Shivaay was walking through the corridor leading to Om's room when his phone rang. "These reporters," he muttered and picked up the phone without even looking at the screen. "I'm not going to comment on anything right now. Wait for the official statement to be released at the press conference tomorrow," he spoke in a monotonous tone, repeating the line for the sixteenth time that day.
"Where the hell do you get off behaving with my daughter like that?" a familiar voice barked at the other end. It was Mrs. Kapoor, Tia's mom. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. The Kapoors could really get on one's nerves!
"I could have done a lot worse, Mrs. Kapoor." He spoke back calmly.
The voice on the other end rose in pitch. "Bohot ghoroor hai na tumhe apne aap pe, Mr. Shivaay Singh Oberoi? Shayad tum yeh bhul rahe ho ki main kya kar sakti hu! I still have Daima's recording with me. One click and Om will have a very enlightening experience about his past," she spoke convincingly but Shivaay could hear the tinge of desperation in her voice. He laughed inwardly.
"Darana mujhe bhi aata hai Mrs. Kapoor. Have you forgotten that I have all the evidence about Robin and Tia's relationship?" He could almost hear her wince at his name. "Meri ek move aur aapke poore khandan aur aapki beti ki izzat sadak pe uchali jayegi," he said grimly. "Do you want that?"
"No! You can't do that!" She shouted. "No one will believe you!"
"Do you really think so? Don't test my patience Mrs. Kapoor," he threatened. "You tried to play with my brother's emotions, you made me accuse an innocent kid for theft and punish him for something he didn't do, you made me hurt Annika time and again. I couldn't do anything then because my hands were tied. Par ab main chup nahi baithunga. Meri ek salah maniye Mrs. Kapoor, don't waste time on me and my family anymore. Because if I see you or your daughter around any member of my family again I'll make you pay for that - and mind you this time I won't be so lenient." His voice turned menacing at the last line. "No one, no one messes with the Oberois!" He spoke into the phone and hung up.
***...***...***...***...***...***...***
Annika sat by the poolside and stared at the water, her eyes unfocused as she sat lost in thought about the day's events. Shivaay Singh Oberoi's actions were rarely predictable, and it's no surprise that just when she had started to think that she knew the man, he had stunned her again. Not even in her wildest dreams she could have suspected the present course of events. And it bugged her that she could never know him enough, he would never let her. She would always be an outsider that way, she realised with a sudden ache in her throat. She wondered if that made her ungrateful - that she somehow wanted to be in on his plans, wanted him to share his thoughts with him.
"He made Tia apologise to you in front of the whole family. Why can't you just be happy with that?" She asked herself even though she knew the answer very well.
He was only fulfilling his responsibilities towards her. Nothing more. She'd be a fool if she read more into it.
"You are the one who fell in love, Annika. He never promised you anything. Stop expecting more from him!" She scolded herself as a lone tear escaped her eyes.
"Annika?" she heard his voice behind him. She turned around and saw him standing a few feet back, watching her intently. "What're you doing here? Maine tumhe kaha kaha nahi dhunda!" He spoke petulantly like a little child. Her heart reacted instantly to the slight impatience in his voice, the one that was always there when he hadn't seen her around for any length of time and she froze, her thoughts messed up.
"Aapne mujhe kyu nahi bataya Shivaay?" She blurted out. His brow furrowed in confusion. "Kya nahi bataya?"
She took a step toward him. "Tia ke baare mein. Aapko sab pata chal gaya tha, fir bhi mujhe kuch kyu nahi bataya Shivaay?" She asked, her voice breaking a little. He looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "Tum mujhse isliye gussa ho ki maine tumhe Tia ke baare mein kyu nahi bataya?" He asked. She looked expectantly at him and waited for his answer.
"Well," he shrugged when she didn't say anything. "I don't know ok!" He threw out his hands in vexation. "Main bas tumhe tension nahi dena chahta tha, I guess..." He stopped short as he realised how lame he sounded. Tia being exposed would have to be the best news that she heard under their present circumstances. In truth he did not know why it had not occured to him to share the news with Annika. He felt annoyed at himself and he felt annoyed at Annika for putting up the question at him. He did not like to be cornered. "Tum itna over react kyu kar rahi ho yaar!" He snapped and then regretted it immediately. Annika was looking at him with a pained expression.
