Hello everyone, 🤗
I had to write this chapter 3 times because everytime I felt something was missing. It's not perfect but I hope you all like it.
Enjoy.
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- Chapter One : The Beginning -
Oberoi mansion was home to the richest family in Mumbai. The business tycoon Mr Tej Singh Oberoi and his brother Shakti Singh Oberoi lived with their mother Kalyani Oberoi. Kalyani oberoi was a loving mother and but had two daughter-in-laws who couldn't stand each other. With being rich and in public's eye means your life is not your own. Everyone in the family was a character. Tej isn't used to listen to anyone or what anyone says about him. Shakti is a religious person and doesn't meddle much in the business. Tej's wife Jhanvi oberoi was used to drink her sorrows away because tej had a mistress. Shakti's wife Pinky Oberoi is a woman of many Oh my matas.
The responsibility of keeping this family intact came upon kalyani because it seemed others just weren't interested.
Despite so much of negativity in the home, there were four little kids unaware of it. Shivaay Omkara Rudra Priyanka were the future generation of the oberois. Shivaay being the eldest brother was responsible and looked after his brother's and sister. Somehow he also felt responsible for the girl who came to play with priyanka, her best friend Anika.
Kalyani being the grandmother, always made sure that the children wouldn't see whats happening. She adored them, and specially priyanka's best friend anika, to kalyani she was the sweetest girl she ever met. Priyanka's brothers also liked her except for one. Shivaay for some reason didn't like her but he wouldn't say anything either, his actions were enough. Still, all of them always played together. Everything was going good when One fateful day everything changed for them.
When they all entered the mansion, they heard tej shouting and jhanvi crying. They weren't so nave as to not realise what had happened. The adults had not noticed them.
" you have a mistress tej? Why did you do this to me?" jhanvi demanded an answer from tej. After hearing this omkara came forward so that he could see what was happening.
Svetlana, that was her name, she stood proudly next to tej. "what were you thinking bringing this woman in my house." Jhanvi couldn't believe he would do something like that. Jhanvi in her rage moves towards Svetlana and raises her hand to slap her. Tej holds jhanvi's hand before she could deliver a slap on the woman's face. "this is my house and I can do anything I want" tej replies and pushes her hand back with so much force that jhanvi almost falls.
Omkara couldn't watch his mother being treated like that, he also couldn't believe his eyes, his father was the one hurting his mom. "Mom!!" om screamed and ran towards her gaining attention of everyone towards him. Om helped his mom stand up properly and asked her if she was hurt. Jhanvi was sad that he had witnessed such a scene but now it couldn't be undone. Kalyani i.e. dadi, led all the children away from there but one of them lingered ,shivaay. He wasn't as oblivious to the happening in his home as the elders thought. He knew everything.
"Svetlana is a part of my life and its better if you accept this soon because she isn't going anywhere." Saying this tej takes svetlana's hand and leaves.
Shivaay saw everything. The elders were behaving like kids and dadi couldn't possibly be able to keep this family intact for long, its bound to break. It was time someone else became responsible enough.
A few hours later
Dadi was worried about omkara, rudra and priyanka. She went to check on them and found them sleeping in om's room and anika sitting on the couch with priyanka talking.
"anika, can you ask shivaay to come inside? I want to talk to him" dadi wanted to talk to shivaay, it was him who could take care of his brothers now.
Anika knew she didn't belong in this place , it was just her luck that her parents could send her to the same school as the oberois. She befriended priyanka when they first met. Priyanka was a shy girl and wouldn't speak much. Then anika met her brothers and one of them struck a chord deep in her heart. It was shivaay, he was the elder brother of them all and he never said much to her.
She stopped short when she saw shivaay gazing at the night sky.
Shivaay was staring in space, standing under the starry sky with the moon shining bright. He wondered if everything will ever get back to normal. His thought process was disturbed when he heard her voice. His body immediately stiffened feeling her presence near him. His heartbeat increased, he wondered if she ever felt the same. Shivaay turned to look at her, and kept staring. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight, he kept staring which made anika lower her eyes. It felt weird to her, he had never looked at her like that.
