a smile.

He nodded, and pressed his com button, asking for two Americanos. He missed the look of utter incredulity on her face.

"So do you have the accounts with you, would you like my accountants to have a look for tax relief purposes?" she nodded and handed her handwritten ledgers, nervously watching him expertly spot all the arithmetic mistakes.

If he noticed the mistakes, he didn't mention them. He added the missing zeroes and somehow found the funds matching and balanced. Annika watched her most beloved husband's serious work face, still covering up for her despite not recalling her at all. She was dangerously close to tears again, and got up abruptly to leave.

Evidently , the road back to each other was going to take longer than anticipated. She'd taken a risk and come out today. She had made Khanna promise not to tell anyone she came to meet him. She didn't want to force herself upon Shivaay as the wife he didn't remember. He instinctually feels her , it'll all come back eventually. Those headaches worried her, if she told him the truth, he'd fall ill trying to remember it all. No, this is better. She had to be patient.

When she got up, he was surprised that she was leaving so soon. Her heart broke with the disappointment in his eyes. He loved her a lot, she knew, but with the memories missing she can't just fly into his arms could she?

Patience Annika... You must be patient, at least for the baby growing in you.

Fresh flood of tears threatened to spill out, when his melting green eyes met hers.

He loves me, he doesn't know it. For you, Shivaay, I will continue to visit you as an employee until you find all the pieces again...

She said abrupt thank yous and made to leave.

"Will you come next week?" he quickly interjected, unwilling to see her go. She smiled to herself, These small signs will keep me going, and turned.

"Should I come by every Wednesday morning then?"

"Yes, Please..." he said softly.

And he watched the beautiful, smiling but sad woman leave again.