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Okay so I was travelling the whole day and was free to dream about the hospital sequence and since I had nothing else to do I thought of writing it down because I sort of expected them to do Oh My Mata of our dreams Now since that is what happened, I felt I could share it with the disappointed fans. Atleast it'd give you all some peaceš³
It's a short one guys. Hope you all like itš
The Oberois looked up in unison as the surgeon and his assistant entered the lobby after their 7 hour long battle inside the operation theatre and their grim faces did not bode well for the distressed family. For a moment nobody spoke as everyone looked expectantly at Shivaay, waiting for him to take charge as always but he stayed rooted to the ground at the back of the room where he was standing with his brothers. The doctor swept his forehead with his left hand and cleared his throat. Finally it was Tej who broke the silence.
"How is she doctor?"
"The bullet nicked her right carotid," the doctor explained, "it's the main artery that supplies blood to the brain. We were able to repair the tear and extract the bullet but she lost a lot of blood and the blood supply to the brain was also compromised. We can't say how much damage that has caused until she wakes up."
"What kind of damage? How serious?" It was Om who had spoken.
The junior doctor shifted uncomfortably under the questioning gaze of the patient's family. He was still quite inept at delivering bad news. 'Well, it maybe anything. Her speech could be affected, or her eyesight. There may be some amount of paralysis, temporary or permanent. We cannot really say anything until she wakes up, that is if she - " he paused. Shivaay moved forward. He had finally broken out of his state of shock. "If she?"
"If she wakes up at all," he concluded.
The resulting silence was deafening. And then before anyone could do or say anything, Shivaay lunged at the junior doctor. "How dare you! How dare you say such a thing about Annika?" They both staggered towards the wall. "She's my Annika, do you understand? Do you get it?" He bellowed, shaking him by the collar of his apron. "She's a fighter! Ofcourse she'll wake up! How dare you! How dare you say that!!" He continued in a frenzied voice.
All the members of the family came forward as the senior doctor, Omkara and Rudra tried to break them off. Finally they managed to get Shivaay's hands off the doctor's collar. Rudra hugged him tight. "Bhaiyya please! Bhaiyya get a hold of yourself," he muttered tearfully into his arms. Shivaay was shivering with rage. "My Annika. She's a fighter. She'll be fine, she'll be just fine," he spluttered, more to himself now. Om rubbed both their shoulders, trying to console his brothers.
"We're really sorry," Tej was apologising to the doctors. The surgeon smiled compassionately. "I've known your family for a long time Mr. Oberoi. I know how you must be feeling now but you must understand that we see a lot of cases like these and in most cases we lose the patient on the table. However, Mrs. Oberoi is stable for now but she just hasn't woken up yet and there are chances that she might slip into a coma. We're going to observe her closely for the next 48 hours and we've shifted her to the ICU for that, but you all must prepare yourself for the worst." He patted Shivaay's shoulder and walked away with his assistant.
*****
Omkara awoke with a start and looked at his watch. It was five in the morning and it's been three hours since he dozed off into a tired yet fitfull sleep, slouching uncomfortably on one of the metal chairs outside the ICU. Last night after much persuasion the elders of the house had finally returned to the mansion to get some rest. Shivaay had refused to leave Annika's side - no one, not even his brothers could make him go eat something or go home to get a little sleep. So they stayed back with him too, and Saumya wouldn't leave Rudra either, even though she had gone through much and needed the rest. Om looked over to his side where they both were sleeping soundly now, Rudra's head sprawled awkwardly on Saumya's shoulder. For a moment a weary smile crept across his face.
He stood up and peeped through the glass windows into the ICU. Shivaay sat motionless, like a wooden figure beside Annika's bed, his hands holding hers tightly, his eyes on her sleeping face, silently pleading with her to come back and open her eyes. He had been in the exact same position every single time Om had looked since the doctors had informed them of her condition the night before and allowed Shivaay to see her. He sighed and walked inside.
"How long are you going to stay like this Shivaay? You need some rest," he spoke softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. There was no reply.
"I know how you feel Shivaay. Trust me, I do. But what you're doing, it's not going to help anyone. Annika's going to need your strength and if you go on like this, soon you won't have any left." He felt Shivaay's muscles stiffen under his palm at the mention of her name.
"She's getting back at me." Shivaay whispered.
"What?"
Shivaay's eyes shot up to meet his brother's face. Om winced internally as he looked into the pale, gaunt face and read the emptiness of his bloodshot eyes. This was not the Shivaay he knew. He laughed without humour. "You know when she was fine I never said please to her. Not once. And last night I must've said it a million times. She's really enjoying this," he said, gesturing to her lifeless being.
Om looked away at the door and wished Rudra was here too. He felt like he couldn't handle this alone. But he'd have to. His brother needed him now.
He sighed, looked at Shivaay and rolled his eyes. "When will you both grow up!" He sat down beside Annika. Even while hooked up to a hundred machines and fighting for her life, the girl looked so innocent, so peaceful in her sleep. "Come back Annika. We really need you, Shivaay needs you. Don't do this," he pleaded silently.
"It hurts Om. It hurts a lot." Shivaay's voice broke. "It hurts here," he said pointing to the left side of his chest. "I wish she'd understand it and come back. You know, I feel like there's so much to say but I can't find the words. She knows this, she knows I can never express myself much but she always knows what I mean. I don't know why she's not getting it now. I don't know what I can say that'll bring her back." He ran his fingers through his sweaty hair and shook his head in distress. "I have no idea what she wants me to say!"
"Did you tell her that you love her. That you can't live without her?"
He looked at Om for a long time. "Love..." He said it as if he were tasting the word at the tip of his tongue. "Love." He said again and Om could see something flicker inside his hollow eyes.
"Come on Shivaay. It's so clear to all of us, I don't understand how you still can't see it man!" He let out a sigh of exasperation. "Just set everything else aside and think about her for a while, okay? Think only about her. How she makes you feel when you are with her. Think about how you would feel if you could never feel that way again. If, God forbid, Annika never..." His voice trailed off as he saw the look on Shivaay's face. There was anger, there was grief, hopelessness. And above all there was terror.
"Damn it Shivaay," he shook his head. "This," he pointed towards his face, "is why I know you're so in love with her. You can't imagine the possibility of not having her beside you. You should tell her this. Even if it's the last thing you tell her," he said softly, looking away.
A drop of tear rolled down Shivaay's cheeks. "Do you really think..." His voice broke. He picked up her hand and caressed it. "I need her to come back Om, I can't live without her." He whispered through the tears. Om patted his shoulders. "She'll come back."
"How do you know?"
"Because, you know like you always say, Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki jaan itni aasani se nahi jayegi? It's true. Shivaay Singh Oberoi ki 'jaan'" he paused and gestured to Annika, "itni asani se kahi nahi jayegi."
Anupamaa
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