Marriage as a responsibility is a huge burden to carry on one's shoulders. For Shivaay, it was just another one among the others that he was already carrying. His shoulders were habitual to it but his heart and mind were constantly pressurizing him making it all the more difficult.
From having no family and no family name, Annika was being given an identity many other women in the country aspired to have. Her heart was beating rapidly but somewhere she felt something was right.
As both of them descended the stairs, for a moment, both of their hearts stopped. For the first time in his life, nothing was going according to Shivaay's plan and he didn't mind. Annika also suddenly realized the depth of situation and how her life was now going to change drastically. But for good or bad, she didn't know. And with these thoughts going on in both of their minds, they slowly made their way down.
"Chale?" He asked in a tone that was almost alien to Annika and she looked at him dumbfounded.
"Annika, it is getting late. Shall we make a move?" He again asked and she replied with just a nod.
They made their way out of the house and Annika was now remembering how she had taken the place of Tia who apparently had ran away leaving Shivaay in a very big mess.
"Annika, I need to talk about something to you" She remembered him coming to her and asking this in a very tensed voice. She had immediately left the flowers she was sorting and saw him looking very vulnerable.
"What happened? And why are you looking so tensed?"
He took a deep breath before answering but then spoke. "Tia has run away Annika. She left with a just a letter saying that she doesn't want to marry me and now I am really stuck"
She was hell surprised and was immediately at his side.
"Kya keh rahe hai aap? You are joking right? Koi toh reason bataya hoga na usney. I mean she was so excited for this marriage. And even I was sorry to have doubted her earlier. This can't be happening"
"Well, it is happening Annika" He said sounding really defeated.
"Hum kuch karte hai. I will call Omru and we will find her. There is still some time for the marriage" She said this and started pacing around the room.
"Annika, why don't you understand? She has left me for good. And she isn't returning back" He said a bit loudly capturing Annika's attention.
"But that isn't my concern right now. I have other things to worry about. Annika, I have to ask you for a favor. I am aware that it is a huge favor and it is also wrong to ask something like this but I have no other option right now"
Annika just nodded her head asking him to go on. He gulped the lump in his throat before speaking.
"Will you marry me Annika?"
He spoke those words and Annika froze. He just asked her to marry him, to be his wife. Seeing her freeze, he snapped his fingers in front of her.
"What are you saying?" She said still in a daze.
"I knew that is a very big thing and maybe expected such a reaction from you as well. Don't worry, I will think of some other way out. Just don't tell anyone" He turned away fidgeting with his phone when she regained her composure and spoke.
"No wait, I meant that why me? There may be hundreds of girls who would love to be your wife"
"Yes, but you are the only one I can ask. You know about us. You know the situation we are in and how important this marriage is"
"I am the complete opposite of what you believe in. I have no surname, no established lineage and can't even speak and carry myself the way these sophisticated girls do" She spoke nervously and looked up slowly expecting him to understand her point but was surprised to see him smiling faintly.
"Yes, but I still want it to be you"
Another surprise. What did he mean by he wanted her to be.
"But why?" She still wasn't able to understand why he chose her.
"You know how stuck we are. The situation in the past months have been really difficult and if the news of my marriage breaking off comes out, I would have to spend months trying to salvage the company. And also, the family would have to face a lot of embarrassment. I can't put off this wedding. I know all of this may sound really shallow to you, but believe me, it is not as wrong as it sounds."
One look at his face and she understood that he was really worried about what would happen later. She knew that he had always shouldered the responsibilities of the family and business and how he was tensed about the impact one decision of his would do. And she had this one chance to give it back to the family who had helped her so much and more so for the man who was looking at her expectantly.
"I will marry you" She said in an instant.
She saw his tense muscles relax and he said, "Thank you very much Annika. You get ready and meet me in the hall in half an hour" He said with a straight voice and left the room.
She smiled a bit seeing him thank her. She got ready but suddenly so many questions plagued her.
She had agreed to do what he asked in an instant? Was it wrong? Nothing was common between them, could they make it work? And still, why her? What would the family think? And why couldn't she say no to him?
Keeping all the thoughts aside, she made her way down while gathering the mental strength to face the curveballs life was throwing at them.
"Annika, we have reached" She was shaken slightly by Shivaay as the car pulled over and that put an end to the flashback. She made her way out and could see the grandeur of the place and marveled secretly at her own preparations.
She was walking towards the dias when she felt a firm masculine hand grasp and turned sideways to see Shivaay walking straight and had a poker expression on. He has become the Shivaay Singh Oberoi and not the Shivaay she had seen a few minutes back. They both settled down on the dias and the mantras started. It is really happening, whispered Shivaay and Annika's minds.
