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Annika smiled as she felt the fingers inside her hair massaging her scalp gently. She turned opening her eyes to meet with the smiling one of Shivaay's.
"Good morning", he whispered making her smile more.
"Good morning", she said yawning and wrapping her arm around his torso. He pressed his lips over her hair.
"How are you feeling now?", he asked caressing her face.
"Headache is gone, I am fresh as this morning", she replied smiling at him.
Last night, when they came back to their room after her father's shocking way to face her mother, she had a terrible headache due to tension which only cured after she had painkillers and a sound sleep in his arms.
"Good and don't worry now, we'll face your mom, in any way", he said kissing her forehead. She hummed cupping his cheeks.
"But I am not getting good feelings about this engagement idea", she said with a sad face.
"Why? Don't you wanna marry me?", he teased rubbing their nose.
"It's not like that Shivaay, I don't want any of our life decision to be in helplessness. Marriage is a big decision, infact an intimate decision for him. Of course I want my parent's agreement on it but it should be our decision", she said looking at him.
"Baby, trust me, our marriage will be our decision, I promise it to you but if to stay together we have to get engaged like this, I won't back out.. I want you in my life in anyway, I can't lose you", he said caressing his cheekbones.
"Even I don't want to lose you and for that, I will listen to my mom's weird wishes", she whispered and pulled him closer making him smile, partially hovering her.
"I love you", he said softly pecking her forehead. She smiled widely humming and wrapped arms around his neck.
"And I love you", she replied grinning and kissed his cheek firmly. He smiled with closed eyes and showed his another cheek. She chuckled and kissed it too.
"My lips are feeling lonely now", he said leaning making her giggle.
"Accha ji?", she giggled making him grin and joined their lips taking her in a sweet morning kiss.
|••|
After getting ready for the day, Annika and Shivaay came downstairs and saw her father near the sofa talking to someone with serious worried expression.
"Okay, have a safe journey", he kept the call sighing and looked up at them.
"Good morning kids", he wished going towards Annika and cupped her cheeks pecking her forehead.
"Good morning dad, with whom were you talking?", she asked holding his hand over her cheeks. Joseph sighed holding her hands.
"It was your mom", he said softly making her stiffen for a moment. Shivaay rubbed her back gently calming her.
"Wh..what did she say?", she asked nervously.
"Relax. She's coming by evening which makes us have entire day time. Shivaay, I would love to meet your parents before evening", he said calming Annika at first and looked at Shivaay by end.
"Um..sure uncle but I need to talk to them over this before, if you don't mind", he said making Joseph nod.
"Whatever goes well", he said making Shivaay smile. Both the men looked at Annika who was looking around lost fiddling with fingers.
"Hey..relax Annie, everything will be fine. I have got your back", Joseph said softly and took her in his arms trying to calm her.
"Dad..I am scared", she whispered wrapping arms around him nervously. Shivaay who looked at them felt bad seeing her like that. It was the first time he was seeing her so scared or tensed.
"I promise you, no one will separate you from Shivaay, that's your dad's promise to you", he said parting from the hug and she nodded sighing.
"Come let's have breakfast now", he said patting her back.
"Yeah I will prepare something fast", Shivaay said taking steps towards kitchen.
"Oh no Shivaay! I cooked for us, don't worry about it", Joseph said making his eyes widen.
"Un..uncle you didn't had to cook, I would have cooked or Annika would have cooked", Shivaay said.
"Shivaay, dad won't listen over this topic, back at home too he cooks most of the time", Annika said chuckling with a smile, wrapping arms around his torso. Joseph smiled pecking her hair.
"And Shivaay, we're family, aren't we? It's common between family members to cook for each other", he said making Shivaay smile.
"We're family and it's common", he repeated smiling more.
"Good. Now come both of you, let's eat", Joseph said patting both of their backs.
They nodded and went to have breakfast. During breakfast, Annika smiled seeing two important men of her life talking with happy faces, it brought peace in her heart to see them being so close to each other already.
