After the abrupt end to Shivaay’s call Anika really didn’t look forward to seeing him today.
She was going to see him in an hour and dreading every minute “I’ll be meeting you and I know you’re going to make me regret ever meeting you.”
And as Anika readied herself her heart was trembling making her hands shake.
Today Shivaay Singh Oberio our love affair will finally be over.
“Just know that I gave my heart to prove to you that I would always love you”, she said.
Anika stepped into the Oberio mansion and dreaded every single duty she had to do, “Why did I have to come today?”
Today I will set him free as I can’t see him stressed about his family’s well-being and the business.
When he saw her busy around the house, the sunlight was sweet again.
“Hi Billu….” Anika started but didn’t finish… giving a half-smile.
“I didn’t think you were going to come”, he said quizzically.
“I have job to do and I always finish jobs I have, where did you hear that from?”
“Your aunt, told me”, he said as he drew his lower lip between his teeth.
“Do you mind I have work” Anika’s voice hardened as she spoke.
“Thank you for all your dedication and effort. The houses need someone who knows what they are doing. I hope you do not mind but I may have got a permanent job for you working at the Oberio Mansion”, Shivaay said with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
“Shivaay, you know it’s not necessary”, she said rudely.
“Okay, then Anika if you want to be like this, its fine but my offer still stands”, he replied walking off as he did his signature hair flip.
When he left the words just spontaneously came out, “I miss you Billu ji”.
He only did what she asked, by saying yes to Tia’s ultimatum but he had one thing ace up his sleeve.
And as the saying goes “all work and no play makes Shivaay a not dull but rude and obnoxious man.”
For him money has never made him happy but the love and respect of his family did.
“Why is my destiny always filled with misery”, Anika said in something like a sigh as she prepared the mandap.
Anika didn’t even know what to feel but the only thing she knew was her “michmichi” senses were tingling, this time with all the recent developments.
She was hurt yet she told him to forget about her?
“Was I just blind that I couldn’t see how much he really meant to me?” Anika and worry lines outlined her mouth and pulled at her eyes.
“I guess that he would always be on my mind and forever in my heart” she concluded.
After that their talks were light and cordial as they spoke in quiet tones.
When he looked away to listen to his mother, Anika’s doubts interrupted her work.
Looking at her Shivaay came to the conclusion that his world would forever be incomplete without her.
“Anika, your soul will be forever tied to mine, by all means she knows that I am hers,” he said.
Shivaay walked away after his mother asked him for the umpteenth, time to get ready.
Just can’t believe that this is going to end, what we had is going to end.
I know I’ll never love again or get someone like you.
“I am written in your life in your destiny but I am separated from you”.
“Your sweet love, I will never experience and enjoy and even when I tried to convince her, it was of no use”, he said frustrated at his current situation.
“I told her what I had in my heart but I guess what we had meant nothing to her,” Shivaay fiddled with his ring as he saw his shaky fingers.
“I would give anything for just one last kiss from her”, he said as he turned away.
Walking away, he struggled to contain his emotions as he brushed the tears from his eyes.
As the gravity of the day sunk in that he will soon get married.
Later
This will not work, Shivaay said to himself as he anxiously passed his room.
Finally Shivaay decided to go through with his plan, “courage don’t fail me now” he said as he looked heavenward.
All she wanted to do was walk up to him and tell him, Shivaay I made a mistake but the thing is her mistake was something she could not all easily discount as a trivial matter but she had to try.
Anika too got ready, dressed in the gift Om, Rudra and Priyanka so graciously gave her.
She looked like a golden goddess, dressed a shimmery sequenced top and black skirt with floral print totally engrossed her work and not paying attention to what was happening around her.
Shivaay walked out dressed in a black sherwani, and as he walked out looking all kinds of s*xy with that no-nonsense look on his face.
Shivaay looked over at Anika and studied her with a hunter’s unwavering attention.
When he tapped her on the shoulder she puckered her forehead “Billu ji, I’m sorry. I’ll just finish with the mandap, then I will go”, Anika her voice had regret all over it.
And they shared an eye-lock lost in their private infuriating frustration; it was so intense that Anika’s dark eyes glow with a ferocious, uncompromising passion.
From across the room Rudra spots the two of them in a less than ordinary eye-lock, “I knew it”, he said as he waited through another lengthy silence and his mind flooded with all Shivaay and Anika’s awkward behaviour when the family was around.