An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

13| the love and the concern.

Sunday, November 10, 2019
9 am

Annika wakes up due to the disturbance of the sunrays and looks beside her, to see Shivaay sleeping with a frown on his head.

"Sote hue bhi gusse me rehte hain. Tadibaaaz." She says, and remember they fought last night. Then her sight goes to the wall clock.

"9 baj gaye?!?" She exclaims, but then realisation hits her, "yeh uthe kyu nahi hain abhi tak?"
"Actually," she rephrases herself, "yeh uthe kaise nahi hain abhi tak?"

"Shivaay," she calls him out, "Shivaay, uthiye!"
"Sone do na Annika," he says in his sleepy voice, and buries his head into the pillow.
"Shivaay 9 baj gaye hain!" She tells him.
"Haan toh? Aaj Sunday hai, problem kya hai?"
She shakes her head, and comes out of the room after getting ready, and sees OmRu in the kitchen.

"Good morning bhabhi," both of them say together.
"Good morning OmRu," "khana nahi bana rahe tum dono?"
"Bhabhi woh hum Shivaay ka wait kar rahe hain," Om tells her, "Aaya kyu nahi woh ab tak?"

"Pata nahi Om unhe kya hua hai aaj. Waise toh subah 5 baje suraj ki tarah uthke baith jaate hain, aaj 9 baje tak bhi nahin uthe," she says, while preparing his coffee. Om smiles at her.

"Bhabhi, aapki aur Shivaay ki toh ladai hui thi na kal raat?" He asks her.
"Haan. Maine inse kitni baar kaha hai ki itni der raat tak kaam mat kiya kijiye, sunte hi nahi hain!" She says with an annoyed face.

"Aur ab aap uske liye coffee bana rahi hain." He says with a smile.
She smiles back, looking at the coffee mug.
"Shayad isse hi shaadi kehte hain, haina?" She says, and they both smile, as she goes to give him his coffee.

She enters the room to see him still sleeping, with the duvet covering his face.
"Inhe kya hua hai aaj?" She asks herself, shocked, as she keeps the coffee mug on the bedside table and sits beside him, caressing his hair.

"Shivaay," she tries to wake him up, but withdrawing her hand instantly, as it touches his forehead, "Shivaay, aapko bukhaar hai!"

He opens his eyes with a jerk, but is unable to get up as his head is paining.

"Annika," he calls her out, but it is barely audible as it comes as a whisper.
"Shivaay," she helps him to sit properly, and he keeps his head on her shoulder.
"Shivaay aap bata sakte the na ki aapki tabiyat theek nahi hai? Kitna tez bukhaar hai aapko! Hatiye mai dawiayan leke aati hoon," she tries to get up, but he stops her.

"Annika," he says again, his voice still a whisper, "mai theek hoon."

"Woh toh dikh hi raha hai." She says sarcastically as he snuggles more into her.

"Kuch nahi hua hai mujhe Annika, mausam change hone ki wajah se cold hai bas. Theek ho jaunga, tum pareshaan mat ho."

"Nahi Shivaay. Aapki bilkul nahi chalegi. Pehle dawaiyaan lijiye, phir jo marzi kariyega."

"Nahi na Annika. Mujhe nahi leni koi dawaiyaan."

"Haye bhagwan! Yeh mai kya sun rahi hoon! Dawaiyon ke premi Mr. SSO dawaiyaan lene se mana kar rahe hain? Chamatkaar!" She says, still caressing his face.

He comes out of her embrace, as she gets up and takes out his treasure- I mean, medicine box.

"Yeh lijiye Shivaay," she says, pouring water into a glass, "yeh kha lijiye, mai aapke liye soup lekar aati hoon."

"Soup!" He exclaims, after taking the medicine, "Annika please. Aisa zulm mat karo tum mujhpar."

But too late, as Annika has already left.
He sighs, and lays down on the bed again.

A while later, Annika comes back with a bowl of cold water and a hand towel, to see Shivaay sleeping.
She smiles, and sits down beside him.
Dampening the towel, she puts it on his head, and he shivers feeling the cold sensation.

She soothes him by kissing his head, while he holds her hand and kisses it back.
After a while, she checks his head and sees that it is back to normal temperature.
She sees him sleeping, and smiles when OmRu enter with the soup.

"Ab kaise hain bhaiya?" Rudra asks her.

"Pehle se theek hain."  She says, and they hand her the soup and leave, both of them once looking at him and wishing him wellness.
She sees him opening his eyes, and helps him sit up.

"Ab kaisa lag raha hai, Shivaay?"
He mutters, "a lot better," and snuggles into her.

"Pata chal raha hai. Isliye kaha tha ki der raat tak ghar se bahar mat rahiye. Lag gayi na sardi?" He lays his head in her lap, and she starts caressing his hair,
"Annika," he says suddenly, stopping her from speaking any further, "relax. Mai theek hoon. Haan meri tabiyat kharab thi, lekin meri pyari biwi ne mujhe theek kar diya na? I feel so much better now."

She smiles at him.
"Ab tum mujhse naraz nahi ho na?"
He asks her with a cute face.
She smiles back, "nahi. Lekin sirf tab tak jab tak aapki tabiyat theek nahi ho jaati. Uske baad aapko mujhe acche se manana hoga," she says, and he smiles.

"Jab tak tum mere saath ho na Annika, mujhe dawaiyon ki bhi zarurat nahi hai. Tumhara pyaar hi kaafi hai mujhe theek karne ke liye." He says, looking at her, "I love you."

She smiles at him, and kisses his forehead, "I love you too."