It was too late - A Shivika ff

Chapter 13

Hey everyone! Thanks for your love and support for the book. I think Shivika fandom is not as ferocious as it used to be owing to the ending of the show almost a year back. Can't blame anyone, but would have surely liked to see activity in the fandom when it was at peak.

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About an hour later, a commotion caused Rudra to open his eyes. He realized that he had fallen asleep with his hands crossed and head against the wall. And can you blame the miserable fellow, who just saw his family shattering, his great wall crumbling and the burden falling on his shoulders. Although he should have recognized his responsibility a few years back, but why would he leave the protective shadow of his bhaiya who had always treated him as his baby? 

As he rubbed his eyes and looked around, he found a nurse standing in front of him, probably the one who tried to wake him up. A ward boy came out from Shivaay's ward and told the nurse that they may have to call Dr. Mathur. Rudra quickly got up and ask him what happened. The ward boy took him inside Shivaay's ward and what the youngest of the three brothers saw, broke his heart into tiny but sharp pieces. 

Shivaay's eyes were closed but he was extremely restless. Shivering, shaking and shouting Anika's name, as if taking her name like a chant will help him fight all the problems he was facing, as if she would come, place her hand on his heart and calm his racing heart, as if she would hug him and assure her presence by him, as if instead of him Anika would make everything fine. He was so aggressive that it required two ward boys to hold him in place else the needles in his arms would twist and cause him immense physical injury. If any stranger would have seen him in his situation, Rudra could have bet they would think that Shivaay was a crack addict who was getting a seizure during his rehab. But Rudra was no stranger, he was his very own dumb brother. Dumb enough to be ignorant of the world, but not dumb to know what was going inside his brother's mind and heart. Rudra knew what Shivaay was feeling - someone was holding him back while he was trying to run to Anika as she slowly slipped away into eye-blinding light. 

Rudra quickly rushed to him, cupped his face and tried to shake him out of his state. He was continuously shouting," Bhaiya utho."

This continued for a few seconds before Shivaay finally snapped his eyes open and looked around. He stopped shaking and started breathing heavily like when you wake up from a bad dream. He was calming down. Making sense of Rudra's hands on his face, he looked at him only to see his childish face sweating profusely and covered in tear marks. 

Rudra was elated to some extent when he saw his bhaiya open his eyes. He wiped his own eyes and hugged Shivaay. 
Shivaay," Rudy, Ani..Anika?"

Rudra had no clue what to say. If he would have said how Anika really was, Shivaay would go into a frenzy. So he did what Anika would have done. 
Rudra," Bhaiya, Bhabhi theekh hai. Doctor ne bola ki unko subah tak hosh aa jaayega."

Shivaay just nodded, but his lips turned slightly upwards. There was a small glimmer in his eyes. He had visibly relaxed. He thought no one would notice that because he himself didn't know that these changes took place in him when he heard about Anika's well being. But nothing gets past Rudy, literally nothing when it comes to the effect these two stubborn people have on each other. 
Rudy," Bhaiya, aap so jaao, hum kal subah baat karte hai."

Shivaay nodded again and closed his eyes. Within seconds he was asleep, but that smile, that damned smile which came from his knowledge that his Anika was fine, lingered on his face and showed no signs of fading away. This time Rudra did not go back outside. Fearing another emotional nightmare, he held Shivaay's hand like a father holds his child's, and sat down on the tool beside the bed. 

The ward boys agreed to let him sit inside and went to call the nurse. She came in, injected Shivaay with a sleeping medicine, checked his vitals and decided that Dr. Mathur need not be called in. She asked Rudy if he wanted her to get him a blanket for the couch. Rudra refused and put his head down on Shivaay's bed, careful not to crush their intertwined hands. His tears would not stop, as he thought how terrible it was to see his bhaiya yearning for probably the only thing he asked for in his life. Rudra recalled what Dadi used to say about every  problem just being a phase. He tried to calm himself by repeating that this was all just a phase. It would soon be over. They would be heading back home with his bhaiya and bhabhi, all laughing and cheering. He did not realize again that while trying to keep a positive mindset he had fallen asleep, sitting beside Shivaay and holding his hand very, very protectively. 
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I'm sorry guys for the late update and the chapter being kind of a filler. The dreadful news from all over the world is hindering my capability to think anymore and all I can do is to pray for this pandemic to stop spreading its clutches. 
A request to everyone, please follow medical protocol, stay inside your homes and please be obedient to the measures prescribed by the State and the Central Govts. They are working for our safety and we can prevent India from meeting the likewise fate of European countries. 

Until next time,
<3