ShivIka FF: An Ishqbaaaz Rising *3.7 Updated* (2nd July, Page 82) - Page 2

1.2 Picking up the pieces

"Sahil! Come on now, you have to finish this glass of milk" Annika called as she walked in to their living room and saw the unfinished glass of milk lying in midst of all his books on the table.

When she didn't hear an immediate response, she smiled slightly. Even though the action seemed completely alien, she felt a small part of the fire within her glimmer... some things could never change.

"I know all your excuses Sahil. And by the way you can hardly just sit in the bathroom for the whole day - and I am telling you - I will seriously wait here with this glass for the whole day..."

"Didi..." A small voice grumbled before she heard the bathroom lock open and Sahil slowly walked towards her.

Couldn't help smiling at him, she helped him sit into the chair and then held up the glass with a stubborn look.

Even as Sahil reluctantly (and noisily) gobbled down the glass, she heard her phone ring.

"Hello?"

"Ji Sharma saahab? Kaise hai aap?"

"Oh thank you so much!"

She closed her eyes in relief for a second before continuing.

"Of course, I will start from tomorrow morning?"

A small smile started playing at the corner of her lips as she looked at Sahil who was obviously trying extremely hard to understand what was happening.

"Sharma sahaab, thank you so much. You have no idea about how big a deal this is for me right now."

As Sahil looked even more confused, she bit back a grin before turning around to finish the call.

"Ji...Ji.. I will see you tomorrow."

"Yes of course - 9 o'clock sounds perfect. Okay. Thank you again."

As she disconnected the call, she turned around again...only to come face-to-face with both Sahil and Buaji.. who by the looks of it had about a thousand questions.

"Kya hua di? Kaun tha phone pe?"

"Haan bataana Annika.."

Yes, some things really did not change.

"Arey Sahil, you remember Sharma uncle...who used to stay next to us? I ran into him this morning when I went to get milk this morning."

"Ohh? Bunny's dad? How is Bunty didi? Did you ask him?"

"Ha!Ha! I asked him, he said he is ekdam first-class...he has started learning how to play guitar now. And you know..."

"Arey tum dono yeh kya baat leke baith gaye. Annika ab yeh bata tu thank you kyun bol rahi thi?"

Slightly annoyed at being cut off - Annika looked straight at her bua. "Kyun? Aapko kyun jaan na hai?"

"Arey Annika batana...please. Tujhe pata hai na mujhe har baat jaanne mein kitni woh hoti rehti hai...ab batana..."

Rolling her eyes at that, she suddenly smiled as she looked at Sahil.

"Sahil I have got a job! Sharmaji and his friend have just started a new event management company here - and they have been trying to find a good co-ordinator for the last few weeks...and Sharmaji thinks that I would be perfect for the job."

"Wow di!"

Sahil hugged her as she knelt down to hug him too.

"Ab tu dekhna, sab thik ho jaayega" she said more to herself than to him as she hugged him back.

A small part of her clenched bitterly as she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.

No. She had to be strong. For Sahil.

"For Sahil"

That was her mantra.

That was the absolute priority. He deserved opportunities, he deserved a childhood... and more importantly he deserved every happiness in this world. And she was going to at least try to get the best she could for him. She owed him at least that much, didn't she?

She hugged him a little tighter as she continued to fight with herself and without having her to tell him, Sahil too hugged her back just as fiercely.

That fire within her glimmered just a tad bit more because of that, and instinctively she knew, she was going to get through this. Because he was with her.

"Haain? Naukri? Kyun?"

Buaji's voice interrupted them.

Clearly annoyed, Annika couldn't stop another eye roll, which immediately garnered a not-so-subtle snicker from Sahil. Standing up, she faced the woman who was annoyingly her responsibility too.

"Kyun matlab kya? Aapko kya lagta hai, khaana khud chalke ayega ghar mein?"

"ha - ha...mein toh bas"

Annika narrowed her eyes at her bua's failed attempts to hide her intentions.

"Nahi nahi, mein galat nahi keh rahi hu. Ab toh tera ghar Oberoi"

"Bas"

The reflex was involuntary. And a little necessary for her sanity at that moment. She did not need reminders.

"If you mention this one more time, I will kick you out of this house right now. Do you understand?"

Buaji gulped for a second, but not one to be easily quietened... she tried again... "meine kuch galat toh nahi kaha na par? ab shaadi ke baad ladki ka ghar to uska sasural hi hota hai na?"

Her squeaky voice did no disturb Annika in the slightest as she took one step forward slowly. Deliberately.

Now effectively scared, buaji tried to back-paddle instantly... "I only want the best for you beta..."

"I am telling you this for the last time." Annika began dangerously softly.

"This was no marriage. Jis shaadi mein ladki ki marzi na ho, woh shaadi, shaadi nahi hoti."

Staring right into the older woman's eyes, she continued in an even colder tone.

"Iss baat ko aap sun lijeye, samaj lijeye, aur agar aapke samaj mein na aaraha ho toh aap iss gharko chodke jaa sakti hai..."

Slightly humiliated, but not deterred...buaji grumbled a little under her breath as she walked out of the house.

Knowing she was probably going to gamble, but too tired to argue any further, Annika turned her attention towards Sahil who was also making his way towards the door.

"I am going to get the EVS assignment from Rohit's house di, I want to try something new."

