Just to let u all know, this part is not particularily exciting, but I sort of have something planned for the next one... What is it you ask?.... Keep guessing😉
Recap:
A group of hands began pulling him away… Gently he resisted, refusing to move away from her… The hands pressured more… And his stance became firmer… In some moment, his grip on her hand lightened as they pulled him away… But he stopped mid-step… "Shiv…" She breathed…
Part 30
"Ssshiiivv…" her every breath claimed the name, as the air sucked in and out… An attempt at life. His eyes shut tight at the response of his pleading. As he turned, his eyes fell upon her index finger, intertwined with his, as if never to let go. The murmured grief prevailing in the room suddenly grew to an overwhelming joy as previously startled footsteps regained momentum approaching the luminescent figure lying in the bed before them. He watched on without moving as bodies shoved passed him, attempting to obscure his view. As his eyes closed momentarily again, the vivid picture of her lively face relaxed his otherwise tensed muscles… At some point, her finger left his…
Bearing an expression only to be deciphered by a distinguished pair of eyes, he took a step back… and another… soon he found himself aimlessly wandering down the hospital corridors. "Ssshiiivv…" her innocent voice soothed his senses. Falling down on a bench without much notice, he covered his face with his hands, and combed them through his hair.
"Mr. Shiv Kapoor?" an unknown voice disrupted the moment and he looked up slightly aware of any presence. The lips of the figure moved to some words he failed to comprehend and just stared obliviously…. "…Ye Mrs. Kapoor ki…" He shook out of his rattled state, as the name registered. The figure held out a plastic bag with some contents. Over it was a little sticker claiming it to be "Mrs. Gauri Kapoor's." He looked at the name for a second, unable to react… "Nurse!" The figure turned towards the call, and saying something, quickly set the bag in his trembling hands. A gentle whiff of air told him she had left, and he looked at what she had left for him.
Gently, he opens it… A manglasutra, bangles, and some other jewellery bearing Her identity were contained within. A searing guilt pierced his chest yet again as he took the manglasutra between his fingers, holding it before his eyes.
For a moment, he felt himself reliving that part of his life… That fateful day when by a stroke of his arms around her neck had bound them together for… eternity?
The shimmer of a metallic object caught his eyes. Ever so diligently, he took the jewel in his hand… "S" and "G", the letters let off a light illuminating so bright, they seemed to be carrying and aura of their own. Recollecting the moment he had helped her garnish her ankle with the beautiful piece, unknowingly, a set of goosebumps ran the length of his arm. A pang of some previously un-encountered ardour threatened to take away the little he claimed yet still. He could feel her eyes still sink through him indirectly as he moved his fingers calmly over her soft skin… She had shivered… So had he… "Ssshiivvv"… Again her voice called him… But his feet were rooted to the ground, his thoughts incomprehensible…. His fingers traced the letters, gracefully caressing them…
"Mrs. Kapoor, hum aise waqt par aane ki maafi chahte hai, magar aapka statement bhi bahut zaroori hai." (Mrs.Kapoor, we apologize for coming at such a time, but we really require your statement.) The inspector held his hat underneath one arm and looked genuinely sympathetic.
He had just arrived and sat down gently beside Her when the officers came through. Looking at her in the state, he felt a sudden rage… Here she was still not recovered, and all they cared for at the moment was a statement? His blood rose as instinctively he got up… But stopped mid-step, turning, he perceived her fragile-looking hand take hold of his. Their eyes met momentarily, and he sat back down. Somewhere, he felt himself wish her hand never left his... But wishes don't always come true... Do they?
The night was young, yet the darkness clear. A cool breeze gently played through his hair, but he did not stir. Both hands formed a fist underneath his chin as his thoughts drifted through the currents of his life. And then her statement came into focus. "Shashank ne goli nahin chalayi… Uske paas gun teeh, magar meine uske peeche kisi aur ko dekha… Usne mask pehna hua tah…" (Shashank did not shoot... He did have a gun, but I saw someone behind him... Someone bearing a mask.) Who could it be? The question burned his mind, but it remained unanswered. How could anyone do such a thing, and why? Her silent scream echoed in his ears as he recalled the adverse moment where she had fought his fate, and accepted it as her own. How was he to face her? In a fit of frusteration, he felt his hands reach his ears, trying to shunt out her silent cries… But in vain.
She opened her eyes to the sweet smile of the nurse approaching her. The nurse took her blood pressure and performed a general check-up. As she watched the nurse walk away, her eyes fell upon the freshly picked white lillies sitting in the vase next to her bed. A smile played on her lips unexpectedly. The thought of him, it seemed to comfort her… And the smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. It had been almost a week since she had been in the hospital, but never did she see him. He came, she knew. He came when she was asleep, but even then, she could sense him. It was a strange sensation she could not capture in words. But a fear lurked within her as well. Whenever someone came to visit, she had smiled, but her eyes had looked longingly towards the door. Why?… Fate would not allow her the answers… At least not yet.
She was still a little weak, but upon her insistence, they finally allowed her to go home. Because of the surgery, there was a wound on the right side of her rib cage, which needed to be well cared for and she was prescribed the usual rest. She had nurtured a sudden excitement at the prospect of finally leaving this place. The walls seemed to claw at her… The silence unbearable.
She struggled with her hair while sitting on the bed. Because of the bullet wound, she could not lift her arm for long. Each movement took a load on her energy, and the pain began to shoot through her veins once again. Her arm dropped in defeat and she let out a deep sigh… A familiar exhaustion swept over her. Gathering all her strength for fear of having to stay back, she again reached for the brush.
Her hand met with another, and a familiar feeling struck her. Slowly, she lifted her eyes only to be awed by a mischievous, faint smile playing upon his lips. For a moment, it was as if everything else had left her… Her senses… Her surroundings… His touch sent silent shivers through her body. His incessant gaze seemed to peer through her soul. Why did he make her feel like so? Every time he was around, she had this strangely overwhelming sensation of vulnerability, as if he was unlayering her… Threatening the secrecy of her innermost thoughts…
Suddenly, reality jerked back into her as she gently removed her hand from beneath his, and desperately looked away. She seemed to have startled him too, as his eyes looked towards where just a second ago her warm skin contacted his rather cool. From the corner of her eye, she saw him lift the object…
Cheers,
dc
Edited by desi chic - 18 years ago