Shivay hadn't realized she was so much into drinking that she had a favorite drink. His memory served a different opinion, one he forgot as she gulped a shot of lemony vodka, face squeezing.
"Ah!" She said, "Now that's a party."
She noticed his slightly dropped jaw and his staring, "What? Have your drink now. That's how drink-offs work right."
He drank the shot in one go, his face wheezing at the extra lemon. She laughed as Shivay rubbed his lips together.
This was going to be a long long night, he realized.
****
Just as they were about to dunk down the fifth shot together, Lafin perked on Annika's side.
"Hey!" He said, exclaiming Shivay's guard as he saw Lafin's hand go towards Annika's back.
Annika shifted just a bit, so he'd realize and withdraw his hand. But he did not.
Annika kept shifting slightly. But the fool won't take a hint.
It was enough for Shivay though. He turned Annika, away from him.
Annika didn't say a thing as Shivay laid a shot on the bar table.
"This has a hair strand. Can you get the lady a new one," he said loud enough for Lafin to hear. Annika just stared at Shivay's hard face.
"Here sir," the barkeep replaced the drink instantly.
"Thank you," he said. But instead of giving it to her, he swallowed it. As though knowing what misery she would bring upon herself senseless.
She did not understand him, even if his actions saved her, "I'm going back," she said, yawning. Annika was honestly tired of people staring at her like she was something to be won. She had done it. Represented her company before their rivals, allies, and the floating media.
Shivay merely nodded, glancing at her one last time.
She heard him ordering a taller glass as she walked away.
***
Before she escaped the party, she had to use the washroom just once. She just knew her mascara had spread and didn't want to give anyone a scare, even herself, in that huge mirror closet in her room.
It was not as bad she had imagined. So she just wiped at the messed-up edges with a tissue and soldiered through the crowd. It was getting more populated by the hour. All of them dressed fancy, smelling like wine and sweat. She should've stayed up, listened to him. But she picked up her dress, and wrested as one palm hardened around her wrist, it itched.
She stared back. Lafin.
He smiled like a normal person, but she knew it was a mask for his predatory self.
"Have I told you how lovely you look today?"
"Yes," She unclutched her hand, swatting it away from his, "Too many times."
"I can't help it if you're so. . .," his eyes scanned her in a way that almost made her puke, "gorgeous!"
"I know I look amazing," she said, mustering all the confidence and patience to get away from this jerkface, "I'd like to have a drink now, excuse me."
"Oh, with me?" Bitch. He was an incessant bitch.
"No. Alone, but thanks," She wanted to kill him but she was too young for jail. So she tried to kill him with kindness. But until how long?
She had to get out, without trying to gut him, without kicking him in the very part that made him behave so atrocious.
But she barely sizzled in anger, when she felt his hand on her back.
She turned slowly, breathing in and out, scared.
But not for herself.
For him.
She was about to...
That is when Shivay grabbed him by his collar, almost picking him off the ground, rage pulsing through him.
Before Annika could pull him back, he landed a heavy blow straight to his face, unleashing blood.
***
Blood. It was blood. Not on Lafin's face. On Shivay's knuckles. He'd hit into bone, which cracked on his knuckles too.
A commotion buzzed around them, clearing out. Everything shivered. People shouted over many things, as Lafin fell due to the sudden concussion.
But Annika just held Shivay's unhurt hand, pulled him, and almost ran. She did not say a word to him in the taxi, the whole scene playing again and again. Neither did Shivay.
***
"What is wrong with you?" She screamed.
"He was-," Shivay began.
"I know what he was doing," Annika unlocked her room, threw the key on the floor, still holding Shivay's hand. She led him towards the chairs near her balcony.
"These monsters don't need to be handled- they need to be kicked hard in-the-"
"Don't. Don't complete that sentence," she warned, searching for a band-aid. But he kept swearing at Lafin. She turned deaf on it as she ran a cold cloth over his knuckles, carefully wiping off the blood.
"Why did you intervene?" She spoke, halting his words, then she almost murmured, "I was going to do exactly what you did. Maybe even worse."
He stared back, in silence, but he finally spoke "You know what the news will say tomorrow? Crazy drunk lunatic punches Lafin. Not Annika Singh Oberoi, CEO of Oberoi Industries kicks Lafin, claiming sexual assault"
He exhaled, "If you're ready, for all that action, just because it wasn't you that kicked his ass, then let's go right now-" he almost got up when she nodded for him to sit down.
"Actually I wanted to kick him in the groin but okay," she joked, a faint smile rising on his face. He had forgotten the itchiness from his hand. It was cleaned off, only a bit of redness remained around the edges of the tiny band-aid Annika had fixed on him.
She did it quite perfectly. Like she had been doing this for a long time. Like Shivay getting into brawls was a normal thing. But Shivay was not in her life before, then why did she get this sense of deja vu.
She shook off the feeling as quickly as it came.
***
Cold air swept in as I pulled the door open for him.
"Thanks," I whispered. He didn't tease or pull at me, he bowed instead, "At your service, ma'am," retreating to his rooms.
My mouth felt bitter. Annika just sounds so much better from his mouth.
As if hearing my thoughts, he quickly sneaked back, "I mean Annika," and rushed away, before she could kick him.
***
Words: 1612
You adorable readers have made this thing reach 1.5k reads. And I don't know what to say? The writing style changes so much, I'm annoyed with it. But y'all still read it. So Thank you! This was a big win for me as a writer person human lol. Okay!
Next chapter something big is gonna go down! Be ready, I'm not sure I am.
Okay bye, I'm too sleepy to say anything moree.
Chapter 13 - Dance, Wine & a punch
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