The doctors were trying their best to revive her but the bullet had done far bigger damage then they expected. Her heart was still. But the team of doctors were known to be the best in the country and they were the best for a reason.
They never gave up.
As they tried ways to revive her, she stood beside them, watching her own still body and when a doctor pressed against the wound on her chest, Anika flinched.
Ouch! That must have hurt
But she didn't feel any pain. She felt wonderful in fact. Her body felt weightless and when she exerted a little, she realized that she could fly. She glided towards the main door and passed through it without opening it. Things were getting better and better.
As she reached the corridor, she saw Shivaay but he didn't look anything like Shivaay. Did Maahi swap places with him again? She wondered and groaned out aloud but as she went closer to him she realized that he was indeed Shivaay and she heaved a sigh of relief.
He looked different. His hair was dishevelled, his face haggard. He looked as if he aged years in the space of minutes. Standing detached from the rest of the family, he looked like he was in his own private hell. He refused all sorts of comfort and all forms of contact. The only person whose words he needed to hear and whose warmth he needed to feel was right now standing above him with her feet dangling in the air, watching the fresh tears that trailed down on his cheeks.
She wondered why she didn't feel the pain that seemed like her constant companion every time he was in pain.
"It is one of the rules of being in this form. You cannot feel pain or grief- only contentment"
Annika jumped off her skin.. urm her soul more like. She saw a lady who would possibly be in her early thirties looking at her kindly. The first thing that Annika noticed about her was that she was beautiful and her face lightly resembled, their fresh recruit Chulbul.
The second thing she noticed that was that she was a soul as well.
Beyond her was a long corridor, which seemed more like a tunnel and the end of it was so brightly lit that it wasn't easy on eyes.
"So that means I'm dead?" Annika asked perturbed
"That is a call that you need to take and I'm here to help you make up your mind. I'm Anuradha, by the way"
Annika looked away from her and glided to the other members of the family, each of them had devastated looks on their faces. What surprised her was that Pinky aunty was inconsolable. She kept muttering that if they lost Annika, they would lose Shivaay as well.
"Delusional as usual" Annika said out aloud. "Shivaay would mourn for me for a few days and then get a society bride that he wanted and forget that Annika ever existed. I was his responsibility which he would be glad to get rid of."
"I disagree" said the lady. " Shivaay fell in love with you far before you fell for him"
"And I thought Pinky aunty was delusional. You, madam, are a walking-talking palace of delusions." Annika told her wryly
She laughed a tinkling laugh making her look even more beautiful.
"Shivaay was always affected by you, right from the start. His brothers accused him of being obsessed with you, and I will say that wasn't far from the truth. It was obvious to even Mrs Kapoor and the knowledge gave her sleepless nights." Anuradha said as if she personally enjoyed Mrs Kapoors sleepless nights.
"Tell your stories to someone else" said Annika, gliding towards the ceiling but the lady continued as if Annika hadnt interrupted.
"Each time he told himself that you were trash, a gold digger and what not and each time you proved your worth. You made him believe that purity exists. When you told the ACP about spending a night with him despite of the fact that Shivaay had humiliated you and kicked you out of the house, he fell headlong in love with you."
Annika who was now far too engaged in this story said out surprised
"But that was long ago. He couldn't be in love with me then? It was before I fell for him. I was infatuated with him at that point and I bet it was infatuation from his side as well."
She shook his head
"It was love from his side. From that time on, he was so much in love with you that he couldn't take his eyes off you. He kept the karwa chauth vrat for you and he never told a single living soul. Such was the intensity of his love that you had no choice but love him in return."
"And yet he agreed to marry Tia" said Annika dryly "He made sure she wore the engagement ring right in front of me."
Anuradha smiled and circled around her.
"Shivaay thinks from his head. His notions of naam, khoon khandan were so finely ingrained in his being, that he wouldn't let his heart make a wrong decision for him. When his heart skittered out of control, he panicked. Before he would do something he'd regret, like confess his love, to both himself and to you, he pushed you far away from his reach. But the thought of someone else with you killed him and eventually became the reason for all the bad decisions that he took."
