Falling in Love - A Shivika Romance ✔

60. Divorce On The Cards?

Shubho Naboborsho, Happy Baisakhi, Happy Guri Parwa, and Ramadan Mubarak dear readers. A chapter in the middle of the week was in high demand, so here you go:

***

Shivaay finally sighed in relief seeing Khanna coming in with a man he assumed to be a locksmith. "Fast" the guy increased his pace and stood right in front of the door.

"Don't stare at my face. Make the key," he spoke rudely.

"Annika, don't worry. I will open the door for you soon," he assured her.

On the other side of the door, Annika placed the pen and papers inside her handbag hearing him. She wiped her tears and walked ahead to open the door.

"Annika," he stepped around Khanna to face her and pulled her in a hug. She didn't hug him back. "I was so worried," he said, "Why weren't you opening the door?"

No reply. He pulled away from the hug to cup her face. There were stains of tears on her cheeks. He rubbed the pad of his thumb on them as if compensating for not being there when she cried. She held his hands and tried pushing them away. Not getting the hint, he placed his hands on either side of her shoulders. He quickly glanced around the room finding it in a complete mess. He looked back at Annika. He could not understand how she made the mess being the patient woman she was nor he wanted to know at the moment. His Annika was safe. That was the biggest relief.

"It's okay. Fine. I will ask Khanna and Mishra. They can be entrusted to take care of confidential things like these," he caressed her hair, "It's well past one. You must be hungry. Come with me to my cabin. We will order something."

Annika got stiff. Did Khanna and Mishra know about the oh-so-confidential deals too? Just like how the media, Mallika and Dev had a whiff of it. She held her bag more protectively. Shivaay shouldn't come to know that she knew. At least not now. He will trap her in his sweet words and she would end up forgetting and forgiving both of which she didn't want to.

"Annika," he tugged her arm. "Let's go." They took the elevator to reach the floor where Shivaay's cabin was.

***

Upon reaching his cabin, Shivaay pulled a chair for Annika. He sat right beside her taking her hand in his.

"I said I am sorry. How many more times should I say it? I know you are upset, but honestly, I am as upset as you are. Anya was blabbering sh*t about us. She had no right to judge. I got angry. I had no idea it would end like this." He was waiting to be asked the big question once again. He was scared although he knew if she asked, he won't be able to ignore her once again. He didn't know if he was ready for her questions but he sure didn't want Annika to lock herself again. 

Instead, Annika slid her chair the other way pretending to enjoy the view of the city from the window with open blinds. Shivaay stared at the floor momentarily, tapping his feet, rotating the paperweight on the desk. Knowing how sensitive Annika was, he didn't want to clear the matter. She will go away from him once again. He wanted to delay things as much as possible. He stood up and brought his feet to stand beside Annika's chair.

"Annika don't be like this, please. I can't handle this silence." Annika smiled pitifully. She couldn't handle the silence either. Yet that's what she received. Silence. When she asked her father and when she asked her husband. She couldn't believe how dumb she was in the past. The two men made a deal of her life and she let it happen. She recalled crossing out the clause on the fifth page just a while ago. Her eyes sparkled with new motive. Shivaay couldn't use her anymore. Shivaay could live his life with what he actually wants.