The next morning was a bit hectic for both Shivaay and Annika. Annika bustled to do some last-minute packing while Shivaay was busy attending some last-minute calls.
"No, Diya, Rina, Madison, Emma, I won't be available to talk in the next two weeks. I will let you guys know after I am back," she talked to her friends from London in a conference call as she made back and forth trips from the dresser to her backpack lying on the bed for keeping her necessary accessories.
"Yes, Mishra, you can call me anytime. Even if it is midnight in Greece but we are here on fire in India, call me. Got it? Call me" Shivaay instructed his assistant.
Shivaay's loud and proud voice restrained Annika to hear her friends' talk.
"Yes, I will handle it as soon as I am back," Shivaay carried on on the other side, "If you can't postpone my meeting with the Kapoors, ask them if they are ready to video call me in Crete, I will attend anytime."
Annika found it weird. Anytime? Like anytime. What if they are eating or sleeping or sightseeing when a call pops up? And why would he receive calls from the office anyway? Here, she had been asking her friends not to call her and there he is: office, office, office!
"Annika, pass me the file please," Shivaay pointed towards a white file kept near the dresser. She handed him the file. He opened it and without a simple thanks went away.
Annika sighed. Sometimes, no, at all times, his behavior wanted her to give up on this marriage. However, she had a strong faith in relations as sacred as marriage. Her own father spent just four years of his life with her mother. Yet, when her mother died in childbirth, he chose to remain a widow. That was love. That was a relationship called marriage. Marriage, which doesn't let you be tied to anyone other than your true soulmate. It had been only a week Annika became Shivaay's wife. She cannot lose hope so easily.
***
"Okay Dadi, so we may leave now," Shivaay said once they were both ready and their backpacks situated inside the car. The whole family was in the hall to bid them goodbye.
"Wait for a minute, Shivaay. Mr. Kabeer called this morning. He wants to meet both of you before you leave," Kalyani said.
Annika became alert at Harsh's mention. Her frustration on Harsh was way more than he frustration on Shivaay. Till yesterday, the daughter who had been eager to see her father didn't want to see his face now.
"Shivaay, we are getting late. Let's leave now or we will miss the flight" Annika pointed out.
Kalyani did not fail to notice the urge on Annika's voice as she asked Shivaay to leave. To her, it seemed that Annika was eager to take Shivaay away from his family.
On the other hand, Shivaay was rather surprised by the way Annika spoke. She never seemed excited about their so-called honeymoon. He wondered what changed now.
Annika dug her nails inside her open palm. She had no inclination to face Harsh now.
"Bhaiya-Bhabhi, you should leave. It's getting late," Rudra informed.
"Don't forget the list I gave you," Priyanka spoke.
"I won't" Shivaay assured.
Giving each of his siblings a short hug, Shivaay left with Annika. Annika was happy that Harsh was unable to make it. Rather than happy, she felt at peace that she won't have to face him right now.
***
Annika's phone rang thrice in the car, twice in the airport and once before the flight was about to take off. All of the times, it had been Harsh. And all of the times, Annika declined his calls.
***
Inside the plane, Shivaay was busy in his work. Much to her dismay, he brought his laptop to work on it. And there, she couldn't bring her own phone to work
She wanted to ask him if he had a service here. If so, how? However, when she found him engrossed in his work such that he would ignore his bored wife, she decided against it. She would rather sleep.
Shivaay found himself a bit drowsy at last. He glanced at Annika by his side. She was sleeping. He sighed. He should sleep too.
He stood up and kept his laptop in a bag inside the mini compartment on the upper side. He took his seat beside Annika once again. Closing his eyes, he tried to sleep.
***
Annika woke up after a while. She yawned and opened her eyes bit by bit to adjust to the lights. She hated the lights inside the planes. At times, they would reflect directly on your face. She disliked it.
Stretching her hands a bit, she felt lightweight on her left shoulder. She turned to find Shivaay's head rested on her left shoulder blade. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest yet again. She cursed herself in the inside. She failed to understand what about this man would cause her to be attracted to him. Initially, she knew it was a physical attraction. She has had crushes in the past, but none lasted this long. Moreover, she never paid this level of attention to any of her crushes or their behavior either as she did in Shivaay's case. She was a smart girl to know that they wouldn't last long. The fact that Shivaay was her husband clearly didn't help at all. Her heart was giving her permission to fall for her 'crush' this time.
She focussed on the fact that his head rested on her shoulder. Should she wake him up? She did not. He had been attending calls and files all day long. Even during the initial hours of this flight, he had been working. Sure, he needed to lay in bed and get a nice long sleep. But as of now, opportunities were limited and she wanted to provide him with as much comfort as possible.
***
Fifteen minutes prior to their landing on Crete, the announcement of landing broke Shivaay's sleep. He stretched his neck a bit and opened his eyes slowly to adjust to the light. He felt something soft against his head. Moving up, he recognized it to be someone rather than something.
Not someone, it was his wife, Annika.
"Annika," he called her in his drowsy voice. Annika learned that Shivaay was awake.
