Shivika OS: The Gunshot
Drawing the photo frame of a smiling Anika close to his heart with his trembling hands, he closed his eyes as the tears streamed down his face. The evening incident kept playing in front of his eyes and his palms turned ice cold while beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. His heart started beating at an abnormal rate and he breathing turned heavy.
Her piercing gaze that nothing but accused him of betrayal...
The horrified eyes that had misted when he had taken the gun out
The jolt when he had shot the gun...
How in no time blood oozed out of her chest...
How she had collapsed on the ground.
How she had laid lifeless on the marble floor.
How he had placed her body in the coffin...
How he had dug the grave for her...
How he had buried the coffin with his own hands...
How he had covered the coffin with soil till he couldn't see the last sign of the box...
A queasy feeling hit the pit of his stomach and he felt like throwing up. He raised his head and started inhaling with his mouth. The sweat on his forehead has now started trickling down the side of his face and his hair was soaked. He felt suffocated. He wanted to scream. As though the act would help him take the incident no less than nightmare out of his system. He wanted bathe in cold water to wash himself clean - as though doing so would help him wash away his deeds. A strong urge to chop his hands off struck him hard as the memory of him digging her grave and placing her in the coffin flashed in front of his eyes yet once again. He clutched the frame harder and closer to his chest, as though he wanted to hide it under his skin so no one could dare to cast an evil eye upon her - not even him!
The thoughts of the incident were yet to be processed when he felt a delicate arm wrap around his waist and pressed the person's body to his.
"Hey!", she whispered before placing her cheek to his back.
Opening his eyes in horror, he grabbed her hand that laid above his chest before turning around. Not wasting any time, he pulled her to himself before hauling her up by her waist and claiming her lips into a soulful kiss.
Time stopped, breaths mingled, souls shuddered and hearts skipped beats. She froze, inhaling sharply. While one tried to drink in the excessive sweetness, tasting the lusciousness of her soft lips that tasted the uniqueness of his Anika, the other brushed her fingers through the soaked hair of the man, trying to cope to the sudden claim that screamed nothing but guilt, possessiveness and protection. Her mind spared not even a single second to wonder what might have happened or gone wrong. A sudden sense of urgency swept through her body and he wanted to see his face. Her heart thudded not because of the kiss but at the thought that something is wrong with him and she slowly tried to draw back.
As the reality hit him hard, Shivay reluctantly drew away with a peck on her lips.
One look at him and her eyes shot wide in horror - face drained off of any color, eyes bloodshot red, head soaked in sweat, beads of sweat all over his forehead, and he looked a complete mess. With breath hitched, she immediately ran her hands over his face, cheek and neck to see if he has a temperature. But instead, it was ice cold. Cupping his cheeks, she asked in a inexplicable urgency in her voice, "Shivay!!! What the heck did you do? What happened?"
"You're not supposed to be here, Anika", Shivay whispered.
He held her face and looked all over her face as though seeing her infront of him for the first time and began to spread light kisses over her cheeks, nose, forehead and lips before drawing her face close to his heart.
For a moment, she didn't resist. It was as though she understood why he had been behaving that way. It was as though she had seen a reflection of all her questions and concerns regarding him in that one glance she took before he pulled her in his cocoon. She knew executing the plan would be hard for both of them, especially him but never in her wildest dream did she imagine her to see him in the state she did few minutes back. She could feel his body shake and she heard him sniff. Her heart constricted painfully and she wanted to burst into tears at the torture her husband had to go through in those few hours.
Stroking his back, she whispered soothingly, "Shh...it's okay! It's over. I'm fine...We're fine."
To which she only felt his hold getting tighter around her as they quietly sobbed - both in one another's grief.
Kissing her hair, Shivay mumbled, "I'm sorry! I'm so so so sorry, love!"
Pulling back, she frowned, "I would take anything but sorry. Why are you being sorry when you didn't do anything?"
"Why the hell do you keep going away. Come back here and talk., said shivay before pulling her back to his arm.
As she placed her face over his chest, absorbing the warmth that finally started radiating from his otherwise cold body, she decided divert his attention, "Achha yeh boliye, how was my acting?"
And just at the speed of light, every second of the incident came back to life and gave a massive blow on his face, making him shiver, his soul shudder, breath hitch and hands turn cold...yet once again
How in no time blood oozed out of her chest...
How she had collapsed on the ground.
How she had laid lifeless on the marble floor.
How he had placed her body in the coffin...
How he had dug the grave for her...
How he had buried the coffin with his own hands...
How he had covered the coffin with soil till he couldn't see the last sign of the box...
And that was probably the worst idea she had ever come up with because she could ultimately feel the erratic beats of his heart and the uproar of his galloping pulses. Pulling back, she gasped as she saw color drained off his face once again. Dragging her to the bed, she unbuttoned his vest and the top few buttons of his shirt and took off his tie. Taking the corner of her Dupatta, Anika brushed her fingers through his hair and dipped on his forehead and face to dry off the sweat. Raising his chin, she urged him to take long and deep breaths.
