Sometime before.....
Anika gave a nervous smile, as a strange feeling pulsed through her body.
As Anika watched how Mallika apologizes to the family she listens to the girl that was beautifully donning a bridal lenhga.
"Trust me, I need some time to think, I have no place to go", Mallika voice was soft and pleading as she tried to explain her situation.
Shivaay heard the concern in her words but this was easy squashed by his melodramatic "Oh my Mata", mother of all mother's Pinky.
The mere fact that she had to explain that my marriage was fixed to Mallika didn't sit well with the visibly irritated Shivaay.
"I just came and messed this up",Mallika thought and now they have arguments because of me.
Present
"Mallika will stay here till she wants", Shivaay said the authority is his voice echoed through the living room.
No one was more surprised than Anika," Looks like Billu ji had a change of heart" she thought as she received a text.
"Shivaay spoke with so much confidence as his voice dripped with power making his blue eyes, even bluer than ever before", Anika thought.
"No one else has ever shown me how to see the world the way I see it now", Shivaay thought.
This girl who forever questions my every move and everything I say, but why do I feel compelled to listen to her.
Shivaay'eyes searched the room but Anika was gone.
"Where did she disappear to?" he thought. Listening to the on-going debate in the background he wondered why some things are the way they are and words just can't explain it.
"Shivaay, Are you sure", Om to Shivaay who looked like he was somewhere deep in thought.
Mallika was so grateful for his support and was pleasantly surprised by a changed Shivaay Singh Oberoi.
These were subtle change minuscule even but Mallika could pick that up as soon a she as she heard him speak.
He looked and sound like Shivaay but something is different in him.
She could still feel the relief she got in his arms. I almost forgot how addicting he was but my days of him as a bf have passed, she reminisced.
Shivaay lips contorted into a faint smile as he recalled Anika's words.
"Mallika has been part of my life, we shared a meaningful relation and supported in good and bad times, we will support each other even today."
In that moment Anika never looked more beautiful, to Shivaay.
"You make me so crazy but this time you are right he thought.
You're so oblivious you don't even see how you make me feel, that I would listen and obey your wishes and reprimands, Anika.
When it comes to us, our story remains incomplete.
My dearest wedding planner, how will I get myself out of this marriage to Tia?" Shivaay thought.
Shivaay was getting agitated as his mother and so many of his family members were against Mallika, I can't keep going over the same old lines.
And Anika was glad that Shivaay finally listen to his heart and not his head for a change.
Seeing his mother so distressed Shivaay wondered how he was going to survive the wedding; as she always has such an over-active imagination.
Well some of her reasons were valid reason but why this hassle over Mallika when she is just a friend?
Hearing her words Mallika couldn't control her tears anymore, she was lost in her thoughts....
"Why do I always get hurt?
You don't understand that I am not interested in Shivaay, maybe that was how my heart use to work but now I only love Siddharth .
I just hope Siddharth doesn't finds out as this will make matters worse."
Shivaay looked towards Anika and couldn't help but smile seeing her again.
Soumya and Anika look on from both quite bemused at the sight of Pinki and her dramatics but more so the way Shivaay handled his mother and defended Mallika.
I think Shivaay proved that guys can become sensible like girls sometime Soumaya retorted.
Yes, Anika replied and silently thinking that this "Hero" avatar suits Billu ji.
With tears forming at corner of her eyes Mallika couldn't help but thank Shivaay for doing what he did for her today.
He had that Shivaay Singh Oberio intend in his blue eye which had a certain sparkle in them as he confirmed "You know I mean what I say,Mallika".
Then Shivaay heard a familiar word that...... a word that wreaked havoc on his senses.
"Tadi, you just showed me tadi", Mallika repeated
Please don't use such words,he replied.
"Such words look cute", Mallika tried to convince Shivaay but he had his own reasons behind his dislike for those words.
"I know who is teaching you", he snapped and he remembered how he had mistaken Anika that night for Tia.
Flash back....
Anika was always fascinated by the moon and because she had this weird fear of the dark she found its dim glow comforting as she waited in the window.
Anika stood in the window facing the moonlit sky it was serene and seeing the faraway flickering of lights made the city look so peaceful.
Shivaay saw her standing alone, the dim moonlit room made making out who was there impossible ,"Tia and her romance ideas", he thought.
He moved in behind her, pulling her in his arms and clasping his hand in hers, he spoke in her ear, "I know you feel I don't have emotions in me, that's not true, it's just I can't express them."
The breeze calmingly blew playing with strands of her luscious locks causing it to caress his face.
Anika was dumb-struck, but she was caught between telling Shivaay and indulging in the pleasure of his touch.
She liked his touch; she liked the way she felt when he held her.
Protected.
Safe.
He tightened his hold around her waist stating his claim and swaying her ever so gently.
Her skin felt like silk and her perfume intoxicated his senses.
Shivaay relished at the opportunity of this new found intimacy, but something felt strange.
The moment his hands met with hers his every nerve end send shock-waves through him.
Anika too was stunned but the little flutters that spread through her body hypnotized her.
She was losing the battle with her inner voice.
Shivaay....
When Omkara called out his name and he saw Tia standing on the other side of the room, he was totally stunned.
The curtain blew away revealing an equally dazed Anika
Shivaay......
Flash back ends....
This time it was Mallika's voice that brought him back to his current situation.
"I will send Priyanka with some clothes and lets just get you out of this lahenga", Shivaay stated.
This girl is becoming a problem as she seems to invade my dream and even my thoughts, Shivaay thought as he reflected on that night.