Amidst the pandemonium created world-wide by Covid-19, Annika is stuck in Toronto, away from home. After her university asks all students to leave the dorms, Annika has nowhere to go, that is until her best friend in India suggests Annika move in wi...
It was hard to believe that despite being in the same city, Annika wasn't being able to meet her boyfriend for months on end. Although the number of cases were slowly declining, the danger was nowhere near being gone. And so, on the night of her birthday, Annika sat typing replies to wishes from friends with a sullen face. She had cut the cake with her family earlier and some of her friends had even joined in through a Zoom call, but her lovely boyfriend was yet to wish her. It had been exactly 33 minutes since the clock had struck 12 and yet, there was no call from Shivaay. Not even a text. Annika would have assumed he had forgotten if not for the fact that she had been talking about nothing but her lockdown birthday for the past few weeks. Sighing, Annika turned off the lights of her room. If Shivaay had fallen asleep before wishing her, Annika would make sure he would remember it for the rest of his life. But now, she needed to sleep off the sadness of not being wished by her boyfriend for her first birthday since their relationship.
She had just gotten into bed when there was a shuffling noise near her window. Groaning, Annika got up. There was a tree right beside her window and its leaves would sometimes brush against the glass panes to make a noise. Annika would have no option but to tear them off. Opening the window, she managed to grab something in the dark, but it sure didn't feel like a leaf.
"Ow," Someone yelled, and Annika gasped.
"Shivaay, is that you?"
"Well, yes," Shivaay replied. Annika couldn't make out how exactly Shivaay had managed to reach the window of her first-floor bedroom, but she could tell he clearly wasn't comfortable. "Can I come in?"
Opening the window further, Annika quickly let him in. He rested his hands on his knees, catching his breath for a while. Straightening, he threw a full-blown smile at Annika.
"Happy birthday, baby," He said, taking Annika into a tight hug before she could protest. Well, she wasn't going to protest. She hugged him back tighter, refusing to let go. Shivaay heard her sniffle after a while. Pulling away, he cupped her face.
"Hey, what's wrong, love?" His voice was full of worry. Annika rubbed her eyes and gave him a smile.
"I just can't believe you're here," She said, running her palms on his face. His beard was bushy and hair longer than when she had last seen him. Leaning up, she pressed her mouth against his in an urgent kiss. He wasn't wearing a mask and Annika couldn't be bothered about that right now. It was her birthday, the pandemic be damned.
"Not gonna ask me to stay 6 feet away?" Shivaay asked against her lips.
"No. Fuck social distancing. I missed you," Annika complained, placing kisses all over his face. Shivaay laughed and pulled her into a hug again.
"I missed you too. Happy birthday." He caressed her back and placed kisses on her hair. "Sorry I couldn't wish you exactly at 12, but I wanted to wait till your lights were off." Annika only tightened the hug in response.
"Should I even ask how you managed to reach my room?"
Shivaay laughed. "Well, let's just say you should consider firing your security guard. It's very easy to bribe him. And also very easy to use his ladder while he holds it from the bottom."
"Oh God," Annika groaned against his chest. "I keep telling dad, but Ramu kaka has been around since dad was a kid, so."
"By the way, is your door locked?" Shivaay asked. "I don't want your dad to walk in on us. He hates me as it is, imagine him finding me in your room in the middle of the night, and in the middle of a pandemic." Annika chuckled hearing his nervous tone.
"He doesn't hate you. But yes, the door is locked."
They stood like that for a while, relishing in the feeling of being in each other's arms again, before Shivaay spoke up.
"Oh, before I forget, I got you a gift," He took something out of his pant pocket. It was a beautiful sunflower pendant with a diamond in the middle and a silver chain attached to it. Annika gasped.
"This is lovely," Annika said. Shivaay carefully tied it around her neck.
"Now it looks lovelier," He remarked. Annika gave him a grateful kiss. She was about to pull back but Shivaay didn't let her.
"I need to leave soon, before anyone finds out about this," He whispered urgently. "Let me kiss you for a while longer."
Annika let him do as he pleased. After all, who was she to complain?
––
Pucho zara iss dil se Hum hain mile mushkil se Kal phir na ho hum jo yahaan
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Only epilogue is left! I'll miss writing this story 🤧
