"You're home early!" Dadi, who ventured to check on Gauri was taken aback by Annika's presence in her room.
"Dadi! How have you been?" Annika greeted, closing the distance with a warm hug that wrapped around them like a cocoon.
"I'm good, beta! Did you have dinner?" Dadi inquired, a note of concern in her eyes.
"Yeah! I had asked it to be served in my room."
"Why?"
"Just like that... didn't feel like coming down."
Dadi scrutinized Annika's demeanor, sensing an unspoken tension lingering in the air. "Annika, are you angry with us?"
"No, Dadi, why would I be?" Annika replied, turning away, her gaze momentarily evading Dadi's perceptive eyes.
"You didn't want this marriage, right?"
Annika hesitated, a veil of silence draping over the room.
"Why are you silent, beta?"
"It's not like that, Dadi; it was all so rushed."
Dadi's concern deepened, and she placed a gentle hand on Annika's shoulder. "Do you want some more time, Annika? I can talk to Kalyani."
"No, Dadi! I'm fine," Annika reassured, attempting to dispel any concerns.
"Annika, are you hiding something from me?" Dadi questioned, her eyes searching for the truth behind Annika's composed facade.
Annika remained silent, her thoughts drifting back to the day she had last met Shivaay. Dadi studied her granddaughter, trying to decipher the unspoken turmoil within her. With a gentle squeeze of Annika's hands, Dadi sought to break through the walls she sensed around her.
"Dadi... I... I am just tired right now, can we talk later?" Annika requested, her voice carrying a subtle plea for understanding.
"Of course, Annika. Come, I will make your bed," Dadi said, leading the way to her bed. As she arranged the sheets, her observant eyes never left Annika's face.
Uncertainty lingered in the air, Dadi couldn't shake the intuition that Annika was concealing more than just exhaustion. The room held the weight of unspoken words, and as Dadi finished making the bed, she made a silent promise to revisit the conversation before the wedding.
***
"Annika, where are you going?" Maya inquired, observing her daughter heading towards the door.
"Ma, I'm meeting Mallika and others over lunch," Annika replied dismissively, not sparing her mother a glance.
"Did you meet the designer for the outfits for the wedding?" Maya pressed, her concern etched on her face.
"No, Ma."
"Why are you like this! Can't you just be serious for once in life?" Maya's frustration seeped into her words.
"Enough, Ma!" Annika shouted, startling Maya with the unexpected intensity in her voice.
"Maya, let her be," Dadi's calm voice intervened before Maya could say anything more.
"Ma, but she can't talk to me like that!" Maya retorted, her anger simmering beneath the surface.
"It's her wedding outfit; she will take care of it. Annika, go meet your friends and have a good time," Dadi asserted, diffusing the tension in the room.
"Bye, Dadi," Annika said, walking out anger and disappointment clearly visible on her face.
The weight of unresolved emotions seemed to have ruined her day already.
***
"You should have seen his face...", Nia burst out laughing reminiscing the incident. The others chuckled.
"You didn't realise that she was just messing with you, Daksh?" Tia asked in disbelief.
"Arey! No. She was quite an actor." He replied taking a sip of his drink.
"Btw, why is Ms. Bride to be so silent today?" Daksh asked noticing her sitting forlorn.
"Yeah! You seem a bit unexcied for a bride, is everything ok?" Mallika inquired, her tone reflecting a measured concern.
Annika paused for a moment, as if contemplating how to articulate her feelings, she let out a sigh, her shoulders slumping for a moment before she forced a smile.
"It's just... a lot, you know?"
Mallika reached out and squeezed Annika's hand reassuringly. "You're not alone, Annika. We're here with you na! We'll figure it out, alright! Now chin up!"
Annika nodded. "You know what, Shivaay is being...."
"Oh, shit! Guys! Shivaay. I totally forgot! Shivaay and Sid still don't know about our relationship, so please!" Daksh exclaimed, holding Nia's hands.
Everyone nodded in understanding.
