Firming her grip on his stone cold hand, she watched him lay there lifeless, like on borrowed time. His heartbeat so weak, yet screaming her name out loud with each taxing throb.
‘Meri Anupama’ he had called her and that kept him alive, though barely but he refused to give up his breath, now that she had given him the hope to be called her own.
‘Uth jayiye na Anuj’ she yelped and matched her breathing rhythm with his to gain a sense of oneness. She wasn’t ready to let him go and would give her everything to have him call her name again, like she belonged to him.
Signing her name on the waver form, she celebrated their love for the first time in that moment when she claimed to be his next of kin, his closest. And wished he stayed so they could celebrate a life together.
As his pulse got fainter, her prayers got stronger with every passing moment that seemed like a lifetime of agony without him. She wanted him back and wasn’t going to have it any other way.
**********
Stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, she watched him closely in the hope that he would look back. Her warm tears had drenched his arm and her heavy, burning eyes refused to blink.
“Anuj” she called his name for the nth time and waited for him to respond, she knew he would, he had to....someday.
************
“Anu” she heard a whisper, ‘it must be him, it had to be ’ she thought and tried to find him but couldn’t. ‘is this a dream?’ she wondered as she walked through layers of white to reach him on the other side.
“Anuj aap kahan chale gaye the mujhe chod kar?” she asked grudgingly.
“ tumhe chodkar mai kahan jaata Anupama? meri duniya tum hi toh ho” he replied boastfully putting all his love on display.
“phir kyu aap mujhe aise akele chodkar chale gaye the?” hitting his chest in protest she whined “vaada kijiye ki dubara aisa kabhi nahi karenge”
Tugging her close by her arms he said “accha baba sorry, maaf kardo?” and pinched his ears to apologise and when she paid no heed to his antics he said “ accha chalo mai vaada karta hoon ki tumhe phir se kabhi bhi kahin bhi chodkar nahi jaunga, I swear Anu” she had started to fall for his puppy face when he added “par tumhe bhi ek vaada karna hoga”
“woh kya?” she frowned.
Looking deep into her big brown eyes he said “woh ye Anu ke tum mujhe aise hi hamesha pyar karti rahogi”
***************
“haan...haan karungi, hamesa karungi mai aapko pyaa...” waking up by his bedside, Anu realised it was indeed a dream and she closed her eyes back quickly so she could go back to where he was.
She scrunched her eyes hard and squeezed his hand to reconnect but to no avail. The dream and his words played back in her mind as she rested her head on his arm as a pillow and scribed her name on his indistinctly beating heart when she felt him twitch.
“Anuj” she rejoiced and stared at his face waiting for him to answer back with Anu, but he didn’t. Perhaps she was imagining it again she thought and slumped back into the chair to carry on watching him.
Holding on tight to the magnet he risked his life for, she attracted all the memories associated with him. His charming smile made her smile, the needle fight and the chocolate fudge fiasco made her laugh and his confession made her uneasy, as though she carried a burden she needed to unload.
She had to confess her love to him...he deserved to know how she felt. Drawing herself close to his face, she caressed it gently with her warm and soft fingers. She felt his eyes watch her through the lids that were shut, she knew he could hear her despite the barrier.
“Anuj” she called him again and traced his brows with her thumb. He looked so in love, she thought. And when a sudden surge of emotions rushed to her heart, she took her face close to his and pressed her lips on the crown of his head, hoping he could feel the love.
********
“Anu” she heard him again and this time it was real.
“Anuj, aap thik hai? thank you Kanhaji, bohot bohot bohot thank you” overwhelmed to be able to hear him again, she looked up and folded her hands in gratitude.
“Anu” he called her again
“rukiye mai abhi doctor ko bulati hoon” raising from the bedside, as she rushed out she felt a tug on her saree.
Feeling pleasantly awkward with the pull, she prepped herself for the thing she had rehearsed infinite times in the last few days.
Tracing her steps backwards, she resistantly turned around to face him when he said “Anu, tum mujhse....hamesha.....aise hi?
*************
Alright, that was one okayish write up, didnt turn out how I had planned but oh well posted it anyway.
Looking forward to a MaAnful week ahead, hopefully its less tears and more romance and lots of troll material😆
CID
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
6