An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

06| little bundle of joy.

"Shivaay, you can't just leave a meeting like that!"
"Annika, but I can't leave your side either. You are much more important to me than any stupid deal, okay? Understand that forever now,"
Annika sighs. "Okay fine."

Annika in in the 9th and final month of her pregnancy, and Shivaay refuses to leave her side even for a second because she may be needed to be taken to the hospital anytime now.

She has always been adamant about how Shivaay shouldn't skip work because of her, but as they say, Shivaay Singh Oberoi ke saamne kissi ki nahi chalti.
And so, she decides to just lay down and sleep- because in Shivaay's presence, she literally can't do anything else at this stage.

But that is only until she starts feeling pain in her lower abdomen.
She understands what it means.
"Shivaay!" She winces in pain, to call him out, even though he is only sitting on the couch.
"Annika? What happened?"
"Shivaay, I think I-" she stops, as he picks her up in his arms, and takes her to his car, indicating Om on the way to follow him.
Om and Gauri are alongside Shivika in the car that is being taken to the hospital.
Om is driving, as Shivaay and Gauri sit on the back seat with Annika- who's screaming in pain by now.
Shivaay, who has tears in his eyes, can only caress her hair. He cannot give her more pain when she's already suffering- he cannot let her know that he's breaking down seeing her like this.
"Shivaay- sab theek hoga na?" Annika asks him amidst her cries, and he can only nod his head vigorously, "Ofcourse Annika, kuch nahi hoga tum dono ko," he says in his weary voice.
"Om, jaldi chalo," is all he can say in his cracked voice, which was probably barely audible to Om because of Annika's cries.
Annika is almost unconscious as he keeps on saying sweet things in her ear, controlling himself.

They reach the hospital and Shivaay rushes with her into the operation theatre as guided by her doctor.
She enters, and tells him to leave.
"But doctor, can't I stay here? I can't leave Annika in this condition," he whines in front of her, in the same voice as before.
"Mr. Oberoi, try to understand. Nothing will happen to her. They will be okay," she says, and Shivaay, through still not satisfied, has to leave.
He sits outside the operation theatre with Gauri, and Om, and Rudra who has just arrived with the family, sit beside him on their knees. They too, cannot see him like this.
"Shivaay, tu kyu ro raha hai? Your little bundle of joy is just sometime away from us. You should welcome happily," Om says, even though he himself is emotional.
"Om, main Annika ko iss halat mein nahi dekh sakta," he says, wiping his tears, "mujhe hamesha se pata tha ki women are strong but the pain they tolerate during this time is just- I'm- I don't know what to say. I can't see her like this, agar usse kuch ho gaya, toh?"
"Bhaiya," Rudra wipes his tears again, "aapko pata hai na, bhabhi the khidkitod Annika hain. Unhe kuch nahi hoga. Aap dekh lena," he wipes his own tears now, "andar woh aapko ek dum perfect, hamare Ansh ya Shivika ke saath milengi."
Shivaay smiles lightly at him.
After a long 5-hour wait, the doctor comes out to Shivaay, who still has a stream of tears falling from his eyes, in deep thoughts, with Rudra and Gauri sleeping on his shoulders.
"Mr. Oberoi," she says, grabbing his attention, while Shivaay looks up at her. She has a serious look on her face.
"Doctor, what happened? Is- is Annika okay? Are they fine?" He asks her in a trembling voice that speaks of fear.
The doctor sighs deeply, making him even more tensed, before saying,
"Congratulations, Mr. Oberoi. Its a girl." Then she smiles at him and leaves.
Shivaay looks at her retreating figure, a smile finally appearing on his face.
The doctor comes back to him, "both of them are perfectly fine. She is being shifted to the VIP ward." And leaves again.
Then OmRu come to hug him, a bone-crushing hug at that.
"Congratulations, Shivaay," Om says, "and thank you."
He smiles at them, before going round to the VIP ward to see Annika.
He reaches there to see both his lifelines sleeping peacefully.
He goes to them, and kisses their forehead.
"Bilkul Annika jaisi dikhti hai," he says, smiling to himself, "my mini khidkitod."
Annika wakes up in that instant.
"Shivaay," she says slowly.
"Annika, yeh dekho," he looks towards their little bundle of joy.
"Haan Shivaay, aapki princess," she smiles at him, and picks her up in her arms.
"Hamari princess," He corrects her, making her smile.
The baby opens her eyes feeling the mother's touch.
"Shivaay!" Annika screams lightly, taking his attention, "kanji aakhein!"
They both look at her with a smile.
"Wow," Shivaay exclaims, excited.
"Kya naam rakhne ka socha hai?" OmRu say in unison, entering the room.
Annika smiles at her, before saying, "Mere Rudy ki choice ko hum kaise mana karein?" Shivaay smiles at her,
"Shivika. Shivika Singh Oberoi."
All four of them smile at it.
Om comes ahead and picks her in his arms, as she smiles lightly.
"Mai isse bahar le ja raha hoon sabse milane," Shivaay nods at that, and OmRu leave.
Then he sits beside Annika.
She wipes his tears, "bas kijiye na, kab se roye jaa rahe hain. Ab toh sab theek hai!" She says, smiling at him, and setting his disheveled hair.
He takes her hand in his, and kisses her fingers.
"Tumhe idea bhi nahi hai ki pichle kuch time me mai kitni baar mara hoon."
She tries to stop him, but he continues.
"Tumhe zara si bhi chot aaye toh meri jaan nikal jaati hai, tum jaanti ho na yeh? Aur yahan tum- for the past 5 hours- tum itne time se itne dard me thi aur me kuch kar bhi nahi sakta tha,"
He had thought about this a lot in these five hours, with the fear of losing Annika or Shivika never leaving his heart.
Annika smiles at him, tears forming in her eyes. A gentleman.
"You know? Yeh bahut zyada philosophical and out of context sound karega but in these 5 hours I realised ki iss duniya me na, auraton se zyada powerful aur strong koi nahi hota. Log itna kuch karte hain for energy and strength but jo physical and mental strength women me hoti hai woh aur kissi me nahi ho sakti,"
"Yeh jaante hue ki tum sabko iss time par itna dar sehna padta hai - equal to all bones breaking at the same time - men can literally never. Phir bhi hum tumhe weak and incapable bulate hain, I'm so surprised aisa kyu hai," he says to her.
She hugs him.
"Aap bahut aache hain," she says, now breaking the hug, "aapki baatein sunkar mujhe pata chal gaya hai ki aap apni- hamari princess ke liye kitne aache papa banenge. Protective, caring, uski saari wishes puri karenge, aur haan, usse kabhi yeh feel nahi hone denge ki woh kisi se kam hai."
He smiles at her.
"Aur jahan tak baat is dard ki hai, iss dard ko sehne se mujhe jo khushi mili hai, uske saamne yeh dard kuch bhi nahi hai," she says, smiling at him.
"I love you."
"Jaanti hoon. I love you too."
"Jaanta hoon."
And they both hug again.