They reached office.
They met Anika on their way.
Anika: good morning
ShivHir: good morning
Shivaay: Anika tum aaj lunch pe ghar aaja na. Dadi ne bulaya hai
Anika: kyu?
Shivaay: woh Om aur Gauri ki engagement ke baare mein kuch baat karni hai.
Anika: okay.
Mahir: Bela aur sab ko bulaya hai.
Mahir chipped to which Shivaay and Anika smirked.
Anika: a... par.... Bela toh nahi hai. Infact Soumya aur Gauri ke alava koi nahi hai
Mahir: what?? Kahan gai Bela?
Anika: woh Pune gai hai. Massi ke ghar
Mahir: ussne mujhe bataya nahi?
Anika: aree jaldi jaldi mein jana pada tha toh shayad bhul gai hongi.
Shivaay: toh tum Gauri aur Soumya aa jana. Main kaam toh Gauri ka hi hai.
Anika: par shayad Bela aur Sahil lunch time tak aa jai. Mahir please usse call karke bol dena. Mujhe bohat kaam hai.
Mahir smiled brightly at that and Shivaay and Anika controlled their laughter. Mahir noticed it and raised his eyebrow
Mahir: tum dono hass kyu rahe ho?
They both broke into laughter. Mahir was confused.
Mahir: aree kis baat ki itni hassi aa rahi hai tum dono ko batao toh sahi
Shivaay(controlling his laughter): sa..saale Anika teri kabse tang khich rahi hai aur tujhe pata bhi nahi chala.
Mahir(realizing): matlab Bela Pune nahi gai?
Anika: nahi gai thi. Lunch se pehle aa jayegi
Shivaay: par tera chehra dekhne wala tha.
They again laughed while Mahir rubbed his back of neck being embarrassed.
Mahir: okay enough guys.
Anika: okay sorry. Par tum Bela ko call kar dena.
Mahir: haan.
They left to do their work.
It was lunch time and they went to Oberoi Mansion. Gauri, Bela, Soumya and Sahil was already there. Seeing Anika Sahil ran to her and she picked him up. All smiled at their bond.
Sahil: maine aapko itna miss kiya. (He expand his hand to show the amount)
Anika: achha ek din mein itna miss kiya?
Sahil: haan
Anika kissed his cheek. Sahil got annoyed.
Sahil(rubbing his cheek): didi yeh gili gili kissieyan mat karo
Anika: acha abhi kon mujhe miss kar raha tha?
Sahil giggled. "Nautanki" commented Anika and they sat with others.
Anika: hello everyone.
Rudra: Hii Anika di
Dadi: chalo pehle sab khana kha lo phir baat karenge.
All agreed and again sat in the hall after lunch.
Jhanvi: Gauri tum batao. Tumhein kya kya chahiye engagement mein?
Gauri: woh sab mujhe nahi aata yeh department di aur Bela di ka hai. Par I just want it as private function.
Pinky: theek hai koi baat nahi. Jo humari bahu ko pasand ho hum woh hi karenge. Kyu Shakti ji?
Shakti: off course.
Anika: aap sab arrangements ki chinta mat karna. Woh sab main aur Bela sambhal lenge.
Bela: off course. Hum dono yeh sari chizon mein champion hai.
Dadi: theek hai. Par meri ek khwaish hai ke sagai humare ghar se ho.
Anika: theek hai dadi jaisa aap chahe.
Dadi: aur issiliye main chahti hun ke tum log sagai tak yahin ruk jao.
Anika: kya???
Tej: that's a good idea.
Anika: par...
Shakti: please beta mana mat karna.
Rudra: please Anika di ruk jaiye na.
Anika looked at Bela, Gauri, Soumya and Sahil they also pleaded through eyes. Shivaay also plead her in his heart
Anika: okay.
As she agreed all smiled but Shivaay's was brighter.
Rudra: yess!! Ab hum sab saath mein rahenge. Kitna maza aayega.
Anika: theek hai toh main office ka kaam khatam karke kal se sara arrangements ka kaam shuru kar dungi.
Bela: main bhi.
Gauri: aur main aur Sumo humare kapde leke aate hai.
Sahil: toh main kya karun?
Anika: padhai. Yeh sare functions mein padhai nahi ho paiyegi teri. Toh padhai kar.
Sahil(annoyed):kya di?
Anika: Sahil agar tune padhai nahi ki toh main tujhe dekh lungi.
Sahil: theek hai.
Anika: good. Shivaay chaliye.
Shivaay: ya.
They left for the office and Anika started her work. While Shivaay was occasionally stealing glance from her.
It was night time and all the employees had left. But Anika was still engrossed in her work. Shivaay came to her cabin.
Shivaay: Anika chalo.
No response
Shivaay: Anika..
Still no response.
Shivaay this called her name bit aloud "ANIKA..." She jerked a bit.
Anika: kya? Chilla kyu rahe hai?
Shivaay: itna kya involve ho kaam mein ke mere do baar bula ne pe suna nahi.
Anika: aree kal se sagai tak main office nahi aa rahi. So baki ka bhi kaam karna padega na.
Shivaay: haan lekin abhi chalo. It's late.
Anika: aap jaiye main baad mein aa jaungi.
Shivaay: Anika it's 8 already. Chalo
Anika: aree par....
