THE TOUCH…..( A short Story)

My Dear Anika,

You must have met some one,

Who must have given you a rose everyday?

You must have met someone,

 Who must have given you expensive presents?

You must have met someone,

Who wants to make your bank balance heavy?

You must have met someone,

Who wants to leave everything to get your Love?

You must have met someone,

Who wants to give his life for your Love?

But my Love,

I will give you the simple gift,

I will give you me,

I will be there beside you,

I will be there near you,

I will be there like your shadow,

This hides when there is light.

This is with you when it’s dark.

I Love you Baby no matter what,

Light or dark no matter what,

I want to be there always for you,

Only for you,

Only for you,

And, only for you.

Anika experienced a vibrations throughout her body after reading the poem that Shiv had sent. She was unable to speak. She had the impression that someone had awoken her from a deep sleep. She had the impression that her nightmare was over. The poem Shiv sent her made her feel as though all of her dormant and unfulfilled desires had suddenly come to life.

Anika had met Shiv hundreds of times over the previous five to six years and had known him, but she had never known him in this way. The day Shiv unintentionally touched her arms as she was about to trip on the dance floor, the flare of Love had awakened. He touched her, and she immediately felt the current waves that had passed through her body.

She had been single for the previous four years and had met many men during that time, but none were good enough, so the relationships ended up being brief flings. However, a single touch from Shiv roused her desires from a protracted and loveless slumber. Despite the fact that she was silent at the time, after that she was only focused on finding Shiv wherever he might be on the dance floor, and she was still able to feel the electricity flowing through her body from when Shiv had rolled his fingers down the length of her arms, from the shoulders to the wrists.

Still, she could feel his fingers stroking her body. She felt like falling again, but this time she only managed to land in his arms where he could give her a warm hug. Anika believed that the single touch had brought all of her dormant emotions, desires, and fantasies to the surface. Her heart was stirred by that single touch, and she suddenly remembered how she had yearned to be with someone, to hold their hand, to lie next to them so she could feel the warmth of their breath, to lose herself in their eyes, and to be in their arms.

Since she was single, she made the decision that enough was enough and that she would never again allow any jerk to violate her right to "just live the life" in the same way that her ex-husband had. She had been his wife for ten long years, but their union had been more of a compromise than a union. Marriage is supposed to be a union of two hearts and a souls, but these two essential components were never present in their union. Although they were simply together, they had never conversed, shared a meal, sat together, eaten, or gone anywhere. She had never seen or met a man as egotistical as him. He had only ever worried about himself and was a constant complainer. He frequently yelled and made excuses while saying, "I have not got this, you have not done that, you have ruined my life, you have made my life a living hell, you are good for nothing for me but just a burden on me."

Anika used to wonder what she had done to cause him to believe all of this. Why did he get angry with her so easily? He had never used a light or loving tone of voice to speak to her since the day they got married, and he appeared to be so far away. He had lived in his own shell and was perpetually lost in thought. He had never wanted to leave it. He was icy all the time. His father had passed away when he was two years old. He was raised by his untrained mother, who worked odd jobs to support the family. Maybe he was so cynical about life because of all those things and the loveless life he had led.

The spark of having a loveable life and a caring partner was what Anika had always craved, even though she had also been born and raised in a valueless family environment. She once believed that even the harshest person could be changed by love. But this man, the man who was her husband, had disproven her. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to turn a house into a home.

Anika made the decision to leave him after declaring to herself a day that she would no longer put up with the abusive lifestyle she had been leading. Anika left him one fine day by simply telling him that she had freed him from his miseries because he used to view her as a source of misery at all times of the day, leading him to believe he was ruining their relationship.

Anika had never looked back in her life after that day. She had made the decision to relive her life and make the most of the time left to live it. Despite the fact that she was initially alone, it was challenging. She received no emotional support from friends or family, which might have slightly improved her life. She was able to reclaim control of her life by working hard alone over time. She was a resident of today. Whatever other people might have thought or said about her, she was living her life without giving any thought to death or compromising in any way.  And even though she was by herself at the time, she was still living her life to the fullest.

Anika had never disclosed to others that she was single. She was merely having fun and dating occasionally. But each time, the outcome was the same, and everyone wanted her to make an agreement. She made the decision one day that she would not date any of the jerks and that she wished to spend some time by herself. She wished to put an end to her life of constant mobility and take some time to reflect on what she truly desired from it. She made a promise to herself that she would no longer make any concessions in order to live her life on her terms.

Then, by chance, she ran into Shiv, a longtime friend, and they decided to meet up after exchanging SMS messages for a few days. When they first met, they discussed their shared love of writing. They frequently traded poems and even quick thoughts. The way things worked out was that whenever Shiv wrote to Anika, she was prepared with a response, and vice versa. Their coffee and tea dates increased in frequency.

Then the party, where the entire spark occurred, happened suddenly. Anika made the decision to pull herself back after the party because she didn't want to hurt herself emotionally or romantically once more. After the party, they didn't communicate via SMS, poetry, or other literary forms for two days. On the third day, Shiv sent a text message. She responded. Shiv asked Anika where she had been lost for two days after they had exchanged a few SMS. Anika attempted to avoid the subject, but Shiv persisted, and she would not discuss it. She agreed to meet when Shiv rescheduled their tea date for that same evening.

That evening took a completely different turn for both of them because they were unable to look each other in the eyes from the moment they first met. Anika could sense the energy emanating from Shiv's body pulling her in his direction. All she wanted was for him to give her a tight hug and for her to relax. After a while of chatting and drinking tea, Shiv suggested that he drop her off at a nearby Metro station. Anika agreed without giving it a second thought.

Anika was lost in another world while Shiv was running the vehicle and conversing about something. Her thoughts were drifting back to Shiv's presence at the party. When she felt Shiv's hand on her hand, she was startled out of her dream. He was shifting gears while simultaneously holding her hand. Shiv continued to speak, but Anika retreated into her dream-like state. She could now feel a current running from her hand up to her entire body, and a desperate need to be in his arms was growing inside of her. It was now resisting extinction. Shiv's voice said, "Metro station is here," a short while later.

She exited his vehicle and turned to face Shiv. Shiv held Anika in his arms right then, as if on purpose, granting her every wish. Anika, I love you for who you are; please never leave me again, he softly crooned into her ears as he squeezed her close.

Anika silently prayed, "God, please make this time stand still here." She could feel Shiv's love pulsing through her veins. If this is a dream, Shiv, please don't let anyone ruin it.

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