An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

11| a (not so) happy ending.

Listen to the song above and try and relate to the story!
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"Annika!" Shivaay screams, as he runs at the fastest possible speed to- you can say, recreate history, and ends up standing in front of her just in time before the bullet, being fired by one of their enemies, hits her- following which the bullet hits him right at the heart and he collapses, not before making sure Annika was okay.

"Shivaay!" Annika sits beside his motionless figure, with tears in her eyes, "aankhein kholiye Shivaay. Kuch nahi hua hai aapko. Jaldi uth jaiye, aap bilkul theek hain. phir hamara dinner date ka plan bhi toh hai na, chaliye chalte hain."
OmRu are looking at her with tears freely flowing down their faces too as they sit beside her, when Rudra holds her by her shoulders and makes her face him.

"Bhabhi." She faces him, "hume hospital chalna hoga. Ambulance aa gayi hai."
Annika doesn't react, but gets up with an expressionless face to move with OmRu and Shivaay to the hospital.

Annika is crying frantically as he is transferred onto a stretcher and taken to the emergency ward for examination.

As he is taken inside, she collapses on the floor with a thud, OmRu coming down beside her.

Om caresses her hair, trying to be her support in Shivaay's absence, even as the tears don't stop, "ek baar phir. Ek baar phir Shivaay ne mujhe bachane ke liye apni jaan khatre me daali. Kyu karte hain woh aisa? Goli mujhe lagne dete na! Unhe yaad kyu nahi rehta ki unki heart condition hai?
Ab pata nahi unhe kya hojaye, mujhe bachane ke liye har baar apni jaan khatre me daalte hain, yeh bhi nahi sochte ki uske baad unhe kuch ho gaya toh hamara kya hoga!" At this point, she is almost breathless from crying, and OmRu, though in a similar condition, are trying to console her.

At this moment, the doctor comes out, and Om walks ahead to him, Annika following.

"Doctor.." Om extends, provoking him to continue.
"Condition critical hai. Bullet nikal di hai, but usne heart ki main artery ko pierce kar diya hai. Maximum chances are, he will need a heart transplant."
Annika looks at the doctor in shock.
"H-heart transplant?" She stutters, unable to believe what she just heard.

"Haan. Bullet ki wajah se heart acche se function nahi karega, especially because inki heart condition bhi hai."
"Hum transplant ke liye heart taiyaar karte hain."
Saying this, the doctor leaves.

Annika stares at his retreating figure in shock, unable to figure out what would happen next.

The three of them are still sitting together praying for a miracle for the transplant when the Doctor re-enters.

Annika walks upto him.
"Doctor? Kya hua? Sab theek hai?"

"Ek problem hai." The doctor says, and takes their full attention.
"Jitne bhi deceased patients ke hearts transplant ke liye fit hai, unme se kisi ka bhi blood group Mr. Oberoi ke blood group se match nahi karta."
"Aise me hum woh heart transplant nahi kar sakte."

Annika looks at him in shock.
"Aur...aur agar transplant nahi hua toh?"

"Agar transplant nahi hua toh unki jaan ja sakti hai." The doctor says, looking directly at her, as she stares back at him leaving the three of them alone.

Annika sits down again.
"Aisa nahi ho sakta. Shivaay ko kuch nahi ho sakta." Her tears are back again, "aise kaise koi heart transplant nahi ho sakta, haan? Koi toh tareeka hoga unki jaan bachane ka!"
Rudra, who is also crying frantically, sits beside her.
"Bhabhi, kuch nahi hoga bhaiya ko. Hum koi na koi tareeka nikal lenge. Aap dekhna, bhaiya bilkul theek ho jayenge."
"Haan bhabhi," Om sits beside them, "aapko pata hai na Shivaay kaun hai? He's the Great Wall of Shivaay Singh Oberoi. Iss ghar ki deewar hai woh. Aur jab tak uss deewar ki neev, yaani ki aap, mazboot hai, tab tak deewar kaise gir sakti hai?"
"Bhabhi aapko strong rehna hoga. Shivaay ke liye. Usse pata chala ki aapki aisi haalat thi toh woh kya sochega?"