Shivaay: kuch nahi sununga. Chalo. Agar dadi ko pata chala ke main tumhein akele chhod ke aaya hun toh mujhe bohat daant padegi.
Anika(chuckled): theek hai aap niche wait kijiye. Main aati hun.
He nodded and left. Anika was packing her stuffs suddenly lights went off. Being a Nyctophobic Anika panicked she started breathing heavily. She tried hard not to fear but she can't and she sat under the table blabbering something.
Here Shivaay was waiting for her. "Yeh Anika abhi tak aai kyu nahi?" He questioned to no one in particular. He waited for some more time. But she still didn't came so he again went to call her.
Shivaay: yeh lights ko kya hua?
He turned on torch of his phone and went to her cabin.
Shivaay: Anika..... Anika...
He called but didn't got any answer. "Kaha gai?" He said. He then heard some sound near the table. He went towards it and was shocked to she the veiw infront of his eyes.
Anika was in a devasted state her hairs were messed. She was hugging her knees and was blabbering something which was audible to her only. Shivaay felt something in his heart seeing her like that.
Shivaay: Ani...Anika
Anika looked at him. Her eyes were dangerously red but she was not crying.
Anika: dur.... dur raho.... pass mat aana.
She pushed him. Shivaay tried to clam her but she was not ready at all.
Anika: maine kaha dur raho...
Shivaay: Anika... meri baat suno....
Anika: dur raho..... mere pass mat aana....
Shivaay hold her face and called her aloud to bring her back to her sense. She finally stopped wiggling and looked at him.
Shivaay: main hun Shivaay.
Anika: Shivaay...
She hugged him tightly and he wrapped his hand around her.
"Shivaay lights jaliye..... mujhe..... mujhe andhere se bohat dar lagta. Please lights jaliye" she plead being hell sacred.
Shivaay: okay. Okay. Clam down. Main abhi dekhta hun.
Anika: nahi. Aap kahin mat jaiye. Please.
Shivaay: theek hai nahi jata. Tum daro mat. Main hun yahan okay?
Anika tightened her grip. Shivaay called the watchman and asked him to turned on the generator. Anika was shivering in fear and Shivaay was trying hard to clam her by stroking her hairs and rubbing her back.
After few minutes the lights were back.
Shivaay: Anika lights aa gai.
Anika: huh?
Shivaay: lights aa gai.
Anika looked around and broke the hug. She was still breathing heavily.
Shivaay: are you okay?
Anika nodded. Shivaay handed her a glass of water. But her hands were shaking to just hold it. So Shivaay made her drink by his hands.
Shivaay: chalo upar betho.
He made her sit on the chair. Anika was getting back to normal.
Anika(stammering): li..lights ko kya hua tha?
Shivaay: powercut hua tha shayad. Par ab sab theek hai. Tumhein darne ki zarrorat nahi hai. Okay? Main hun yahan.
Anika: thank you.
Shivaay: come on Anika. Tum mujhe mana karti rehti ho aur khud bol rahi ho.
Anika: acha sorry
Shivaay: dekho phir bola. Tum apne banaye hue rule kaise tod sakti ho. Very bad.
Anika(hitting his arm playfully): nautanki bandh kijiye. Aap pe suit nahi karti.
Shivaay: toh kya suit karta hai?
Anika: gussa. Jo aap humesha karte rehte hai.
Shivaay: tumhare kehne ka matlab kya hai? Main har waqt gussa karta rehta hun?
Anika: shayad maine abhi yehi kaha?
Shivaay: acha kab kiya maine gussa?
Anika: pura din office mein sare employees ko daant te rehte hai, unpe chillate rehte hai. Bechare.
Shivaay: unki galati hoti hai toh daant ta hun.
Anika: woh log bhi insaan hai galati toh insaan se hi hoti hai. Itti itti si baat pe itna chillate hai jaise abhi kacha chaba jaienge unhe.
Shivaay chuckled.
Shivaay: acha abhi chalo.
Anika nodded and they went to Oberoi Mansion.
Next day. From morning Anika and Bela were busy in the preparation as they have decided that engagement will be the next day. So both the girls were running here and there. Anika was instructing the worker.
Anika: aree bhaiyaa aise nahi. Aap niche utariye main karti hun.
He got down the ladder and Anika climbed up fixing the floral thread. Another worker was going with something heavy which is why he collided with the ladder. So Anika lost her balance and her leg slipped
But why fear when Shivaay is here? He held her in his protective arms. Anika had closed her eyes. She opened her eyes feeling herself in the air. Her eyes met his ocean blue orbs and got lost in it. No one was ready to break the moment but Shivaay was the first to break the eyelock and he made her stand properly.
Shivaay: kya kar rahi thi?
Anika: woh....
Shivaay: tumhein karne ki kya zarrorat thi? Workers hai na?
Anika: aree badha kaamchor che. Ek kaam sarkhi rite nathi karta. Toh hun su karun? (All are idlers. They are not working properly. So what should i do then?)
Shivaay: toh tum karene lagogi?
Anika: haan. Aree meri behen ki sagai hai. Koi kami thodi rehne de sakti hun?
Shivaay: haan par abhi gir jati toh?
Anika: girti toh aap hai na sambhalne ke liye
Shivaay: main toh humesha hun tumhein sambhalne ke liye.
They again locked their eyes which was broken by Bela who called Anika. "Haan aai" saying she left.
*****