Present
Annika entered Oberoi Mansion smiling widely. It's been three days since they decided to get married. Their engagement was fixed after two days and both were excited for their own reasons. Annika, was finally relieved that everything was sorted out now unaware about the upcoming storm which was going to turn her life upside down. Shivaay, on the other hand, was happy that his plan was working. Although his heart kept nagging him time to time but his stubborn mind dominated every time.
Pinky welcomed annika inside happily. Annika took her blessings.
'Good morning, aunty.' Annika chirped happily only to receive a smack on her head from pinky. She looked confused at pinky's frowning face.
'Start calling me maa, Annika. I'm not your aunty anymore.' Pinky said smiling. Annika smiled and hugged her feeling emotional. Pinky caressed her hair.
'Thank you, maa.' Spoke annika happily tightening the hug.
'Dhat pagli! Maa ko koi thank you kehta hai bhla.'('Mad girl! Who says thank you to a mother?') Pinki said dramatically making annika chuckle.
Shivaay came there after getting ready. He adored the duo but his idiot mind again disturbed his heart and he again recalled his intentions.
'Good morning, beautiful ladies.' He said calmly. Annika and pinky broke the hug replying to his greeting.
Annika gave him a full blown smile which he reciprocated, fake-ly though.
He asked them to sit as he had a surprise for annika and went outside. Annika was so excited for her surprise. She sat on the sofa placed in the hall waiting patiently.
After some time, he came back with few people who brought happy tears to annika's eyes. She immediately got up from her seat. It was omru, arnav and annay. Ishani was there too. Like shivaay, they too were inevitable part of her life. They were her brothers who she never had before. Ishani was her soul sister.
Everyone hugged her except ishani.
'We missed you bhabhi.' They chorused in unison. Annika chuckled.
'I missed you too guys. I missed you so freaking much.' She spoke making them happy.
Annika looked at ishani who was standing with an expressionless face. Annika went towards her with baby steps. After shivaay, if she had hurt anyone with her behaviour then it was ishani. Ishani started going from there feeling annika coming near her.
'Ishu!' Annika whispered to which ishani shouted 'Don't you dare!......don't you dare call me ishu, Miss annika trivedi. Your ishu died the day her annie left her without even having a word.'
Annika cried looking down. Ishani too was crying. After all, she too loved annika a lot.
'I'm not angry on you for what you did to shivaay because that's between you two but i can't forgive you for what you did to me.' Ishani vented her heart out making annika cry more.
Annika folded her hands in front of her. 'I'm so.....sorry.'
Ishani looked at shivaay who almost pleaded her with his eyes to forgive annika since he can't see her crying. And still this idiot says he doesn't love her.
Ishani too couldn't stand tears in her best friend's eyes. She immediately hugged annika. Both the best friends cried in each other's embrace. Others smiled seeing the duo.
They broke the hug after sometime and wiped their tears. Both chuckled looking at each other's crying face.
'I missed you.' Both said in unison making everyone chuckle and again hugged each other tightly......
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Everyone was at Trivedi House for the selection of engagement rings. There was hustle bustle everywhere. They were waiting for shivaay to come as he had an important meeting. Annika was fidgeting with her fingers looking at the door time to time.
After some time, her phone rang which showed jaana❤ as the caller id. She went to a corner to attend his call.
'Shiv! Where are you? We are waiting.' She said as soon as he said hello.
'Annika! I can't come as i have two more meetings.' He replied as if it was just a formality. She got sad listening to him.
'But shiv! The rings....'
'Oh come on, Annika! Don't be so typical yaar. It's just the rings.' He cut her off mid-way breaking her heart with his sour words. She didn't speak anything for a few minutes.
Sensing her silence, he spoke softly, 'Just choose any one you like. Any ring would do.'
'Hmm.' She just hummed in response fearing that if she spoke then she would cry which she didn't want at any cost. He too could sense that she was on the verge of crying but that's what he wanted. He wanted to complete his so called revenge. Annika cut the call without saying anything. Composing herself, she plastered a fake smile on her face and went where everyone was sitting. She explained them that shivaay would not come since he had some important work. Only she knew how she told all this without letting her voice crack in between.
She chose the rings with ishani and other's help. Although she badly wanted him to choose the ring for her but she was happy that she was finally getting engaged to him. That was more important at the instant.
She took the picture of rings and sent him. She was patiently waiting for his reply but got nothing. She was even more disheartened when she saw the blue tic that meant that he had seen the picture but didn't reply. And then, he went offline.
