There Was You

Chapter 11: Shivaay

• Love •

I walked into the mansion like a love struck idiot.

Like a fucking Love struck idiot.

I made a lot of head turns in the dining table with just the skip in my footing.

Just like the way my heart skipped a beat everytime I think about the elevator encounter.

Jeez, what have I become! Haha!

My family held up to their reputations and didn't restrain from making snide remarks to accompany their looks of vary, as I just sat down, unbuttoning my waist coat with a poker face.

"Oh-ho! Bhaiya! What's got you all like a smiley-ball!"

I just glared at my immature little brother to shut him up.

It worked, to say the least.

"Shivaay, what happends beta?" Mom asked.

"Nothing, mom," I cleared my throat and kept my face as stubborn as possible, trying not to give away that I'm a fucking cheesy love struck idiot!

"Where's Om? And Gauri?" I asked looking around the table.

"Here!" Came my poetic brother, sliding across the table, his silky hair whisking around.

"Beit ja, puttar. Par, where's Gauri?" Dadi asked as he slipped into the seat between me and Rudra.

I tried to ignore his heavy breathing as he stammered around words to frame his sentences. Very unusual of him.

"Woh... Da-dadi. She's not feeling well," Rudra answered for him.

Om chuckled to himself before gaining words to speak up, "Yeah, Dadi. She's just having - um- pains. I will take up dinner later for her. She's sleeping now."

"Don't worry, O, I will do that. Waise it will be fun to chat with her for a change. Bhavya is so boring to talk to!"

"What!" Bhavya complained. And they engaged in a small bickering.

I was too preoccupied to give a shit. My thoughts where obviously elsewhere.

I was plotting, to be honest.

I was plotting with a main goal and ulterior motives, of course. I'm SSO!

I was not going to rest till I find out the actual reason why and what made Annika leave me.

And ultimately, make a bigger, probably knowing that girl, a bigger task- make her fall in love with me again. Get her back.

Although, today made me realize that we had never, in fact, fallen out of it.

Love.

It seems impossible to me to ever fall out of it.

It is like I'm stuck in a black hole. Except, if I have to be all influential and expressive as my long-haired brother, colourful and joyous.

And if I have to say it like my youngest brother, it's that black hole where butterflies are having a fucking Holi rage party with no additional charges for Bhaang and it's effects!

I ate my food, silently whilst the wheels spun quickly inside my brain.

It was around midnight.

And to start off, I was nervous about certain things that were to happen in this new day.

I have to see Annika. She's my lifeline. And the morning might fuzz my confidence to pick up a conversation with her. In her house. Where I'm planning to show up.
Unannounced.

I have to deal with Sahil, not going to be easy. (Kanna made calls and got some information for me. He's handy.)

I have a deal to finalize with the Chabras and the last time I checked, I insulted them and they hated me.

So, to put it in safe words, I've got mixed feelings about today.

I was walking around the mansion towards the kitchen, to make myself some nice cup of Hot Chocolate and get a bag of baked sweet potato chips (not really looking forward to the night work I gotta complete) and that's when I heard my mom talking on with someone.

Dad, along with Bade Papa have gone to London on a business emergency trip and it's too late for my mom to be awake, anyways.

I slowly entered her room, careful not to startle her.

"...when this all ... I knows who you are." She said, spitefully into the phone before hanging up.

"Mom?" I asked, " What's wrong? Are you ok?" Walking into the room.

Her face was tear-stained and she just stared at me.

"Mom?" I called to her in a whisper, sitting next to her on her bed, "Who was that on the phone? Is everything alright?"

"Haan! Haans! Why nots?!"

"Then, who was that on the phone?" I asked scooting closer to her and brushing some hair away from her face, to get a better look at her eyes.

"That was your papas! We were just talkings. About things," she said quickly. Too quickly.

"You sure?"

"Yeah-yeahs! What about you, beta? What's got you all happy!?" She asked me, caressing my hair.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you meet someone?"

"How did you know?" I ask her, astonished. Technically, I did meet Annika. Just for like a millionth time.

Sometimes, I love how astonishingly coincidental our lives are!

"It's written all over your face, you stupid boy! Besides, I'm your mothers and I want you to share things with me, happy or otherwise. So wills you tell me?"

I  chuckled, "Alright, alright! It's ..." I sighed, not really sure how to tell her, " I'm -in, in lo- I really like someone, ma."

"Like? Yaa, Loves?"

"Lo- love," I say sheepishly looking at my entangled fingers.

She smiled at me.

"Does she love you back?"

"I - I, think so."

"You know, betas. Sometimes that is good enough. Keep trying. Also, I don't think anybody can not not love you! You are so... What's that word?"

"Charming?"

"...charmings! Yes!"

I laughed and hugged her before making my head comfortable on her lap, stretching my legs onto  my parent's comfortable bed.

She must be feeling lonely, without dad here. I now understand that feeling. That's how I feel whenever I consciously realize Annika isn't there next to me.

Ma just kissed my hair before she continued brushing it, her fingers enchanting me into a dreamless sleep.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"The girl? It's Annika."

I said before drifting to deep slumber forgetting all my worries.

(Fuck the Chabras!)

"I knows."

*****