Flawless Silence

Chapter 31

The next day,

After a memorable stay with Shivaay's loving parents, Annika and Shivaay returned to their home in delhi, ready to be back to their busy lives once again. However, they made a conscious effort to maintain a harmonious work-life balance and nourish their relationship. By the next two months they blended their professional commitments with regular dinner nights at home and quality time together. Whether it was cozy evenings spent cooking their favorite meals or stolen moments stolen during their work breaks to exchange loving glances, their bond grew stronger. Annika and Shivaay thrived both personally and professionally, cherishing the memories they created during their honeymoon.

Annika with Shivaay insistence and Aniket Sir persuasion started  participating in various moot court and ADR competitions, she faced both success and failure along the way. The first competition she took part in turned out to be a disastrous experience for her. She struggled to present her arguments effectively and was eliminated at the first level. Overwhelmed with disappointment, Annika couldn't help but shed tears of frustration as she leaned on the shoulders of her husband.

Determined to improve her performance, she analyzed her mistakes, sought feedback from her professors, her mentor and seniors and focused on honing her skills. One of the crucial aspects Annika realized she needed to work on was her tactics and learned how to construct compelling arguments. Additionally, Annika understood the importance of thorough research. She devoted countless hours to studying legal precedents, analyzing relevant cases, and deepening her understanding of the laws and regulations related to each competition's subject matter.

With each subsequent competition, Annika's performance improved. She started to receive recognition for her well-reasoned arguments, persuasive presentation style, and adept handling of counterarguments. And Shivaay proud! With his confidence in her, her confidence grew, and she became more adept at thinking on her feet and adapting her strategies based on the circumstances.

"I hope one day I get to argue against you." Annika had laughed so hard when Shivaay mentioned his wish to see her in courtroom as opposite advocate. "It's been a dream of mine for a long time."

"One day." She promised nodding at him.

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On the other hand, Shivaay had always been fascinated by constitutional law and its intricate interpretation. While the divorce case had brought him success and financial gain. While receiving the paycheck, Shivaay had requested Annika to tag along with him. Annika accepted the paycheck, as per Shivaay and his musings about mahalakshmi.

Annika had rolled her eyes, when Shivaay mentioned her as Ghar ko Lakshmi and it would be prosperous to him only if she takes the paycheck.

"May you receive all the success, happiness and prosperity Shivaay. Thank you for being such a gem of a husband." Annika had shed few tears and smiled seeing her ever so gentleman husband.

Shivaay laughed lightly as he brushed her tears using his thumb pad. "Aap ko har baat mein rona jaruri hein kya?"

[Trans-Is it necessary to cry on everything.]

"Ha jaruri Hain."

[Trans-Yes it is.]

She would have been dumb and stupid if she had rejected marrying him and stayed in the memories of her past lover. Annika knew she couldn't find anyone like her husband and he was the best! Everyday she thanked her parents and brother for finding such a gem of a husband.

On the professional front, as a tribute to his father's request, Shakti, Shivaay had intentionally avoided taking up any marital separation cases. Instead, he dedicated his time to studying constitutional law, staying up late reading legal texts and analyzing landmark judgments and took some simple cases regarding writ petitions. He believed that by delving deep into the constitutional principles, he could not only help his clients but also contribute to the larger pursuit of justice and equality.