Falling in Love - A Shivika Romance ✔

1. First Meet

He descended the stairs, still in deep contemplation, as he thought of his decision over and over again. She was young, naive and full of life. She was not ready for the responsibility that marriage brings along.

Yet, as he clutched on the reports, he knew he had no other way apart from what he had been thinking. He married her mother, a woman below their class, without the approval of the family. After marriage, his whole family broke all ties with him. Two years later, they had their beautiful daughter.

His wife couldn't make it through childbirth. She died the instant. Twenty-three and a half years had passed through. His daughter grew up to be beautiful. She was the exact replica of her mother with the exception of her eyes that mirrored his. Not only physical beauty, but sensibility, intelligence, mindfulness, and independence added to her attributions.

She was the daughter every father would want. And being the only, she would be the heir to his company and the vast amount of property he owned. The only thing that worried him judging his current situation was that she was immature, she was not ready for responsibilities and definitely not for marriage.

He passed by the shelf with all his businessman of the year trophies lined up. Harsh Vardhan Kabeer. Years of hard work gained him the position of being the richest businessman in India. His eyes glowed with pride as he glanced through the trophy case boasting his accomplishment. The last row of the shelf contained some business magazines. His eye fell on one in particular that said 'The Rising Entrepreneur'.

Grabbing it, he looked at the front cover with feelings of amusement present in his eyes. The young man on the cover held ocean blue eyes, sharp jaw muscles, well-gelled hair, and the charisma. His face along with his name screamed richness.

***

"Shivaay Singh Oberoi can never marry a middle-class girl with no knowledge of her name, blood or lineage," the blue-eyed man shot those words that hit her like a dagger.

Mallika was in love with this man who denied her of the same privilege on the basis of her class. His whole family, especially his grandma, loved her. Yet, he was the one who was aloof.

Mallika walked out of the mansion, known as the Oberoi Mansion, with a broken heart. She wanted his heart, and he won't give it to anyone but a rich girl from a well-reputed family. She wondered if he would ever give his heart to any girl at all.

Little did she know that she was partially wrong.

***

Miles away, a girl was jumping in the air, partying with her friends with no sense of the world. The music was loud as she danced the night away with her friends in London. Being twenty-three and daughter of a rich man, she was as crazy as it was expected for her to be. She was not a spoilt brat, she was rather a fun-loving person who wanted to live life to its fullest.

"Annika, your phone is ringing" her friend, Madison made her aware of the fact.

Annika looked at her friend with the brown doe shaped eyes she had and stopped dancing to attend the call. It was her father, Harshvardhan Kabeer. She was proud of him. For her and her only, he lived. The man loved her mother to such extent that he spent more than twenty-three years being a widower when he could remarry whomever he wished. As their daughter, she very much appreciated and cherished the fact.

"Yes, Dad" she spoke.

"How are you, Annika?" he asked.

"I am great. We are having our graduation party tonight. Can you believe that I just got my Bachelor's in Business Management?" Annika asked being excited as ever.