-back so soon?! I know I’m so much sweeter these days
-2.5k OK ?! this is literally the longest!
-Comment sweet hearts I’ll love it ya know it
-I cried writing this part it felt so good omg. All the best
-enjoy 🙂
“Arey yeh ho kya rha hai koi btaega mujhe?!!” dadi yelled in the dark as everyone stood in a completely blacked out Obeoi mansion.
[Ok what is happening?! Can someone please explain!]
Switching the flashlight of his smart phone on Om complied, “phase udd gya hga, ya overload bhi ho skta hai mai check krke aata hun” he mumbled as he saw some 10 plus missed calls from Shivaay flashing on the screen of his phone. Deciding to handle the matter at hand he overlooked the calls and messages and ran to get to the bottom of the whole blackout situation.
[Something must be up with the phase, or it must’ve overloaded or something, let me check]
“Mai bhi chalta hun, O ruk” Rudra followed him.
[Wait up, I’ll come along]
A few minutes later light returned to all its glory and everyone squinted as their eyes got accustomed to the sudden brightness. Om and Rudra came running back, making sure everyone was ok, “Yup overload ho gya tha unlog generator change hi kr rhe they. It won’t happen again.”
[Yup, like i said, it got overloaded, they were just changing the generators, Its all done now]
Everyone sighed in relief and overcoming the slight disruption Dadi started ordering everyone back to work. Om, Rudra, Saumya, Priyanka and even the elders busied themselves in whatever Dadi ordered them to do. Hardly a minute had gone by since the light had come back when everyone started realising the absence of both Annika and Shivaay.
Dadi was the first to speak out, “Arey yeh Annika kahan reh gyi itne kaam dekhne ko hai upar se muhrat nikla jaa rha hai”
[Where is Annika anyway? There’s so much left to do! We have to perdorm the ceremony at the auspicious time after all]
At the same moment Pinky realised she hadn’t seen her beloved son for over an hour, “Arey mummyji voh chodiye aapne Shivaay ko kahin dekha kya? Maine use ek- aadhe ghante se nahi dekha hai.”
[By the ways mummyji, have you seen Shivaay even he has been missing for the past hour or so]
Catching on Rudra spoke, “ Matlab Annika did aur Shivaay bhaiya dono same time se nahi dikhre? Huh ? kya ho kya rha hai? Nahi Om?” He was smirking and looked over at Om to find him staring at his phone, “Are O you’re missing out yahan dhyaan do na kya chal rha hai”
[Are you guys trying to say that BOTH ANnika didi and Shivaay bhaiya are missing. At the same moment and for the Same amount of time?!! Like what is up? Don’t you think so too O?]
[O! You are missing out! Like focus here please, a lot of stuff’s happeneing!!]
Om looked up a little pale faced, “Shivaay…aur Annika..”
“haan wahi toh bolra hun mai ki Shivaay bhaiya aur Annika did-” Rudra’s sentence got cut off as Om ran towards the kitchen. Surprised he called Om out before chasing after him.
[Yeah.. thats what i have been saying, Shivaay bhaiya and Annika did-]
A little weird-ed out everyone too inquired after Om and followed him to the kitchen. Reaching the kitchen they found him frantically removing these large boxes. A concerned Soumya inquired, “ Bade baal wale bhaiya aap kar kya rahe ho?!” Priyanka nodded along genuinely tensed.
[Bade baal wale bhaiya what are you upto?]
“Om..tu kr kya rha hai?” Pinky and even Dadi stood a few steps behind as they watched Om work.
[Om seriously what are you even doing?]
“Rudra khada kya hai meri madad kr iss sab ko hatane mein” He said pointing to the boxes.
[Rudra make yourself useful can? Help me move these]
“huh?..” a confused Rudra stood still in his place for a few moments and then deciding to blindly trust his brother started imitating him, “haan ok hatata hun”
[yes..ok let me move them]
All the ladies stood a little baffled by the two brothers. “Puttarr log tum log kar kya rahe ho?” Dadi voiced her concern.
[what are both of you doing? What is happening?]
Finally removing the last heavy box out of the way they freed the pantry door open and pulled it open. The scene inside was too much of a shock for their eyes. Poor Om and Rudra stood with their jaws down to the floor and eyes opened so wide they were the size of saucers. Confused by their expressions everyone walked towards the pantry entrance and variations of – squeal, gasp, horrified sounds came out as reactions.