Everyone left as the work was done.
She went to her room to calm herself down. After that, she spent the whole day being locked in the room only. She didn't know why but she didn't feel like doing anything. Any other girl would have been busy in choosing different stuff for her engagement day but there she was, just laying on bed, turning and tossing thinking about his behaviour. She tried a lot to not think much about it but the more she tried to ignore it the more his words invaded her mind.
Shivaay was asked or better to say ordered by pinky to meet annika once he was free since she had noticed how annika felt bad on the news of him not coming for the ring selection. Although he didn't want to yet he compiled to his mother's demand.
It was 9pm when he reached her house. Her parents welcomed him inside. After the formal greetings and her mother offering water to him, he left to annika's room as guided by Avantika.
He didn't know that ishani was there too.
When he reached her room, he heard them taking and stopped in his track.
'Annie! Tell me na, what happened?' Ishani asked from annika sensing her bitter mood.
'Ishu! Nothing yaar. I'm fine.' Annika replied stubbornly not wanting to answer.
'You won't tell me?' Ishani glared annika making her sigh.
'I don't know, ishu. But something is not right.' She said as a tear slid down her eye. Ishani suddenly got serious.
'Hey, annie! Why are you crying?' She panicked seeing annika crying.
Annika couldn't control anymore. She had been keeping it inside her all the day but as ishani kept persuading her to tell the truth, she just wanted to let it all out.
'Sab kuch sahi hai par phir bhi kuch shi nhi hai.'('Everything is alright but still nothing is alright.') Annika said crying making ishani confuse.
'Annika! Would you say clearly?'
Annika explained everything to her like how shivaay talked to her on the phone and how he ignored her message when she sent him the picture. Ishani was perplexed as why would shivaay behave like that.
'But annika, maybe he would be really busy.' She stated her thoughts. Annika looked at her.
'Maybe! But i don't know why i feel that he's not my shiv. He's just Shivaay Singh Oberoi.' She spoke sadly.
There shivaay too heard all of this. He realised his mistake, not that he talked badly to her but his words led her to have a doubt on him. He knew he had to do something before she get to know the truth. He immediately messaged ishani to go from there since he wanted to talk to Annika.
Ishani was about to say something when her phone pinged with a message. She looked at it. It was shivaay who asked her to go without letting annika know. She left giving some excuse to Annika.
Annika stood in the window looking at the moon. He came inside slowly and tip-toed towards her after locking the door without letting her know. She got scared for a moment when someone engulfed her in a back hug but soon relaxed as she realised that it was shivaay. She leaned onto his chest. He tightened the hug.
After few seconds of peaceful silence, he finally whispered, 'I'm sorry.'
She looked down. He turned her towards himself and made her look at him. Caging her in his arms again, he pulled her more closer. She clutched his shirt tightly feeling the proximity.
'I really wanted to come annika but couldn't. The meeting was really really important.' He reasoned his excuse. She just looked at him innocently.
'God! How innocent she looks.' His heart screamed but his mind suppressed its screams.
'I know it's not an excuse but i promise it will not happen again.' He said kissing her forehead.
'Pinki promise?' She asked softly forwarding her little finger towards him making him lock his little finger with hers as he smiled at her innocence.
'Pinki promise.'
She gave him a faint smile.
'Now give me my annika kinda smile.' He said rubbing her nose with hers making her giggle.
She placed a chaste kiss on his cheek smiling. He too smiled at her. He was still holding her from her waist.
'You remember when you kissed me in front of everyone?' He asked suddenly forgetting everything, just wishing to live the moment. She blushed recalling the time....
Flashback
Shivaay was with his frineds at his field when annika came there running and shouting in happiness. It was her board result today and she was overjoyed when she got to know that she scored 94 per cent marks. She told shivaay about it. He was extremely delighted.
'Yayyyyyyyyyyy.' Both screamed in joy looking at each other. Others too chorused.
Out of happiness, she just gave him a tight cheek kiss lingering her lips there for few minutes making him shock.
He looked at everyone who passed teasing smiles to him. Soon she too realised what she did. Blood rushed to her cheeks making her look like a tomato.
Everyone fake coughed. She hid her face in his chest blushing making him laugh.........
Flashback ends
He clicked his fingers in front of her. She came out of her reverie. He raised his eyebrows. She shook her head hugging him tightly with a wide smile on her face..........
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