Few minutes later she looked up and took a step towards him. " uh.. dadi is calling you inside" anika stuttered. Shivaay broke out of his trance and cleared his throat. "ok!" he said and watched as she turned away to leave when he didn't say anything further. He felt a sudden urge to stop her. "anika..." he called and she stopped walking.
Anika felt relieved , oddly, she was waiting for him to stop her. It was weird how she longed to talk to him when he didn't even liked her. She slowly turned to look at him. She gasped when she saw he was much closer to her than she expected. She was about to take a step back when he held her left wrist and stopped her. Her heart was beating wildly and she waited for him to say something before she embarrasses herself.
"I'm leaving." as his words registered in her mind, her heart skipped a beat. "what ... what do you mean?" her words were almost a whisper. A sudden breeze brought wisps of her hair on her face. Shivaay was mesmerised by her, even when he was afraid he wouldn't be able to see her again. He lifted his left hand to her face and tucked her hair behind her ear. Anika had stopped breathing, all this felt a dream to her and it better be because the thought of him leaving was painful to her. She had thought it would always be like this, all of them playing together, but this was reality and she had to face it someday because it wouldn't be like this always.
Shivaay moved closer, he still held her left wrist and now he held her face too. Anika could feel his warm breath on her ear. " I have to go, I'm leaving the country. Take care anika." And then anika felt his lips brush her cheek. She stilled as shivaay's lips were still brushing her cheek. He pressed harder and anika breathing increased. And suddenly he was gone. Anika stood frozen on her spot, this felt like a goodbye to her. Without his warmth she felt the chilly wind giving her shivers. She looked at the ground covered with grass, everything looked dull to her, even the moon wasn't bright enough.
Her trance broke as she heard her name being shouted. She turned to see priyanka running towards her and she stopped in front of anika. Priyanka was breathing hard " anika... your... your parents.." priyanka said in between her breaths and pointed inside the house.
Anika ran inside and saw a man standing at the door. She knew him, he used to escort her to places when her parents couldn't, they trusted him. " what happened?" anika asked as soon she reached him. " Mr and Mrs Sharma had an accident, they are in the hospital" hearing his words anika's world came to a stand still. Dadi came to her and shook her. "anika? Anika listen to me, everything is going to be fine." Dadi hugged her as she started to cry and they went with the man to the hospital. Shivaay saw as priyanka , anika and dadi left, he wanted to go too but he had to do something else too which was important.
Anika was asked to wait outside the ICU . Her parents were in a critical condition. They had an accident with another car whose driver was drunk. After hours she had finally stopped crying and she stood up as she thought she saw something at the end of the hallway. Dadi stopped anika from leaving, she was worried for the girl but anika assured her that she was going to drink water.
Anika reached the water dispenser and looked around, she wasn't thirsty and she came because she thought she saw someone. As she was about to leave, a hand clasps on her wrist to stop her. Immediately anika turns to come face to face with shivaay. Fresh tears flow down her cheeks and she hugs shivaay. Shivaay stood frozen for a few seconds then hugged her back. They stood like that for a few minutes but it felt longer to anika.
"everything is going to be fine. You have to stay strong" shivaay said to comfort anika but she shook her head and hugged him tighter. "anika?... I have to go." She stops crying and loosens her hold on him. She lets go of him to look at his face. " No! please... please don't leave me" she pleads him. They never talked much, never looked at each other but still had a deep connection. "I'm sorry I have to go." And shivaay starts taking backward steps before turning fully and disappearing from her sight , from her life.
Everything was messed up but it was time shivaay did something to fix it, to fix his family. There was an emptiness in him , he realised, as he was leaving her the emptiness just grew more but this wasn't the end.
Every story starts from somewhere this was just the beginning.
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Anupamaa
Bhabhi Ji Ghar Pe Hain?
