Shivika FF: Resilience, Chapter 9 Part B, 19/08 UPDATE (pg 69) - Page 18

Originally posted by: lamz325

Oh no! Don't worry about that!

Thank you for the lovely review!

Originally posted by: --Nargis--

First of all...Eid Mubarak to you too!!🤗 As for the update...loved it...loved it...loved it! So SSO trying to come to some reconciliation with his thoughts and feelings towards his fianc...Nice!! I love that he is so honest with himself about his thoughts of her...and his reaction to seeing her interact with his family...and her presence and impacts of her visits to his home. I loved that he is so concerned for her health, and knowing about her workaholic tendencies, he surprises her with lunch and his care and concern for her well being. And when he told her that he would ALWAYS take of her whenever she falls sick...it touched a cord in my heart so I can only imagine the true impact of that statement on Aniika's heart and mind. I am sure she will contemplate more on this when she has some alone time, and when she can discuss his visit with Mallika in great detail. Looking forward to the next update...hoping you will post it soon and send me a PM!! 😛

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the comments and Eid wishes! I'm so overwhelmed with the love I'm receiving for this fic. Sorry for the delay! I was experiencing some writer's block. To make up for the delay, I made this chapter extra long! Enjoy!

Chapter Five

Upstairs, the two Chowdhury sisters were getting ready for the evening. Anika fidgeted with the material of her gown while Mallika finished applying her lipstick. Anika was almost entirely ready and Mallika was just doing some last minute touches. "Stop fidgeting, Ani! You look amazing! There's no need to be so nervous."

"But, Di..." Anika whined. "This gown is a bit too much, don't you think? It's showing too much skin! I can't believe this is the gown that Pinky Aunty and Jhanvi Aunty chose for me to wear. The Oberois are so weird, don't you think? Why must the family insist on wearing color coordinated outfits for every public appearance?" It was Anika and Shivaay's first public appearance together since getting engaged. Anika was nervous about it and nothing was calming her down. The gown was making her feel self-conscious.

"Just be thankful that the entire family did not insist on wearing color coordinated outfits this time! Only you and Shivaay will be matching this time. I think they did it to draw attention to you and him. After all, it's your first public appearance together since the engagement. Besides, I promise you that Shivaay won't be able to keep his hands off you. You look hot, sis!"

"No, you know that Shivaay and I are not like that," Anika reminded her sister as she put on her earrings.

"Anika, don't you think that things between you guys are changing?" Mallika countered as she put on perfume. "Didn't you tell me that Shivaay visited you at work the other day? He brought you lunch and medicine for your cold?"

"Yes, he did, Di," Anika admitted. "But, that's just one incident. It doesn't mean that the nature of our entire relationship is changing." Anika looked in the mirror and made sure that her hair was in place.

"What about the incident in the pool the day you came back from London?" Mallika countered as she put on her bracelet.

"That was just a momentary lapse in judgement," Anika reasoned more to herself than she did to Mallika. "These two things don't mean our whole relationship has changed."

Truth be told, Anika was still coming to terms with the two odd occurrences from this week. She found Shivaay to be hot and cold. She didn't want to assume that their equation had changed just because he had been different a couple times.

Meanwhile downstairs, Shivaay and Siddharth arrived at the Chowdhury Mansion together. While Shivaay was receiving the award for businessman of the year, Siddharth was receiving the award for patent of the year. The Ranas and Oberois had been arch enemies. There was the rivalry dating back to Tej and Jhanvi's wedding. However, when Shivaay and Siddharth, who were the same age, had gone abroad to study business, they both ended up at the Wharton School of Business. At first, the two alpha males had despised each other and competed. The bad blood between their families had guaranteed that. However, after a semester, the two boys had connected over being the only two international students from India in their business classes. They had both started feeling homesick and had comforted each other during their times of solitude. That was the start of their slow and steady friendship. By the time they graduated with their bachelor's degree in business, they were the best of friends. They both pursued their MBAs at Harvard and that had been the start of a beautiful brotherhood. After returning to India, Shivaay and Siddharth worked hard to create an amiable relationship between their families. It had taken a lot of effort to repair the Oberoi and Rana's relationship. The men still had a little bit of a healthy competition between them, but now their relationship was cemented by their status as future brothers-in law and their upcoming business venture together.