"What the hell did you do to yourself, Shivay?!, Anika asked in panic and pain. "It was all included in our plan. We both were prepared for it. In fact, it was your idea to do all these. And now look at you!!! If I knew it would affect you this way, I would have never given you the permission to execute the plan in the first place.", Anika spoke in rage laced with concern as she stood drying his hair with a towel now.
Moving the towel away, Shivay wrapped his arms around her waist, his mind and heart still not over the horror of "what ifs as tears made its way down his face.
"What if Om and Rudra couldn't take you out of the box in time, Anika? Only I know what I had gone through when I closed the box and buried it in the grave. Anika, what if something happened to you. What if they couldn't open the box?", Shivay spoke in urgency, clutching her waist in his death grip. It was as though he was getting yet another panic attack.
"Shhh...Shivay please? I'm absolutely fine and with you right now. Nothing has happened to me and nothing will. Please throw all these thoughts away from your head. Please?", anika kissed his head as she weaved her fingers through his hair over and over again.
If she could get even a whiff of what all these would do to him, she wouldn't have let his thinking process drive in that direction, let alone actually pull off that plan. For the first time in their marriage, she felt she has unknowingly become his weakness. She had never seen him so broken. Showing his emotions, especially his fear regarding her is just so not Shivay. He had cried like a child in her arms today and knowing she was the reason of his agony made it worse for her. A sense of guilt washed over her.
When felt him calm down a little, she sat beside him and placed his head on her lap, "Better?"
She had kept her hand in his hair and felt him nod. She breathed a sigh of relief when he took her hand and pressed his lips before looking into her eyes. She wouldn't have believed him if his eyes hadn't spoken the message of calmness and serenity.
Smiling, she asked in utmost seriousness, "Waise, where is the Tadibaaz, Shark Singh Oberoi?
"Anika?", Shivay warned
Chuckling, Anika spoke, "Sleep. You've had a long day."
~~~~
5:00 am...
Anika woke up to find herself cocooned in the warmth of her husband. Slowly untangling herself, she prepared to get out of the bed when she felt a pull on her wrist and she landed straight on top of Shivay, as a gasp exploded from her mouth.
"Where do you think you're going?", Shivay mumbled with his eyes closed.
Sighing, Anika shook her head, "You're awake!!", brushing her fingers on his day old stubble, she bent over to press her lips to his forehead, drawing a smile from him, "Good morning!"
Opening his eyes, he drew her face close before placing a quick peck on her lips, "Morning!"
"Go back to sleep. It's only 5 in the morning."
"Where are you going?", Shivay frowned.
"To my bungalow. I have to leave soon. Can't take risk for Veer to wake up and catch me here with you."
"Later", he closed his eyes again, having her caged.
Anika inspected his face thoroughly. Lines of distress that had made a permanent place on his forehead last night has now disappeared, his face looked vibrant and fresh, eyes back to its normal shape and not puffed and he laid under her with a smirk on his face. She sighed in reassurance. The mare picture of shivay splintering into fragments still shot chills down her spine and the memory of the night will probably be etched in her heart till her last breath.
Cupping his cheeks in her small hands, Anika spoke in a cracked voice, "I would never want to see you the way I saw you last night, Shivay! EVER!"
The line laced so many emotions that shivay gulped at the overwhelming sentiment that washed over him. She was enraged at him for coming up with a plan that he couldn't handle and at herself for listening to him. She was concerned even after being fully aware of the peaceful sleep her husband has had. She was disappointed for not seeing the aftermath of this plan. She was anxious about her wellbeing and whether he will be fine and take care of himself throughout the day for the next few days when she'd be away at the bungalow according to their plan. She was despaired but most importantly, he knew she was petrified despite his assurance with the fresh demeanor and casual behavior. And He knew the way he had broke down in front of her last night had left a deep wound in her heart and the intensity with which it had struck her was just as much as it did to him, if not more.
Brushing the strand of hair behind her ear, he kissed her forehead, "Never! I'm sorry!"
She had tried to be strong and not break down to become his strength last night and she decided she would keep it to herself until he grabbed her face and pressed his lips to his forehead. Her lips trembled and tears after tears trickled down her face, making her sniff.
Pulling back, he wiped her face with his thumb, before looking at her painfully, "Shivay Singh Oberoi's wife doesn't cry like that, hmm?"
"Look who's talking!"
They both shared a hearty laugh before anika asked, "Ready for today's plan, Mr Oberoi?"
Shivay looked into her eyes with an unknown determination, the kind that sends chill down your spine, and gives your goosebumps. The kind that has only one answer and one destiny - Victory!
"Like never before!"
Anupamaa