"Daksh" Annika spat out
"Daksh" Anuradha agreed. "The thought of him touching you drove him crazy and the thought that you had spent a night with him, made him angry enough to kill. He married you and then made you miserable but he found out soon enough that he was wrong but by then you were his wife and he would have done anything to keep you."
"Then why did he call me his responsibility" Anika asked curiously
"Because calling you his love would give an immense power in your hands. The power to hurt, the power over his mind, his heart, his soul. It would have been like letting you know that you were the only force that would smash the great wall of Shivaay."
She took Annika's hands and they floated towards Shivaay.
He was sitting on the hospital corridor, his eyes glassy and unfocussed, replaying horrors that his mind told him could happen. His entire being felt like it had endured so much pain that no one could bear such pain and yet be alive. Rudra and Om sat beside him and for the first time, it seemed as if their presence didn't make a difference.
"This is Shivaay metaphorically on his knees." Anuradha said and Annika agreed that he was.
"He loves me" said Annika tenderly and just then, another soul of a handsome man came and stood behind Anuradha.
"He does." The man said with a loving smile "You are a lucky woman"
"And you are?" asked Annika.
A look of sadness took over his features and Anuradha looked morose as well but Annika knew it was impossible to feel sadness in the state they were in and so she looked at him puzzled
"My name is Kabir." He answered gently. "And your meeting Shivaay was partly luck and partly our hard work."
Anuradha held Kabir's hand
"A very few people are fortunate enough to experience the love that you two share. We have worked all this while and conspired with the elements of the universe to help you find that love." Said Anuradha with an expression of a child being proud of her achievements
"Yes and you had an uncanny knack of throwing water on our efforts." Said Kabir laughing. "But I must say, of all the moments that you shared with Shivaay, the water fights were the best."
"Who died and made you the king of moments?" Anuradha asked Kabir icily
But before Kabir could answer to that, Annika interrupted them,
"Wait.. wait.. So you guys made sure that Shivaay and I met? But why would you do that?" asked Annika puzzled
"Because that is what parents do for their children." Anuradha told her kindly and it was then that Annika looked at both of them and realized that she was looking at her parents for the first time.
"You never knew love, darling. We wanted you to find such a love, that only a few people are fortunate enough to find. A love worth sacrificing everything. A love that has a power to drag someone from death door." Said Kabir or rather her father
"You have not lived until you have loved and been loved in return and we wanted you to live and not just exist." Said Anuradha wrapping her arm around her husband
"Whatever your decision is after this, I'm glad that you lived, Annika beta."
Annika looked at her parents who were clearly in love, after all this time
"Did the two of you marry for love?" she asked for which her dad laughed out loud and then replied
"I asked her out and she punched me in the face. I was even sporting a black eye on our wedding day."
"Wedding day?"
"Yes she married me a week later."
Annika had a lot of things that she needed to ask , like how they died? Where was Chutki? and a lot more but she also knew, not knowing how she knew, that her parents couldn't give her the answers to those questions and if they did, she would no longer have the choice of going back. And so she merely looked at them, taking in every detail and then there was a voice from behind.
"I think its time my grand-daughter in law went back down. My grandson is besides himself in grief and I cant see my wife look this desolate."
Annika turned around and her breath caught in her throat. Standing before her was a much older version of Shivaay and she knew how Shivaay would look thirty years down the line. There was a distinguished scar that ran along his jawline that gave him a no-nonsense look.
"Oberoi saab, she hasn't made a decision." Kabir told the older man.
Annika turned around at the loud cry that came from her husband. The doctors had just declared her dead and Shivaay had rushed towards her body. Annika floated towards him and so did the rest of the gang. Shivaay was begging her to wake up, he was raining kisses on her, caressing her face, her hair, telling her that he couldn't live without her, making promises that were so far-fetched that Annika had to laugh (like a promise to never get angry. )
"I have made a decision Papa, Ma." Said Annika quietly
"And that is?" they asked in unison
Anika remembered her mother's words, said a while ago, You have not lived until you have loved and been loved in return.