Shivaay and Siddharth entered the Chowdhury home and greeted Rajeev and Sunita who were sitting in the main hall, waiting for their daughters to come down. "Namaste, aunty and uncle," Shivaay and Siddharth greeted their in-laws together.

"What about me?!" Sahil, who was back from his boarding school for the weekend, called from his spot between his parents. He gave Siddharth and Shivaay a toothy grin. He put his hands on his hips and stared down at his brothers-in law. He would be attending the award reception too with his parents. He was dressed in a black tux and blue bow tie, looking cute as ever.

"Champ! How could we forget about you?" Siddharth called.

Shivaay moved to ruffle Sahil's hair. "How is school going Sahil? Are you wooing the girls like we taught you?"

"Of course, SSO! Naina is going to be my girlfriend by the end of the term!" The ten-year-old exclaimed with determination. Shivaay and Siddharth high-fived Sahil. Rajeev and Sunita laughed at their son's antics. "I'm going to let Mallika Di and Anika Di know that you guys are here!" Sahil waddled off upstairs in search of his sisters. Shivaay and Siddharth moved to sit down as they waited for Anika and Mallika.

"Arre, beta! How are my damaads doing? Both of you don't come by the house enough," Sunita chided Shivaay and Siddharth.

Before either of them could respond, Rajeev intervened. "Sunita, they must be busy with their businesses. They'll come when they're free." Rajeev proceeded to ask Shivaay and Siddharth about how their business were going, making Sunita sigh. Men and their business talk...

Meanwhile upstairs, Sahil burst into his sister's room. "Anika Di! Mallika Di!"

His sudden intrusion alarmed his sisters. "What is it, Sahil?" Mallika called.

"Kya koi raita phel gaya?" Anika asked.

"Wow, my didis are looking so pretty!" Sahil fawned over his sisters. "Shivaay and Siddharth Bhaiya are here! You guys should come down!"

"Theek hai, Sahil! You go back down! We'll be down in two minutes." Mallika replied as she slipped her heels on. Sahil nodded to his sister and scurried back down. As Sahil made it to the bottom of the stairs, Anika and Mallika started descending down the stairs.

"Presenting to you, the Chowdhury sisters!" Sahil called and Shivaay and Siddharth got up and approached the stairs. "Ms. Mallika Kabir Chowdhury and Ms. Anika Kabir Chowdhury!"

Mallika wore a two-piece burgundy, lace gown. The top was off the shoulders, showing off Malika's delicate collar bone. The edges of the top and skirt of the gown ended with delicate scalloped edges. Because the gown was two-piece, a delicate sliver of waist was shown off. The skirt of the gown flowed around her in a full skirt. Her eyes were lightly smoked out and gold, while her lips were painted a glossy nude brown. To accessorize, she wore ruby drop earrings and a matching bracelet. Her long hair was curled into lose waves. She wore matching burgundy Louboutin heels. As she made it to the bottom of the stairs, she took Siddharth's hand. He kissed her hand and complimented her. "Beautiful, as always."

"You're not looking too bad yourself!" Mallika winked and shot back to her boyfriend.

When Shivaay's eyes landed on Anika, his breath got caught in his throat. Anika wore a satin gown which had the same blackened forest green color as Shivaay's suit jacket. The gown had a tight bodice which was held up by thin straps. The neckline of the gown had a deep V, teasing Shivaay with a view of the tops of Anika's breasts. The gown cinched around her waist, then it cascaded into a structured, round skirt. However, that was not the main attraction. The skirt had a thigh-high slit at the side, revealing Anika's milky, smooth legs. Her hair was pinned into a low bun and some hair at the front had been left out and curled to frame her face. Her black Louboutin heals only accentuated her legs, making them appear even longer. To accessorize, she only wore a diamond statement necklace. Her makeup had been left minimal; black winged liner accentuated her eyes and her full lips were painted with a bright red. Shivaay's heart thudded upon the sight of Anika. As Anika finally made it to the bottom, Siddharth whispered to Shivaay, "Close your mouth, man! It's obvious that you're drooling!"

