OS- The Double Date (24/06)

I started this OS a few days back and decided to finish today- a last shot before I go on my 10-days long trip tomorrow. Finished in a hurry so it hasn't turned out like I wanted it to.

Looking forward to all your feedbacks :)

"So, do you want to go?" Daksh leaned in closer to Annika, his hand on her forearm. It was a light hold, but with enough pressure to make Annika feel like she had to answer in the affirmative. She didn't like the feeling. She had never been cajoled into doing something she didn't want to, and never would be. But this time, it was different. She had to prove to herself, and that baggad billa, that she was indifferent to him, and this wedding of his. If it meant agreeing to one dinner date with Daksh- who indeed seemed like a nice enough guy except for the frequent creepy stares- she would do it. Sighing, and moving slightly away to make him release his hold which was frankly getting on her nerves, she nodded. Daksh gave the widest smile possible.

"Great, then!" he exclaimed. "I'll pick you up at 8?"

Annika was about to say that she would still be in the Oberoi Mansion at 8, and wouldn't possibly be able to go home and change for the dinner, before someone else beat her to it.

"Not so easy," Shivaay Singh Oberoi's deep, firm voice called out from where he was standing a few feet away from them in the hall. He was looking at them both intently, and Annika felt like he could swallow her whole with that fiery gaze of his.

When did he even return home, Annika wondered absentmindedly.

Shivaay sauntered over to where she and Daksh were standing, taking long strides and keeping his gaze fixed on her. When he reached them, he looked her up and down once, making Annika feel vulnerable, before addressing Daksh directly.

"Annika works till 9 pm here. You can't possibly take her out for dinner at 8. And after 9, well that's too late, since she has a little brother at home." Shivaay spoke as if he was the ultimate decider of what Annika did and where she went. This infuriated her to no ends. Giving him a glare, she turned towards Daksh with a meek smile.

"Actually, Daksh, I'm pretty sure Dadi will let me off early for one night, so we can leave 8." Daksh beamed at that, while Shivaay fisted his hands in anger.

"And as for Sahil," Annika continued, looking at Shivaay from the corner of her eyes, "He's away on a school trip for the weekend, so I don't have to worry about going home late." She emphasized on the last word, and it had the desired effect on Shivaay- his eyes flared up in rage. Giving her a menacing glare, he tried to come up with some other excuse, when Tia's drawl of "Shivaay Babyyy" was heard in the hall. Decked up in one of her ever-classy outfits, she came and stood beside Shivaay, linking her arm through his. Offering them a sickly-sweet smile, she asked,

"What's up, guys? What are you all planning?"

Shivaay smirked as a master plan suddenly struck his mind.

"Actually, Tia," He turned towards her, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on Annika, "Daksh was planning on taking Annika out for dinner. And you know what, I was thinking why don't we tag along too? It's been quite long since we've gone to dinner together."

He mentally did a victory dance as Annika's eyes grew wide. If she thought she could out-win him that easily, she had another thing coming. They broke out of their eye-lock when Daksh started talking.

"Hey, that's a great idea! It's be a double-date then!" Shivaay winced at the word 'date', but didn't say anything. Tia and Daksh then started discussing how amazing dinner was going to be, and Shivaay gave a smug grin to Annika. She only huffed, and was about to leave the hall, when Tia called behind her.

"Annika, what are you going to wear tonight?"

Annika shrugged.

"What I'm wearing right now?"

Tia gasped as if Annika had just said she'd go to dinner naked.

"Oh sweetie, you can't possibly go wearing that. We're going to this fabulous restaurant, and people don't just go there wearing a top and jeans. But I understand you wouldn't know that."

She added the last bit very subtly, as if sympathizing with the fact that Annika didn't have the opportunity to go to fancy restaurants all the time. It made Annika furious, that the cheapdi who was getting married again while already having a husband should make her feel small. She was about to retaliate, when Shivaay spoke up.

"I don't find anything wrong with what she's wearing, Tia." He was eyeing her up and down, and Annika did feel like she was naked this time. "In fact, I think she looks beau- um, good just as she is." With that, he awkwardly did his signature hair-flick and went towards his room.

Annika squinted her eyes behind him as he left. If he thought she shouldn't dress up for dinner, she would do just the opposite.

------

At 7.30, Annika was still going about the house with a diary in her hands, noting down details about the flowers and lights that would be needed in the upcoming sangeet. It was when Daksh walked towards her wearing a grey jacket with a stark white shirt, that she was reminded of the date.

"Heyyy. All set for the dinner?" He asked eagerly, burying his hands in his pockets.

Annika shook her head. Being around him made her uncomfortable, somehow.

"I was just about to go and get ready." She started moving past him, when he stopped her by holding her forearm again.

"Hey, I just wanted to say thankyou for agreeing to this date. Means a lot to me." He didn't look grateful, just downright creepy with that smile of his, but Annika only nodded and started moving upstairs. She could feel his gaze on her back all the while.

