Love Weaves A Way (Slow Updates)

30. Either this way or that

Hlo darlings

ENJOY READING 💕💕💕
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Paths do not matter as long as one's happiness is concerned, and don’t matter the ways either. It’s that smile on your face that you care for, it’s that euphoria of being near your dear ones, just the way a child doesn’t care if a candy isn’t good for his teeth. All he cares about is the sweetness of a yellow or pink or blue or a red little wonder that melts in his mouth. Shivaay was that child at the moment.

Not even if she was dieing that Anika would go with him, Shivaay knew. So he did what he could do the best. He asked Anika to wait for him as he went to bring his car from his private parking in the office premises. Once he was sure Anika couldn’t see him, he ran as fast as he could, and grabbed his ‘Shivinder style’ clothes from his car, than ran towards the door leading to his cabin. Once he was ready, he ran out of the office from the back door to where Khanna was waiting for him with the auto driver. It was the power of a two thousand rupee note that he was all ready to hail this royal ride and sweep his princess of her feet.

Anika’s presence gave him such happiness that it didn’t matter if he was Shivaay or Shivinder. It didn’t matter if she was talking to him and trusting him when he was Shivinder and not Shivaay. She was there, beside him and that was all he cared about.

It was a relief that Anika didn’t think too much as she hopped into the auto and mumbled an almost inaudible hello to Shivinder. The Shivaay in him chuckled as he knew the reason of her indirect cooperation. She didn’t want to wait for any other auto and end up going with Shivaay.

“How was your day, Anika Ji ?” Shivinder tried to strike a conversation, but Anika was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t hear him. No matter how badly she wanted to, but she couldn’t bring herself to hate that blue eyed beast. He was haunting her like no nightmare could ever do. The way he tried to do every possible thing to talk to her and be with her, was making her heart flutter like never before, regardless of his intentions. She still couldn’t bring herself to believe that he had no hidden intentions of harming her in any way. She just couldn’t forget the insults he had hurled at her, the title of his father’s mistress still haunted her and it’s not easy for him to make her forget it mere by calling her ‘his honey’.

She was jerked out of her thoughts as the auto stopped. It was then that she noticed for how long she had been lost. She looked at Shivinder who was looking at her as if he wanted to say something but he couldn’t. She felt guilty for ignoring him throughout the way. She did hear his voice but his words hit her eardrums in a haphazard manner. It was her fault and she wanted to apologise. For what ? She didn’t know.

He was such a nice man, in one meeting she knew. The way he always tried to sound cheerful and talk to her and make her happy, the way he was always ready to help her. And what did she do ? She just ignored him and who other than her would know how much it hurts ? Even if unintentionally, she did hurt him.

“What happened, Anika Ji, are you okay ?” She heard him saying once again. She sighed heavily and then smiled her rare, genuine smile. She didn’t know, but it was all he needed to make his day.

“I’m alright, Shivinder, I was just thinking about something and just zoned out. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have made you feel left out like that.” Hearing her, for a moment he was elated. He had forgotten that he was Shivinder at the moment and Anika was talking so softly to Shivinder and not the real him and that, the real him was mere a beast for her. When he realised, then he felt jealous.

“Now you’ve zoned out. So we are equal.” Anika joked and he smiled and shook his head.

“But seriously, Shivinder, you’re a really nice person. Thank you, for helping me yesterday and today, too.” Anika’s words didn’t make any sense to him.

“Thank you, for ?”

“Yesterday when I was waiting for an auto, you suggested sharing the ride and you were so stubborn,” She chuckled as she continued, “that you denied to go when I was there and waiting all alone. That was really very sweet of you. There are so many men always trying to find opportunities when they see a girl alone, but you are different. And today also you offered to help me. That’s why, thank you, Shivinder.”

“You don’t have to thank me. Shivinder is always ready to help beautiful girls like you, princess.” He said, in his extra sweet and flirtatious voice that made her laugh at his craziness.

“Are you flirting with me ?” Asked Anika as she folded her hands across her bossom and narrowed her eyes at him.

“Do you think it works ?” Shivinder asked with a hint of naughtiness and looked at her with such innocence in his blue eyes that she felt like saying yes to him, although she knew he was just playing along. She didn’t know what to say so she just smiled.

“You look even more beautiful when you smile, so keep smiling always.” Shivinder said, and don’t know why, but she blushed. She had never felt this way infront of any man, except HIM. The day that beast had laid in her lap and talked to her, she had blushed for the first time in her life. When he was so close to her in the office today, she had blushed as if all the shades of red had imprinted themselves on her cheeks.

She just nodded her head when she didn’t know what she could do at the moment.

“So, friends ?” Shivinder extended his palm for a hand shake and smiled.

“What ?” was Anika’s reply as she was caught off guard at such an unexpected... offer ?

“Will you give me the privilege of being friends with a beautiful princess, Princess ?” Shivinder modified his words and at the same time, tried to sound as casual and cheerful as he could. But the Shivaay in him was scared of rejection.

“G..good night, Shivinder.” Anika mumbled and left from there towards her house as fast as possible without literally running. Shivinder kept staring at her until she entered her house and locked the door. He sighed, as he knew it was going to happen. But the tiny part of his heart that hoped for a yes, was hurt and disappointed. But he was going to try harder until he was successful.

As he enteted his own little, card board box like house, he recalled Anika’s words of thank you. Anika’s words should have given him him a certain happiness and a certain kind of peace he was looking for. Instead, her words hurted him. It was a fear more than hurt. She had started appreciating him, and a bit of trusting him as a man, and may be she would start trusting him as a friend of he tried earnestly. Then what ? What if she got to know that this man named Shivinder was as real as a character in any fiction and that, Shivaay was the man she was trusting ? How hurt she would be ? And would he be able to fix that damage, then ?

As much as these thoughts haunted him, he wanted to be positive. For the time being, his purpose was to stay as near her as possible to protect her. He had to continue the charade as long as he needed.

He has no choice other than doing this. Afterall, he has to protect her, either this way or that.

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