Siddharth's comment had pulled Shivaay out of his reverie. "Shut up!" Shivaay muttered and gave his friend a sharp look. Shivaay schooled his facial expression to be cool and unaffected. He couldn't afford to get ahead of himself. He needed to stay focused on tonight. He would be receiving the award for business man of the year. There would be so many business people from different industries. The press would be present. Tonight would be the perfect opportunity to network and create new connections for possible future business ventures. He told himself that he couldn't get distracted by something as frivolous as Anika's dress. He cleared his throat. "We should get going; we're getting late." That was it. That's all he said. He didn't acknowledge Anika and walked ahead to leave for the reception. Anika tried not to feel wounded because of Shivaay's reaction. After all, she was used to him acting hot and cold towards her.

Rajeev kissed both of his daughters on their heads and Sunita hugged them. The group moved out to the driveway to get into their cars. Rajeev and Sunita got into their own car with Sahil, while Siddharth, Mallika, Shivaay and Anika moved towards their own car. Mallika sat in the back and Anika moved to join her sister. However, before she could do that, Siddharth beat her to it. "Sorry Ani, I want to sit with my lovely girlfriend in the back. You should go sit with Shivaay in the front!" Anika pouted at Siddharth and internally grimaced. Now, she would have to next to the baghad billa. As Anika walked around the front of the car to get into the passenger's side, Shivaay nearly groaned at the sight. When Anika had walked down the stairs, he hadn't seen the back of her dress. The thin straps of her dress extended down her back and connected back to her dress at her waist through a deep V. Her dress was essentially entirely backless. Shivaay's eyes zeroed in on the smooth skin revealed by the back of the dress. Between the low cut neckline, the thigh-high slit and the low back, Shivaay didn't know how he was going to be able to focus on tonight with Anika looking like that.

The car ride to the hotel in which the event was taking place was awkward. Shivaay tried to focus on driving by ignoring Anika. As she sat in her gown, her smooth legs peaked out from her slit. Shivaay was sure that he would crash into the car in front of them if he even afforded her a second glance. Conversation between Siddharth and Mallika flowed easily. They conversed with Anika and Shivaay, but Shivaay didn't say anything to Anika and she didn't say anything to him either. Fine, two can play a game, thought Anika. If he was going to ignore her for the evening, then she was going to do the same.

As they arrived to the main entrance of the hotel, Anika finally realized what she had signed up for when she had agreed to become the future Mrs. Shivaay Singh Oberoi. There was a short red carpet organized so that guests could drop off their cars for valet parking. Some press lined the red carpet, eager to take pictures of India's elite billionaires who were akin to royalty. The cameras flashed and Anika gulped with fear. Mallika and Siddharth got out of the car ahead of them as Shivaay handed his key off to the attendant waiting for them when they had arrived. Anika still hadn't gotten out of the car yet. Shivaay came around to Anika's side of the car and opened the door for her. His Anika Radar had notified him of her nervousness. His back hid her from the view of the press, allowing them to share this one little private moment before they headed inside. She fidgeted with her ring on her lap, not looking up and focusing on the small task. He understood that she was nervous about tonight. He cupped a hand around her cheek and she looked up at him with wide doe-like eyes. Her expression took his breath away. His resolve to ignore how she affected him was breaking. He gave up. She won. "You look radiant, Anika." Anika gasped at his confession. He extended a hand to her. "Don't be nervous. The press aren't allowed inside. We just need to make it inside, and you'll be safe." Shivaay's attention and care for her melted Anika's prior annoyance at him for ignoring her since the evening had started. Anika nodded to him quietly and took his hand.

"Thank you," she quietly whispered to him. She was grateful that he always came to her aid in her times of need like these.

"You don't need to thank me. Remember what I told you? I'll always be there for you. Always." Shivaay took Anika's hand and led her through the short steps up to the hotel's entrance. The cameras flashed away at the couple. The press was eating up their first public outing together. However, Anika realized that she didn't feel as nervous as she had initially felt. Shivaay's warm hand around her own insured that she felt calm and reassured. She had not expected for his simple touch to affect her so greatly. After Shivaay and Anika entered the hotel lobby, they made their way towards the ballroom where the event would be taking place. Even as they made their way towards the ballroom, he saw heads turn as he and Anika walked past them. They were all looking at her, Shivaay realized. They were just in awe of her beauty as he was.

