ShivOmRu SS ~ Cross Connections

Chapter 11

Anika read the message and smiled, Shivay saw her smiling and he didn't know why, but he felt a little happy inside, just slightly and it was very momentary.

11:45a.m. [Thank-You Shivay. I owe you one.]

11:47a.m. [Yes, you do owe me, and to return my favour, join us back this side. Om misses you]

Suddenly it seemed like such a bright and sunny day thought Anika, she was feeling warm and light - so deep down somewhere, they were a group indeed and who better to prove it than Shivay himself?

11:50a.m. [If I leave mid-way, Reyaan will feel bad, from tomorrow I will join you guys. By the way, I hope you submitted your assignment too?]

11:55a.m. [Fine, join us post lunch then. Reyaan is going for goal-keeping trials today for our team - post lunch. Yes, I have submitted mine, landed with a C- this time : (]

11:57a.m. [Oh, okay. Don't worry your grades will pick up pace from the next assignment, I promise. By the way, I got a B+ so, thanks! : )]

***

Om was standing all most at the edge of the cliff, with his hands on his waist, breathing hard - the climb up the cliff was definitely tough, but it was worth it, he had to finish the end colour touches of the painting he was doing of this place - there was no one to disturb him, the huge sky before him was unobstructed, spreading streaks of fast diffusing orange into pinkish purple - he had about fifteen minutes to catch the right shades of twilight, before the dark evening engulfed the scene before him. As he paced up and went further close to the cliff to set up his stand, he thought he heard a sniff from below the small cliff that overlooked the city in the distance. He was done setting the stand, but before he could focus on the shade, he heard another sniff - he was surprised, was some small animal caught in the hedges sprouting from below the cliff? He moved closer and found a small trail from the side, leading near the hedges, he followed the trail, that is when he was close enough to detect the source of the sniff.

"God ji please! Please please please don't make it painful okay? I know it's not right, but this is all I can do now! After all I am heart broken! Isnt this what Juliet had done? Except, my Romeo isn't like really dead, just metaphorically you know. But God ji, you know I gave this a lot of thought, like I thought about it all the time I was having my last red velvet cheesecake at Love & Cheesecake' for this life time. This is it, then, I guess I should jump..." Om was shocked out of his wit, there stood the prettiest girl he had ever set his eyes on, and when did he meet her? When she was ending her life? As Om was about to run towards the depressed damsel fearing she would jump before he reached her, the girl seemed to be in no hurry, she spoke aloud again.

"Okay okay Godji, wait, I forgot to cross check the to-do list I made before jumping. Two mins hmm?"

To-do list before jumping?' Om thought and scratched his head, as the girl pulled out a piece of paper from her denims pocket and mumbled on.

"Returned Piku her leather jacket - check

Told di the date of my Amazon delivery - check

Took back my straightener from Tia - check

Confessed to Godji - " and she exclaimed - "what Godji, I forgot to confess to my crimes before jumping only! No No, Greek God's in heaven wont date me if I missed this!"

A small chuckle escaped Om as he heard this. He was relaxed now, this girl wasn't jumping so easily.

"God ji, I have been a very bad girl, I have dark sins to confess to" she sighed. "You know when I was little, and ma had scolded di for not feeding fishytishy in time because of which he died? Well, di did put the food in time God ji, but fishytishy was dead way before eating it - I err..I had forgotten to turn on the aquarium light before switching off the light in the room the night before. Sorry! And the other time when I when I was on a crash diet last month? Well, I had broken it and eaten muffins too - God ji I even lied to Tia about my weight! I never lost two kilos, I just wanted to make her jealous. I am so so horrible. And when I told Tia she looks slim in green and made her buy that cocktail dress? God ji, actually she looks like a fat mushroom in it, I was jealous. I have been a bad bad girl, but I promise I will be a good fairy - please send me to heaven when I fall okay? And one last request Godji, please don't make the make-up smear on my dead body when they come to collect it okay? And incase my lipstick rubs off, please punish the makeup company owners for false promises to a dying soul - they are supposed to give 12 hours cover and its smudge proof." Finally the girl finished and sighed, now she was getting ready for the dive.

"Maybe you should postpone your dive miss. It's dark now, even if your Godji, plans to send you to heaven, you sure you will find your way in the dark?" asked Om from behind.

Mallika jumped in alarm, "God, you scared me to death crazy man!"

"Well you were dying anyway" responded Om with a tight lip.

"Hi, I am Om. Omkara Jai Singh "

"Mallika, soon to be Late. Mallika"

"Hi, soon to be Lt. Mallika, do you want a ride home for the time being? You can always come back tomorrow, now that your checklist is exhausted, all you gotta do is not waste time and jump during day-light!"