The sprawling corridors of the Oberoi mansion was engulfed in a mouth watering aroma that lured Shivaay towards the kitchen. The girl whose mere presence invaded his heart with foreign emotions stood there with a beaming grin as the puris she fried now took a beautiful hue of golden brown. Even a few days back he would have chided her for polluting the kitchen with a greasy dish like aloo puri but off late even a glimpse of that luminous smile shunned away every bit of his vexation. Her unfaltering spirit and spunkiness had challenged him in every possible way, even bruised his ego but a corner of his heart had always admired these qualities .Om was right when he pointed out that a girl who could render the mighty Shivaay speechless was more than ordinary.
Shivaay's reverie finally came to an halt as a steel container landed on the floor with a loud thud. Anika,who till now was lost in a world of aloo puris noticed the presence of her very own SSO
"Aap ?aap yaha kya kare hai?" asked a startled Anika
"Ek to tum mere hi kitchen me ghuske ye apne oily aloo puri banari hu aur mujse poochti ho mai idhar kya kara hu," Shivaay retorted back
"Ha ha toh mujhe bhi koi shauk nahi hai idhar dera dalke baithne ka..wo toh dadi ko uss din mere aloo puri itne pasand aye ki mujhe laga unke liye dobara bana du..par aap to rehne hi dijiye..ab jo kaali coffee pite ho unhe aloo puri ke swaad ke barame kya pata," came her snide remark
"Expresso,its called expresso,"he whined
"Aree haa wohi,par sach kahu toh aap bare chupe rustam ho..dil me kuch aur zuban pe kuch,"she chuckled
The statement caught him off guard. His newly found feelings for Anika was a secret safe with him.Yet despite the attempts to conceal those turbulent emotions, she was now acquainted with them .
"Dekho jaisa tum sochri hu waisa bilkul nahi hai," stuttered a jittery Shivaay
"Bilkul aisa hi hai..andhar hi andhar app mere aloo puri khan ke liye tadap rahe hai par apka ye jo family size ego hai na wo apko aisa karne se rokra hai," teased Anika
"Tum aloo puri ki baat kari thi?"he now heaved a huge sigh of relief
"Haa apko kya laga?"
"Wo ...mai..," Shivaay mumbled
"Arre billu ji ..apke to tote hi urr gaye..itna sochiye mat..ek baar chakh lenge toh bhuchal nahi aajayega."
Though reluctant he took a bite of her much lauded aloo puri. As the flavours exploded in his mouth ,the chef in him was flooded with ecstasy .When his taste buds were left yearning for more, his adoration for the maker of the delectable dish increased manifolds .
"Bohot acchi bani hai,"praised Shivaay, pretty surprised at his own words
"Kya ?swayam shree shree kanji aankho wale bagad bille ne meri tarif ki..kahi mere kaan to nahi baajre,"cried Anika , amusement written all over her face.
"Mera matlab tha itni buri bhi nahi..i expected worse ",he spoke trying hard to cover up.
Shivaay feared that he was out of his senses. To save the remaining ounces of his sanity ,he stormed out of the kitchen ,leaving a baffled Anika behind
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Unbridled joy swamped his heart. His exquisite dishes only savoured within the confines of the Oberoi mansion could now be enjoyed by all.The passion he harboured for cooking had succumbed to the pressure of guiding the Oberoi empire to new heights but today was the inauguration ceremony of his new restaurant serving few of the palatable snacks he had invented. The moment felt surreal .His crystal blue orbs misted to see Om and Rudra stand amid the crowd with a exhilarating face adorning their faces.
A pair of soft hands Squeezed his palm. The tender touch could only belong to one person,his muse, confidant ,comforter ,the love of his life -Anika..As she wrapped her arms around him,tears of joy cascaded down her cheeks. He closed his eyes to drown in her warm embrace.
Shivaay opened his eyes gently after that affectionate hug only to realize it was a dream.The feelings she evoked in him, now wreaked havoc in his mind. Weren't they reprehensible any way?,afterall the Oberoi mansion was geared up to witness his wedding with Tia in a week's time and here he stood dreaming about Anika .Hopeful that the pleasant breeze could possibly pacify his inner turmoil, he proceeded towards the balcony.
The mellow wind whispered in his ears, there was something unusually calm and tranquil about the surrounding which was in sharp contrast to his dishevelled mind.He gazed at the twinkling stars, her eyes glimmered with the same intensity. All his life he had raved about the eminence of lineage and surname ,much in vain though. The girl who had carved an identity for herself without any family name proved him wrong.
It stuck him how much he yearned for her company .Her job as a wedding planner was about to end, but the thought of parting ways with her left him crestfallen. He wanted their bickering sessions to go on ceaselessly .He wished to make up for all the pain he had inflicted upon her ,steal glances at her and admire her uproarious humour .Her presence made him feel complete. Life Sans her like seemed like finding himself in the midst of absolute vacuum.
"Dil ke saude uske saath nahi karte jiske saath reh sakte hai,uske saath karte hai jiska bina reh nhi sakte ,"daadi's words reverberated in his mind.The words now made complete sense to him
I love Anika ,murmured Shivaay .The confession to himself sent shivers down his spine. Never was he completely oblivious to his feelings though all along he tried to escape them, but repressing them any longer was getting unendurable .The desire to shower her with all the love in the world overpowered his senses. In anticipation of tomorrow ,he didn't sleep a wink.Tomorrow he would finally pour his heart out to her .To be able to gain her affections would make him the happiest man alive.
The crescent moon too seemed eager to welcome the blazing sun,which would bring along a new day.The day that would decide the fate of Shivaay's heartstrings.
