CHAPTER1: When Regality met Royalty!
" Beep! beep! beep!" Shivaay honked for the nth time as Anika replayed the same song by Badshah at full voice for the 5th time on loop in the last 30 minutes. It's not that the song is bad but he has been listening to the same song for last 3 days on repeat and he was at his wits end. But fortunately, he knows his wife enough to not say it out loud especially when they are in an enclosed space. Last time he fought with Anika in a car, that fight ended up with Anika blowing his car up and she was not even on these pregnancy hormones then. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath he honked again.
Anika getting irritated with all the honking done by her husband turned the voice down and looked at Shivaay. “What happened Shivaay? It's not even a busy day! Why are you honking so much? All this NOICE is so irritating”.
“Really! All THIS Noice is irritating you. Huh! AMAZING!” retorted back an annoyed Shivaay and turned his head to his right to roll his eyes.
“what's this supposed to mean? And I saw you rolling your eyes so don’t even try lying to me.”
“Nothing Anika.” and he turned the music back on.
Anika turned the music off and angrily asked “then why are you in your Baggad Billa avatar today?” and Shivaay knew he has poked the grisly, he has to thread very carefully now. He doesn’t want to be strapped onto the seat when she decides to put the car on fire!
“I just don’t understand why do we have to go all the way to Malad from Juhu for some cupcakes from a local bakery when Oberois have their own chain of 7-star restaurants and artisanal cafés. One call and they all will be delivered to you at our home at your convenience, especially in this condition.”
“Shivaay I'm pregnant, not sick. And it's my friend’s bakery, I want to meet my friend that I cannot see at YOUR ‘Artisanal cafés’. And no one asked you to tag along I could have gone alone.” sighed Anika.
“If you think I will let you out of my sight when your water can break any day then you need to see a doctor, ASAP!”
“Huh! You're calling me crazy?”
“NOO!! You are calling yourself crazy.” replied Shivaay with a wink forcing Anika to roll her eyes and making her go tomato red on her cheeks. It's been 5 years since their marriage but still every time Shivaay even winks at her in a flirty way, she goes deep red and her husband loves this color on her.
“How do you even know the wife of Kapoor urban’s CEO when she never has attended any of the social events till now?” asked Shivaay curious at his wife’s amazing skills of making friends with everyone.
“I know Priya since before she married Ram! And you can call him RAM! YOUR FRIEND! Instead of CEO of Kapoor Urbans. 5 years! 5 years! And you still can't look past people’s social status. Our families know each other. We go to all his parties; he comes to our home for private dinners Shivaay! You are such a BILLU! Won't EVER change! Tadibaaz Baggad Billa!” said an exasperated Anika.
Shivaay looked in her direction with fervor, took her right hand and brought her hand near his lips and placed a wet kiss on the back of her hand and asked, “and yet you still love me, don’t you?” being her Siddha Singh Oberoi.
Anika knew no matter how much Tadi he shows her he needs constant reassurance from her that she loves him and isn't really that mad at him. Anika's social status was a big issue between them in the early stages of their relation and every time this topic comes up Shivaay still feels guilty for everything that transpired between them.
Anika took her hand from his hand to put her palm on his left cheek, smiled and replied to her Billu “ALWAYS!” and she saw his shoulders relax in an instant. Shivaay kissed her palm and hold onto her hand by merging their fingers.
It still astonishes Shivaay how right his brother Omkara was. Every day he looks at Anika and only one Shayari that Om once told him years ago comes to his mind.
Sach me dhal jate hai kisse
Dil se dohrane ke bad,
Ishq pe hoga yakeen
Ishq ho jane ke bad.
(The story really falls after
repeating it from the heart,
I will believe in love once
I have fallen in love)
Changing the topic Shivaay asked again “so how do you know Priya? That’s her name, right?”
Nodded Anika at his question and smiled recalling her first encounter with Priya. “We met at a farmers' market 2 years ago. She was fighting with sabzi wale Bhaiya for selling vegetables at gold prices. I knew instantly that we will be friends!” said a giddy Anika with twinkle in her eyes and started to tell him everything that happened after that till now.
Shivaay smiled at his innocent wife. How easy it is to distract her. Every day he thanks the universe for giving him Anika. For giving his life meaning. She is the best thing that ever happened to him and now she is adding more meaning to their marriage by bringing a new life into this world.
“Shivaay!! You are not listening to me. Don’t be a BILLU.”
“I am listening BILLI.”
************************************************************
At the bakery Priya was in another dilemma, this has become her entire life. She is always at the crossroads of life. Always at a point where she has to make tough decisions that doesn’t lead her family to pain. And she seems to have failed yet again. Sara’s advice sound sane but she still has her worries.
“Anika, you here. Please come in.” sara exclaimed looking at the oldest Oberoi pair at her bakery. Anika comes a lot here but it was the first time Shivaay had come here. Usually, it’s Rudra the youngest Oberoi who tags along with his Bhabhi to the bakery or Anika's sister Gauri.
