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Another two days had passed. Anika was surprisingly more angry with him. He was busy with work all the time. Rudra had met with a minor accident on Tuesday. His bike had skidded. Thankfully, there was no worrisome injury as he had his helmet on. He had a fractured left leg and a cracked arm bone. Anika had stayed with him from evening until night with Omkara accompanying her. It was late evening and she and Omkara had gone to have a cup of coffee.
"Anika, Shivaay told me what happened," Omkara started a conversation looking at her.
Anika subtly nodded looking elsewhere.
"Anika, I know we have never really got along well. But trust me when I say I can relate to your hurt. I have been thinking about it for the past two days. I just want to say... please don't make the mistake I made. I know it sucks to see someone you love with someone else in a way like that. It's like someone's brutally tearing apart your heart. Trust me Anika, Shivaay would never look at another woman like that. Never. I know the CCTV cameras have already proved him to be innocent. I just want you to trust him and in your love. I understand how terrible you would have felt, when you saw that at a time when you wanted to make the most beautiful confession of your life."
Anika looked up at him glassy-eyed. His hand reached to hers on the table. He gently placed his hand on hers.
"I don't want you to regret the way I am. This is still worse than what you feel. Don't give up Anika, it sucks to be where I am," his voice cracked and he pressed his lips tightly looking away. "Trust him, if you love him." He said getting up and walking away his hands reaching his eyes.
Tears rolled down Anika's cheek. She wiped her tears and walked back up. Only one question looming in her head, Did Shivaay know that she was going to confess?
"Omkara, how did you know about my plan for that evening?" She asked him later, sitting beside him on the waiting chair outside the room Ruxracwas sleeping in.
"Umm, we had seen it that night, Rudra was worried when Shivaay said you had gone to your mother's place..." Omkara spoke earnestly. Anika nodded. He knew. He knew she loved him and she was going to confess. Yet he had done nothing? If she was in his place she would have reacted. She would have told him she loved him. But he didn't do any of it. Why? The only explanation she could think of was, he didn't feel the same way. She bit her lower lip looking away.
That night Shivaay opted to sleep with Rudra in his room when they took him back home. They barely spoke.
It was Wednesday night and Anika was seated on her bed still thinking about it all. She hadn't noticed when he had returned from office, walked inside the room, and gone for a shower. He left early and returned late from offices over the past days. She quickly kept her phone aside and slept. She didn't want to talk to him. She needed to digest facts. It was all very confusing. He was becoming difficult to understand. Did he love her or not?
Shivaay walked out of the washroom to find her sleeping. The sudden dispute with Manish Kapoor had caused major issues at work. He had fixed meeting with two other business tycoons to seek partnership for the project. Luckily, exiting the deal wasn't a problem because his legal advisors had done a good job with the contract. Shilpa Kapoor had the audacity to visit him again threatening to leak the photos and video over the internet. She no longer seemed to care that her reputation would be at stake too. He was disgusted by her offer to let her be his mistress in secret.
Ever since college days she had a thing for him. However, Shivaay was always repelled by her personality. He never thought they'd ever meet again. If all of the tension outside home wasn't enough, Rudra had met with an accident. And then, there was his wife. She didn't seem like the Anika he had married. She was like a stranger. She would not talk or interact with him much.
Her withdrawal from making her confession led him to believe that she actually didn't trust him. That hurt. He was crazy about her. She knew it, did she not? What hurt more was she was lying to him, telling him that she trusted him when she didn't. He lay on the bed beside her waiting for sleep to take over. He missed her terribly. Even if she was inches away from him it seemed like she was not there at all.
* * *
Anika stepped out of her office building. Off late she didn't like working too. "Want a drop somewhere?" Uttkarsh her teammate asked stopping his car before her.
"No, thanks my ride will be here," She answered politely peeping inside the SUV.
