Falling in Love - A Shivika Romance ✔

17. Broken and Drunk

Shivaay looked around the room, scrutinizing his gaze through each and every wall of the mansion. He left Annika in their bedroom to take a shower. He knew it was unkind enough to leave her alone in the state she was in. However, sadly the rituals suggested otherwise.

When he came out of the shower, she was not around. Like a maniac, he searched for her throughout the big room of his and ultimately the rest of the huge Oberoi Mansion.

***

"A few days ago they got married and now this. If Annika mourns over her Dad over the honeymoon period of her and Billu's marriage, how will she focus on her married life?" Shivaay heard Kalyani say to Omkara when passing through the latter's room in search of Annika.

"My poor Billu," she added.

Shivaay stopped in his path when he heard Kalyani's last few words. A part of him was concerned about it too. Annika wasn't giving him his husbandly rights anytime soon.

Sighing, he shoved that thought out of his mind and left the place without hearing Om's reply.

***

It was close to midnight when Shivaay entered the terrace in search of Annika. The word responsibility was echoing inside his being. If Annika was not found soon, he would be disappointed with himself. His phone rang before he could look around. Switching that off, he strode around the terrace and looked even in the smallest of corners for her.

His phone rang again. He ignored the ringtone and continued his search.

And then, his phone rang for the third time. Frustrated at his inability to find Annika and the repetitive tune of the ringtone, he banged it on the ground.

Silence consumed near him.

"Annika!" he continued looking for her.

***

"Bhaiya!" Rudra's voice was heard. Shivaay heard some footsteps and turned to the direction.

"Bhaiya," Rudra walked up to Shivaay. He had a phone in his left hand and tensed lines on his forehead.

"What happened?" Shivaay asked, "you seem tense."

"Bhabhi," Rudra huffed due to exhaustion, "bhabhi wants to talk to you."

Shivaay snatched the phone from Rudra and talked to Annika.

"Annika?" he called.

"Shiv—Shivaay," he heard her broken voice.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"I—I don't know,"

Shivaay could barely make out her words.

"Annika, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Shivaay," he heard her let out a dry chuckle.

"Where are you?"

"I don't know."

Shivaay sighed, "Turn on the location on your phone and text me your current location. Fast."

"Okay," Annika said.

Shivaay did wonder about her slightly changed voice, but his priority was to find her. And for that, he could ignore everything else at the moment.

"Where is Bhabhi?" Rudra asked.

Only then Shivaay realized about Rudra's presence in the terrace.