"You really cook so well uncle, I need to learn how you make this so yummy. Aren't they amazing, Annika?", Shivaay said pointing at the vegetable pancakes her father prepared.
She smiled nodding and continued eating talking with her boyfriend and father. After breakfast, Joseph excused himself.
"And Shivaay.. Talk to your parents and inform me", he said making Shivaay nod. Joseph went from there patting his daughter's head.
"You talk to uncle and aunty, I will prepare coffee for you till then, you haven't taken one since morning", she said turning to go to kitchen when he held her hand.
"Wait. Let's talk to mom and dad together, we will have coffee together then", he said making her shrug smiling softly.
Going to the living room, he dialled his mom keeping the call on speaker. Annika sat down beside him nervously and he held one of her hand softly pecking it, assuring her.
"Shivaay? Where are you busy huh? Mom ke liye thoda sa bhi time nahi hai tere paas?", Jhanvi's voice came from other side bringing smile on their face.
"Hello to you too mom, it was a really nice good morning", he said rolling his eyes with a hint of smile on his lips. Annika hits her shoulder.
"Very funny. Where were you?", she asked and he could imagine Jhanvi frowning.
"Sorry mom, was slightly busy at Allure. How are you? Dad?", he asked calmly.
"We're fine, how are you guys? Annika has come back right, why don't you both join us for dinner tonight?", Jhanvi asked in a go making Shivaay look at Annika.
"Hey aunty", she said earning a cheerful hello from her.
"Hi Annika, How did you shoot went?", Jhanvi asked warmly making Annika feel that warmth.
"It was really good aunty, just last schedule has to be shot in Mumbai itself", Annika replied happily.
"Really?! I can't wait for your new movie, accha both of you do one thing, come for dinner tonight, I will prepare your favourites", Jhanvi suggested making her teary.
On one side, she was running from her own mother who never praised her for her career choice and on other side, her boyfriend's mother loved her so much, treating her just like her own daughter. Shivaay who noticed this, wrapped arm around her shoulder understanding her inner turmoil.
"Mom, we called to actually talk about something", he said softly pecking Annika's temple who nodded, "where is dad and dadi?", he asked ahead.
"Here, beside me having their breakfast. What happened beta, everything is fine right?", Jhanvi asked worried.
"Yeah mom, don't worry, keep the call on speaker we need to talk to all three of you", Shivaay said and there, Jhanvi kept the call on speaker.
"Good morning bacho", they heard dadi's happy voice.
"Good morning Dadi", both said in chorus.
"Everything is fine right, Annika and Shivaay?", Tej asked in serious yet calm voice.
"Everything is fine dad it's just..", he looked at Annika who nodded, "we wanted to tell something", he added.
"Annika's father has come to Mumbai to meet us and he was wishing to meet you guys", he said ahead making Annika smile lightly.
"That's good, I mean we always wanted to meet him, it would be great. When he came though, he came with you Annika?", Tej asked.
"No uncle, he suddenly surprised us and we thought it's right time you also meet my father", Annika said smiling widely.
"What about your mother, Annika?", Jhanvi asked softly. Annika gulped and looked towards Shivaay who blinked slightly.
"We'll eventually come to her, mom for now, we're coming in an hour or so with Annika's father", Shivaay said handling the moment.
"Okay then, we're waiting for you guys", Tej said and Shivaay kept ths call turning towards Annika.
"Step one, successful", he said holding her hands.
"Hmm. Now dad will meet with family and he'll explain the matter to them", she sighed.
"Exactly and the matter will be handled too when your mom will come, and you, relax now. It's just your mom and even your dad approves us, we'll tackle your mom too", Shivaay said cupping her cheeks. She hummed smiling softly.
"And Ms. D'souza, your dad already loves me so we're destined, you're stuck with me now", he teased looping arms around her neck. She chuckled and cupped his cheeks.