"Okay," he replied giving his charming smile that worked on everyone but her and drove away. Anika stared at his car that grew smaller in size as he got away. He was a nice guy. Took care of everybody in the team, flirted and joked around bringing smiles to all faces around him. Anika still didn't know why she didn't like him. She assumed he knew by her cold behavior towards him that she didn't like him, nonetheless, he was still polite and kind to her.
Anika looked at her mobile, the driver had said he will be around in ten minutes. Ever since she had moved into the Oberoi Mansion after marriage, Shakti took care that a driver was there to drive her to the office and back home. He just wouldn't allow her to take a cab or ride to work.
"Anika," a high pitched voice made Anika turn to her right. She was astounded to see that same woman standing before her. She wore a white satin top that stretched around her bust with a black pencil skirt that highlighted the curves of her hips.
"I came to apologize. I know whatever happened the other day was really inappropriate. .."
Anika was shocked to even say anything but her phone vibrated and she saw Shivaay's caller id. She declined the call wanting to listen to what the woman had to say.
"Umm, I was saying that... what happened the other day shouldn't have happened..."
Shilpa stopped as Anika glanced at her vibrating phone. She picked up the call putting the phone to her ear staring at the woman before her.
"Anika, don't listen to her," she heard from the other end. She turned the phone and held it in her hand as though she had disconnected the call.
"You were saying..." she prompted the woman.
"Yeah, umm, I am sorry. It's just that I and Shivaay always had this attraction for each other. Years after college meeting again... the old sparks just reignited. I feel horrible about it. But I wanted to apologize to you. My feelings for Shivaay weren't wrong but acting on them was. It's just that we didn't know how things escalated. It was just dates for old time's sake and then things just heated up. I don't know what Shivaay said to you. But..I..."
Shivaay's blood boiled as he heard very clearly what Shilpa was telling Anika. He ran his hand through his hair. He didn't want Anika to believe that bullshit.
"That's it?" Anika asked and the woman nodded feigning sadness.
Anika put the phone on loudspeaker. "Shivaay, you're on the speaker."
"Anika, she's speaking shit. Trust me there were no dates, no old or new or any kind of sparks and I didn't even lay a finger on her."
Shilpa stared at the phone, "Stop lying, Shivaay. It's better we apologize for what we've done and live peacefully instead of.."
"Shut the fu-k up Shilpa, I had warned you. Get lost. If I find you anywhere close to a five-kilometer radius of my family or me I swear I won't feel guilty for what happens to you."
"Oh Shiv, you.."
"Shut up," Anika hollered. "Didn't you hear him? Now if you don't stop this drama, I don't about my husband but I will surely do something I won't regret. Get lost,"
A smile climbed up Shivaay's face as he heard his wife threaten the bitch.
"Oh, you will regret, Anika. You're just smitten by him... I don't blame you sweetie he's obviously too good in bed. Trust me you will regret not believing me.." Anika fell silent hearing the woman's confident voice.
"Make yourself scarce Shilpa. She's not buying your bullshit." Shivaay thundered.
"You heard him," Anika spoke staring into her eyes confidently. Although inside her confidence had shaken up a bit. Shilpa cursed and walked away.
"Anika are you there?"
"The car's here, I will meet you at home," Anika spoke walking towards the car ending the call.
* * *
Shivaay rushed into the house. He checked the kitchen, it was just his mother there, instructing the servants. He stealthily slipped out and ran up the stairs. He threw his coat on the bed and left the room. She was definitely home for the car she used was parked out. With quick steps he made his way to Rudra's room. There she was still dressed in her office clothes talking to him.
"Anika," he called getting the attention of the two of them.
She quickly looked up at him.
"Hey, I am here too, I know the bed covers have me camouflaged," Rudra joked trying to sit up.
"Rudra, just lay down," Anika reprimanded.
"I am bored. I have been sleeping through the day." Rudra complained.
Aniak smiled, "really? Or binge-watching?"
He smiled sheepishly, "20 episodes of FRIENDS!"
"Ouch, don't your eyes hurt?"
"I took breaks in between,"
"Right to text your female following, " Anika mocked.
