It had been a week since Annika agreed to marry Shivaay. She was nervous about meeting his family. He described them as nice and pure souls. However, she knew it well when we meet someone outside the family, it takes time to adjust and find comfort.
On top of that, he was no saint either. She still remembered how rude he was with the little girl on the road.
***
A few days ago, she and Shivaay were going to Kabeer industries together.
A young girl passed by their car. She was selling some sort of bracelet. As soon as he saw the girl, he started behaving like someone peed on him. His behavior with that girl was excessively rude.
"Go away. I don't want my car to get dirty with your filthy hands." Shivaay uttered those words that made the little girl cry and Annika enraged.
"Mr. Oberoi! How can you behave like this with a small girl?"
Shivaay sighed. Her question added to his frustration. "These people are dirty. I try to avoid them as much as possible."
"But?"
"We are getting late."
Annika was about to argue back when the signal turned on. He started the car, ignoring her question.
She felt bad as he ignored her. She felt worse as he behaved badly with a little girl. Why on this earth will Harsh Vardhan Kabeer choose that obstinate man for his daughter?
She knew he had a reason. But what could that be? As of now, she couldn't help but trust her father's choice.
A promise was meant to be kept.
***
Annika recalled everything. She couldn't help but feel angry at Shivaay's behavior. He needed to change certain things about his character. And she would change him after marriage, anyway. As his wife, she should have that right.
***
Her designer arrived early in the morning. Two hours and thirty dresses later, the designer too gave up.
"Annika, you have to choose one," Mrs. Winget exclaimed as she sat on the edge of the bed, seemingly tired.
"This one's out," Annika threw away the thirty-first dress from Winget's collection. The latter groaned in annoyance.
"Engagement is today itself. Annika, please choose one and wear it tonight. You will look beautiful in anything." Mrs. Winget claimed, "And Shivaay Singh Oberoi cares less about it anyway," she added.
"You are taking me wrong. I am not dressing up for Shivaay. I am anxious about meeting his family. They must have a good first impression of me." Annika explained.
"Well, does it even matter?" Mrs. Winget asked, "He won't say no."
"I don't know if it matters to him or not, but it matters to me way too much," she clarified.
Mrs. Winget sighed and dropped the magazine she brought with her on Annika's bed, "I am going for now. If you select something, just send me a text, I will come by and help you get ready."
"Thanks," Annika greeted.
"Welcome, baby"
Once she was alone, sitting on the edge of her bed, Annika sighed. She had no idea why she was doing all this. This was not her plan. Of course, like every other girl, she too wanted a prince charming of her own, a husband to love, a family to cherish. But not now. A few years later would be perfect. She could marry anyone her father selected for her, but not at the moment. She wanted to build a career for herself before getting married to someone else.
She closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted to Shivaay. Till now, he was a mere attraction to her. He was someone who charmed her by his good looks. Surely, he was a hotshot, but to maintain the relationship they were soon to be bound into, she needed love, not attraction.
She grabbed the remote and switched on the TV. The news media was busy covering the deal and engagement soon to happen between the Oberois and the Kabeers. She sighed and switched off the TV.
***
Half an hour later, her Dad, Harsh came inside. She greeted him and patted a place on her bed for him to sit. He sat down.
"Are you sure about this Annika?" he asked.
"Come on, Dad, you were the one who asked me for this," she complained.
Harsh nodded his head, "I know, but there is no pressure. It's your decision. If you think you are ready for marriage and Shivaay, only then you should marry."
Annika thought for a second. She knew she was not ready. But this was what her father wanted. And like the best person he was, he yet asked for her consent.
"It's fine, Dad, I am ready," she assured herself more than Harsh.
Taking a deep breath, she faked a smile and got up from her bed to get ready.
"Now it's almost time. Go, get ready. Or else we will be running late." she rushed through her speech in order to hide her true emotions.
Harsh nodded and left her. Once Annika closed the door behind him, he closed his eyes as a lone tear escaped from the left one. He only wished he didn't have to do this. He was guilty. One moment, he wanted Annika to marry. The other moment, he asked for her consent. He was equally confused about all this.
Yet he knew, all this would be in Annika's favor.
***
Annika got ready in a beautiful olive green lehenga with matching choli and a set of crystal jewelry. Her makeup was light as she liked. With the designer tiara on her head, she looked no less than an angel.
At seven, Harsh and Annika reached the Oberoi Mansion. All the media, famous business personalities and some ministers were in attendance. Annika frowned when she saw all his relatives attending the engagement. For a moment, she wished her relatives were also with her. She looked at her Dad and smiled. He loved her mother so much. Despite her death, he still did not talk to those who could not accept Annika's mother back then.
Annika was then adamant on her decision. She was doing this for him. He did so much for her and her mother, now was the time to be an obedient daughter, she thought.
Shivaay came to greet them. He was wearing an olive green sherwani with cream pajamas. Annika's heart fluttered again. Something changed inside her every time she saw him. She shifted her gaze away from Shivaay, having no idea where this attraction might take her.