"Annika," he composed himself and took a step towards her. "Let's forget all this ok? Tia is out of our lives. Let's just be happy about that," he said. "No one will ever try to kill you anymore, tumhe ab koi chot nahi pohucha sakta."
A wan smile crept up her face. "Shivaay mujhe apna jawab mil gaya." He looked at her in confusion, unable to understand what she was talking about. She went on. "Aap ne apni zimmedari nibhane mein kabhi koi kasar nahi chhori. Main aapse ab ek akhri cheez mangna chahti hu, wada kijiye aap na nahi kahenge," she said, her voice cracking up. Shivaay's heart sank at the word 'akhri'. Why was she talking like this? "Annika tum-" he started to speak but she put up a hand. "Wada kijiye Shivaay."
He nodded. "Ask anything."
She took a deep breath. "Mujhe apne ghar ke papers wapas chahiye Shivaay."
The words hung on the air for a long time as Shivaay tried to comprehend their meaning. Minutes passed. "Ghar ke papers?" He said finally.
"Ha. I promise ki main aapke saare paise lauta dungi, jaise bhi ho. Bohot mehnat karungi, din raat kaam karungi." She rubbed furiously at the tears that had started to flow down her cheeks freely. "Bas abhi aap naa mat kahiye, please Shivaay. Main aapse kabhi kuch aur nahi mangungi," she pleaded fervently.
He felt like someone was choking him. He could not find his voice, so he closed in and put his hands on her arms and gripped them for support. "Tum aise kyu bol rahi ho Annika? Tumhe uss ghar ki kya zarurat? You can...you can just live here!" He reasoned, his eyes wide with panic and confusion. She shook her head, finding no words to say herself. Why was he making it difficult for her when they both had known that this day would come eventually?
"Kyu rahu yaha Shivaay? Aapne khud kaha ki abhi meri jaan ko koi khatra nahi hai! Main jaana chahti hu Shivaay," she pleaded.
"Kahi nahi jaogi tum Annika! Samjhi tum? Kahi nahi jaogi tum!" He shook her hard. "Samjhi tum?"
"Kis haq se rahu yaha Shivaay?" She cried out. "Kal aap khud sabke samne apni shaadi todne wale hai! Ab aapko meri kya zarurat hai, bataiye Shivaay? Bataiye ab main kis haq se rahu yaha!"
"Haq hai tumhara! Tum meri -" he stopped short, his heart beating at a frantic rhythm. "Tum meri-" he tried again but couldn't get the words out of his mouth.
She untangled herself from his grip and took a step back. "Zimmedari hu na Shivaay?" She looked straight at his eyes and her heart ached as she felt the pain in them. But she had to do this. "Par ab shaadi khatam aur zimmedariyaan bhi..." her voice shook, "...aur zimmedariyaan bhi...khatam." She managed to speak in a choked whisper.
***...***...***...***...***...***...***
It was past midnight and Omkara Singh Oberoi was out for a stroll in the Oberoi grounds. Ever since he was a child, he had always been a fan of the night and the peace and silence it brought with it. It helped him think, and his thoughts helped him create. He was an artist and a creator and this was the time of the day when all the real work was done.
As he sauntered around the house, his mind idling on simple things like how the silver moonlight fell on the top of the pine tree in the backyard and made it's leaves glisten, his eyes fell on the huge gazebo that stood in the middle of the garden. To his immense surprise he found a figure slouching on the floor, his back resting on one of the pillars.
He walked fast towards the man. "Shivaay? Tu yahaan? Itni raat ko? Is everything fine?"
Shivaay Singh Oberoi was a health freak. In all his life Om had never seen him waver from his daily routine, not once. The fact that he was awake and upright at this time of the night worried Omkara immensely. Something was definitely wrong. Terribly wrong.
