Falling in Love - A Shivika Romance ✔

37. Plans Here and Plans There

"What else?" she demanded.

Shivaay heaved a sigh. "I told her the truth. She can't keep any relation with Dev," he replied honestly.

Annika nodded, well known about how he talked, "Your sharp tongue will destroy you one day. What was the need to say this? You could have talked to her nicely. She was not Dev or Mallika, right?"

"Where did Mallika come from? You women connect things no matter they relate or not." He was annoyed.

"The reason was the same right," Annika countered.

"I talked to Priyanka like I should have. Don't just assume," Shivaay warned.

"I will," she stood persistent, "I know how you talk."

"Annika, please," he pled, "I don't want to fight with you."

She took a deep breath. Fighting him wasn't her hobby either.

"Sorry, I believe the first few days our conversation may allude to the incident directly or indirectly, but I will try to forget it."

Shivaay shook his head and palmed her left cheek. "It's okay," he grabbed her right hand, "I too will try to make you forget it."

"Shivaay, a person can't make you forget an incident," she said.

"Who told you that?" he asked.

"I read somewhere," she replied.

"I have to prove that wrong whatever it is," he spoke in a typical Shivaay Singh Oberoi manner.

"We were talking about Priyanka, right?" she asked.

"Then let's talk about us," Shivaay offered.

"What's gotten into you?" she whispered.

"You," he replied.

Annika shifted her eyes off his face. A shy smile graced her lips so were her cheeks pink due to blushing. He used his index finger to tilt her chin up so her eyes met his.

He kissed her left cheek. "I will do what I can to make it up to you."

***

Annika sat talking to Rudra and Omkara about Priyanka's recovery process. None had any hopes from Shivaay to say yes to Dev. And giving Dev to Priyanka so she comes back to normal looked more like a bribe than helping her realize where she went wrong.

"Bhabhi idea," Rudra spoke up, "We will throw a party, have Priyanka meet a bunch of boys and dance. She will forget Dev."

"This is called distraction, not giving life a second chance," Omkara went on to chide his younger brother.

"Om, Rudy, we need to make Priyanka understand the worth of life. Your brother will never say yes to Dev. We can talk to Dadi, try and see if Shivaay listens to her, but I don't think now is the right time. Let Priyanka recover, let her and Shivaay talk properly once. For a new relation, we should never destroy an old one. After a couple of months, we can bring this topic back. Not now," Annika suggested.

"I think Bhabhi is right, " Omkara seconded her.

"How so?" Rudra asked, "Don't you remember when Dadi brought Mallika didi home and tried to set her up with Bhai? Did he listen to her?"

"Mallika lived in Oberoi Mansion," Annika uttered in a low voice, trying to digest the fact, still enough for Rudra to hear.

"Yeah, she was here for a month. First, our buddhu Bhaiya did not understand what Dadi was up to. When Dadi talked to him directly, he ran a background check and two days later kicked Mallika Didi out. Less than a week passed and we get to know that he is seeing you," Rudra explained.