Shivaay was done with her ignoring him. "Anika, I need to talk to you, alone." He spoke reaching her side and holding her hand.
"Jeez, Bhaiya, she just came,"
"Rudra, later please. This is urgent," he added glancing at Anika.
"Really, pray thou tell me what's so urgent?" Rudra mocked.
"I told you, I need to talk to my wife and it's urgent. Now shoo." He pointed a finger at him and then looked at Anika, "come!"
"Fine, Bhaiya. Shut your room's door!" Rudra shouted as the two walked away.
Shivaay heard that but it wasn't important now. Talking to her was important. He didn't want her to assume he had any sort of past or present relationship with any girl except her.
He entered the room and locked the door. "We need to talk," he said looking at her.
Anika sat on the bed looking at him gingerly. She was angry at him. Very angry. He knew what she felt for him and yet he went around like it didn't matter to him. She didn't know if she was just his wife or there was something more to that.
"Do you really trust me?" He asked without beating around the bush.
Anika stared at him irked.
"I need your answer," he spoke impatiently.
Anika silently watched him.
"Anika, can you say something?" He raised his voice and looked aside. "Okay, I.."
"How many times do I tell you that I trust you?" She asked staring at him.
"Then why don't you talk to me normally. Why have you been ignoring me ever since?" Shivaay asked expressing his bafflement and irritation.
"You have been ignoring me too.."
"Anika, I -- what makes you think that I am ignoring you?"
"Why else would you leave early for office and come home late?" She blurted.
"Because shit has hit the roof after that incident. That bitch is hell-bent to plant false rumors that we both have been having an affair. The canceled deal with the Kapoors Co. has stalled the project. I am not ignoring you! I am fixing things." Shivaay burst out.
Anika stared at him dejectedly. "You knew why I was there that day...you didn't bother to tell me anything. You didn't even bother to come to me that night... a stupid phone call to say good night." She spoke as her eyes began moistening up.
"You were the one who said you needed space..."
Anika peered at him disappointment written all over her face. "I didn't mean it. I needed you to be there to tell me that I didn't need space, I needed you. You knew that I-- and you did nothing about it."
Shivaay ran his hand through hair, "How am I supposed to know that when you tell me you need space?"
Anika's tears blurred her vision. "You should, right?"
Shivaay walked up to her and knelt on the floor looking up at her placing his hands on hers that rested on her thighs. "Anika, I am not a mind reader. I thought you were upset. I thought you genuinely needed space. I ... I thought you didn't trust me.."
"Why would you think that when I told you I trusted you?"
"Because you asked Rudra to clear all of it and not tell me about it. You didn't say anything to me after that. You were ignoring me..." he muttered. "What else I am supposed to understand from it all?"
"Should have asked me..." she said softly as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Anika, why are you crying?" He asked worriedly.
"Because this is hurting... I was happy until you came into my life and before I knew I was falling head over heels in love with you. Love wasn't my choice, Shivaay. But I am crazy about you and I don't like it. I have become this person I don't even recognize. And... you don't feel the same about me."
Shivaay's jaw dropped as his gaze was fixated at her tear-filled eyes. A smile threatening to blossom on his face. However, he was in a fix. He didn't know what exactly he felt for her. But she was important to him.
Anika looked at him in despair. "You don't feel the same way right? I knew it, I am so stupid. I ..."
"You're important to me, Anika."
"That's it?"
"I don't know what love is! I am not going to lie... I really wanted an honest relationship with you and I would like to keep it that way."
"So, you don't love me." Anika declared.
"You're important to me, Anika. You're my wife and I wouldn't have it any other way. You're were my first and will be my only. There was no Shilpa or anyone else."
"Okay," Anika uttered pulling her hand back from his hold. His hand rested on her thighs. She felt stupid to have opened up her heart to him. She gently pushed his hands off her and got up to freshen up.
"Are you going to continue to ignore me?" She heard him ask after she had taken a few steps away.
She glanced at him, "I need some time." A heavy silence filled the air.
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-Anami!♡