He looked up at him, startled. "Om tu yaha?" His voice was raspy from stress and emotion. Om furrowed his brows. His brother seemed shaken, his face pale and gaunt with a haunted look in his eyes. He knelt down beside him and shook him by his arms. "Shivaay kya hua? Bata mujhe. Tu itni raat ko yaha akele kya kar raha hai?" He asked again.
Shivaay was unable to bear his scrutinizing gaze and looked away. "Mujhe kya hoga! Main toh bas aise hi baitha tha..." He spoke but his voice lacked conviction.
"Aise hi? Shivaay Singh Oberoi raat ke 1 baje yun hi akele baitha hai? Shivaay I know aaj jo kuch bhi hua woh tere liye bohot stressful tha -" Shivaay held up a hand. "Main uss baare mein koi baat nahi karna chahta Om."
Om sat down beside him. "You know Shivaay teri problem kya hai? Tu kabhi kisi se kuch bhi share nahi karta! Hamesha saara stress khud leta hai." He stopped when he saw a look of pain in his eyes and kept a hand on his shoulder. "Shivaay it's okay. Hum apno se hi apne problems share karte hai na? Just tell me. Aaj jo kuch bhi hua uske liye toh tujhe khush hona chahiye na? Why are you upset? Bata mujhe!" He pleaded.
Shivaay was vexed. Why was everyone repeating the same thing today? "Har koi mujhe yahi kyun bol raha hai!" He yelled. "Mujhe nahi karna yaar kisi se kuch bhi share! Sab ek hi cheez kyu puch rahe hai? Just...just let me be!" He put up his hands.
"Kyuki that 'har koi' cares about you!" was Om's prompt reply. Shivaay looked at his brother, startled.
"Look Shivaay. I know you've always been the Great Wall for us. Tujhe aadat hai saari problems ko akele hi handle karne ki. Infact, tu yeh sab akele itne dino se karta aaya hai ki I bet share karna kya hota hai tu yeh bhi bhul chuka hai. Isilye I know it's not easy for you. Par tu yeh soch agar aaj teri jagah main dukhi hota toh kya tu aise hi mujhe apne haal pe chhod pata? Nahi na? You know why? Because you love me. Usitarah hum sab bhi tujhse bohot pyaar karte hai, mere bhai! And jab koi kisi se pyaar karta ho na, tab woh yeh expect karte hai ki aap apne dil ki saari baatein unse share karenge. Chahe woh achhi ho ya buri, khushi ki baat ho ya dukh ki baat. Woh aap ki har khushi aur har gham mein shaamil hona chahte hai."
Shivaay was dumbfounded. Om had given him all his answers but he still didn't know what he would do with them. He decided to ask.
"Agar koi kisi ke liye itna sochta hai, kisi ke liye itna care karta hai, toh kya woh usse door jaana chahega? Aur kyu? Koi khud ko takleef kyun dena chahega Om? Aur aise mein mujhe kya karna chahiye?" He rattled out questions one after the other like a little child.
Om smiled compassionately.
"Khuda ne rishtey bhi barein ajeeb se banaye hai
Kambakht dil bhi unhi ke saamne tut ke bikhar jaata hai jo unn tukro mein baste hai."
He said wistfully, looking at the silhouettes of the faraway trees lining the boundaries of the Oberoi grounds.
"Om teri yeh shayari na mujhe samajh mein nahi aati hai!" He said shaking his head. Both laughed.
"Dur jaane mein koi gham nahi hai agar dil kareeb ho Shivaay," he said finally but Shivaay still looked confused. He smiled to himself. "Tu woh kar jisse tujhe khushi mile. Dil se khushi mile." His soft voice lingered in the air as Shivaay made up his mind in firm resolve.
He would let her go. So far he had been the only one to make the choices for them but he wouldn't be selfish any more. She deserved to make her own choices, fly free if that's what she wanted. She would be happy. And he could live with that.
***...***...***...***...***...***...***...***
Hope you guys like it😊 I have no idea when I'll be able to update the next part, hopefully it'll be sometime this week. Please bear with me if I'm a little late this time...
Bollywood
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