After about 20 minutes, he saw Annika coming from the mall. He didn't know what took her this much time. But he saw something that made his eyes widen, and his heartbeat started racing at a high speed. He started running towards her.
"Anni, move!" he shouted, but as the construction was going on, he knew it would not be audible to her. He just prayed that Annika catch his signaling of moving away and his gestures of Looking up. She is walking unknowingly beneath the towering Telescopic Crane's hook which is carrying concrete blocks, she didn't notice it was no entry area, as the board they kept from no entry in that particular area is fallen down and not visible to the people passing by clearly. Also, until you lift your head and you can't see the position of that. Similarly, Annika didn't notice that. One of the concrete blocks in the crane placed at the edge is not tied properly and shaking ominously. It looks like it can fall anytime. As Annika is walking just below it, it may fall on her.
Annika, who came out of the shop, saw him, but she frowned and sensed danger by looking at his expression and gestures. She understood him saying move by his lip sync, so she looked up and quickly distanced very far from that place after noticing what made him worried about. Shivaay, who ran fastly, reached near her and held her hand and pulled her towards him and took her in his arms protectively. They are more away from the place which held danger. After a few seconds, they saw how a concrete block dropped and broke into pieces just 10 steps away from them.
Shivaay increased the grip around her tightly, looking at the place scaredly. She can sense how abnormally his heart is beating.
"Shh.. Everything is okay," Annika whispered near his ears soothingly and rubbed his heart to calm down its pace. She can feel he is still scared as his heartbeat didn't calm yet fully.
He broke the hug immediately, remembering the same incident again, and started checking for injuries, in a panic state.
"Hey, I'm fine. Look at me," she said trying to make him look at her. But it is as if he can't hear anything.
"SSO!" she said loudly and cupped his face in both of her hands softly and made him look at her.
Both stared into each other's eyes. She can see how his eyes are looking into her eyes scaredly. She can see the worry, care, and fear in his eyes.
"I'm fine, nothing happened, you checked right? Did you see any injury? I'm safe, before you and because of you, I caught your gestures and moved away," she said giving assurance through her eyes. She saw how his eyes are turning moist. She lifted one of her hands which are placed on his cheeks and wiped the tear which is going to rolled down from his left eye.
"Your tears hurt me SSO, please never cry," she said looking into his eyes. Shivaay stared at her without blinking, making sure she is before him, extremely safe. Annika who understood his situation hugged him and placed one of her hands on his hair and caressed them gently. Shivaay hugged her tightly.
"We are extremely sorry, workers are about to keep the board which has fallen down but before that..." The person who came to apologize started speaking but he was stopped by Shivaay's glare. Shivaay broke the hug and tired to March towards him, but sensing his red eyes, angry face Annika came before him and held his shoulder making him look at her. Looking at her face made him turn soft and his eyes held fear again. Annika gestured she is fine through her eyes.
"Leave," Annika said coldly looking at the person. Fighting with them is not her priority now, she should make sure he is okay.
He is not going to leave them for this irresponsibility, they have to pay for their carelessness and he will make sure about that! Shivaay thought, giving him a cold glare. That person left from the place in fear.
"Are you okay now?" she asked looking into his eyes. Shivaay didn't answer, though the place they are standing is safe, he didn't want them to stay here for more time.
Shivaay lifted her in his arms looking into her eyes. Annika stayed silent, she knows he didn't come out of that incident yet. His eyes are still showing fear. She snaked one of her arms around his neck and placed another hand on his heart and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Am okay," she said, caressing his heart and looking into his eyes. Shivaay looked into her eyes for a second and started walking towards the car. Annika stared at his face throughout while Shivaay was seeing the front. They reached near the car, and Annika saw him stopping near the back seat, so she opened the back seat door from the same position. Shivaay carefully made her sit in the car, looking into her eyes. While doing that, Annika kept her hand above his head, making sure it won't hit him while dropping her in the seat. Shivaay too came into the back seat, and Annika understood what he wanted and moved inside and opened her arms for him. He moved towards her and placed his head on her shoulder, and Annika encircled her arms around him, taking him into her protective hold. She started caressing his hair. Annika's phone started ringing after a few seconds, breaking the silence. It was Dev's call. She was about to call anyone to come for driving, at the exact time Dev called.
