ShaKhi One Shots (OS)

Shakhi OS Dil Ki Tanhayiyaan

And they chatted for some time. Shaurya explained how he had a tiring day. Anokhi asked him to take rest but Shaurya insisted her to chat. So, she told him about her day. She expected him to reply back and tease her as he always does but received 'Hmm' in response which turned her mood off.

Anokhi asked Shaurya to sleep. When he asked her to keep chatting, she sent a good night and went offline. She figured out that he's sleepy and she didn't want to keep him up. She also didn't want to talk when all she received is a monosyllabic response.

When Anokhi couldn't even get a proper reply from Shaurya then how will she tell him that she misses him and his presence? She wanted to say so many things, have a light hearted conversation with him, even flirt a little. But he was not in such a mood.

Anokhi glanced at her mobile once and kept it aside. She pulled her pillow into her arms and buried her face into it, trying to fight off the loneliness that ate her within. Thinking of Shaurya, she fell into sleep.

~ * ~

One night, Anokhi twisted and turned on her bed. It was 10:30 in night and her mind was off. She had a splitting headache from evening and refused to take meds when her mother offered her after dinner as she won't be able to wake up at night after having her meds. Shaurya replied her text that he would call her tonight and she's waiting for his call.

"Nikki, tu ab tak soyi kyun nahi?" Rama asked entering Anokhi's room "Ab bhi sar dardh ho ri hai?"

Anokhi nodded in a yes while holding her head in her hands. Rama scolded her for not taking meds and went out of the room. She came back with a glass of milk and made Anokhi drink the milk. She then gave her meds and took Anokhi's mobile out of her grip.

"Mummy ji!" Anokhi shrieked "Kya kar rahe ho? Meri mobile..."

"Tujhe na ab aaram ki zaroorath hai, Nikki! Tujhe ab yeh kal subah hi milega. Chal, let jao" Rama chided Anokhi and made her lie down while Anokhi grew anxious.

Anokhi kept asking her mobile from Rama who grew tired of her daughter's antics and finally handed it to Anokhi.

"Jaldi sona hai tereko Nikki" Rama warned Anokhi for the final time before closing her room door.

Anokhi visibly relaxed. Making sure that Rama has went to her room, she opened her mobile and checked if Shaurya has replied her. She waited for an hour, fighting her sleep and got fed up around 12. She googled a quote image for disappointment, changed her WhatsApp status privacy to share 'only with' and selected Shaurya's contact.

"Sometimes we create our own heartbreaks through expectation"

"I hate when you're excited for something but then it ends up not happening"

After uploading her status, she heaved a sigh in frustration, placed her mobile away and closed her eyes. Soon sleep took over her.

~ * ~

For the next few days, Shaurya and Anokhi had a tough time. He has seen her status and they got into an argument. Anokhi didn't want to argue but she couldn't keep her feelings in check although she knows he's not at fault but situation is. She stopped replying him and he didn't text her either.

After five days of silent treatment, when Anokhi was immersed in reading a Wattpad story, she received a text from Shaurya. Surprised, she opened the text.

"Can we talk, Anokhi?"

Anokhi's heart quicken. She was glad that he finally decided to talk. She was missing him terribly.

"Hmm" She replied.

Within few seconds her mobile started ringing. She attended the call and placed it against her ears. Both didn't speak anything for a minute, just reading each other's silence.

"Anokhi" Shaurya said in a deep voice finally breaking the silence between them.

"Hmmm" Anokhi replied not knowing what to say. She felt good hearing her name from his voice after a long time. She missed him terribly.

"Ab bhi gussa ho mujhse?" Shaurya asked in a soft tone.

"Aap gussa ho mujhse?" Anokhi asked back.

"I could never stay angry at you for long, Anokhi" She heard him say.

"Five days are too long, you know" She said, her voice breaking into tears.

"Misthi, don't cry" Shaurya sounded panicked "I'm sorry"

Anokhi gulped down her tears and tried to sound okay but her voice gave away that she's down and gloomy.

"I'm sorry for arguing with you that day, Anokhi. I'm sorry that I couldn't communicate with you properly. Its just new campus work is stre-"

"I know, Shaurya. Aap ko explain karne ki zaroorath nahi hai" Anokhi said getting a hold of her voice "I know that you are involved in serious work and I'm not holding you at fault here. Its just... I don't know. I'm not complaining, no I'm not. I'm trying to be considerate but sometimes I feel lonely, you know. I was used to your presence and attention all the time. But for the past few months we haven't even communicated properly with each other, let alone see each other. We rarely talk these days. Even if we talk, our conversation is filled with monosyllabic response that my mind goes off. I don't hold you at fault here. I know you must be tired after a long day. Though I keep telling myself that you're busy and I shouldn't feel too disappointment, I couldn't handle it at times. I started feeling lonely. We being in separate places doesn't help the cause too. I miss the feeling of being in your embrace. I miss our carefree talks. I miss the way we sneak out and meet. I miss the way you make me feel butterflies flying in my stomach with just a single text. I miss your surprise kisses. I miss you, Shaurya. I miss us"

Anokhi's voice reduced to silent tears towards the end. None of them said anything as silence dominated their conversation.

"I'm sorry" Shaurya said after a long silence, his voice deep "I'm sorry that I made you feel this way, Misthi. I should have communicated better"

"I'm sorry" Anokhi replied, gulping down her tears "I should have told you what I felt without holding back"

And so, Shaurya and Anokhi has made out their difference. They talked about how much they two missed each other in the past few months. After an hour of heart conversation, they both hang up the call.

Anokhi had a wide smile as she collapsed on her bed and took her pillow in her embrace. She felt good after having a long conversation with Shaurya. Suddenly a thought ran through her mind. She sat up excitedly and took her marker pen from the side table. She moved the pillow cover aside and wrote PS on her pillow.

"Now I'll feel that you're always with me. Perfect!" Anokhi said as she admired her little work and hugged the pillow close to her hearty and laid down to sleep with a wide grin on her face.

"I love you Shaurya" Anokhi said placing a big kiss on pillow and soon slept while hugging the pillow, dreaming of her Shaurya. Distance doesn't matter as long as hearts are connected.

THE END