Inside the ballroom, Shivaay noticed all the young, single men turning their heads and appreciating Anika. Shivaay narrowed his eyes at them. He felt possessive about the woman whose hand he still held. He released her hand and possessively placed a hand around her waist, staking his claim on her. His hand made contact with the bare skin of her back that she dress showed off. Mine!, Shivaay's mind screamed. Her innocence about her own beauty and allure hadn't made her realize at all the attention she was garnering from the other guests at the reception. The contact on Anika's bare back lit her up. Her back tingled where Shivaay touched her and she physically stiffened at his touch. The heat from his hand on her back made her feel butterflies in her stomach. However, Shivaay realized that she hadn't stiffened because she was recoiling away from him, but because he affected her just as she affected him. How interesting, Shivaay thought.

Anika noticed her family dispersed around the room. Her parents and Sahil were talking with some business associates of theirs. Mallika and Siddharth were talking to another couple. Anika caught her sister's eye as she looked towards her. Mallika gave Anika a small thumbs up, indicating that Anika was doing well. This small action, alone, calmed some of Anika's nerves. Her sister subtly motioned towards Shivaay and winked at her sister. Anika smiled at her sister in return, shaking her head at her sister's antics.

With his hand still around her waist, Shivaay and Anika walked over to where his family was standing, waiting for them. Dadi had not come not come; the older woman had not been feeling well today. Prinku had not come either; she had a commitment at her college which she had not been able to get out of. However, the rest of his family had come to support him as he received his award tonight. Soumya, who had been bickering with Rudra, gasped when she spotted her Anika Di and Bade Bhaiya. She walked over to the couple and grasped Anika into a tight hug. "Wow, Didi! You look beautiful!"

"Thank you, Soumya! So do you!" Anika said as she and Soumya released each other from their embrace. She admired the other girl's dress. Soumya was dressed in a baby pink chiffon gown. The gown had capped sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. Soumya's hair was up in a braided hair do and her lips were painted a mauve pink. The rest of her makeup was kept simple as she always wore it. The gown flowed around Soumya beautifully. Anika greeted the older Oberoi couples too. "See Pinky, I told you this gown would suit Anika the best," Jhanvi told Pinky.

"Oh my Mata, you were right, Jethaniji, Pinky, who normally disagreed with Jhanvi over everything, finally agreed with her sister-in-law on something. So, he had Badi Ma to thank for this dress, Shivaay thought. He thought about sending the woman on a spa day to show his gratitude for making Anika wear this sinful dress. Om and Rudra came over to greet Anika too. One look at their faces and Shivaay knew that they were going to manage to somehow tease him. "Wow, Bhabhi! With you looking like that and all the men in the room admiring you, you should be careful of Bhaiya tonight. He can get quite jealous." Anika's cheeks pinked at that and Shivaay gave Rudra a warning look. Soumya smacked Rudra on the bicep for teasing her Anika Didi. He yelped with a "Sumo!" and started bickering with her again. Shivaay sighed in response. He needed to focus on tonight. Anika's dress wasn't helping him and Rudra's teasing was not helping him.

Om joined in. "Don't worry, Anika. No man is going to be able to get to you through the Great Wall of Shivaay Singh Oberoi." To her embarrassment, she noticed that Tej Uncle and Shakti Uncle had laughed at Om's comment. Jhanvi Aunty fought to hold in a giggle, while Pinky Aunty gasped an "oh my Mata".

Shivaay glared at Om, who was usually much more reserved in public. Ignoring his brothers' comments, Shivaay said, "We need to get going. Dinner is going to be served soon." He thanked the gods that he wouldn't have to sit with his family. He didn't think he could handle them teasing him for the rest of the night. Bade Papa and Bade Ma would be seated at a different table, while his parents would be seated at another table. Om, Rudra and Soumya would be sitting at another table. He placed his hand back around Anika's waist again, eliciting the same reaction he had before. This time, Shivaay smirked, reveling at this small victory of his. Tonight, he would take full advantage of the new knowledge that he had this effect on Anika.