"Hello Anni, Where are you guys? Went on a Manali trip again? What is taking..." Before he can say anything further, Annika stopped him.
"Dev, come to the jewelry shop, we are at the parking area," Annika said slowly, while caressing Shivaay's hair. She knows he is awake and wants some silent time to come off that incident. Dev sensed the seriousness in her tone and got alert.
"Rudra and I are nearby, we're coming," Dev said, ending the call. They were out doing some work near the shop where Shivika went and planned to meet them after. Dev messaged Annika earlier, but she hadn't replied. Ajay called asking where four of them were. Dev messaged Shivaay too, but no reply. So, he finally called Annika, but it seems something serious happened there, and he is praying it's not anything related to her past, and hoping both of them are safe. Rudra too got worried by looking at Dev's expression and inquired about it. Dev asked him not to worry as he too doesn't know what exactly happened there.
"You know where I am now?" Annika asked Shivaay, breaking the silence. Shivaay lifted his head from the same position and looked into her eyes. He is looking like a scared baby, and Annika wants to change his mood.
"Come on guess it," Annika said giving him a smile and caressing his hair. Shivaay didn't smile back and stared at her face.
"Am in the safest place in the world, your arms. Just remember with you around nothing will happen to me," she said looking into his eyes deeply. His arms are her safest place and with him around she won't let anything happen to her because she knows he can't bear that. Shivaay felt touched by her words and somewhere relived, he hugged her tightly. Those words and look in her eyes explained how she meant every word. Annika too hugged him back.
"You want to share anything? Just tell me whatever you are feeling, it will make you feel lite," Annika said caressing his hair. Shivaay just nodded his head in No. Annika sighed because of that. Why is he not talking? He didn't even say a small word after that incident. Maybe he needs time, she will give him that, but she has to change his mood, she thought. They heard someone knocking on the door. Annika saw it was Dev and Rudra, she gestured them to come, they both came and settled Inside and looked at Shivika.
"What happened?" Dev asked, listening to that question made Shivaay remember that incident again. He increased the grip around her. Annika who understood the situation caressed his hair with one hand and with another hand she kept a finger on her lip and gestured Dev and Rudra to not ask or speak anything. They both understood by Annika's signaling and Shivaay's behavior that there is something that happened which is bothering Shivaay and nodded their heads.
"Dev, move towards AS Mansion, Ask elders to Postpone today's Puja for tomorrow," Annika said looking at him. Dev nodded his head and didn't ask any questions regarding that.
They all stayed silent, everyone is busy with their own thoughts. For Annika, it was how to change his mood, for Rudra and Dev, they are confused and worried seeing Shivaay's behavior, he didn't even talk to them or looked at them till the time they came and for Shivaay, still that incident is playing in his mind increasing his fear of losing her, are the recent dreams and his fear about losing her means something? Thank god he didn't wear a mask that time and Annika is smart enough to understand his signaling and move away quickly. Why does the board have to fall down? Why are the concrete blocks lifted and positioned exactly above her? Is everything just a coincidence? He really thanks god for making him look at the potential danger. If not...No!!! he can't even go further in his thoughts. Annika who sensed him shivering grew worried and looked at him.
"Hey," she said keeping her hand on his cheeks. He lifted his head and looked at her with moist eyes. Annika looked at him with a worried frown.
"Are you okay?, please don't cry. please!!" She pleaded with her eyes with worry and rubbed his side eyes. Seeing him like this is hurting her, Shivaay who saw hurt in her eyes understood she really meant it when she said his tears would hurt her, so he composed himself.
