Shivika TS: In Your Arms
Part 2
"Aap?"
Anika had just finished making her bed when she heard his footsteps in her room. Drifting her gaze to the digital clock on the side table as it read 11:39 pm, she looked at Shivay confused.
"Did you need anything?", her gaze shifted from his face to the laptop he was holding
"Actually, the wifi in my room isn't working. I thought I would try working from here", Shivay replied, pressing the pad of his palm on his forehead.
"You go to sleep.", said Shivay as an afterthought after climbing the bed and opened the laptop on his lap.
Staring at the man in front of her for a moment longer with her mouth agape, she rolled her eyes. Scrambling herself on her respective side of the bed, she tucked herself under the blanket to garner warmth from the cool breeze gushing from the bedroom window.
Anika's earnest gaze inspected every movement of this man - how his scrutinizing colorful eyes had glued on the laptop screen, his big eyelashes touching the part underneath his black bushy eyebrows, the slight movement of his jaw muscle, his day old stubble, the few small strands of his ever so perfect hair that were touching his forehead, his skillful movements of his hands as his fingers typed away on the laptop, not dismissing how he wetted his chapped dry lips with a sudden swipe of his tongue.
Anika shook her head in disbelief. Had he really thought she didn't know why he is here? After last night, Anika had felt his presence everywhere around her throughout the day. Although she hadn't found him by her side in the morning, she knew he had held her in his arms securely until the dark nights had discerned the golden rays of dawn. She hadn't slept this peacefully in months. And the entire day, she had found him around her with different excuses thrown at her whenever inquired.
She couldn't blame him either. The way he had found her last night, she knew it had shook him if not broke and as far as she had understood Shivay, he would do anything and everything to make sure the episode does not repeat again. So, the fact that he was finding excuses to be around her all day and had come to "work" from her room at the wee hour of night hadn't surprised her. She chuckled softly as their afternoon encounter flashed infront of her eyes.
"Have you lost your bloody mind?!", shivay barked barging into the kitchen like a furious storm. Snatching the ladle from her hand that had started getting blisters from the hot oil spilled on her hand from the saucepan, he turned the stove off and dragged her to the dining room.
Before Anika could make heads or tails of what just happened or how the man in subject burst into the kitchen out of the blue, she found herself sited on a chair and saw Shivay kneeled down to take her hands in his. He quickly opened the first aid box to take out a few cotton balls, Burnol cream, sanitizer and a band aid. She chuckled softly as she saw his nostrils flare in fury.
"You think this is funny? Look what you have done!", Shivay glared at her, his eyes instantly turning soft when she hissed in pain, as he dipped the cotton on the bruise, his eyebrows knitted together seeing the blisters turning dark in hue.
Pressing her lips together to refrain the stretch, she replied softly, "Aap ghabrana baandh karenge pehle?"
Looking up to give her a death stare, he went back to apply the burnol on the blisters.
"it's just a bit of hot oil, Shivay. Will you please stop panicking?", uttered Anika as she saw him blowing on her wrists like a lunatic while putting the cream on.
"I'm honestly fine!", Anika tried to pull her hands out of his hold only to feel it getting tighter as she received a stern gaze.
"How about you leave that to me to decide?", Shivay replied brusquely.
Biting her inner cheeks to stop another soulful laughter at this crazy man's actions, she stared at him adoringly.
As he finally finished applying the burnol, he stood up towering over her.
"You're not stepping into the kitchen until I say otherwise". Declared shivay with finality after he was convinced he had tended to the bruises properly and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving no place for negotiation.
"You do realize that ogling at me would not help you sleep any better right?", spoke Shivay, still looking at the laptop screen, breaking her daze.
Flustered, Anika ripped her gaze off his face to look at almost everything around the room.
"I wasn't ogling.", protested Anika feeling her cheeks burn.
Putting away his laptop, he tilted his face to finally look at her. Raising his eyebrows with a smirk, he laid down beside her to lean on his elbow and took her hand into his.
"How's your hand?", inquired Shivay, inspecting the blisters carefully.
"I think it will be a lot better if they get permission to make aloo puri tomorrow.", Anika's eyes twinkled with excitement as the image of her favorite dish of all time flashed in her head. She pressed her hands together waiting for his response eagerly and desperately.
"Nice try!", Shivay smiled sweetly.
"Thank you!", Anika gave a toothy smile, almost convinced the permission will be granted within the next few seconds
However, his face turned serious the next moment as he replied,"But you're not stepping into the kitchen. Sitting up he chucked his phone out of his pocket as he started going through the mails.