"Come, I will introduce you to my family," Shivaay offered.
Annika went blank. Her nervousness started peeping in. How might the Oberoi family react, she thought.
Her eyes met Shivaay's who smiled at her. She found it reassuring.
Shivaay and Annika walked close together as they reached the family. Shivaay was about to place his hand on her waist, but he chose otherwise and held her left hand. She squirmed due to his touch. She wasn't uncomfortable, but it sure felt weird as invisible butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
"Dadi, she is Annika, Annika, meet my grandma," Shivaay introduced the two of them.
"Namaste, Mrs. Oberoi," Annika greeted her, unsure if the old lady won't mind if she calls her Dadi.
"Namaste beta," Kalyani blessed her. Shivaay found it a bit unusual. Harsh asked him to address the former as Dad already. Why won't Kalyani do the same in the case of Annika?
He cleared his throat, "And you might already know him, he is Annika's Dad, Harsh Vardhan Kabeer, India's richest businessman." he introduced Harsh and Kalyani.
They greeted each other.
Shivaay carried on the introductions, "And they are my siblings, Om, Rudra, and Priyanka."
Annika smiled at each as they waved their hands.
Anika smiled at each one of Om, Rudra, and Priyanka. Om's face screamed that he was a soulful person. With the big glasses on his eyes, long straight hair and trimmed stubble, he looked handsome.
But not as much as his brother, Annika thought.
She closed her eyes and reprimanded herself. This attraction was killing her.
Shifting her gaze away from Om, she found Rudra. She could say he was the naughty one among these three brothers. The spark in his eyes told Annika that he was going to be her best friend in the home.
Next, her eyes examined Priyanka, who was biting her lips. A sign of nervousness. Annika disliked girls who were not self-confident. They were the ones who give up before even trying, she thought. Here, Priyanka was her own sister-in-law-to-be. She pressed a smile at Priyanka and hoped that she could change her shy nature in the future.
"Let's do the roka. We are running out of the shubh muhurat" Harsh urged.
Shivaay and Annika walked away and sat on the swing. Their roka and engagement were to be done in one day. Shivaay smiled, but Annika could tell it was just out of courtesy. She wondered if they would ever fall in love and live happily ever after like people describe in the romance novels she reads.
Kalyani came towards her and did each of Shivaay and Annika's aarti. She did their tilak and fed some sweets to both of them. Next, she placed a chunni on Annika's head. Annika fainted a smile.
Things were official now. She was engaged to Shivaay Singh Oberoi: rich, famous, handsome, charming and a stranger.
"Annika place your hand on top of Shivaay's," Harsh said.
Annika came out of her thoughts and nodded, placing her hand on top of Shivaay's.
He slipped a ring on the ring finger of her left hand. Their fingers touched. Annika felt her heartbeats quickened. The nerves of the ring finger are connected to the heart. Even science was against her now, she thought.
Shivaay, on the other hand, had no emotional feeling at all as Annika slipped a ring on his finger. He was doing it on Harsh's insistence. He felt an obligation towards him. He promised himself, Harsh, and Annika that from this moment itself, Annika was his responsibility.
Love, he had no idea if that would happen.
Shivaay looked at Harsh and blinked his eyes. Harsh sighed in relief. The small exchange was noticed by Annika. She doubted if the two men were hiding something from her.
"Now, Annika bhabhi is officially our family," Rudra stated. Annika smiled. At least one person made her feel she was going to be a part of their family.
***
Everyone in attendance came by and congratulated the newly engaged couple. After an hour or so, Shivaay and Annika were left alone.
"You don't talk much," she remarked.
"I dislike talking without reason," he explained.
"But Mr. Boring," Annika stopped as he glared at her when she called him boring.
She shrugged her shoulders and continued, "I meant. We are soon to be married. Don't you think we should at least be in talking terms with each other?"
Shivaay nodded, "Of course, but I don't know what to talk about."
Silence ensued between the two.
"I am really looking forward to the project our companies are merging over," Shivaay broke the silence.
Annika frowned. All he cared about was the deal. Would he ever love her? she thought.
Shivaay looked sideways to actually notice her face. The smile was missing. He frowned. He wanted her to smile because that's what made her look more beautiful than she already was.
"Smile, Annika."
She was confused. Why would he want her to smile? Shivaay felt the need to make her smile. He took it upon himself as a challenge to make her smile.
"The media is here. I think we should smile in front of them," he urged.
After a while, he noticed that she was not smiling.
"You are not smiling," he pointed out.
"I don't like to smile for no reason," she returned his own reply to him.
All of a sudden, a smile bloomed on her lips. She felt light after playing a mini-game of tit for tat with Shivaay. He felt his heartbeats increasing rapidly. He didn't know if he was already in love, but he understood that her smile affects him a lot.
Annika's Lehenga
Shivaay's Sherwani
Precap: Shivaay weds Annika