"I won't," he whispered placing his hand on her hand which is placed on his right cheek. She sighed in relief seeing him talking after a long time and smiled at him. Shivaay gave her a small smile and hugged her and hid his face in her hair. As they are talking very slowly, Dev and Rudra didn't listen to their conversation, but they felt relief after listening to Shivaay talking something. They don't know what is making Shivaay silent. He just stuck to Annika like a baby from the time they came.
Dev stopped the car after reaching AS Mansion, as the AS Mansion is near the shop they reached there quickly.
"We reached," Annika said, caressing his hair. Shivaay hummed in response and didn't move away.
"We will go to our room and rest, okay? It will be comfortable there," Annika said soothingly and caressing his hair. He lifted his head and looked at her face like an innocent baby. Annika smiled and nodded her head, and Shivaay too nodded his head and moved out. Annika looked at Rudra and Dev who turned their heads and looked at both of them with a smile on their faces. She ignored them and moved out.
"She treats him like a baby," Rudra said, looking at Dev with a smile.
"Not only treating Rudra, he is her baby," Dev said with a smile. They both came out and saw how Shivaay is lifting Annika in his arms.
"She is her baby's baby too," Rudra commented, making Dev chuckle. They both looked at Shivika with warm smiles.
Annika remembered Manali days when he used to lift her daily. She stared at his face with a smile on her face and she is glad that he is looking normal now. He took her to their room and placed her on the bed in a sleeping position.
He too joined her and hugged her. Annika smiled and hugged him back.
Dev and Rudra stayed in the hall, and Dev informed about Annika's words of postponing today's Puja to tomorrow to Ajay. By noticing the seriousness in Dev's words, Ajay asked Dev worriedly and inquired about what happened. Dev said he will inform after knowing about the matter as he is not aware of anything. They asked Cook to Prepare lunch for four of them, and Dev and Rudra went to Dev's room.
Here in Shivika's room, both remained in the same position in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Annika is caressing his hair throughout, and Shivaay is leaning onto her hair. They both stayed in the same position for about one hour.
"Am going to share about one of the exciting trekking experiences I had, do you want to listen?" Annika asked, breaking the silence. She wants to bring her sunshine back.
He lifted his head from her hair and looked at her and nodded. Annika, who saw his innocent baby eyes, lifted her hand and placed it on his left cheek. He smiled cutely. Unknowingly, his cheeks turned and ears turned feeling her touch on his cheeks. He hid his face again in her hair, making her smile at his cuteness. She is glad seeing him coming back to normal. She started talking about her trekking experiences and all the topics which catch his interest and make him distracted. Shivaay smiled looking at her efforts.
"Hello, kolas!" Dev said coming into the room along with Rudra. Rudra chuckled listening to that. Annika and Shivaay blushed.
Annika composed herself and glared at him.
"Can't you knock the door while coming?" Annika said giving him a glare.
"Come on! I know we are going to witness you both hugging or some business or random talks, what's the need for privacy for that'? You two still didn't go beyond hugging," Dev said rolling his eyes.
"Yes, you two are very slow, at this rate I don't know when am going to witness Shivika and Ansh," Rudra commented with a puppy face, making Dev laugh, Shivaay blush, and Annika confused. Annika looked at Shivaay for answers, but she saw him blushing, which made her more confused.
"Shivika and Ansh are your and Shivaay's twin babies," Dev said, making Annika's eyes wide. Shivaay, who was avoiding looking into her eyes till now, looked at her and saw how her eyes turned wide, mouth opened in O shape, and cheeks turned red. She is looking so adorable right now making his want to pinch those soft cheeks. This time he blushed instead of chiding himself for those thoughts. Annika blushed, which increased after looking at Shivaay's look, she hid her face by placing it in his chest. Her hiding with shyness made three of them chuckle. Shy Anni is so cute, shivaay thought. Shivaay lift his hand and placed it on her head and ruffled her hair. She lifted her head with red Cheeks and looked into his eyes still blushing. He smiled and corrected her hair, but Annika can also see how his ears turn red and how that comment is still making him blush.