When Anika saw who else would be sitting at their table, her discomfort grew. She didn't recognize anyone at their table. Shivaay sensed her discomfort again. He rubbed a slow, circle on her backing, intending to soothe her while also knowing the effect it would have on him. Anika's eyes fluttered at this. Shivaay leaned in, whispering into Anika's ears. His hot breath fanned against Anika's neck and she gasped softly. "Relax. I got you. There's no need to be too nervous. Do you see that older couple who's going to be sitting next to us?" Shivaay motioned towards their table.

"Mm-hmm." Anika nodded to him.

"That's Mr. and Mrs. Narayan. We've been doing business with them since Dadaji used to still work. You'll like them," he whispered back. He was referring to the couple who would be sitting on her side. She took a deep breath. She would have to act her part as the charming fianc to the illustrious businessman. After all, that was what their union was about, right? Anika tried not to think about if their relationship was still entirely only about that.

Shivaay and Anika approached the table. He pulled the chair out for her and she took a seat. Anika introduced herself to everyone at the table. Conversation flowed easily through dinner. Anika found that Shivaay had been right. Everyone at the table was charming, but she loved conversing with the Narayan couple. They were older and Mr. Narayan had retired from his position as CEO of his company five years ago. There was an old charm about them which Anika adored. Mr. Narayan was jovial and cracked light hearted jokes. He often teased his wife. Mrs. Narayan still blushed at her husband's teasing. They were young at heart, Anika realized. It warmed Anika's heart that the older couple was still so affectionate towards each other even after years of marriage.

Shivaay admired Anika as she charmed everyone at the table. She was smart and confident. She cracked light jokes at all the right times. If she had previously been nervous, she certainly didn't show it now. Shivaay was in awe. It was no wonder that her small business had taken off; she had all the qualities to make an excellent businesswoman. At one point, during the dinner, Mrs. Narayan caught Shivaay's eye. She had noticed him admiring his beautiful fianc. She motioned towards Anika and winked at Shivaay, showing him that she had noticed him getting lost in fianc's charm as the rest of the table had. Upon getting caught by the older woman, Shivaay's cheeks blushed. Yes, the baghad billa had actually blushed. Anika had been too distracted in conversation to notice this. He felt like he was young boy getting caught stealing cookie from the cookie jar.

"Anika," Mr. Narayan joked to Anika at one point, "If this young man ever troubles you, you just let me know. I will take care of him just as his Dadaji would."

Anika laughed at that. "Mr. Narayan you don't need to worry about that. I will keep Shivaay's taadi in check. After all, I am no small force to reckon with," she joked back. Mr. and Mrs. Narayan chuckled at her word choice for Shivaay's attitude. Shivaay looked up sharply at that. Anika had called Shivaay by his first name. Not "Mr. Oberoi", "SSO", or her current favorite, "Billuji". Just plain "Shivaay. It took his breath away, the way her lips released his name. He wanted to hear her say his name again. It wakened something inside of him.

"Oooh, I like her, Shivaay. Just as tenacious as you are. You've finally met your match," Mr. Narayan told Shivaay.

"Yes, I'm very lucky to have her in my life," Shivaay murmured while eyeing his partner. He had said it quietly so quietly that Anika was not even sure that she had heard him correctly. She looked up at him sharply with that same doe-like expression of hers. He moved his hand under the table and took hers from where it had been resting on her lap. She looked at him with even wider eyes, her expression questioning what he was now trying to pull. He brought their joined hands back and put it on his own lap, spreading her fingers with his own. He continued playing with her hand under the table. He simply needed to just feel her warm, soft skin.

Dinner finished and music started playing. A few couples started dancing on the dance floor. Shivaay got up from his seat. "I must have the first dance with the most beautiful woman in the room." Shivaay announced. "Mrs. Narayan, would you do me the honor?" He extended his hand to Mrs. Narayan.

"Anika, it seems like Shivaay has completely lost it." The older woman giggled and told Anika.

"Oh no, Mrs. Narayan! I agree with Shivaay. You are the most beautiful woman in the room. Go on and enjoy your dance with him." Anika smiled and encouraged the woman.

"It looks like Shivaay has stolen my wife away from me, Anika. Would you do me the honor?" Mr. Narayan offered his hand to Anika.