There in that dingy little room stood Shivaay Singh Oberoi holding Annika in his arms as if she contained a piece of his existence. The way he held her, so tightly, so closely, it was as if he was trying to protect her from something. There was an entire story being written in that one hug. It wasn’t just a hug…it definitely didn’t look like a very casual form of greeting someone. The two were entwined in each other. They were grasping each other as if they were the only two living beings left on the planet. They were grabbing each other like they were each others hope. Her face was nestled in his neck and her fingers were crumpling the back of his coat causing creases in his otherwise spotless, stark ironed coat. His hands were fixated on her waist and her back, one held her closely and the other was kinda wrapped around protectively. His chin was rested upon the top of her head and both of them were lost in each other, so lost that the fact that they had gained a very shocked audience was lost on them. All two pairs of eyes in that room were tightly closed shut, and every other pair of eyes outside watching them was so wide open some were dangerously close to popping out of their respective sockets.
—
“ni ni ni ni ni!!” Annika frantically pushed Shivaay aside and tried pushing the door open, “Koi hai!!! Hello?! BACHAO! BACHAO!” she screamed while banging on the door.
[no no no no no!!]
[Is anyone there!! Hello? HELP?! HELP!]
“Are you out of your mind?” a much calmer Shivaay held her back, “ Dont .. just..shhh thda shaant hogi tum?” He looked at her in a little amused manner.
[Dont..just..sshh can you quiet down a bit please]
“Hum yahan itni chotti room mein band hai, hawa pani ka koi thikana nahi hai aur aap mujhe shaant hone bolre hain? Aap sahi mein pagal ho gye hain!”
[We are trapped in this tiny room with hardly any ventilation or water and you are asking me to quiet down?! Are you literally out of your mind?]
“Will you calm down?! Mai Dadi ko try krta hun voh aas paas hi hongi” Shivaay said logically and pulling out his phone tried dadi.
[Will you calm down?! Im tring to contact Dadi on her phone she must be around here somewhere]
The sound of some bhajan {spiritual song} filled the room and Shivaay gave the dirtiest “Im so done with this girl” look to Annika. Realising that she had been carrying Dadi’s phone all day Annika pulled out the phone from the back pocket of her jeans and gave a very sorry look to Shivaay.
“Typical” Shivaay murmured and taking the phone from her hands tried contacting Om now as Annika looked at him earnestly.
After 12-13 consecutive failed attempts Shivaay gave up and looked over at Annika and gently shook his head indicating the negative results, he then messaged Om multiple times before putting his phone back into his coat pocket. The panic on Annika’s face was clear, her face significantly paled and her eyes widened. Shivaay himself lost it a little, he tried Rudra who fortunately picked up.
“Hello? Rudra? Hum yahan pantry mein phase huye hain? Hello” In irritation Shivaay hanged up, turning to Annika he explained himself in a low tone, “Network..clear ni tha”
[hello? Rudra? We are trapped here! In the pantry..hello?]
“Bas ho gya na! Hum yahin marne wale hai!” She said in a whiny tone, “ Mujhe aapke saath nahi marna..bagadh bille kahin ke”
[Thats it! We are Dead!]
[I don’t want to die with you]
“hey hey mujhe bhi tumahare saath marne ka koi shauk nahi hai ok? Keep your misconceptions aside.” Shivaay turned around not wanting to face her, “and anyways hum yahan ‘marne’ nahin wale hai..stop making it so dramatic” He looked at her through the corner of his eyes, “koi na koi kitchen mein aaega abhi and we’ll call them out then” finding her standing close to the door he inquired, “ what? What are you doing?”
[hey hey even Im not too keen on dying with you by my side ok? ..]
[and anyways we are not going to actually ‘DIE’ here or anything..]
[Someone or the other is bound to walk into the kitchen and we’ll call them out]
Annika turned around and in a stern expression said, “Aapne hi toh bola koi na koi kitchen mein aaega. Mai wahi kaan laga kr sun rhi hun.”
[You were the one who just said someone is bound to walk here. Im listening for footsteps]
“oh..” Shivaay walked over and facing her put his right ear to the door as she listened through her left. Their faces were exactly in front of each other, for a few seconds their eyes met and the two couldn’t help but continue staring at each other. In that moment the argument was forgotten, silence reigned in the pantry, nothing but the sounds of their breathing was audible.
The sound of air going in, slowly , chests rising, them looking into each other eyes, and then sounds of them exhaling, trying to be silent, chests falling, breaths becoming rhythmic .. in and out..in and out. They were so lost in each other’s presence their breathing had become synchronised.
