He was pacing up and down, eyes on his watch, hand on his head. It looked like his wife is delivering his child inside and he just couldn't wait to hear the good news. But he wasn't married nor was he having a child! Infact he was waiting for the green signal from the doctor to meet his girlfriend. Green signal from the doctor? No the doctor wasn't his girlfriends dad. He was her doctor, just her doctor. If it would had been in his hands he would had bribed the doctor to pass the signal few days back. But that wasn't possible. Sharon was down with chicken pox.
"Chicken poxxx!!!!!!!!"
He still remembers how loud he screamed after she informed him over the phone.
"Ten daysss!!!!!!!!!"
That was even more loud, so loud that is made his dad run up to him to check if he was fine.
Today was the eleventh day.
"Ten days of agnipariksha!" exclaimed Swayam looking at his watch, wondering what was taking the doctor so long inside Sharon's room. " You better let me meet her today, or I swear ill tie you up right here, kidnap you and not let you go anywhere unless you pass the signal" he murmured under his breath, talking to himself, making growling expressions, pacing up and down Sharon's living room.
Kaka was standing at the corner near the kitchen looking at him with amusement, feeling happy and content that his Sharon baby has found such a wonderful boy for herself who loves her so selflessly.
Sharon had let Swayam enter her house after a long fight and argument and finally gave up on him when he debated if the doctor can come, so can he. However, Sharon took the promise that he will stay in the living room and not meet her until the doctor gives the green signal. It was tough. Yes, it was, but entering her house was half battle won. Swayam agreed instantaneously.
Finally Swayam heard the click of the door opening. He turned his head towards the room and dashed to the doctor. He looked at the doctor with an open mouth and expectant eyes, almost crushing the doctors arms with his grip.
"Wooohh! Relax boy! Sharon wasn't delivering a baby! Look at yourself!" laughed the doctor. He was just like Sharon's uncle and was proud of Sharon's choice.
Swayam loosened his grip, hesisted a bit, smiled at his and said,
"Well, this is bigger than that!"
The doctor coudnt control his laughter and pushed Swayam inside Sharon's room yelling,
"Go! Meet her!"
He closed the door shut and left smiling with a content heart.
Sharon was standing at the window, with her back towards the door. She had a beautiful smile dancing on her face and eyes filled with excitement and anxiousness. Her heart was doing summersaults. She felt the same as she did that day in the classroom when she had finally confessed her love to him. But she was nervous too, very nervous. The pox had left its marks on her for life. Some would fade away, but some would remain her companion for a lifetime. She knew deep down that Swayams love for her was too deep to even get affected but anything external, but she was a girl after all and wanted to look beautiful for her love, somewhere she did feel insecure, unhappy and disheartened. As exited she was to finally meet him after ten long painful days, ten days where every minute she hoped he would be around to sooth her pain and itches. But of course that wasn't possible. She fought with herself to appear tough in front of Swayam. She knew even a single mention of 'wish you were here' would make Swayam jump into her room and she wouldn't be able to stop him. She had to be strong, again, for him. Many a times she spoke to God asking him why, why first asthma and now these ugly pox!
Time stood still for her as she heard him call her name.
"Sharon'.", called Swayam, with so much love and care in his voice that she felt she would melt down immediately. She closed her eyes tight and sucked in a generous amount of air. The moment froze for her. Her eyes became teary. Her heart paced faster as she heard his footsteps approach her and felt his aura draw closer to her. She wanted to turn around immediately and run into his arms. But her knees were going weak and she felt no strength to even stand. She clutched the curtain for support and counted the seconds when she felt his touch, his touch all over her. Swayam hugged her from behind, tight in his embrace. She quickly clutched his arms around her waist making his grip on her tighter, signalling him to not leave her. He placed his head over her shoulder and rested his head on her cheek.
"You look beautiful", he whispered into her ears, closing his eyes.
Sharon opened her eyes with surprise and placed her palm on his cheek.
"Can I see my princess's beautiful face?", he asked again whispering into her ears. "It been ten long days, ab aur mat tadpao please"
Sharon turned around in a jiffy and hid herself into his chest.
Swayam placed his hand on her head and ran his fingers through her hair, softly massaging her head. He kissed her head and gave her a bone-crashing hug.
After a few minutes, he loosened his grip on her and tried to move back to have a look at her. Sharon immediately hugged him tighter.
