Love in the Time of Corona | drabble series ✅

03

Annika came out of her room after a shower to find Shivaay putting on disposable gloves.

"I'm going to get grocery," He said in reply to her questioning look. "Do you need anything?"

Annika's eyes widened.

"Isn't it unsafe?" She asked, clearly nervous. It had been ten days since she had come to stay with Shivaay and since then, neither of them had gone out. Annika for her part was too scared to even step foot out of the door.

"I'm taking precautions," Shivaay shrugged, picking up his mask. "Besides, the departmental stores here are very hygienic. They sanitize all the products."

"Still," Annika persisted, "Why don't you just order grocery, like you've been doing all this while?"

"I wanted to hand-pick some fruits and vegetables," Shivaay said as he put on his shoes. Clearly, he wasn't very keen on explaining everything to Annika. Unfortunately for him, she wasn't the kind to back off this easily.

"Is it entirely necessary," Annika asked, "For you to "hand-pick" your fruits and vegetables in a time like this? It's not like they're delivering you rotten ones!"

"What is it to you, anyway?" Shivaay asked frowning. Obviously, someone like him couldn't be expected to answer the questions of a college-going girl. A girl he didn't even know properly.

"I just don't want you to come home with the virus," Annika deadpanned, "And infect me as well."

Shivaay mumbled something in answer while walking out, and Annika could only catch a bit of it. Mostly, words like "shouldn't have come to stay here, then."

As Shivaay closed the door behind him, Annika slumped down on the living room couch. She had an incredible urge to cry. Not only was she miles away from her parents in a stressful time such as this, but she was stuck with a guy who probably wouldn't bat an eye if she were to die.