"I love you so much Shivaay", she said pecking his lips softly.
"I always love you more", he said pulling her closer to his chest and kissed her head.
"Shivaay.. We have to inform our friends too. They're always there for us", she said looking up from his chest. He hummed nodding.
"Correct, it just slipped out of my mind. Ek kaam karo, you call girls, I will talk to boys. Infact, let's call them to Oberoi mansion too", he said parting from her, tucking her hair properly.
"Okay, I will go and tell dad too", she said getting up. He nodded and went to call her brothers and Arnav while she went to call her friends and her dad.
|••|
Annika was fiddling with her fingers when she felt Shivaay holding her hand. They were on their way to Oberoi mansion. Annika and Shivaay both have informed their friends about her father's arrival and they're coming to Oberoi mansion.
By passing time, Annika was feeling more nervous and Shivaay could notice that. He gently held her hand pressing it.
"Relax, hmm? It's just family", he said softly who nodded smiling. They reached Oberoi mansion.
"This is my actual home, uncle", Shivaay said showing mansion as they came out. Annika smiled standing beside her father.
"It's really beautiful", Joseph said smiling at mansion and wrapped arm around his daughter's shoulder.
"Shivaay, let's go inside?", she asked softly to which Shivaay nodded and all went inside.
"Mom, Dad, Dadi, OmRu ", he called out with a happy face while Annika held her father's hand.
"You'll love them, they're so good", she said smiling.
"Shivaay is such a nice boy, I am sure he has some really good upbringing", Joseph said patting her cheek, "and don't worry about your mom", he said softly to which Annika hummed.
Soon, Oberois came hearing his voice and smiled widely seeing Annika and her father.
"Annika", Jhanvi exclaimed happily going to her and hugged her making Annika smile and hugged her back.
"I missed you, How are you?", she asked parting and cupped her cheeks.
"I am fine aunty, even I missed you guys so much", Annika said smiling. Joseph smiled seeing Annika getting so much love from Shivaay's family.
Annika parted from her and wrapped arm around her father's arm.
"Dadi, Jhanvi aunty and Tej uncle, this is my dad, Joseph D'souza and dad, this is Shivaay's family", Annika said smiling widely. Tej came ahead and held out his hand towards Joseph.
"I am Tej Singh Oberoi, Shivaay's family, so glad to finally meet you, always wanted to meet you whenever Annika talked about you", he said. Joseph nodded shaking hand with his.
"Even I was so eager to meet you guys after I met Shivaay. He is such a gentleman", Joseph said looking at Shivaay who smiled softly.
Everyone exchanged greetings and settled down in the hall talking about each other's works, family when their friends came, Om and Rudra being along with them.
"Om Rudra, you're with them? You said you went to Allure", Jhanvi inquired.
"We're in Allure only mom, thought to come together", Om said making Jhanvi nod.
"Meet Annika's father, kids", Tej said and all of them met with him settling beside at their places. Annika looked at Shivaay who sighed and held her hand and nodded.
"Um..dad we wanted to talk about something", he said softly holding her hand firmly.
"Actually, Shivaay. I should talk about that, it would be more appropriate", Joseph said stopping him. Shivaay nodded.
"So the thing is, Annika...", Joseph started talking but stopped hearing someone's voice. The voice he didn't wanted to hear at the moment. He closed his eyes and turned.
"How can you talk about our daughter without me, Joseph", Lily, Annika's mother said standing at the threshold of Oberoi mansion.
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Hey guys, thanks for your votes and comments. Keep reading, voting and commenting your views, they means a lot to me♥️
I know I am very late. I am really sorry for making you guys wait, the college is being hard these days. Also, have being getting over through writer's block so that chapter is not really long but just spare me for this time🥺
Annika's mother has finally come and the chapters ahead are gonna be intense ;)
Hope you liked the chapter. Do tell me how it was😁
Precap: Annika and her mother's face-off
Love,
K♥️