"Bahut saare marks hai, all over my body and all over my face. I look ugly", said Sharon bowing her head down, resting it on Swayams chest.
Swayam smiled at his innocent princess.
"I know", he said softly to her, caressing her back.
"Now, let me look at them, I'll take care of each of them, how dare they trouble my princess!" , he said in a serious tone.
He again attempted to cup Sharon's face. This time she didn't resist. She closed her eyes shut tightly. As much as she wanted to look at Swayams face, she also feared seeing his reaction to the marks. After all it had been ten long painful days for her as well. It was really tough for her too. However she was lucky to have his glimpses through the window when he would cycle to her house attempting to get her glimpse.
"Look at me", Swayam whispered loving to her, cupping her face, loving adoring her beautiful face with teary eyes.
Sharon slowly opened her eyes breathing fast and loud.
She opened her expectant eyes to another pair of eyes which was oozing out love for her.
"I love you" , said Swayam lovingly to her, piercing through her eyes as a tear trickled down his cheek.
Finally he looked across her face as his eyes seeped in every pore of hers.
It was bad. Yes it was really bad. One look at her and he could understand what she must be going through. There were a few light marks which he understood will fade away with time and care but there was one big one right on her forehead above her right eye brow. It had left a big dip on her skin and was black and scary. He knew this one was to stay forever, and he knew it will be really tough for her to live with it.
He brought her face close to his chest and made her rest on it sideways. He placed his hand on her cheek and held her waist close to himself with his other hand.
"Do they still hurt?", he asked softly.
"No, not anymore", sighed Sharon.
"I look ugly", added Sharon after a pause, pain and disappointment clearly audible in her voice.
"Who said so?", said Swayam affectionately to her.
"I know!", proclaimed Sharon, in her diva attitude, just a lil' faded away.
"You are just as khoobsurat as ever", said Swayam lovingly to her.
"Mera mann rakhne ke like jhooth bol rahe ho", said Sharon before suddenly breaking down into fits of tears.
She hugged him very tightly and started crying loud.
Swayam ran his hands across her back to sooth her down.
"Sharon'...Sharon'...stop crying baby'...please'...I can't see you like this'...achaa stop crying'...look at me once'...Sharonnn'...please baby'...varna main bhi ro dunga"
The last line made Sharon stop crying at once. She quickly looked at Swayam and nodded her head signalling a no to him.
Swayam tucked her hair behind her ear, smiled at her and lifted her in his arms. He carried her to the bed and made her sit down. He made her drink water from the glass on the side table. He sat close to her on the bed facing her, holding her hands in his.
He cupped her face and kissed the mark on her left cheek. "This is my baby"
Sharon smiled through her tears, now mildly sobbing.
He kissed the mark on her chin. "This is my sweetheart"
He then kissed the mark on her nose. "This is my honey"
He kissed the mark on right cheek under her eye. "This is my cutiepie"
He kissed the mark on her right hand, at the back of her palm. "This is my darling"
He kissed the marks on her right hand all across her arm. "These are my sugarpunch"
He kissed all across her left arm. "These are my angelpie"
He kissed the mark on her neck. "This is my sexypie"
Sharon eyes had filled with tears making their way down her cheeks.
She noticed he had skipped that big ugly mark on her forehead.
Swayam pushed her hair from her forehead.He suckled and kissed the big mark for a long time. " and this one is my favourite, my jaan!"
Sharon blurted into laughter and hearing the jingles of her laughter made
Swayam smile wide and he felt his heart swell with love.
Sharon quickly moved towards Swayam and hugged him tight. Swayam pulled her closer and she climbed onto his lap and rested her head on his chest. She sat with her eyes closed and a smiling heart listening to Swayams heartbeat.
After a moment she whispered naughtily, " and what about the rest of the marks on my body?", blushing hard.
Swayam was shocked and amused. This was not expected! He never expected Sharon to say something like that. He sat still for a moment, trying to recollect what he heard and if he really heard what he heard.
He grinned naughtily and pushed Sharon back on the bed. Sharon bit her tongue with her eyes tightly shut, red blushing cheeks and an embarrassing grin pasted on her lips. Swayam quickly laid next to her taking her in his embrace. Sharon laughed and giggled loud.
"Aaj no college. ..aur bahut saare names hai mere paas...1 for each of them...aaj to naamkaran kar hi dete hai!"
"I love you", said Sharon.
"I love... pox my love", said Swayam and hugged her even tighter.
Shiv Shakti
Cricket
201