Anika giggled. "Mr. Narayan, I thought you would never ask," she said as she took his hand. Anika and Mr. Narayan entered the dance floor area, joining other couples who had gathered on the dance floor. Anika and Mr. Narayan continued their conversation as they danced. The older man continued joking with her. As Anika continued dancing, she caught Mallika's eye, who was dancing with Siddharth on the dance floor. Her sister gave her a smile and inquired with her eyes how Anika was handling the night so far. The sisters had a silent language between them. Anika nodded and smiled back at her sister, reassuring her that all was well.

After the song ended, the couples on the dancefloor clapped. Mr. Narayan thanked Anika for honoring him with her first dance of the night. He asked her, with Shivaay, to meet with him and his wife in the future. Anika agreed, telling him that she would definitely stay in touch with them. Mr. Narayan left her, telling her that he must dance with his own wife. Soon, the next song started. Anika was alone on the dancefloor. She looked around for any other familiar faces but did not see any.

Shivaay said his own goodbyes to Mrs. Narayan and thanked her for dancing with him. He was determined to dance with his beautiful fianc next. Shivaay spotted Anika on the dancefloor. The lights had been dimmed for the dancefloor and her skin glowed under the lowlights. He needed to get to her. As he walked towards her, he noticed other men eyeing her. He realized that they wanted to ask her for the next dance. Shivaay caught one particular man's eyes and narrowed his eyes at him, challenging to even approach his fianc. He would face Shivaay's wrath if he so much as gave Anika another look. Getting the message loud and clear, the other man changed directions in pursuit of another woman on the dancefloor.

Anika felt a tap on her shoulder and she instantly knew that it was Shivaay. She turned around and her lost her breath. Shivaay peered at her, his eyes a deep shade of blue. She couldn't tell if it was because of the dim lighting or because his eyes had actually changed color. It was the most beautiful shade of blue she had ever seen. She could see admiration in his eyes and it took her breath away. She didn't know what to make of it. He extended his hand to her, silently asking her to dance. Anika placed her hand in his, silently answering his request. Shivaay pulled her close and put a hand on her waist, his hand once again gracing her bare skin. Anika gasped in response. Her mind felt fuzzy. She was completely surrounded by Shivaay. She felt his touch and could smell his heady cologne because of his proximity. She felt completely engulfed by him. She forgot that she had earlier been upset with him for ignoring her. She forgot about her being nervous about tonight. She forgot that they were at a business event. She felt like it was just the two of them.

Shivaay now knew, without any doubt, that Anika was just as equally affected by him as he was by her. He could tell by the soft gasp she had released when he had placed his hand on her bare back. This dress was not doing him any favors. As they danced, he looked into her eyes, maintaining eye contact with her. Slowly, Shivaay moved his eyes from her eyes to her lips. They were painted a bright red and he knew he needed to taste them now. He needed to taste the lips that had done him the honor of voicing his name. He needed to hear her say it again. Shivaay made a decision right then and there. He abruptly stopped dancing, pulling Anika out of her daze.

"What's wrong, Shivaay?" There it was again. She had said his name. Again. That had cemented Shivaay's reason, telling him that there was no going back. They were still linked through his one hand holding her hand, the other placed on her back. With his hand still holding hers, Shivaay dragged Anika along behind him, leaving the party behind. He needed to find a quiet corner somewhere.

Author's Note: So, I think you guys can guess what's going to finally come next! I really want to do their first kiss justice so I decided to end the chapter here. Plus, the chapter was getting way too long! I don't have pictures for any of the dresses that I described because they're all things that I designed in my head. I hope I did a good job describing them for you guys! Please leave me a comment and do hit the like button! I will try to get the next chapter out very soon :)

Chapter Six

Originally posted by: EuphoricDamsel.

OOOHHH MMMYYY GAAAWWWDDD !

THIS WAS FREAKING HOT.

Why did you end there ?

Come on ! That's downright evil I tell you.

But nonetheless this was another masterpiece you wrote.

Please continue soon it kills me to wait.

I love Mallika ! 😳

Originally posted by: cestlavie

Omg I fell in love reading this chapter! Please update soon!! It was amazing!