The Abyss- Ishqbaaz Fanfic By Aashi (chapter 30)

The Abyss- Ishqbaaz Fanfic by Aashi (chapter 30)

Link to previous chapter: Chapter 29

Anika wept in her sleep and Shivaay watched her, helpless. It’s been a week, seven days after the ‘disappearance’ day and seven days since Anika was ill. The following morning, Shivaay had visited the two of them, ready to ask Anika about her disappearance once again, but a greatly different sight met his eyes. The night nurse had found Anika unresponsive, sometime during the late night and her pulse extremely slow. She had checked her blood pressure which was falling gradually. The nurse decided the need to save her life was greater than informing her influential family and the doctor on duty agreed with her. Shivaay had to spend the full one agonizing moment before they let him in.
His head rang with one sound as if someone had hit him under his ears. His legs felt shaky underneath him, his head dizzy, as if in a trance. “…really sorry sir… she’s in coma, self induced…. tough to save her…tried our best….fine soon, hopefully.” He only heard flimsies of the words spoken to him. He had had collapsed in the chair next to Anika, holding her hand, unwavering. Priyanka and Soumya were startled to see their bade bhaiya like that but were even more shocked to see Anika’s condition. They bravely made all the arrangements to move Anika and Saahil back home.
There, though with all the facilities and care, Anika’s health had not improved much. Saahil, thankfully, on the other hand, was doing better, but was kept in surveillance by the family members who entertained him, talked to him, told him stories and loved him. Anika’s absence was written off as her need to be with her friend Chanda, who was soon to be married. Along with Anika, Shivaay’s health deteriorated. He ignored everything, his health, business, food, and all his basic necessities. He was alive due to the little food his siblings forced down his unwilling throat and the medicines which he was forced to have. Pinky could only look from far, and cry, as her son refused to share any sorrow with her.
On the third night Anika had shown some movements. She was shouting and shaking uncontrollably. Shivaay had hugged her tight until she had calmed down but even in her coma she was weeping. Her tears leaked from sides of her eyes for next some minutes until she relaxed. But this episode had shaken Shivaay to a huge extent and he contacted a neurologist concerning her condition.
Apparently Anika was neurologically fit but the same doctor told him to contact a psychologist. The psychologist determined her coma to be a defense mechanism of her brain to protect her against some sort of mental pain or stress. Her seizures proved to be high level anxiety attacks for which he prescribed some anti- depressants. He had asked Shivaay to provide her support and understanding and to hope for the best.
Om, Ru and Priyanka were always there for both of them. His Badi Maa was also very supportive towards him. Shivaay had seen his Bade Papa sitting beside Anika once, while he was returning from the kitchen, where he was forced to go because of Rudra, talking to her. He was more than pleased when Soumya visited them and he really hoped Rudra to clear the stirring confusion among them.
Anika was stirring continuously. He rubbed her hand, trying to comfort her but was taken aback when those eyes jolted open. Shivaay stared dazed at those coffee colored eyes with his azure ones before calling out to his brothers and ringing up the doctor.
Everyone felt happiness filter through their house as Anika got better. The doctor checked her and declared her physically fit but to join counseling. One by one, all the members of the Oberoi family visited her and wished her better health; all except for Shivaay. He stood in silence by the door and waited to look at his lady till everyone departed.
“Shivaay…” Anika croaked, her voice sounding horrible to her own self. “Shivaay…” he covered the distance between them in a few long strides and held her palms in his. “Don’t you ever dare to do something like this again. I will die Anika” his voice was wet and heavy. Anika stared into the face of the man who had wronged her, humiliated her, distrusted her, and ridiculed her but her eyes met those which loved her, supported her, cared for her, adored her and for the whole life time, held faith in her. She tightened her grip at his hands and with, what seemed like herculean effort, lifted them to her mouth and kissed them. He smiled a watery smile and kissed her forehead and began to summarize her, the things she missed that week.
Gauri looked at the phone and kept it back again. Om hadn’t called or texted her since the day she had seen him last. The next morning, she had waited him to turn up and but was sorely disappointed when nothing of that sort happened. To shield herself from any further broken promises, she decided not to call him but kept checking her cell for any of his calls or texts.
Ranveer stared out in the late spring sky. The air was humid and warm and he could hear the sea waves as they crashed on the shore. After his day’s schedule, he was tired but content. His work always gave him joy, and so, despite of all the hardships and the money he had inherited, he kept working for his country. The last week had been particularly hard upon him, due to Priyanka’s absence, but he had expected the reaction from her, since she loved her brothers a lot. “Ranveer…” a female voice called him. His face lit up at once and he turned, “Priyanka…” but it was only Chaitaali. ACP Chaitaali was IAS, and soon to be city SP, Ranveer’s batch mate and a good friend. When she transferred to Mumbai last week, Ranveer helped her to settle in the city. This kept away his unnecessary thoughts but she had somehow understood his pain and was trying to know the reason behind it.
He smiled a wan smile at his friend. “So? When is Rohan joining you here?” Chaitaali blushed and answered, “He is coming tomorrow. Do you realize how much he is waiting to meet you? He was actually jealous of you!!” she smiled, shaking her head fondly at his possessiveness but they soon diverted their talks and bid goodbye. He got into his car and began driving homewards.
