Face To Face - Shivani & Mrityunjay

Mrityunjay bent down, as the kid pecked him on the cheek. When he rose back, he turned to his right and saw her come towards him. The shock waves that ran through his heart made him immobile and he just stood rooted to the spot. All he could see was her face, peering at him, like he was the only person in that place. He forgot everything - the surroundings, the crowds, nothing mattered, nothing at all.

The explosion was deafening and Mrityunjay recovered first. It seemed there had been a low intensity blast some distance away. As he stood up again, he saw Shivani fall and he ran to her, gasping for breath. No, nothing could happen to her, not now, not like this.

All sorts of thoughts ran through his mind. He covered the short distance in the blink of an eye, kneeling down beside her. She lay limp as he checked her breath and pulse. She was alive. Mrityunjay breathed in relief. He picked her up, as she lay on the ground and clutched her close to him. She must've been hit by the flying debris. He checked to see if there had been any wounds. As he observed a cut on her right arm, just under the shoulder joint, the tears streamed out of his eyes. As people began to gather around him, he carried her in his arms, scrutinizing her continuously, unable to believe that he was actually holding her in his very arms.

Sometime later, Shivani woke up with a start and checked out her surroundings. She had no idea where she was or how she got there. It seemed like a cabin made out of wood and stone. The windows on her far left had been closed with wooden blinds, to keep out any light. She tried to get up, as she felt her throat parched. She inspected the room. There was no sign of anyone else. Just as she tried getting out of the bed, she felt a sharp pain shoot up from her right arm. She looked down at her arm, wincing in pain and noticed it had been bandaged. The images came flooding back to her then. She had been at the market and had suddenly seen him and then........ nothing. She didn't know what had happened after that.

Shivani got out of the bed with a bit of an effort. There was a door at the right side of the bed. She walked slowly towards the door and opened it. It led into a small corridor, at the end of which, she saw a narrow flight of stairs going downstairs. There were 2 other doors on the top floor; one locked and the other, a bathroom.

Shivani starred at the long flight of stairs and was worried. She had no idea, who was down there and what their intention behind bringing her there was. She slowly got down the stairs. She had three more steps to descend, when she saw a huge dog run towards her. Shivani froze in fear and stood rooted to the spot she stood at.

The dog came towards her, barking loudly and stood at the foot of the stairs, as though daring Shivani to come down. She looked around helplessly, fear gripping her. She was terrified of dogs and this one threatening to bite her, was huge with sharp teeth.

"Beacon!" she heard a loud, booming voice. She focused ahead. There, right in front of her stood a tall man. The light coming from outside formed an aura around him, making it impossible to see his face. Shivani stood staring at the stranger, while the dog moved away, out of sight. She noticed the dog move away and let out a sigh of relief. She was so disoriented, that she ran madly towards the man at the door and clutched him hard.

"I am very scared of dogs, when I was a kid, I was bitten by a dog..... I.... I... had to take an injection on my abdomen, which hurt all day,” she blabbered on deliriously. In her hysteria she did not notice, how the arms of the stranger had come protectively around her. "Shivani," he whispered her name.

She went on, unmindful of the stranger's voice. "Cats also bite, but I... I... like cats. They are not like dogs.... Dogs are very......"

"SHIVANI!"

She snapped out of her delirium and finally heard his voice. "Haan," she responded out of habit.

That is when it hit her. The realization came like cold water falling on fire. Shivani was shocked, not able to believe her ears. Her grip on his shirt tightened, as she feared, her hopes might be dashed once again. She didn't know what to think anymore. The stranger held her close, letting her take her time. The way he held her, the way he said her name, all reminiscent of HIM. Shivani withdrew slowly, unsure, confused. When she came away from his embrace, his face came into sharp focus.

Mrityunjay watched her, as her eyes widened in disbelief. Her hands went up to cover her gaping mouth. He eyes danced all over her face, as he drunk in her face and features. She was exactly as he had remembered, yet, something had changed. Her eyes? Wide, hazel, windows to her heart that told him everything. The hint of dark under the eyes told him of the sleepless nights she must've spent, just like him.

She was too stunned to speak. Deep down, she always believed that he would be alive, but she had not expected to see him like this.... so suddenly... when she least hoped to see him.

Shivani moved away from him, unable to believe the vision in front of her. She had put considerable distance between them when her knees buckled, as the truth sunk in, that indeed it was Mrityunjay standing in front of her. It was difficult to say, which happened first, Shivani falling at the foot of the stairs or Mrityunjay reaching out for her. His hand came to the small of her back, to steady her, but it was too late. She collapsed on to the floor just as he knelt in front of her. The tears ran freely down her cheeks and her chest heaved erratically.

"If this is a dream," whispered Shivani, barely audible, "then I want to sleep forev........"

His lips touched hers delicately and Shivani closed her eyes shut tight. Her fingers gripped his shirt in a vice like grip. Mrityunjay barely touched his lips to her, kissing her as though, she would turn into vapour any moment. He let her go reluctantly while he observed her closely.

She opened her eyes, that refused to cease the tears streaming out in a flood. Going up on her knees, she clutched him hard, her hands intertwining around his neck. The sobs breaking out of her were inevitable. Mrityunjay held Shivani close, his eyes shut tight, feeling her warmth, as close as he had dreamt all this while.

Shivani moved away, taking a good look at his face. She placed tender kisses on his eyes and went back into his arms for the comfort she sought. Her salvation lay in the strong arms that held her.

It was difficult for Mrityunjay to believe this was happening, the pain and joy visible on his face. His embrace tightened, as he gave vent to his own need to feel her close to his heart. He had barely held her for a few seconds, when he could feel her going limp in his arms.