ShivIka SS - Ishq [Complete] - Page 10

Part Four - Time in Library

"So should we go to library to plan a rough draft of our project?" asked he.

She nodded. They started walking in the direction of library. "So, you were saying you had something more important to attend yesterday...anything serious? You sounded off while mentioning that" she asked as she remembered about the topic she had left untouched after he told her.

"Abhi to mile hai...and you started understanding that I am off...not bad I must say" he was enjoying the light-hearted talks with her. He had never been so free with anyone before...not at-least in mere two meets.

She narrowed her eyes hearing him as she stopped in the track. She glared at him.

"Okay okay...just kidding" he lifted his hands up in surrender. "Yeah! Something was off and I had to be there" he replied to the question he left unanswered. Though he didn't open up fully, but he cleared things a bit in some way. Realizing the fact that he wasn't comfortable in talking about that and it could be personal, she changed the topic not wanting to interfere in his personal matters.

"Okay...as you have been a topper of this college and you obviously know more about this college...teachers than me...so it would be great if you brief the project" she easily managed to brought up a new topic shifting his attention as she saw a different sadness taking over him and that worked too.

"Of course I do know more than you about this college and professors but Professor Sharma isn't the old faculty. She had joined recently so I am also blank as much as you are" he seemed like getting better. She nodded, smiling softly and happier from inside seeing the emotions which was overpowering him, leaving him and he was getting normal again. She couldn't understand why but that upsetting look on his face, affected him. For some reasons unknown to her, his happiness mattered to her.

He pushed the door of the library, entering inside. Since they were much earlier than college timing, librarian was yet to come but library wasn't locked. Walking towards the literature section, they started sorting out books which would help them in their project.

Shivaay stood near the rack, keeping his hand over his head, wondering what to take and what not. How the hell I am going to take this?

Anika giggled seeing a confused Shivaay. Cute! That was the first word came in her mind. Focus Anika! You are not supposed to complement Mr. Rude! She reverted back to her book searching mission, shrugging off the thoughts about him. He shook his head as he watched her taking out Romeo-Juliet. "Hold this" she stomped that book on his hand without turning back, and picked out some more books. Flipping their pages, she checked the contents within, to see if they would be helpful for their project or not. He looked at the book in his hand first and then at her. This project and this girl are surely going to be death of me one day. Closing his eyes in that moment, he let his nerves to calm. "Uhh...Shivaay, I was saying..."

He heard her but she paused turning towards him. He waited her to resume but she in turn stared at him with her big eyes. Girls! Is she now expecting me to read her mind? He coughed, clearing his throat. "Yes?" he asked, seeing her still mum.

"We have to submit our project two months later, right?"

"Hmm"

"That means we have a lot of time, right?"

"Hmm"

"We will be making project in college only, right?"

"Yes Anika. Will you please come straight to the point?"

"Then, I think we should only focus on one book for now, i.e Romeo Juilet. Why to carry un-necessary burdens? We can pick up any book any time as per our requirement, smart right?" she patted her back for coming up with a brilliant idea which didn't seem to go well with him as his eyebrows stretched in a moment with a frown spread over his forehead.

Really?😲 He looked above to ask god, Why he? Why he?🤣 "How brilliant, isn't it?" he asked sarcastically but she was all in herself... proud of herself to think so wisely. So she nodded her head happily. He slapped his forehead wondering how the hell he was going to cope with her. She is crazy and I am sure she will drive me crazy soon too. "What the hell?" he slapped himself mentally realizing what he was thinking. "Forget it" he said aloud shrugging his thoughts.

"What?" she exclaimed hearing him.

"Nothing. I said your idea is brilliant. Now can we work?" he mocked but she still didn't get it. Quickly mumbling a okay' she paced towards a desk, and kept her stuff there, signalling him to join her.

He sat down on the bench, placing the Romeo Juliet in his hand on the desk. Finally! He sighed as his hands got rid of that book which was nothing but a crap for him.