Turning away from them and the door, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the open windowpane.

She really was exhausted.

Honestly, she had thought she wouldn't tell them the truth...but then she had realized that hiding the truth might make it worse...and after all Sahil was her only family and she knew that he would know she was lying instantly.

So instead of lying, she had gently retold the story of the events that had led to the wedding. Though she did not really go into the details of the way in which the events had actually played out...she knew that Sahil had sensed at least the picture of the gruesome way in which the wedding itself had taken place.

She smiled slightly again as she remembered the way Sahil had silently come and hugged her when she came to the part where she told him about the actual wedding.

She could sense his own building up anger and devastation...but he had learnt to fight too. She realized with a little pride as well as a little disappointment. He shouldn't have to.

And that was the main reason she had picked herself out of bed that morning. She needed to be strong for them. And that's when she had regained some of her strength back to pick herself again. She had to do it for him, for them.

A small cough from the doorway brought her back to the present. She looked up and the smile on her face disappeared.

"Aap?"

Smiling softly at her, Omkara Singh Oberoi walked into the house.

His eyes shone with unshed tears. And she understood. He had heard. He might not know what happened, but he had heard enough to know that whatever had happened should not have happened.

She closed her eyes painfully at the reminder.

But before she could open them again or even say anything, she was wrapped in a careful and soft embrace.

The foreign sensitivity and the genuineness of the gesture stilled her for a second before she felt herself completely break down again. The mask that she had been holding on with every bit of her strength slipped away as she truly broke down in the arms of someone who she knew truly cared about her.

Moments ticked past as Omkara continued to let one of the strongest people he had ever met break down in his arms.

And this shattered him from the inside too. Seeing someone like Annika break down like this made his heart ache.

His brother had caused this? What the hell had happened yesterday?

But one word stuck out to him more. Forced?

What in the world could possibly have happened within a span of just a few hours that had led Shivvay to do this?

It was sometime before her sobs quieted and Omkara gently helped her sit down on the sofa before he went to search for some water.

So many questions, so many unsaid words...yet the consequence of those questions was clearly in front of him - shattered pieces of a whole.

And not for the first time, Omkara Singh Oberoi truly questioned the integrity of his last name.

It didn't matter so much why but rather how could he help fix this? Because if there was one thing certain amongst this disaster of a wedding it was that Shivaay had made the decisions.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to let it all out on you..." Annika began softly when he had walked back and handed her the glass of water.

He smiled at that. She really was a beautiful person inside out. If only his brother could see what was so plainly in front of him though.

Sighing, he bagan.

"Please Annika...don't say that. I am indebted to you already, and I don't know where or how do I begin to apologize..."

Om's honesty and the earnest emotion in his voice startled her for a moment, and Annika marvelled at the difference between the brothers.

But she stopped herself.

No, she was not going down this road.

Thinking of him with his family always softened him for her, and somehow she involuntarily always started making excuses for him. And nothing, not one last excuse in the world could possibly make what had happened yesterday okay.

"Please don't apologize Om...this is not your fault." She closed her eyes as the memories again flooded back.

Tum mujse shaadi karogi...a car blown up...him throwing her on the floor...

She opened her eyes as she felt his hands hold hers gently. "You have to tell me the full story Annika..."

Her shoulders sagged as she bowed her head and shook her head.

Surely he could understand. I cannot relive the day again. Not right now. Please.

"Annika please...I need to know. I...Somehow...I want to help fix this."

She looked up at that.

Fix this.

"Om that is exactly what I am doing right now - picking up every last broken piece of myself so that I can at least try to start and fix myself."

Those words rang in his ears, as he looked straight into her eyes.

Something in her eyes caught him completely off-guard. This wasn't just pain or loss - this was something worse.

This shook him.

He found himself standing up and walking out her door. That look in her eyes left him in no doubt that this time... this time his brother had gone a little too far.

This time his brother was going to learn the biggest... and he winced a little as the thought completed itself in his mind... the most painful lesson of his life.

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1.3 Not Love

Originally posted by: -Sarcy-

That was a fantastic insight into Anika's turmoil and the feelings that she is going through due to this forced marriage. But the resolute way in which she decides to accept her feelings today because she wants to ensure a better tomorrow for Sahil was heartening. I hope the broken woman is just a mirage and the real woman comes back full force to take the reins of het life in her own hands. Very well written!

Originally posted by: likiya

eagerly waiting for other parts continue soon pls

Originally posted by: SRKian

oh man,ur index is wow

read da 1st chap nd it was superb!!

update asap!😃

Originally posted by: minamma

Index seems so good

I'll defo read every single bit of it

Anika's pain

Ahhh

It stings

Originally posted by: Allyson

I love that the outline is there, setting the tone for this one.

The first part was beautiful and heartbreaking. Wonderful start.

Originally posted by: Sam98

Hey,

I must tell you that I absolutely loved ittt!! Please do continue soon so we can be mindblown by your work😆, you have penned Anika's emotions down so beautifully-so aptly👏 Can't wait for the next part-Do PM if you find the time to do so!

Love

-Sam😃

Originally posted by: Rozy77

This was awesome and heart-breaking❤️
Fantastic Start⭐️
Beautifully written👏
Your index seems fascinating👍🏼
Looking forward to this story😃