"Guys am hungry, let's go and have food," Rudra said with a puppy face.
" Duffer, you spoiled their moment" Dev said hitting his head lightly.
" But Bhaiya, Am feeling hungry, they can have their moment the entire day, " Rudra said with a crying face. Dev shook his head listening to that.
Shivika composed themselves, composed themselves, and looked at Rudra.
"Ask servants to bring it to the room, we all will eat here," Annika said looking Shivaay in the face. She is glad his mood is totally fine now. This is what she wanted. Shivaay looked into her eyes and smiled. Though he is not able to forget that situation totally, he is trying not to bring those thoughts again. He knows seeing him worried is making her worried and he doesn't want to do that.
"You guys are going to eat food, hugging each other? Teach me how, please. I want to apply the same thing somewhere," Dev commented with tease. Shivaay and Annika blushed listening to that.
"Me too," Rudra said with a tease. Dev, Annika, and Shivaay looked at him and raised their eyebrows strictly. Rudra gave a nervous chuckle. Common guys he is not a kid! Rudra thought with frown.
Annika and Shivaay broke the hug. They both sat on the bed keeping their legs down, beside each other.
After that, food arrived and they all had their lunch, and three of them tried to engage Shivaay in talks. Annika and Shivaay made each other eat, avoiding teasing comments from Dev and Rudra about that. After having their lunch, Dev and Rudra left the room giving Shivika their privacy.
After some time, both leaned on the headrest, and Shivaay leaned on her shoulder, and Annika kept her hand on hair, caressing it softly. She got some idea and looked at his face. She wants to listen to his laughter and also wants to witness his sunshine smile which is missing from long. So she started moving her face towards his, and Shivaay, who sensed her face coming close to him, looked up and stared at her face. He saw playfulness playing in her eyes which made him confused. She moved her head close to his and hit her head with his, making sure it was not a hard hit. Shivaay looked at her in amusement, and she again hit his head, making him chuckle at her antics. Annika smiled widely looking at his smile. She again moved her head towards his and hit him, making him laugh. Her smile grew wider looking at that.
"What are you doing Anni?" He asked with a chuckle.
"We might grow horns if we hit our heads at once so I'm hitting it twice," she answered looking at him innocently with the same smile. Shivaay chuckled listening to her answer.
"But you hit thrice, so..." He said, and unknowingly both of them moved their heads towards each other at the same time and hit each other's heads and laughed, thinking how they both did it at the same time. Their heads are still stuck to each other. Shivaay, who noticed her laughing face, looked at her, and Annika too stopped laughing, looking at him. They stared into each other's eyes without realizing their position and forgetting everything around them.
"Thanks for bringing my favorite sunshine back," Annika said looking into his eyes deeply.
"Just remember, this sunshine is because of you," Shivaay said looking into her eyes deeply and pleading her through his eyes to remain safe forever!
📝 Authors note
•What are your thoughts on this chapter. Are you liking the story?
• what are your thoughts on Shivika?
• Did anyone thought Annika are Shivaay is going to fall in danger?
• Next chapter you will see thier engagement function starting.
• As I already mentioned, the pace of story will be slow, that's what I have planned and everything happens will be linked to future or next chapters, this chapter and incident which took place will have some reason too! So don't feel am showing unnecessary things and about taking story slow, it is what I have planned for, this story itself will be a slow paced one, i hope you all understand this.
• Sorry for updating late ❤️ Due to busy schedule am not able to give updates fastly, but I will give update on every Sunday from now on.
If possible tell me your overall opinion about this chapter! ❤️
Thanks for Reading! ❤️
By
♡ Crescent_Star 🌙