Going into Priyanka's room, she borrowed a dress from her. It was a long black gown, with netted full sleeves. Hugging her perfectly till the waist, it flared down at the bottom. Hurriedly doing her hair up in a bun and putting on some make-up, she was ready to go. Downstairs, she found the other three already waiting in the hall. Shivaay had his back to her.

"Oh Annika darling, you look gorgeous." Tia offered as Annika descended. Hearing that, Shivaay turned around too, and his breath caught in his throat. He raked his eyes all over her, and couldn't help but feel extremely jealous as Daksh moved towards her and placed a kiss on the back of her palm.

"You look beautiful, milady." He told her, as Shivaay looked on with fire burning in his eyes. Annika responded with a meek thankyou', and turned her eyes towards Shivaay. He was dressed in his classy black suit, and she couldn't help but notice that they were colour co-ordinated. It would be so easy to pretend that he was her date...

No Annika, she scolded herself. You do NOT feel anything for that man. So get a grip on yourself.

Clearing her throat, she composed herself. She would get over with this stupid dinner, and then keep her distance from him.

Soon, the four of them were in the car. Daksh had offered to drive, and when he had pulled open the passenger's door for Annika, Shivaay had almost sprinted towards it to sit there himself. At the quizzical look Daksh had thrown him, he had only replied with an innocent "What? He had then kept stealing glances at Annika through the rear-view mirror the entire ride.

They entered the five-star restaurant, which was a grand-looking building with a garden at the front. It was decorated with expensive chandeliers and candles all over, and Annika tried not to look around in awe. A friendly looking waiter offered them a table for four. It was a rectangular table with two chairs on both sides, and Shivaay subtly moved towards Annika's side. Pulling out a chair for her first, he sat down beside her, while Daksh did the same beside Tia. Annika was utterly confused at this behaviour of his. Why did he sit beside her and not Tia? Sighing, she just shrugged it off as one of his many crazy conducts. Shivaay placed the order for all four of them, and they started making small talk. Mainly, Daksh asked a lot of questions to Annika, about her previous works and her brother, and she replied enthusiastically. Tia spoke at times but mainly kept checking her phone disinterestedly; she had hoped to spend some time with Shivaay but he was sort of making it impossible. Shivaay himself looked on frustrated as Annika and Daksh conversed in merriment. Somehow, seeing her talking at ease with Daksh made him want to leave the restaurant with her and run away somewhere, where only the two of them would exist. He quickly brushed aside the thought. Shivaay Singh Oberoi wasn't jealous. He was merely... skeptical about their Annika and Daksh's relationship. Yeah, that was it.

Their food arrived, and things got a bit awkward as they ate silently, offering smiles whenever they had eye-contact. Annika's spoon suddenly fell between her and Shivaay's chair, and as she bent down to pick it up, Shivaay's eyes widened. He could see down her gown from where he sat. The fullness of the top of her breasts. A lacy red bra. She straightened in her seat all of a sudden, and Shivaay hastily averted his gaze, hoping no one had noticed. The air around him had suddenly grown very hot, and he gulped down the glass of wine in front of him. He had just realized something that left him shaken.

He wanted to be the only one who ever saw what he had gotten a glimpse of just now. He wanted to be the only one who saw Annika that way, period. His resolve strengthened as he saw Daksh giving Annika leery looks.

They had rich, chocolate cake for dessert. Annika dove into the cake- it was delicious. Shivaay noticed that she had a bit of chocolate on the corner of her mouth, and without thinking, he reached out to rub it with his thumb. She froze, and Daksh and Tia looked on annoyedly. Shivaay was uncaring though- Daksh could go and F himself; he had no right over Annika anyway. And as for Tia, well, Shivaay knew she wouldn't make a huge deal out of it. She couldn't afford to.

Annika's heart beat was speeding up by Shivaay's action. His thumb was moving torturously on the corner of her mouth, and then slowly, he moved it to brush her lower lip...

Annika moved her head away with a shaky breath. Shivaay too looked towards his plate awkwardly, having broken out of his trance. The rest of their dinner was spent in complete silence, since things had gotten too weird to break through.

When it was time to pay the bill, both Shivaay and Daksh took out their wallets.

"I'll pay." Shivaay said decidedly.

"No way," Daksh smiled, but there was something ominous under that smile. "I'm the one who asked Annika for a date, he emphasized on the 'date', "So I'll pay."

Shivaay took a deep breath to calm himself down. Every time Daksh mentioned 'date' with Annika, something inside him snapped.

"It doesn't matter, Daksh. You're a guest here in Mumbai, and I'd feel terrible to make you pay." Saying that he quickly took out his credit card and gave it to the waiter, giving Daksh no chance to retaliate. Daksh gritted his teeth at Shivaay. Thanks to him, Daksh's entire plan of taking Annika out to dinner and wooing her had been completely ruined.

They all got up to leave, and as they were walking out of the door, the waiter addressed Shivaay and Annika.

"I hope you had a lovely date, Sir, Ma'am."

Annika blushed, while Shivaay gave a proud grin. Next time, he would make sure that when they did go on a proper date, neither Daksh, nor Tia or anyone else would be around. With that thought, he placed a hand on the small of Annika's back and led her towards the car.