Priya turned around and a smile touched her lips looking at this vibrant woman happily glowing at them with her one hand holding her cute baby bump and the other safely in her husband's hand for support. And first time something tugged at Priya's heart, knowing that she might never get to experience this phase in her life, a feeling she never knew she wanted until recently. She might never get pregnant; her husband might never be beside her holding her like she is the most beautiful and fragile woman to ever exist like Anika's husband is looking at her with love oozing out of him for his wife.
She has always admired Anika and looked at her like a sister but today for the first time she felt jealous of Anika. Priya always knew that she will never get lucky like Anika in love but when she got married to Ram, she had thought that she might have gained a friend for life with whom she will share her all the goods and the Bads. But with the current turn of events all those thoughts have just gotten blur and now Anika and Shivaay are like salt on her open wounds. But she knows that it's not their fault that her husband can’t love her, can’t be honest with her and just cannot accept her. No one has been able to accept her with all her flaws. All the happy journeys in her life have been the shortest, and she just has to keep reminding herself of that.
‘I need to use the washroom.” said Anika impatiently. “It was a long trip and I have drunk a lot of fluids on our way here.”
“Oh, come with me.” sara offered to take Anika with herself.
“Ah....don't leave her alone in there, she loses her balance sometimes.” said Shivaay, reluctantly letting Anika go.
As sara took Anika to the washroom, Shivaay took the opportunity to look at the woman who is supposed to be the wife of THE RAM KAPOOR, who single-handedly has built three-fourth of Mumbai's skyline in the last decade. He had heard a lot about Priya from his family members, all praises and quite a lot from Anika but he has always assumed Priya to be a loud personality, but she stood in front of him calm as an ocean. She is a complete contrast to his wife, where his wife always prefers to wear trendy loud cloths, Priya was in a more soberly printed traditional attire. She has a very regal personality, he thought.
Her cloths might not give away to anyone that she comes from power and money but her features, stance, body language and aura, all spoke of regality. He could see why Ram was suddenly so smitten by this woman. She looks very intimidating but Shivaay was able to see something that others might not see instantly. Behind this stoic exterior of hers, is a very vulnerable heart, which has built walls around itself to protect her from pain that comes with feelings. And that thought tugged at his heart.
“Hi Priya, I'm Shivaay.” he smiled and extended his hand towards her. She Shaked his hand and gave back a tight smile.
“Pregnancy agrees with her. She is glowing.” said Priya with a soft smile on her lips.
“Everything agrees with her, she is an enigma in herself. Every day I try to solve her a little more.” replied Shivaay looking at the way, where Anika had gone with sara. Priya had heard stories of Shivaay Singh Oberoi from her sisters, telling her about how much he loves Anika. How tabloids keep printing about Shivika stories. How they are the talk of the town for the last 5 years. Story of a billionaire heir and an orphan, getting married, falling in love, soon to be parents, they are the first Oberoi pair to bring the next Oberoi generation into this world. A baby who is not even born yet and already is creating a buzz among media. Priya never really believed everything her sisters told her about Shivaay, she thought no man can love his wife this much especially if he is this rich personality who meets so many different women on regular basis. She is yet to pass her judgement on this but one thing is for sure, Shivaay doesn’t have eyes for anyone else except Anika.
“Priya, it's not my place to advice you but we heard what you and your sister were talking about, we didn’t mean to but still. I am really sorry. It's your personal matter but out of everything, her advice about listening to your heart, I think you should follow it.”
“it's ok we weren’t exactly talking in a private setting.” replied Priya, a little uncomfortable on getting life advice from a stranger.
“I know I am a stranger, but my advice is more objective. It can be good for your marriage.”
“it's easy for you to say! You and Anika are in this perfect marriage. Follow your heart! It's easy when both are in love.” scoffed Priya. “I mean you are one to talk, you haven’t taken your eyes off that door in the last 10 mins, since Anika has walked through it. Not every marriage is like yours. Not every husband is like you.” for the first time Priya was talking to a stranger about things she never thought she would.
“Yes, you are right. It's easy for me to say NOW! We are in love NOW! BUT we weren’t always like this. We had a very rough start in the beginning of our marriage, Priya.” replied back Shivaay calmly.
His answer confused Priya. “How can it be true. All those stories from tabloids, you guys look so perfect! A happy couple! In...”
“In love? There are many more adjectives, you can use any of them. But it still won’t change the truth, what is shown is not always the truth. Those tabloids show the people what I want them to show. I have an image to uphold, can’t let them print whatever.” shrugged Shivaay.
“So, you don’t love her? It's all fake?” asked a panicked Priya. Looking at Anika who just got out from the washroom, waved at Shivaay letting him know that she is going into the kitchen with sara. He smiled back and turned towards Priya first time in the last 20 mins.
“Let's talk.” he gestured towards the sitting in the café.
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Tell me how was it. there is another part on the way.
And im tagging some people who have asked me before to tagg them in my work.
i hope you all enjoyed reading it. DO leave comments down below, productive criticism is also welcomed.
Edited by RitikaS99 - 3 years ago
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