Once visitors were allowed in, one by one each family member had come to see Gauri and she felt overwhelmed with the amount of care she received from everyone. But having so many family members also brought in equal amount of scolding. No one had spared her and this time even Omkara didn’t do anything to save her.
“Ri!” Gauri looked up to the door to find Anika coming in with a huge smile on her face. “Shivaay said we could have a small bff moment before he came. By the way, tell me, how are you?”
“I’m great! How are you?” Gauri asked finally relieved that Anika wouldn’t scold her.
“I’m great! I was really busy planning an event you see.” She replied dramatically.
“What event is it? Is it a marriage?” Gauri asked excited, failing to notice the sarcasm in Anika’s words.
“No, your funeral.” She replied with a tight lipped smile that drained the excitement out of Gauri’s face. Now, she was sure that her dear friend too had come here to give her an earful. “You remember how we used to plan for it? I used to say I will bring you white roses when I come for your funeral and remember how we had also planned the menu? I was just checking if it was all ready.”
Gauri smiled nervously at the memory. “You were so sure I would die?”
“Yeah, either by the bullet or from my hands.” She replied with a smile that was filled with anger directed towards Gauri.
“Anika…see….I’m still in this condition…You shouldn’t…scold me now…” Gauri pleaded.
“Once you become fit and fine, I’m gonna give you nice for this Khatron Ki Khiladi wala stunt of yours!” She said with a huge smile that only reminded Gauri of the wicked smile those evil Step mothers had in Disney princess movies.
Gauri smiled nervously at her friend, “Anika, you too Brutus…?”
“What you too Brutus? Do you have any idea what we all were going through?” She asked, her calm demeanor completely disappearing. “Omkara had gone insane in guilt! He couldn’t stop blaming himself, he refused to have food until you woke up and what not! You have any idea how hard it was for us to convince him to have a little food? Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to watch you in this condition? Any idea how Shivaay had also broken down? Any idea how your whole family was in stress? Any idea on how we managed? Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to keep my faith strong and not let anyone else’s break!”
“I’m sorry…”
“Gauri I swear, if this happens again I will come and give you a tight slap without even caring that you are in the OT! I won’t give a damn to the doctors operating on you!” Anika said glaring at her. And Gauri knew better than to argue. If she said it, then it meant there was no stopping Anika. She wouldn’t be surprised if the doctors moved aside for Anika to slap her. Such was her anger after all.
“Thank you for taking care of them.” Gauri replied gratefully and that seemed to have changed Anika’s focus. Gauri knew this whole situation would’ve affected Shivaay a lot because he had lost his sister once.
“He is my husband.” Anika replied shaking her head. “And Omkara is my brother too. But sometimes, it seems like he is my younger brother despite the fact that he is elder than me! ”
“That’s so true! He behaves like a kid!” Gauri agreed as they shared a laugh.
“Can I come in if your bff moment got over?” Shivaay asked standing outside a half opened door.
“Come in,” Anika said with a smile.
“Bhaiya!” Gauri called him. “Thank you.” She said, remembering that he was the one who donated blood to her.
“Why?” Shivaay asked confused while Anika just smiled.
“For donating your blood Shivaay!” Anika said shaking her head in disappointment.
Shivaay nodded his head slowly in understanding, then turned to face face Gauri with a tight lipped smile. “Well surprise, now you’re my sister by blood too since my blood runs in your veins.”
Gauri smiled gently while Anika rolled her eyes at her husband’s dramatic dialogue.
“I always wanted to say something like that to someone, feels good after saying it!” He exclaimed. Then turning serious again, he turned his attention back to Gauri. “So, what were you thinking? Huh? That you can get away easily just because I donated blood to you?”
Gauri smiled nervously understanding well that even Shivaay wasn’t going to spare her, “I wasn’t exactly thinking, bhaiya.”
“Ah right, how did I forget that thinking is not something you do. Gauri I almost died again when I saw you…” Shivaay said as his voice broke.
“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to worry all of you. Omkara was at risk…”
“I don’t want to loose my sister twice, Gauri.” Shivaay said looking into her eyes. “I know what you did, you did because of your love for him but please take care of yourself. Please…”
“Thank you bhaiya.” Gauri replied gratefully with a smile. Atleast he understood easily.
“Your love for your husband doesn’t give you a green card to do anything and everything.” Shivaay said annoyed at her careless behaiviour. The smile on her face dropped immediately as she realised there was no escape from him either. “You are….”
On and on he went for a long time until Gauri lost her patience and exclaimed, “You both husband and wife are here to eat my brain!”
“Oh hello, you don’t talk ok?” Anika said waving her hand in the air, “Should’ve remembered we were Zombies before you jumped in and did your stunt. And let me tell you your husband is no less, he despite being a human was eating our brains, although it is us who are Zombies!”
“But-”
“We have to take revenge from him. So we will eat your brain. And if you talk anymore, I’ll become a naagin and bite you to shut your mouth!” Anika cut her off.
“How can you be a naagin and a Zombie at the same time?” Shivaay asked in confusion, unable to follow their conversation just like he couldn’t every time. Best friends always had their own language that a third person could never understand.
“Shivaay, here I am defending your actions, and you are questioning me?” She asked in disbelief.
“I wasn’t questioning your actions, I was just raising my doubt.”
“This is your doubt?” Anika asked baffled, “Did you donate your brain cells as well when you went in for donating blood to her?”
“Are you saying that I’m stupid?” He asked her in disbelief. He had only asked a small doubt, now what could he do if both the friends talked in a language of their own which only they could comprehend and not anyone who only listened?
“I’m not saying anything, what is there to say in it? It’s a fact, that you are stupid. And so is your dear sister!”
“So I must be really stupid that I chose you right?” He asked sarcastically.
“How dare you?” She gaped at him, “You mean to say you made a mistake?”
“You said I’m stupid, I didn’t!” He shrugged.
“Shivaay-”
“And how is it that she’s my sister when it comes to things like this and other times she’s your best friend?” Shivaay asked cutting her off.
“I didn’t expect this from you Shivaay, you think marrying me was a mistake?” She asked not wanting to leave that point.
“You were the one who called me stupid I never said I was stupid, so you’re the one who believes that every decision I’ve made in life was a stupid decision thanks to my stupidity, and my life decisions also include choosing you so yeah that’s it.”
“Wait wait, what do you mean?” Anika asked loosing track of his ramble.
“You’re asking me what I mean after all that stuff you said? You called me stupid, you must know then what makes me stupid!”
“Stop it both of you!” Gauri exclaimed having enough, “Chup! Ek aur shabd nahi! Kahin bhi shuru ho jaate ho. Shaadi hoke 2 saal ho gaye, bache hone ka time ho gaya lekin phir bhi bacho ki tarah ladte rehte hain dono! Hospital wale aake phek denge aap dono ko bahar aur agar woh nahi aaye, toh main bulaungi!”
Anika and Shivaay exchanged a few glares at eachother and then crossed their arms across their chest at the same time. Gauri looked between them and rolled her eyes watching them throw attitude at eachother just like they did every time, since their first meet. They were never going to change!
To be continued…
Hey everyone! How was the chapter? Liked Shivika? Also, this is the second last chapter of this story. This book will be done with another chapter and an epilogue.
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe!