SwaRon OS- Happy New Year Swayam!!
31st December 7.30 pm.
I laid back to place my head on the bedstead. I took my medicine and drank water. I had slept enough and I was feeling better, not very nice. But it was better than what it was yesterday. I still had weakness and I was feeling awful. Every year I celebrate new year with my friends. This year it was different. I couldn't move out of the bed because of this pathetic viral flu. And even if I tried to, Taani would stop me and make me feel like an 80 year old on his death bed. This is how I am living my life from the past 48 hours. I sleep, I wake up, I go to the washroom, I go to bed again, I sleep for some more time, I eat something and then I sleep. Huh! When will this viral end? Plus, here is Sharon, first of all, I did not even meet her after she returned from Delhi. Secondly, she is not picking up my call, not replying to my messages, nothing. Simmi said that she is busy unpacking her stuff. So much that, she doesn't even have the time to call me?
Around half an hour back, Rey came with the whole gang, SANS Sharon. She was not there and I did not even care to ask Rey. All of them made a get well soon card for me. Well, it was sweet, it was sober, it was nice and I felt good on seeing that my friends care for me.
"What are you doing today guys?" I asked them as they finished talking to me.
"Nothing" Rey replied.
"But isn't today 31st ? New year's eve? And you guys are doing nothing?" I asked surprised.
"You are here. You are a very good friend Swayam and we can never celebrate new year without you" Vicky said.
"Guys! Are you crazy?You are canceling your new year plans because of me?"
"What's wrong in that?" Nil asked. As if!
"What's wrong? Nil, you cannot disrupt your new year plan because of me!"
"Ok. We won't".Rey said. Everyone looked at Rey hopelessly and I was happy until he spoke the next sentence which blew me out of my wits.
"We'll celebrate here." He said.
What the hell was Rey saying?And the others joined him.
"Yeah!" Everyone spoke in unison.
"No guys!" I spoke in my shaky voice. Their idea was flaky and there was no way I could agree on it.
"Guys. Do you want this contagious disease to spread? You want to be helpless victims of this viral fever??" I questioned their plan.
They thought for sometime and seemed to see some sense in my words. Finally they agreed, that too hesitantly.
"Fine" Rey said. "If you don't want, we won't stay here. We don't want to be helpless victims of this viral fever" Did he intend sarcasm? I don't think so.
I could say that others were thinking the same for I saw their expressionless, deep in thoughts, faces.
Eventually, they acceded to my request and asked me to take care of myself. I wish I had! A few days back. Rey asked Taani if she was willing to come with them or not. Taani declined at first, but then I asked her to go and enjoy herself. I had no right to destroy her new year's eve.
"But bhai.." she said.
"It's okay Taani. I am feeling better than yesterday. I'll take care of myself."
"No bhai. I'll stay here with you." she was adamant on staying.
"Taani, you should go with them. You don't know, if you'll be able to celebrate new year with them next year or not..So don't worry about me..Just go."
"Are you sure bhai? That you can take care of yourself?"
"Yes" I said. I was not sure either. But I didn't want her to stay back for me.
"Fine. I made khichadi for you. Whenever you feel hungry, eat it. And don't sleep empty stomach. You'll start feeling giddy tomorrow."
"Fine Taani!!" I said. "I'll be fine..Don't you worry..." Frankly, I like a serene ambiance. With no one around..Only me, and my soul. Without a disturbance. I am not saying that Taani is a disturbance. Medicines are. And she doesn't forget anything. She knows when to give me my medicine. Damn. I should not have gone to the doctor.
"Bhai, take your medicines on time." she said one last time and went out of my room.
Around 5 minutes later, I heard her voice which indicated that she was taking my keys with her. Really? She believed that I would dare to venture out of the house in such a cold climate. Well, the idea doesn't sound bad.
I mentally slapped my conscience for thinking something like this. I was alone in the house and I was not even feeling sleepy.
Yesterday, after Taani left I had nothing else to do. I tried to sleep but couldn't. So I lifted Robin Cook's "Abduction" and started reading it. I don't know when I dozed off to sleep but I was sleeping soundly and I was dreaming about Sharon. Sometime later, my hunger pangs almost woke me up and I was getting a bit fidgety on my bed. That was when, I felt someone's soft lips on my cheek. They were gentle, they were delicate, that touch, that essence was something I longed for. I smiled. I thought that I was hallucinating about the kiss. But then that "someone" ruffled through my tousled hair. I opened my eyes wide and was shocked to see the sight in front of them.
Sharon, she was comfortably kneeling down near me. I rubbed my eyes twice to see if she was really there or not.
"Sharon you are here? You are really here? Or am I dreaming?"
She smiled, more likely blushed. Her cheeks turned crimson.
"I am here." she said.
I got up. I was wide awake by then and laid back. My warm blanket was still there and she looked at me with an adorable expression.
"What are you looking at?" I asked.
"Can't get enough of you." she smirked.
"Really?" I asked.
"Really really really!" she said. "Long time since we last spoke like this Swayam. I missed you." Her face turned pale.
"Aww Sharon...Don't be sad. You are here na now. I missed you too. So much that the extent can't be described in words." I cupped my hands around her face.
We stayed like that for sometime until she sensed that my hands were unusually warm.
"Swayam, why are you warm?" She touched my forehead and gasped in tension.
"Swayam you are burning. You have fever Swayam!" She was so tensed that she did not care to listen to me.
"Sharon listen. Calm down!" I tried to calm her.
"Swayam you are burning with fever and you want me to calm down!!How can you say that? Now shut up. Where are your medicines? Swayam are you listening to me!!" I don't know how much her adrenaline level shot up.
"Sharon calm down. I took my medicine an hour back. I am better."
"Not better Swayam, you are the best." she seemed to calm down a bit.
I giggled. "Sharon, My condition was bad yesterday. I am better than what I was yesterday."
"No one told me but." she said a bit disappointed.
"Sharon, you need not worry about it..." I tried to cheer her up when a thought crossed my mind.
She still had that pale face on.
"Sharon" I exclaimed.
She almost jumped.
"Don't scare me like that!"
"You are scaring me. Why didn't you go with others for the new year's celebration?"
She removed her pale expression and put on a casual one.
"Were you going to come there?" she asked me.
"No. How can I? I am not well na."
"Then? What will I do there?"
"Your friends are there"
"But my boyfriend is here. How can I stay away from you Swayam? I don't think you deserve such a punishment of staying away from me for so long."
She gradually reduced the distance between us. Her lips were about to touch mine and I gave myself in. Her lips touched mine and our lips molded perfectly. She gave a short but a loving peck. She pulled herself back soon after. The strawberry taste was hovering over my lips.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Compensation." she said and smiled. It was clear that she did not regret her move.
"For?"
"That day. Just before I left for Delhi. In case you remember." I had almost forgotten about it. She gave me a flying kiss to illustrate what had exactly happened that day. I caught hold of it and brought it near my heart.
"This will always stay with me Sharon. I love you."
"And I..." She wanted to say something but looked unsure. Her cheeks turned pink.
"Sharon don't blush so much. I might faint." I teased her.
"Shut up Swayam. Are you hungry? Is there something to eat?" The pink color was still there.
"Yes. Khichadi." even though I don't like to eat khichadi, I couldn't say that there was nothing to eat. Not to her at least.
"Okay great. I'll warm it up for you."
"Sharon.." I said.
"What?"
"Household work?"
She blushed once again. Both of us remembered the same incident.
"How much do you blush?"
"Stop making me blush then!" she said firmly and got up to go outside the room. I didn't let her go. I held her hand to make her stop.
"...And you??You didn't complete your sentence" I said hoping to hear those words from her.
"Swayam leave my wrist. I'll complete it soon." Even though I knew what she was going to say I wanted to hear those words from her." I left her hand and she went outside the room.
"Siren Sharon and household work" I mentally spoke. Oh wait, a part of my dream came true. I wanted to see Sharon doing household work, at my place. And here she is, warming food for me at my place. Wow! Never imagined that such a day would come.
I resumed reading abduction and some minutes later Sharon came carrying a plate full of khichadi, a spoon in it and a glass full of water.
"Khichadi" I grimaced.
She noticed my ugly twisted face and then spoke encouragingly. " There is nothing else in the house Swayam. You'll have to manage with this."
"I don't want to eat this Sharon" I made a puppy dog face.
She thought for sometime and then asked me to close my eyes. Obviously, I had a query.
"why?" I asked.
"Because I am telling you to."
"Your wish is my command" I giggled.
"Swayam!" she said. "Close your eyes NOW"
I closed my eyes preparing myself to face the truth. I had no idea what she was going to do.
"Open your mouth" was her next sentence.
What? Why was I treated like a 3 year old baby?
"Sharon I am not a baby. Why are you asking me to do all this?" I said demanding an answer.
"Swayam I am not asking you, I am ordering you. Open your mouth and don't open your eyes. Now shut up and do as I say."
As if she had cast some magical spell on me, I closed my eyes.
A few seconds later, I felt something hot making its way through my mouth. I don't know why but I loved the feeling. It depended on the one who was feeding me. But then,
"Khichadi!" I exclaimed. "Sharon I hate it!" I opened my eyes and closed my mouth as soon as the first spoonful was inside it.
"I am going to puke!!Why the hell did you bring this near my mouth?"
"And fed it to you...? Swayam won't you eat it even if I feed it to you?" She asked looking at me expectantly.
I looked at her. She was a..she IS a part of my life and I cant do something like this to her. She was looking at me with a baby face. And I decided to eat the khichadi, only for her. Plus, I never know, I might not have the privilege be fed from her hands in future. Hence I decided to not let go off this golden opportunity.
"Fine you can feed me." I smiled. Her face lit up.
Only I know how I managed to eat the khichadi. For the next half an hour, I was digesting crap. Only because of her. Sometimes I feel, love casts an evil spell on people. Applicable to this situation.
"Swayam I know you don't like it. But if you don't eat anything, you won't be able to take your medicine. And you won't be able to sleep properly. One last spoonful, please for me." she said. Uff! Why did she mention those two words? "For me?" And why can't she stop mesmerizing me with her adorableness? I kept in my mind that it was the last bite and ate it hesitantly.
"Good boy." she said after I finished eating the khichadi.
"Brave boy would be better right?" I asked.
She laughed. I laughed too. Her smile is so pretty, just like her.
I got up to go to the washroom to wash my hands and freshen up.
"You know Swayam there was one thing I always wanted to do." she said when I came back and sat on my bed.
"What?" I asked. We had stopped laughing by then.
She ruffled her hand through my tousled hair.
"Argh Sharon! What are you doing?" I asked faking anger.
"Fulfilling my wish" she smirked.
"Sharon don't do that. I have worked 19 years for making my hair amazing."
"And still they are disheveled?" She asked.
"Different people have different styles." I said, this time, smirking.
She laughed and I joined. This time she was the one to compliment my smile.
"Keep smiling like this. You look good when you do."
"And otherwise?" I asked.
"I can't comment on it. Because I'll say you look perfect always. So my comment should not really matter to you."
"Why not? Your comment is the one that matters to me the most." I said flashing my smile.
"I am glad I have you in my life" she said.
We talked some more time about Delhi and how much we missed each other in those two months.
I asked how her stay with her dad was. Obviously she said that it was good. But she added that she missed me a lot. More than words could ever express. I said the same. I don't know how those two hours passed. I don't even want to know. All that mattered to me the most was that, she was with me. Sharon the love of my life was spending 31st with me. What could be better?
It was 11.58 when she noticed the time and asked me to switch off my mobile.
"And why should I do that?"
"...Because..." she paused.
"Because what?"
"There are so many people out there who message at 12 am on 31st. I don't want you to reply to any of their messages before I wish you. I want to be the first one to wish you Swayam." She cleared her point.
"In that way even you must switch off your mobile." I said.
"Duh. That goes without saying." She said. Both of us switched off our mobiles.
It was almost 11.59. I noticed the time. She didn't. I knew what I had to do.
I brought my face closer to her ears. She was quite shocked at first to see what I was doing. Her breath started getting heavy. She closed her eyes as if she was prepared to give herself in. She had a worried expression. And I could sense her fast heartbeats. Out of all the chaos that was going in her heart and mind, I whispered slowly into her ears.
"Happy New Year Sharon. I love you." She opened her eyes. I brought my mouth near her cheeks and gave a loving peck to her. Slowly but steadily, the color of her cheeks became baby pink and we heard the sound of the crackers outside. The clock struck 12 at the same time and then she said something I wanted to hear.
"Happy New Year Swayam." she said. "I love you too" she said slowly.
I knew that she did love me. And I was happy that she confessed. This was probably the best new year gift ever.
"I am sorry I don't have any gift for you." She said. Her face turned sad.
"You just gave one."
"What?"
"You said you love me too. This was the best new year gift ever."
The baby pink color turned a deep shade of pink and I love it when she does that and I am the reason for it.
"I should be the one saying sorry for not getting a gift for you." I said.
"No. You gave me a gift too."
"What?"
"You were the first one to wish me. I am glad." She said.
"Really. Okay. If you say so. Last year that..." I couldn't complete my sentence.
"Please don't take his name. Let this new year be without that creep. It has begun on an awesome note. And if you take his name, this day would be spoiled. Moreover perfect people like you can't take his name. Because he is such a jerk. And I don't know why we are talking about him right now. The jerks topic closed." She mumbled so many things at the same time. I needed time to absorb all of them.
"Okay okay we won't talk about him. What's your new year resolution?"
"I won't tell you." she said.
"And why is that?"
"Because Sharon Rai Prakash is not too dramatic. And if you hear this, you'll start feeling that I am over dramatic."
"I won't. I promise." I said.
"Hmm okay. My new year resolution is to love you forever and to be the best girlfriend ever. I will never fight with you and I'll never leave you alone. I promise." she added.
"Promise?"
"Yeah. Pakka." she said.
"What is yours?" she asked me.
"I haven't kept a resolution as such. Last year it was to make you realize and confess your feelings for me. I could do it. So I don't have one this year. Because usually I fail in them." I said.
"No you won't. Anyways, you don't need one. You are so perfect that you don't need any resolution this year. And because of your perfect nature, you could fulfill your resolution last year." she spoke softly.
"Stop calling me perfect Sharon"
"I won't. You are perfect Swayam. Please don't deny this."
"I am perfect because of you." I said.
Suddenly, she hugged me warmly. I was still on my bed and she was sitting adjacent to me. She came towards me and pulled me into a warm embrace. Her hands were enveloped around mine and I did the same. I felt nice.
"I love you Swayam" she said. "I love you a lot. Thanks for loving me even after facing so much." she said. Her voice sounded a bit depressed as she spoke those last words.
"Hush Sharon. You mustn't speak that way. I love you too and thanks to you for turning my new year into a special one." I said.
When we broke apart, there was a smile playing on her lips. I smiled too. And then something hilarious happened.
Atishoo! She sneezed. Her first sneeze was followed by two or three sneezes.
"Sharon looks like you are in for that horrible flu. I should have warned you before to stay away from me."
"I can't do that Swayam. It's better to be affected by this horrible flu rather than staying away from you." she said wiping her nose with a tissue paper kept near her.
I laughed and she tried to. I know this was not the most perfect new year's eve. But whatever it was, it was special because she was with me and I was with her. Our impeccable bond needed no one else and we were fine with the fact that both of us were alone then.
How was it? Good?Bad?Worse?Criticism allowed!
P.S Sorry for such an abrupt ending😳 Sorry for making Sharon blush so much :D
If you liked it, please do hit the like tab and do leave your precious comments!!
Happy New Year to all of You!! :D
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