Frowning, she huffed in exasperation, her hope churning into million pieces with his reply.
"Bagad Billa Kahika!", Anika muttered to herself.
"I heard that!", informed Shivay, still looking into his phone.
"Good for you!"
After some time, When he heard her breathing calm and felt no movement, he finally looked at her to find her asleep. Putting his phone away, he leaned on his elbow again and threaded his finger through her hair. He stared at her intently. Her childlike face screamed innocence. What was he thinking when he had kicked her out of the house? Why had he not thought twice before making such a hasty decision? How did he even conclude that she had wanted to break the family, when she had always been the one to unite them? Even when he had forcefully married her, she was the one who had spoken up for him and made OmRu perceive their value in his life, when they had stopped talking to him. She had always been the one to take care of everyone, and had selflessly put everyone's need before hers. How did he ever doubt the woman who had taken bullet to save her husband? How did he even think she could do something as repulsive as this when her every actions screamed that her happiness laid with his, who had bowed before his mother and had apologised despite having so fault of hers and hadn't uttered a word inspite of knowing she was being accused of something she hadn't done? How did he accuse her when he had seen what a lunatic she behaves like if she gets even a whiff that his life's in danger? How did he even think she had the intention to ruin his life when she had always been the one save him!
"Goli aapko lagti ya mujhe, jaan to meri hi jaati..."
How did he ever doubt this woman infront of him whose day had to start with her Shivay and ended with him? His throat felt dry and a bulge started forming as the mere thought of her well being in these three months hit him raw and hard. Had she been getting these nightmares for the last three months? His eyes drifted to the blisters. How did she manage on her own? Shutting her eyes, he tried brushing off his trail of thoughts that started suffocating him.
Ek kadam bhi khudse chal nahi sakti, aur phir se aloo puri banane ka shokh chada hai...
He pushed her chin to close her slightly open mouth, tucked her properly under the blanket and leaned to turn off the side lamp only to hear a whimper. Realizing it is the nightmare again, he kept weaving through her hair as he held her securely in his warmth.
"Shh...I'm right here"
"Shivay?"
Shivay looked at the door to see Ragini. Checking the clock as it read 12:25 am, Shivay looked at her in confusion. Once he was convinced that Anika had gone back to sleep, he scrambled out of the bed quietly.
"What are y-"
"Shh", Shivay quickly reached her, putting a finger on his own lips as a gesture to ask her to keep quiet.
Once out of the room, he carefully kept the bedroom door slightly open so he can hear if she wakes up with a nightmare again.
"She is a light sleeper, that's why", he explained
"What are you doing in her room at this hour?", Ragini asked irritated, dismissing his explanation.
"Excuse me?"
"You guys are divorced. It looks extremely odd to see you in her room at 1 am. And i'm surprised she didn't object. If not anything else, at least she should have thought about your image.I mean -"
"Woah woah stop, lady!", Shivay looked at her in disbelief. "What we do with our lives should be none of your concerns."
"But Shivay, what were you doing in her bed?!"
"Ragini, I don't think I owe you an explanation here. You're neither my fiance, nor any close family member who I would like to divulge this matter to. And what are you doing in Oberoi Mansion at this hour anyway?"
"So...sorry!", ragini fumed. "I forgot my bag here. Came to grab it."
"Okay."
"It's pretty late. I was wondering if i could-"
"Yes it is very late", nodded shivay checking his wristwatch, "You should get home asap. Let me know if you need the driver to drop you off"
Ragini seethed in anger as she gritted her teeth, "It's fine i'll manage", and stomped through the exit.
~~~
"Sir, here is the cctv footage of your house of the past 2 weeks.", Khanna handed in the CDs as per his boss's instruction.
"Close the door when you leave, Khanna", Shivay ordered as he put the cd on his laptop.
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Sorry guys, I know I had said I would post Part 3 in an hour but I still have to write the last scene and i'm exhausted to the core. it is already midnight here and I hardly can keep my eyes open, so i'm gonna hit the bed now and will try finishing it off tomorrow and post it ASAP.
I absolutely do not want to rush that part as it is one of the most crucial scenes and needs my complete attention. I do not want to ruin it by forcing myself to write at 2:30 am while I die with fatigue. it will turn out to be complete BS, trust me.
Hope you understand.
If you liked this part please do hit the like button and kindly let me know through few words how you found it, will be eagerly waiting.
Love,
Mushfika
Shivika OS: In Your Arms - Chapter 3: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/143591982
Edited by Mushfika - 8 years ago