Finally, the most awaited wedding of the year had been done. Shivaay Singh Oberoi was finally taken. He was a married man. But all throughout the wedding, Shivaay's face was poker. Nothing on his face showed how big of a hurricane was going on in his mind. As he took the rounds around the fire, his mind told him that she was his responsibility now. As he filled her hairline with sindoor and put the mangalsutra around her neck, he realized that she is a very important part of his life. Having a wife, taking up her responsibility and making sure of her happiness were really life changing things. He had expected things to change but never to this extent.
And now as Shivaay accompanied his wife in his house, slowly his nervousness started kicking in. How would his family react? Had he done the right thing?
But more than him, the girl inside the veil was feeling anxious. She felt that she had betrayed the only family she loved and the ones who gave her love, respect and a feeling of home. Well, they are technically her family now.
She was suddenly held by her shoulders and was asked to sit on the couch.
"Shivaay, ab toh Tia ka sundar chehra dikha de" Annika heard Pinky's aunty over enthusiastic and loud voice and she crossed her fingers.
In the next minute, she felt her veil being lifted off and she closed her eyes fearing the outcome.
And all she could hear were shocked gasps and the variety of questions being hurled at Shivaay.
"Shivaay, why is Annika here and where is Tia?" Pinky asked, shock dripping from her voice.
"Is this some new game plan Shivaay because honestly it isn't good" Om said with a plain voice but by now, Annika had learnt to understand the actual emotions behind his words.
"Don't be quiet Shivaay? Say something" Tej prodded.
"Is the relationship of marriage a joke to you Billu?" Dadi asked meekly and everyone in the room went quiet.
"Speak up Billu. Your silence is only making everyone in this room raise more questions on you"
"Kya jawaab du dadi. Should I say that Tia thought of running away from the marriage suddenly with nothing a letter left for me. Or that I had to marry to save the family's reputation and business. And that I had no one else but Annika to ask. What all questions do you want answers for?" He said exasperatedly.
"Ye tu kya bol raha hai Shivaay? Why will Tia run away from her own wedding? She loves you" Pinky was still in denial about the whole matter.
"She never loved me mom. And I think both of us knew it. But yes, I never expected her to run away from her wedding in such a manner" Shivaay replied.
"There must be some misunderstanding Shivaay. Did you cross check everything before coming to decision" Shakti finally intervened.
"Of course dad. She never wanted the marriage and I have detectives behind her and her mother. But it will take some time before we find out the whole truth. Try to understand my viewpoint also"
"And so you thought that forcing a girl to marry you to save the so-called family reputation and business is okay?" Om said and his taunt directly hurt his elder brother's heart.
"I didn't force her Om" Shivaay spoke after a brief minute of silence. "I explained the whole matter to her and requested her to be the bride. We both agreed on the circumstantial marriage"
Ouch, that hurt. Annika's heart said. Though her mind was saying that even she had agreed on it being one, then why was it hurting her. But, she had to concentrate back on Shivaay as he was still trying to explain his point of view.
"That doesn't make your actions right bhaiya. I am really disappointed in you" Rudra said and Shivaay's heart broke. Of all the things in the world, the only thing he couldn't bear was his brothers getting disappointed in him or getting displeased by him. And here, they were feeling both.
"Om, Rudra, trust me. He really didn't force me and I knew what I was getting into" Annika finally decided to speak when she saw the matter affecting Shivaay a lot.
"But didi, he didn't do the right thing. He could have informed us. We could have postponed the date or tried to find Tia. All in all, we could have found some solution" Rudra said sadly.
"I of course tried finding her Rudy and what was I going to tell you. A lot of things were going on and I had to come up with a solution fast. And I did the best thing I could think of"
"Force or no force Shivaay, you are wrong and we won't be a part of this. We really respect you Annika and trust us, we will always be there for you. We promise you that you won't face any issues here" Om said to Annika and exited the hall with Rudra closely following him. Shivaay called out to them but they just ignored him.
"Shivaay, I am happy that you thought about this family and business, but what you did was really wrong beta" Tej said solemnly and patted Shivaay's shoulder.
"Exactly Shivaay. Annika is a very self respecting girl and for you to do something like this with her is totally unacceptable" Janvi also chipped in.
Seeing all of this, Annika was about to say something but stopped when she noticed Shivaay nodding to her in negative. She will definitely clear things out, but before that, she needs to talk to Shivaay.
"Shivaay, I am not in favor of what you did but we can't punish Annika for you mistake. I promise you that meri bacchi" Dadi said and caressed Annika's face. By her adressal to him, Shivaay really felt hurt but by now, he had really become an expert in masking his emotions and he did just that.
"Listen, we can discuss about this later. And since she is your wife Shivaay, it is your responsibility to make her feel comfortable. Take car of her and we will talk tomorrow morning. Everyone go to your rooms" Dadi ordered and no one could defy the elderly lady. So everyone left leaving only Annika and Shivaay.