Shivaay whispered, because a whisper was the only thing that wouldn’t have seemed too loud at that particular moment,
“Annika?”
“Shivaay?”
she whispered back.
Shivaay had not known that a single word had the ability to burst his entire heart into a million tiny pieces. He had heard his name from many people in his entire life time. But the way she said it, it was something else entirely. It was at this particular moment he knew he wouldn’t have any other word in the entire world that he would like more than this. ‘SHIVAAY’ It wasn’t that beautiful a name to him, but from her lips..in her voice it felt like something magical. Had it been left to him he would have asked her to repeat it in that same whisper till the end of life.
They were lost, there was no coming back, with that small word, she was lost in his eyes and he in hers. Arguments was forgotten, the fact that they were stuck in a pantry was forgotten. Nothing existed but them. Still in a daze Annika whispered once again, “ Aap kch puchna chahte they?”
[You wanted to ask me something?]
Still in her trance Shivaay straightened, “wait wait, tumne mujhe kya bola?”
[Wait wait what did you call me ?]
Mirroring him she too straightened up and looked up at him, but before she could speak he interrupted her, “how is it tumne mujhe aaj ke pehle kabhi mere naam se nahi bulaya?” He looked at her passionately, “ Aur how is it? Aaj bulaya?”
[how is it you have never called me by my name ever before]
[and how is it that you did it today?]
Annika shook her head and replied, “mai toh-”
[I just-]
She once again got interrupted as the entire room blackened like an abyss. Fear clutched Annika’s heart, she couldn’t stand darkness, “yeh yeh kya hua?” she was breathing heavily, on the verge of breaking down, “itna andhera kyu ho gya achanak.. mujhe ..mujhe andhera pasand nahi hai” she was breaking down
[what what was that?]
[why is it so dark suddenly? I cant see a thing, I..I don’t like darkness]
Shivaay was taken aback by her response, “ Annika? Its ok, light gayi hai? Its fine.”
[Annika? Its ok, the electricity is out probably, its fine]
“mujhe mujhe acha nahi lag rha mujhe yahan se nikalna hai! Mujhe andhera bilkul nahi pasand hai”
[I’m I’m not feeling well I need to get out of here! I do not like darkness]
“Annika..shaant..tum-“
[Annika..quiet..you-]
“AAP SAMAJH NAHI RAHEIN HAI!” Annika yelled loudly shewas almost about to cry.
[YOU DONT GET IT!]
Shivaay was shook, his heart was melting he didn’t want her to feel so much he had to do comething to help her, “ Annika! ANNIKA!” he held her by her shoulders.
But there was no stopping Annika’s fear, it had crippled her senses. She was bawling her eyes out , “ Mujhe.. mujhe jana hai yahan se..acha nahi lagra..” Her voice had thinned down to a squeak, “aap samajh bhi nahi rahe! Mujhe andhera pasand nahi hai! Mujhe acha nahi! Mujhe..jana..mujhe-”
[I..I need to get out..not feeling well]
[You are not getting it! I hate darkness ok? I dislike this! I don’t feel well..i .. need.. i]
It was physically aching Shivaay to see her in such pain, hoping to calm her down he pulled her towards him and tightly held her in his arms, “Sshhh.. it’s okay, you’re fine. Kuch nahi hga..sshhh” he held kept his one hand at the nape of her neck and wrapped her entirely in his chest.
[Ssshhh.. its okay, you’re fine. Nothing can go wrong..calm down…sshh]
Annika welcomed the physical touch, she desperately needed it. She held on to him tightly, grasping the cloth of his coat, balling it up in her scrunched hands. She was calming down by the second, her eyes were tightly shut and she was hiding her face in his neck, her eyes, her nose was hidden away, brushing against the skin of Shivaay’s neck. He smelled of fresh dry cleaned clothes and a typical Shivaay musk, it helped her calm down a lot.
Shivaay was genuinely worried for her he squeezed her tightly hoping she would stop shaking, his face was buried in her hair. It was dark but the soft feel of her hair brushed all over his face, he inhaled deeply and her odour washed over him he was entranced. All he wanted at that moment was to calm her down. And that she did, Annika was breathing at a slower pace now. He slid his hand down to her waist and held her strongly. She didn’t move, almost as if someone had called out ‘statue!’ she was still hung on to him like a vine, her arms were around his neck, he had bent down a bit for her accommodation.
The two stood holding each other.
Him, feeling her pain and
her, finding calmness in him.
None of the two wanted to let go now.