On his radio, he heard the one of the sweetest voice, “Love knows no boundaries, no differences, castes, religions or otherwise…Distances make the loved ones hearts fonder. And this song is dedicated to those who are living apart from their loved ones with our whishes for you to unite; this is your Love Angel signing off. “Khamoshiyaan …aawaaz hai, tum sun’ne to aao kabhi…. Choonkar tumhe, mil jaayengi, ghar inko bulaao kabhi… bekarar hai, baat karne ko, kahne do inko zara…. Khamoshiyaan… teri meri, khamoshiyaan….” Ranveer smiled and drove on.
“Maa, kaho naa, kya hua? Kyu nahi aap chahti ki mei Ranveer se milu? Kuch to bolo?” Priyanka pleaded in front of her Chotti maa. “Priyanka, tu jaanti hai apne bhaayiyon ko, wo teri shaadi kabhi Ranveer se nahi hone denge. Usse dil lagaana hi kyu agar usse milna, saath rehna mumkin hi nahi?” “Maa, ye aap kya bole jaa rahi ho? We are just friends. There is nothing between us. Aap sahi reason nahi batana chahte, to theek hai. I will ask him myself. I’m going, bye”. Priyanka sneaked out as soon as everyone retired to bed after dinner.
Om looked in complete bewilderment at the week old reminder, the one he had set so he could meet Gauri. “She must think me as a complete a*sh*le. Think Om, think; how will you calm the dabang Gauri down?” He hesitated before dropping a message that he was unexpectedly held up the last week but he will drive her to her work-place the day after.
Daadi sat in her arm chair, looking out from the window in her room. She calmly rotated the beads in her right hand, murmuring prayers. Her heart felt light and content after many days, as she slowly drifted off to sleep, on the arm-chair itself.
Ranveer was cruelly jolted out of his sleep by the ringing of his cell. “Kya yaar, raat ko bhi naa so sakta kya mein?” he answered the cell, without looking at the caller id. “Shut up and open the door” the answer came as a fierce whisper. Priyanka? Ranveer alerted and sat up straight. He squinted his sleep-deprived eyes to look at the wall clock which showed 1:30. “Come on, hurry up!” came the impatient voice of his caller. “Yeah! Yeah, give me a minute” he said as he cut the call. He glanced at his bare torso and quickly slipped on a t-shirt. He pulled shorts over his boxers and went to open the door trying to flatten his hairs down. Priyanka came inside and hugged him once the door was open. Ranveer hugged her back at once, instinctively and felt his whole world complete. The missing piece of his universe fell into place at last and he was sure that he was the happiest man to be alive.
“Priyan…” even before he could call her name, a slap landed on his cheek. “What the heck do you think of yourself? Not a call, not a SMS, not a voicemail. Do you even know how many days have passed?” Ranveer was shocked. Did Mrs. Oberoi didn’t inform her or did she put his history behind and was still being friends with him? Ranveer decided to ignore his worries and enjoy the present. “Sorry” he said like an innocent child, holding his cheek. “You should be” Priyanka replied, looking at his cute expressions from the corner of her eye, pretending to be annoyed. Ranveer smiled as he watched her pretending her annoyance and smirked as a devious plan formed in his brain.
“Forgive me” he said with an adorable smile. “Nope” Priyanka replied, turning her head the other way. “Please” Ranveer pleaded, clasping his hands in front of Priyanka. Priyanka turned her head to prove her anger, but was actually trying to stop her laughter. “Okay then,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. Priyanka made an offended face before she was lifted off the ground and being spun around. “Ranveer, put me down” she shirked. “Forgive me Priyanka, please. I promise I won’t make the same mistake again.” “Okay, I forgive you” Priyanka said, clutching his shoulders tightly. He grinned and put her down slowly, holding her back lest she falls. Once she felt steady enough, Priyanka hit Ranveer on the chest making him laugh. Together, they micro-waved some popcorn and began filling each other with the events of the week.
“Let’s go to sleep” Priyanka suggested, as she noticed Ranveer rubbing his eyes to stay awake and keep a track of her gossips. Ranveer looked confused at her proposal but was too tired to protest. Priyanka grabbed another blanket and curled next to Ranveer on the bed. Their eyes held for a second, looking at each other before Ranveer gave up and closed his eyes. In just a few seconds, he was deep asleep. Priyanka kept awake for some time, listening to the clock ticking, the regular breathing next to her, interrupted by an occasional soft snore, looking at his eye-lashes. Then, she snuggled closer to Ranveer and went off to sleep.
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Hey everyone. Sorry to be gone for so long again and so sorry for not replying to the comments.
Nati: Thank you so much for welcoming me back and of course, I haven’t forgotten you. Thank you for your appreciation. I hope you liked this chapter as well. Please like and comment.
Nikita_jai 29 di: Thank you di. I’m glad to know you liked the chapter. I hope you continue reading the story. I will take care; thank you a lot for your wishes. Take care. Please do like and comment.
Rithu17: Yes Rithu, Ranveer was the one who tried to prove Shivaay guilty of Gayetri’s murder and had arrested Tej and Shakti; there goes the bad past. I’m glad you liked the brothers’ conversation. I’m doing well now, thank you. Take care as well. Do keep reading, liking and commenting .
Niriha: Thank you di. Please keep reading.
ItsMe Prabha: I’m doing perfectly well now, thank you for your wishes. I’m glad you liked the story. Please keep reading and commenting. Take care.
Sadia23: I’m glad you liked the chapter, but I’m so sorry for disappearing for so long. I hope you liked the chapter. Do keep reading, liking and commenting. Take care.