"You are awake," she exclaimed.
"Yes, I fell asleep. Anyway, thanks for that" he spoke.
"It's okay. That was nothing."
Another announcement made its way to their ears. The plane was about to land. Annika and Shivaay put on their belts. Shivaay used facial tissue to wipe his face. Annika could easily tell that he was tired and needed more sleep.
However, she failed to understand if she could impose her rights on him as his wife and ask him to get more sleep once they reach rather than working.
***
It was past midnight in Greece when they reached the hotel they were staying in. Shivaay sent Annika to go and open the room they were to stay in and stayed behind himself. Annika was hell tired and had no energy to expend her brain thinking about why he would do it.
So she left when he asked her to. As soon as she did, he followed someone.
***
Annika entered the room. She switched on the lights and then locked the door from inside. The interior was beautiful, romantic and perfect for a honeymoon couple. The sweet flowery smell, the heart-shaped pillows on the bed, the candles around the room, all of that. She frowned. Only if it were to be a real honeymoon!
Sounds of draining water encompassed her ears. She felt like someone was present in their room. She proceeded to open the door of the washroom.
Suddenly, the sound stopped. Annika sighed. She thought she hallucinated or it came from somewhere else. She placed her suitcase on the bed and took out her clothes from there.
Something tapped on her shoulder. She turned around to find no one. She wished for Shivaay to return. It was past midnight already. God knows where he left.
She entered the washroom to change her clothes. The seven and half hour journey was tiring.
The small instances earlier occupied Annika's mind. She couldn't help but stare at the tap to wonder if the draining sound came from this washroom or not.
She heard music playing outside. She didn't hear any sound in the doorway to learn of Shivaay's arrival. And as much as she knew him, he was not someone to listen to loud music. Who could it be?
She touched herself to feel how a touch feels like and if the pat on her shoulder was indeed a hallucination or not
She decided to complain as soon as she got out. Certainly, there were no ghosts or souls. Someone around was doing it.
***
Coming out of the restroom, she saw a skull lying on the floor. She gritted her teeth and looked around for help.
After a while, she looked at the spot where the skull was again. It disappeared.
Annika closed her eyes. These days she is all about Shivaay. She thought he is the one who needs rest when in reality, she needs it more.
She sighed and sat on the bed. She yawned feeling sleep. But where on earth was that silly husband of hers? She found it a bit awkward to let him come inside the room and find her asleep already.
Being bored, she took out her phone from her handbag. It was time she called or texted Shivaay asking to come soon. She wouldn't bother how he takes it.
She dialed his number once. He didn't pick up. She dialed again to have the same results.
Next, when she was about to text him, the skull fell right in front of her face. It's bloody demeanor and scary disguise compelled a scream to leave Annika's mouth.
She immediately got off the bed and ran.
She opened the door and wrapped her arms around the first thing the came in front of her.
***
"Someone is there, someone is there," she chanted the phrase, hugging him close.
Shivaay's hands reached her hair and he caressed them. He could tell how scared she was by the way she cried. Time after time, she would snuggle more into him without the care of the world and he too held her close.
"What happened?" he finally asked when her whimpers died and she seemed calmer than earlier.
"Someone is there, Shivaay," she informed him in her pressing voice.
"Who?" he asked. He had a hard time believing it. But he knew Annika enough to believe that she won't create a scene for nothing.
By the time, a few staff and the manager of the hotel gathered around Shivaay and Annika.
"Sir, please ask your wife to relax. There are other guests too. They will have problem such late in the night," the manager requested in his Greek accent.
"Annika, relax" he tried to calm her down. She won't budge and held onto him tightly.
"Let's go inside," he suggested.
"I don't want to go there. Someone is there. Or something!" she urged.
Shivaay sighed. As tired as he was, he was also being annoyed by the way Annika acted right now.
The manager sent a few of his staff to check inside. Annika didn't leave Shivaay's embrace for a moment.
"No one's there," a staff informed them.
"I am not lying, Shivaay. Someone is there. A skull. Covered with blood. Loud music was being played and he or she patted on my shoulder too," she narrated all she saw in her broken voice.
Shivaay sighed. All this was possible in movies only, he thought.
Glancing around the hall, his eyes caught hold of someone. So this person did it all, he realized. All this now made sense. No wonder the idea was as cheap and disgusting as the person was. He made the right decision, he knew. He also felt angry about the security system of the hotel. He hugged Annika back. With protection and care.
"Get us a new room. Right now!" he yelled at the staff as he held Annika close to himself with utmost protection and care.
a/n:
After writing the whole update, I learned that this idea was way too filmy. I also tried my hand on horror a bit and failed miserably. Genres like thriller, horror, mystery are clearly not my cup of tea when it comes to writing. And I am not a fan of them as a reader either. So please excuse me.
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(Extended) Precap:
"Stay away from me and my wife" Shivaay warned.
"You don't even love her." the person argued.
"That's none of your business," Shivaay made it clear.
"I was right. Mr. Shivaay Singh Oberoi, you cannot love anyone in this world," the person stated.