An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

34| heart and heartbeat.

"Haan Shivaay. Aap pareshaan mat hoiye, mai lene jaa rahi hu usse."

"Dhyaan se jaana Annika, please aur raaste me kahin rukna mat. Seedha ghar waapas aana."

"Shivaay aap faltu me pareshaan ho rahe hain. Maine kaha na, kuch nahi hoga humein. Hum seedha ghar hi jaayenge. Aapka driver hai mere saath."

Annika was currently on call with Shivaay, as she was on her way to school to pick up Shivika. Shivaay was being different since the morning today, telling Annika to be extra careful about everything.

In the morning, he had told her, "mujhe ek bahut ajeeb si feeling aa rahi hai, jaise kuch bura hone wala ho. Please apna aur Shivika ka khayal rakhna."

And Annika knew he wouldn't say it just like that, but still. He did not need to call every 5 minutes to check if they were okay.

Now, as she reached Shivika's school, she stepped out of the car to a large crowd of children, all of them rushing out to meet their parents.

Amongst this crowd after running her eyes around, she finally spotted the blue-eyed cutie, herself looking for her.
And as their eyes meet each other, Shivika comes running and into her mother's arms - with a full-blown smile on her face.

And as they are walking back to their car after this meeting, with Annika asking Shivika how her day went, Shivika tells her all about how her day at school was, the fun she had, everything.

They both are settled into the car, still talking, when the driver starts driving. It is only after 15 minutes when the car comes to an abrupt halt that Annika looks up from talking to Shivika.

"Yeh..hum- kahan hain?" She asks, probably to herself, before turning to the driver.
The driver presses a button and gets out of the car, and before anyone can react, a weird-smelling smoke engulfs both Annika and Shivika, knocking them unconscious.

Talk of the driver, who has a smirk on his face, as he takes off his fake moustache and the white driver's cap to reveal,

Veer Pratap Chauhan.

He looks at the unconscious figures in the car with a smirk, before bringing out his phone and calling someone.

"Kaam ho gaya." He says, the smirk not leaving his face, "Laa raha hoon unn dono ko. Aage ka tum sambhal lena." He says, and disconnecting the call, goes back into the car after the effect of the smoke has subsided.

After another drive of around half an hour, he reaches the place where his partner is waiting for him. He gets out of the car, and comes face to face with her.

"Ab humara kaam aur aasan ho gaya hai," She tells him, "Annika aur Shivika. Shivaay ki sabse badi kamzori hain yeh dono. Jab tak yeh humare paas hain, hum Shivaay se kuch bhi kara sakte hain. Usse barbaad karne ka humara mission ab aur aasan ho gaya hai," she says, and looks at him with a smirk.

"Sahi kaha tumne, Svetlana. Shivaay ko lagta raha ki Kalyani Mill ka chapter khatam ho chuka hai. Lekin usse nahi pata ki jab tak hum dono zinda hain tab tak yeh kabhi nahi ho sakta,"

"Chalo Veer. Tum iss Annika ke saath yahan raho, mai Shivika ko le kar jaati hoon. Dono alag alag jagah honge toh Shivaay ki attention diverted rahegi. Humare liye aur bhi accha hoga," She says, and as Veer nods at her, she leaves.

Veer carries an unconscious Annika into his arms and takes her into a nearby building. Inside, there is a large room, which was probably owned by Veer, given that it was full of Annika's pictures.