Winning My Guy- Shivika SS (LAST CHAPTER on pg-27)25/07 - Page 3

Originally posted by: --Nargis--

Splendid...loving her SPUNK!! 😃 So SSO...get ready to be wooed and have Annika drive you mad, make you jealous, and have you come begging to her to be yours!!😉😆 Great start...looking forward to some great dhamakas being delivered by Annika!.

P.S. Please update Soothing the Fire...it's one of my favorite FFs!!😛

Originally posted by: lamz325

I'm so glad you're back Payal! I can't wait to see how this unfolds! I love a jealous SSO and this is perfect! This is so light and such a nice break from everything that's happening on the show! Can't wait to read more! :)

Originally posted by: farinaks

Hi welcome back Payal hope u uad a nice tine with ur family nd relatives
Nyc nd awesome story
Annika's mission to woo him
It will be funfilled...thrilling... Amazing rollercoaster ride
Update soonish
Tq fr pm
Plz uodate "soothing the fire and farmhouse shaningians"asap
Dieing to read them

Originally posted by: _ishqbaaaz_

Payal this is such an amazing start. Really looking forward to what is going to happen next and how Anika is going to woo her man. It feels great to read something which will actually have Anika do something for herself instead of just happily planning SSo's wedding.

Very excited for the next update 😊

Originally posted by: rainbowveins

Thankyou so much Nargis! Updated Soothing, hope you like the chapter ❤️

Chapter 1- Of Jealous Men and Soaring Hearts

I did put in some extra effort into getting ready the next morning, as google had suggested. Nothing over the top of course- I could never bring myself to do tons of make up unnecessarily, no matter how determined (read- desperate) I was to gain someone's attention. But I did put on a bit of kohl and some nude lipstick, and wore my favourite sleeveless baby blue kameez with my hair let down. I wondered if it was too much, but decided to let it be anyway. It was my first day of this deadly mission I had gotten myself into, and it seemed requisite to look the part. Moreover, I had to make Shivaay think I had decked up for someone else.

Shivaay.

The name didn't fail to bring a smile on my lips, much to my annoyance. That stupid baggad billa had turned me into this typical teenage girl whose heart fluttered every time she passed her crush. Stupid, annoying, kanji aankhonwala baggad billa.

Finishing getting ready and waving a goodbye to Sahil, who looked up from his homework to give me a suspicious look seeing my appearance, I rushed out of the house. I had asked Rohit to meet me near the medicine shop at out chawl at sharp 9, and like a true punctual gentleman, he stood there. Rohit had been our neighbour for many years. He worked at a local bank nearby, and lived alone. We had become quick friends when we had first met, both being very talkative people. He was like an elder brother to Sahil, and my confidante. We had never had anything more than friendship between us, but for the sake of my love, we'd have to pretend for today. As I neared him, I could see his face lit up with a mischievous smile. Rolling my eyes, I waited for the relentless teasing that would ensue.

"My my my, look who's here," he said as I came to stand near him. "My dearest, newly-in-love friend, out on a mission to woo her love!"

I smacked him on the arm, but smiled nonetheless.

"Be quiet, you idiot," I said, grinning all the while. "I don't want my non-existent love life to become the talk of this locality."

Rohit only smiled, and we started walking towards the taxi stand. As we boarded one, I ran him through the plan again. It was a simple enough plan- I would take Rohit with me to the Oberoi Mansion, and introduce him as a friend, all the while giving the hint that he may be something more. We would do all of this in front of Shivaay, who would be home since it was Sunday. The main part of the plan would be to gauge his reaction. But, what if he didn't get jealous?

No, Annika. Focus on positive things. Be optimistic.

Rohit and I chatted a bit in the taxi. He was a charmer, that guy- perfect for my plan. He was one of the very few people I could be at ease with, my only other true friend besides Chanda. Speaking of Chanda, I remembered Rohit had an undeniable crush on her. As soon as I fix things in my own love life, I would have to get down to get those two together.

We reached the Oberoi Mansion, and my heart started beating faster. I had this unexplainable urge to discard this stupid plan and just run away. There was already enough phaila hua raita in my life as it was. What if I just ended up making a bigger fool of myself? What if I became a laughing stock in front of Shivaay? These thoughts were ramming around in my head when Rohit noticed my panicked face and put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"It'll be fine, Anni. Trust me."

I nodded nervously, and we both got down from the taxi.

"Ready?" he asked.

I shook my head frantically, making him laugh.