"Annika... you were saying something about Shivaay being..."
"Oh! It's nothing!"
"Why isn't he still here? Annika, did you ask him where he is?" Tia inquired.
"I don't know. I had texted him the location yesterday; I'm not sure if he saw that." Annika spoke aloud, picking up her phone.
The girls exchanged meaningful glances. Something was undoubtedly amiss. Nia subtly signaled to Daksh, and they excused themselves, heading towards the promise of fresh ice cream outside the food court. Once they were out of sight, Tia seized the opportunity to take Annika's phone from her hands.
"Tia! What are you doing?" Annika protested, attempting to take her phone back.
"You're not getting it back until you tell us what's wrong." Tia declared.
"I told ya! I'm just tired." Annika sighed, her fatigue evident. Tired of thinking about Shivaay.
"Okay, spill it. What's wrong between you and Shivaay?"
"Guys, everything is okay between us! He's just busy wrapping up things at the office for the wedding. Now give me my phone!" Annika snatched her phone back and walked away.
"I think this is going to be difficult!" Tia sighed.
"Very," Mallika concurred, watching an irritated Annika striding toward the exit.
"Such idiots!" Annika muttered to herself as she marched outside only to bump into someone.
"Ouch! Watch out mister!" Annika shrieked.
"Annika, relax! I'm sorry!" Daksh held her hands, helping her steady herself.
"Oh! Daksh, Thanks!" She said once she was on her feet.
He smiled. "So, Shivaay is being an rascal, again?" he quipped, pocketing his hands.
"Oh! Well, he is technically not.."
"Annika...", He laughed. "You are very bad at lying, I know him a bit too. Tell me what's wrong?"
"Well... Daksh.." Annika hesitated, contemplating whether she should ask him. "Do you think Shivaay will prioritize anything or anyone over business?"
"Annika, you asking this is quite concerning. Did something happen?" he asked concerned.
"No...no no... I just asked because... because he just...just didn't show up yet, so I was just, you know..." She shrugged her shoulders forcing a smile.
"Where is Nia?" She added diverting the topic.
"Nia! She got a call and... must be somewhere around." he said looking for her.
"Okay... then! Let's go, Nia will join us." she took him along with her.
Annika and Daksh were both surprised to find Shivaay sitting there along with the others.
"Shivaay! You are finally here!" Daksh exclaimed, moving forward to hug him.
"Daksh! What are you doing here?" Shivaay asked, genuine surprise etched on his face. He then turned to Annika with a warm smile. "Hi Annika!"
"I invited him, Shivaay," Annika replied.
"Oh!" Shivaay said thoughtfully as they settled down, keeping an eye on the subtle dynamics between Daksh and Annika. He hadn't known that Daksh was so close to Annika, and she hadn't mentioned the invitation.
"Annika, I've got to show the pictures we took to Mallika. Can you just sit here?" Daksh requested, noticing Annika moving around the table to an empty chair strategically placed between Mallika and Tia.
"Sure!" Annika agreed, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Shivaay observed the exchange, feeling a twinge of curiosity but choosing to stay out of it for the moment.
As the day unfolded, Daksh excused himself to share the photos, and Nia had left stating an emergency and that she would meet Shivaay later, leaving Annika and Shivaay alone at the table. Annika fidgeted with her napkin, unsure of the seating arrangement.
"You look beautiful," Shivaay whispered in a hushed voice after she settled beside him.
Annika turned to him, taken aback by the sudden compliment. "What?"
"Yeah! You heard it right. You look beautiful," he repeated, his eyes locked onto hers.
Annika blushed at the unexpected praise, a small smile gracing her lips despite the inner turmoil she was experiencing.
Annika hadn't anticipated that Shivaay's mere presence and simple words would affect her so profoundly. She couldn't shake off the realization that Shivaay had an uncanny ability to stir emotions within her with just a few words and she wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. Her feelings were tangled and confusing, and she struggled to navigate through the emotional maze he seemed to create.
To be continued...