"I guess, I want to live a little." She said happily
"That's my girl." Said Kabir giving her a hi-fi which was more like slapping in the air while her mother gave her a hug which again seemed non existant.
Now that she had made a decision, her parents time with her was up and they gave her a flying kiss and their blessings and disappeared. Her grandfather in law, however was permitted to linger till she reached in her body
"I had to make sure that you took the decision to get back. If you decided to stay here, Shivaay would have followed you in a year and that would devastate his brothers. He would have given up on his health and his heart would have given up on him."
Looking at Shivaay's state, Annika had no trouble believing that.
"My sons could never find true love Annika. Shakti and Pinky's was an arranged marriage and they love each other but have never experienced that bone deep love. Tej and Janhvi might have had a chance of that but Jahnvi became too weak and Tej, too ambitious. I'm glad my grandsons are destined to find true love."
As Annika went closer to her body knowing it was time to go back, she asked quickly
"Dadaji, will it hurt?"
"If you are talking about the bullet wound, I have never had one but I guess you will have an overdose of care and concern coming from your husband. If you are talking about love, then it wouldn't be love if you didn't feel pain."
"And how long does this love last?" asked Annika feeling herself being pulled in her body.
"A little more than a lifetime" came the reply and then Annika knew no more.
***
When she came into consciousness, Shivaay was sitting on the chair but his head was on the bed and he was sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Her hand was in his. Annika's chest hurt and she was thirsty. She squeezed Shivaay's hands and he was instantly awake.
"Annika, how are you feeling" he asked.
"Thirsty" she croaked.
Shivaay buzzed for the doctor and fed her some ice chips. When he was done, he kissed her lightly on the mouth
"I love you" he said sincerely
"I know" she replied, thinking about the weird dream that she had.
***
A week later when she was discharged, all the family members told her different versions of how Shivaay brought her back to life even after she was declared dead. Annika listened in amazement, not ready to believe that her husband had indeed broken down and cried like a baby.
That evening Annika was seated on the bed while Shivaay was working on the laptop when dadi, Rudra and Omkara plopped down on the bed next to her. As they were discussing the events of last week, Annika looked at dadi and said
"You know dadi, when I was unconscious, I had this dream wherin I saw dadaji. He was like an older version of Shivaay."
Shivaay who had heard the version of her dream smiled and said, "You are over analysing that dream sweetheart. You have seen pictures of dadaji and that remained in your mind."
Annika blushed at his casual way of calling her sweetheart and Rudra and Omkara gave knowing looks at each other. Dadi was smiling.
"He is just jealous because dadaji looked better than Shivaay, in my dream. He looked slightly different from the photo. He had a scar that ran along the length of his jaw."
The moment she said that, dadi gasped and looked shocked. Rudra and Omkara asked her what happened but she never replied. Instead she told Annika to take rest and dragged Rudra and Om along with her to the temple.
But Shivaay who stood frozen, threw his laptop and dragged Annika in his arms and buried his face in her hair. Fine tremors ran through his body and Anika kept asking him what the matter was but for the life of him, he couldn't reply.
Omkara and Rudra had been far too small to remember how dadaji looked the day he died. He remembered it clearly and given dadi's reaction she remembered it as well.
No photo would have told Annika that when dadaji died, the accident had marred his perfect face with a deep scar. And if dadi's loud prayers were any indication, she figured that out as well.
Shivaay held Annika in his arms for a long time, rocking her back and forth not letting her go for a long, long time
After all it wasn't always that a person realized that they had indeed dragged their loved one from death's door.
Sorry for not being able to send pms because my friend list has people of two forums
Do like if you have managed to complete this one without leaving it midway😆
Shiv Shakti
