After two days
Anika and her teammates were busy since yesterday as the fashion week starting by tomorrow. They have been arranging the costumes of model in their alloted room.each of them were excited to showcase their talent.
Things wasn't easy for anika to reach to this point starting from scratch, winning the high class socialite family to pretend be a local girl. She was persistent not to use any luxury that she can get very easily by being the heiress of singhaniyas. She always wanted to know by her name not by her family name. She is proud to be herself and she wants to prove that she can be a known person without her family.
Since childhood she and her brother was prevented from playing with other children always surrounded by bodyguards wherever they goes and they were protected like treasures. Anika always get irritated and rant about it to her mother in turn she consoles her saying it was for their safety. By growing up she became more rebel and this made her father make her learn martial arts so that she can protect herself outside.
Now that she was at the peak end of making her dream a success, she was feeling an unexplainable happiness and immense nervousness. Maybe standing in this stage and recieving the title trophy can make her shine in her own world. The world that is filled with her loving ones.
Anika's eyes drifted into shivaay who was discussing something with her team member aayush. Feeling someone's stare shivaay raised his head and looked into her direction. He smiled throwing a wink in her direction. She averted her gaze and looked at Maya who was showing her a draft. He shook his head biting his lips to control the chuckle and continued to hear what aayush was saying.
"I probably need a one week off after this show" karan said as a yawn left his mouth.
"Me too" neha backed him
"Me three" Maya says
"That we will think... first make sure you win the first place. Then each one of you will get one week paid leave from me" shivaay said walking upto them. He looked anika the same time she looked back him, their eyes locked. She tucked a strand of hair as a tint of red formed in her cheeks. Her face paled as he blowed a kiss towards her.
"Anika are you not feeling well" shivaay asked feigning innocence. Every one looked at her direction.
"You look pale " he said controlling the laugh.
Anika glared him as maya touched her forehead to measure the temperature.
"She don't have a fever" Maya frowned. She seemed to be worried about anika.
"You worrying for nothing. It must be the climate change affecting me. It will be okay in sometimes" Anika reassured Maya sending daggers against shivaay.
"Shivaay" he heard someone calling his name and looked up to see a girl in her midtwenty wearing a blue long dress which has slit on one side upto her knee and a white woolen coat above it walking towards him.
"Mallika" he exclaimed extending his hand to her but she took him in a hug instead. His hand which left hung on either side slowly kept in her waist to break the hug.
Anika stared into his hand which was on her waist sharply. Honestly she wasn't liking it.
"It's surprising to see you here" she said breaking their contact.
"Me too. It's been so long. The last time we saw was on the graduation party" shivaay said.
"You were the one cut contact from all of us. We always send you the invitation of reunion party but instead got no response from you" she slapped his biceps placing her hand there.
Mallika then looked around to see some curious but embarrassed eyes on her.
"This..." She asks pointing.
"I am sorry i forgot to introduce" They are employees from design department of my company" he introduced each one to her. When it reached to anika.
"This is anika" he said. His eyes pierced to hers. Anika shook her hand with Mallika plastering a big fake smile.
"We have a reunion party next week. You should attend it. It's been a while. Everyone is missing you" she says turning to him. He nodded his head
"See you soon" she again hugged him pasting her cheek in his and blowing a kiss. Anika's inner mind fumed in fire seeing them so close. Shivaay walked away along with her as she said something in his ears.
She hurriedly walked away from there not wanting to see anything more. She was done with everything around her....
************
Anika stood at the railings in balcony of the hall where the fashion show was held. She was feeling something she never felt before. She obviously not liking the fact that shivaay was with another woman. From their behaviour it was like more than a friendship. She was not fool to not find the slight awkwardness in his face seeing her.
Shivaay who came back after bidding bye to Mallika realised anika was not with others. He asked nitya and she said she saw anika going to the balcony. He rushed to there and saw her standing there thinking deeply. He slowly walked and stood beside her keeping his hands on the rail.
"Why did you left the room suddenly?" He said after a few minutes breaking the silence.
She turned to his side and stared him silently.
"I was worried about you" he said
"Why are you worrying about me. You have got someone to worry and love. Go to her " she said turning to other side.
"Are you in anyway jealous?" He nudged her shoulder grinning.
"I am not" she snapped at him.
"But i can smell your head burning in jealousy and turning in to ashes" he says.
"Who is this Mallika?" anika asked gritting her teeth. It irked her to even think about that girl.
Why was she feeling angry. It wasn't like he was her boyfriend and she caught him cheating.
"She was my batchmate in college" he said surprised by her expression. It was like she was forcefully ate the bitter gourd.
"Who am I to feel anything to you. I am just an employee of your company who was getting paid by you." She says. Her last relationship ended in a bitter note. Maybe she was not blessed with a happy love life.
Shivaay never felt angry like this. He pulled her by hand to him. There were a small gap between them "So we have only a boss and employee relation. Nothing else..."
She looked away from his stare. He grabbed her chin and pulled her near. "Look at my eyes and say you don't have any feelings for me. I will leave you at the very moment. Honestly saying I like you from the very first moment i saw you. I don't know what you feel for me. But what i have for you isn't a simple as a boss's care for his employee. It's more than that" He said looking at her eyes. love can't be taken forcefully. If she says at his face she don't feel anything for him. He will surely walk away without looking back.
Anika stared him silently. She felt her knees getting weak at his xonfession. What she feared most was love may be going through a rough relationship taught her not to believe in love anymore. She wants to hug and tell him she loves him but also she feared the aftermath.
She felt his hold on her shoulder getting loose, shivaay left her and turned around. It was best for the both to walk away and live their own life without disturbing each other. She got to know that he took her silent as no, she never felt helpless like this. But she was not going to leave him not when she is in her confused mind. Tomorrow there shouldn't be a regret left between them because of today. He felt a tug on his hand.
"Sorry... sorry for saying that earlier. You more than a boss to me. But give me sometime to clear my mind i will give you an answer by then." anika said standing infront of him in teary eyes. She was confused about her own feeling. She want to confirm whether it was only an infatuation or a real love before confessing to him.
He signed and wrapped his arms around her. She tightened her hands on his waist burying her head on his shoulder.
"Take time as much as you need. But don't push me away" he said burying in her neck. She felt a current passing through her body by the falling breath of him on her neck.
"Please don't wipe your nose in my shirt" he said chuckling.
She slapped his biceps smiling and wiped her face in his shirt hugging him more.
God she can give up anything to be in his arms....
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Another chapter is here guys. I was thinking to make some more chapters before my semester exams. I will be busy once it starts.
- Anagha Krishna ♥️ -