Once Upon a University Campus

To love and to be loved

Despite Om's insistence on staying back, Shivaay ensured that Om returned home that night to get some well deserved rest. Even as Om promised to be back early the following morning, Shivaay instructed him to bring along some Dhalia and fresh fruit juices. Om gave Annika a warm smile before happily hugging his brother. As he stepped out of the room, he held the door ajar, and peeped back with a grin on his face.

"Ishq ka haaq hai un par

Jinko ishq tak par yakeen nahi

Dil to apni marzi ki hai

Kisi aur ki sunti tak nahi "

(Love rules even those

That do not believe in it.

Heart is its own master,

won't heed to anyone else)

Annika blushed as she slowly comprehended the meaning of those couplets. Shivaay sat on a chair next to her bed. The creak of the door that Om closed behind him was the only sound that was heard for a while. It must have been their awareness of what they meant to each other after the recent event. Silence that was brought about by contentment, that they had each other now and nothing else mattered. Her left hand was bandaged and still hurt when she noticed that her bracelet was missing. She said nothing, just lifted her bandaged hand for a closer examination lest it be stuck in the folds of the bandage and looked back at Shivaay aghast that the muggers had made away with her precious bracelet..

"Don't worry Annika, you bracelet is safe, The nurse removed all your Jewelry when we got you here." Shivaay said reassuringly, his hand on his chest.

It was then that she saw a crepe bandage on his left hand, something that was not obviously earlier. He must have wrapped it after he had finished feeding her. She pointed out it him.

"Ah! This.. Its nothing. Just Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, just an occupational hazard, side effects of spending long hours on the computer. Not a big deal" He tried to underplay it.

A frail Annika buried in the inclined puffy mattress gave him an all knowing smile.

Shivaay was now familiar with that smile.

"What now?' He asked though he knew, she knew.

She just beamed that all knowing smile again.

"Damn! I cannot even ask you spill it out now that you are in this condition." Shivaay banged his fist on his armrest out of habit and howled in pain for a brief second beforing recovering his composure.

"I know Shivaay...." Annika remarked, as if she was waiting for the right moment to speak. "You are bad at hiding"

Shivaay looked away for a few minutes. "Good. now don't expect any explanations." He replied curtly.

"I sought no explanations Billuji.." Annika replied.

"And ..and don't call me that." Shivaay sulked unsure of how to proceed given their new equation.

"Aww...is someone sulking?." Annika smiled and continued "But Shivaay, on a serious note, what are you doing to yourself? You always worried that Om would hurt himself, but how about you? You are doing the very same. If you don't want Om to hurt himself, should you want the same for yourself as well right? Practice what you preach? We are no longer tantrum throwing toddlers" Annika tried to reason with him.

Shivaay got defensive. "But.. but you don't know Annika.. It was a difficult circumstance."

"What ever be the circumstance Shivaay, you hurting yourself is not justified." Annika paused "I do not like it one bit" her voice trailed as she lowered her gaze out of a hesitation venturing in a newly defined shared personal space. Sure they had professed their feelings for each others, but the boundaries of what they could say to each other, what they expected out of each other was still very much in the works.