She pulled the book towards her, and opened it. Her hands went out for her bag, grabbing her book inside it. Arghhh! Not again! Shivaay's eyes which had caught the book in her hand, narrowed at it. He couldn't understand who uses books in today's time. Feeling something weird, she lifted her face at him, "What happened?"

Pointing towards her book, he couldn't help blurting out, "Are we going to make a project in this book? I mean, who uses books in today's time... I guess laptop is a great option, isn't it?" He was little uncertain seeing her affection for the book. What if she was planning to make a project by writing with hands? No ways! He would never do that.

She chuckled seeing his worried face. "Relax... We of course, will make our project in laptop. This book... this is just for writing rough drafts and points and I anyway have a fascination of books... be it a notebook or textbook" She saw, him relaxing as if a burden released from his mind.

"And besides that, we are at very early stage of our project, aren't we? So it'd be more useful to not waste time in typing, editing and re-typing all over again. Let's just plan what we are going to do and how we are going to do" she told him which surprised him to the core. Not bad! Intelligent! He complemented her mentally but didn't make it visible and replied, "Okay"

They decided the rough overview of their project and Anika penned few notes on her book. They made on a decision that they would first find out some classic love stories, will read them to use as examples in their project. Anika took the responsibility of covering the part of love' and they would look after the second half of their project marriage' later. They chose that they would for not focus on two stories, Romeo-Juliet and Heer-Ranjha.

"So I expect you to at-least know the main story of Heer-Ranjha" she looked at him hopefully but saw him shaking his head in denial. It came as a shock to her. "Really? You don't know Heer -Ranjha?" she asked once again, not ready to believe that he actually did not know about them.

"I guess I already told you my beliefs and perceptions about love, didn't I? So please don't expect me to know anything about this illusion" he said reminding her once again about what he had told her before. "Mirage" he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that" she sharpened her eyes at him when he called love' as a mirage'

"Good" he looked away from her.

He and his sarcasm! God save me. Anika avoided whatever he said so far, "Alright, I understood. So let's start from the start. I'll tell you what their story is"

He signalled her to go ahead without uttering anything.

Anika started with the story of Heer-Ranjha. She was deeply engrossed while asserting the story to him and he... he seemed quite lost in her. She kept saying and he kept staring. "So this was it" she finished and saw him, looking at her. Waving in front of him, she said, "Did you listen what I told you or not?" Anger! If he would not have listened a word then she surely was going to eat him up. She told him with so much of sincerity and him... if he did not pay attention at her then he was going to face wrath of her.

"Yes I did" he replied casually.

"Really? Then tell me what did you listen?"

"Oh...so you are taking my test? But by the way, you once again proved me and my perceptions about love right. Like seriously... they loved each other and on their marriage night, they died...Huh? Then what did love give them? ...Death? ...Pain? ...Separation? Love never gives. It only takes. It takes your peace, happiness and leaves you with nothing except pain" his tone suddenly changed from his normal one and it didn't go unnoticed by Anika.

"Oh great... Mr. Oberoi!!! Whole world gives example of their love and here you are... bringing out an altogether different point of view. Appreciable I must say"

He bowed his head down bringing his hand to his chest, "Thank you." He laughed at her overly shocked face as how he always takes her sarcastic comments as complements. They sat there, talking and discussing about love. To be precise, Anika was the one talking and Shivaay was there to contradict her, cutting her every positive sentence about love with his clever negative one.

"Shivaay, its 10.30. We should be going or else we will get late for the lecture" Anika realized the time when Librarian made an entry.

Turning his wrist, he looked the time in his watch. Time seemed like flew away. None of them realized that they were talking from hours. Despite of crossing each other's every point; they weren't fed up of each other. Instead, they looked like enjoyed each other company. That was surprising and shocking for both of them. But they chose to remain silent about that topic and quickly left the library, making their way towards the class. Anika issued Romeo-Juilet before leaving library thinking she would work on it at home.

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