"Come on, Ms. Khidkitod Annika. Scared of a simple mission?" He asked with an eyebrow raised, as if to challenge me. He knew that would rile me up, and it did.

Straightening my back, I said with as much tadi as I could muster amidst the nervousness-

"Annika isn't scared of anything. Let's go."

Taking his hand in mine, I walked into the Oberoi Mansion.

The hall was empty other than for Rudra and Saumya. They sat on one of the sofas, bent over a laptop and clearly bickering.

"I'm telling you, Sumo. The test is on NEXT Monday. Not tomorrow!"

"Idiot Singh Oberoi, the Next Monday here indicates tomorrow only. You're such a duf- Areh, Annika didi!"

The two spotted me entering the hall, and came forward with huge grins. Their eyes widened, however, when they saw my hand in a man's they had never seen before.

"Hey, what are you doing holding my Annika didi's hand?" Rudra addressed Rohit threateningly. Turning to me, he asked, "Annika didi, is this guy troubling you? If he is, I swear I'll beat him into a pulp..."

"No no no, Rudra," I said hurriedly, unclasping my hand from Rohit's. Introducing him to Rudra and Saumya, I tell them that Rohit is a good friend of mine, all the while wondering where that baggad billa was hiding. Rudra seems to notice my eyes wandering, and tells me with a smirk that "Shivaay bhaiya is in his room. I can call him if you want me to..."

As I catch his eye, I can see the playfulness in them. Has he figured out what I'm trying to do? This guy could be too smart for his own good sometimes, just like my little Sahil. I look at him fondly for a while, before answering.

"No Rudra, why would you call him? I don't have any wish to see Billuji's face so early in the morning." I hear Rohit snort beside me, but decided to ignore him.

After a few minutes, all the family members, save Shivaay, gradually come into the hall for breakfast. I introduce them all to Rohit.

"Nice to meet you, Puttar," Dadi tells him with a genuine smile as he touches her feet. "But what brings you here all of a sudden?"

"Actually Dadi, Annika and I don't get to spend so much time together these days, what with her being here all day long. So I thought, why not come along and hang out with her here instead?"

Dadi was about to reply, but someone else beat her to it.

"I think Annika forgot to tell you that she comes here to work, not to 'hang out'."

It was none other than Shivaay, who had just sauntered down the stairs and into the hall. I tried to calm down my erratically beating heart that had deceived me at his mere sight. He looked great in that royal blue suit of his. With much difficulty, I stopped myself from drooling.

"You don't have to worry about that, Billuji," I tell him as he comes to stand near us. I could smell his expensive, intoxicating perfume. "I have never given you any reason to complain about my work before, and I won't in the future. Besides," I add coyly, taking Rohit's hand in mine again, "I'm pretty sure that having Rohit here will get me even more energized. Right, Rohit?" I look up at Rohit, trying to remember as many such movie scenes as possible and fluttering my eyes for good measure. Rohit smiled down at me. I could tell that the charmer in him was enjoying this.

"Of course, love."

Sneaking a peek towards Shivaay, I found him staring at us blatantly, his eyes wide round and spitting fire, and mouth hanging open a bit. I mentally high-fived myself. Turning back towards Rohit, I stared deeply into his eyes for a few seconds, before Shivaay cleared his throat loudly.

"Oh, sorry!" I said to him, as if caught red-handed doing something. "I'd totally forgotten you were here."

Shivaay clenched his fists at that, his knuckles turning white. He glared at Rohit, and for a second I thought he might punch him. Hastily, I intervened.

"Anyway, Rohit, how about you come upstairs and I show you the room where I mostly work from- my makeshift office?"

"Sure," Rohit grins. Our hands still intertwined, I move past Shivaay, brushing my shoulder against his slightly. We almost reach the bottom of the stairs when-

SMASH!

I turn back at the sudden smashing noise, only to find that Shivaay had knocked down a vase from an end-table nearby, attracting everyone's attention. He had his back to me, but I could tell by his posture that he was seething with rage. And then without replying to anyone's questioning glance at this sudden behaviour, he walked out of the hall in long strides.

I could have danced in happiness at this. While everyone else looked at him in utter surprise, Rohit and I stood there with broad grins on our face.

It was decided.

Shivaay wasn't indifferent to me.

Unko farak padta hai.

Smiling so wide that my mouth hurt, my heart soared and I rejoiced in the feeling of having found that he does indeed feel something for me. Now all I had to do was make him admit it. It wasn't going to be easy, but there was a reason people called me Khidkitod Annika.

I never backed down from anything.