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Two rings, one cat, six kids, you and I, forever...
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"Who is Annika?" asked the media to Shivaay Singh Oberoi.
Shivaay was thrown off guard by this question. He didn't know what to say. He saw Daksh in the corner, holding onto a phone and a threatening look in his eyes.
"Yes Mr. Shivaay, who is Annika?" the media questioned again.
"Annika is my..." Shivaay trailed off, he looked at Annika standing at one side of the living room with hurt in her eyes. He couldn't do it. He couldn't call her a mistress, because she was not his mistress. He was married to her, she was very important to him and the trust they shared in this nameless relationship mattered to him.
Shivaay saw Omkara and Rudra walk up to him. They both said the same thing. They both told him to accept her as his wife, and they also told him he wouldn't get a better chance than this. But Shivaay couldn't do this. He had to save his family name and looking at Daksh with pure hatred, he announced,
"Annika is my..miss..Annika is my mistress.." as soon as he said that, he saw victory on Daksh's face and he loathed it.
With great difficulty the word had left his mouth.
He didn't need to look around, he knew everyone was stunned and hurt by his answer.
And he definitely didn't have the courage to look at Annika either. But he knew she was hurt, maybe she was more hurt than the time she was when he doubted her for having slept with Daksh.
He mustered the courage to look at her, and he was surprised at what he saw. He realised he didn't only hurt her, he broke her completely.
He broke her trust, he broke the bond he had with her. He had broken the concern they had for each other.
It pained him to see her like that and so he looked away. He felt her walk off.
He let Daksh threaten him again, and he let Annika lose again, even though he promised her that he will never let her lose. But maybe she was right, she would lose every time.
He himself didn't know what he was feeling.
He dismissed the media. He went off to the poolside.
OmRu followed him. They both were angry at him.
"Shivaay whatever you did, whatever you have been doing till now is wrong. Annika deserved better. Better than this. Better than YOU. She never asked you to marry her, you forced her into it. Yet she accepted it, she made us all accept it. She defended you, even though you were at fault. She convinced us to talk to you, Shivaay it was HER who didn't let the Obros break. Shivaay she has saved your life, she has saved our family name. There was a time Shivaay when she put her reputation, her respect at stake just to prove to the world that you had not committed a murder. No mistress would have done that Shivaay. Shivaay I don't know what's going on in your mind but Bhabhi didn't deserve it. I know there's no point in talking to you. You will never understand. And I just hope Annika leaves you and walks away. Because now I don't want my BHABHI to suffer because of you." said Om.
"Om what are you even saying. No Annika can't leave me and go. No she can't." said Shivaay.
His tears at the verge of spilling. The mere thought of parting with Annika killed him and he remembered the fear that gripped his heart when he was almost about to lose her.
"Why can't she Shivaay? You wait and watch she will." said Om and with that they both left.
Shivaay slipped to the ground and cried. He let the tears flow. After sometime he got up and went to check up on Annika, after all she deserved an explanation.
Annika was in one of the guest rooms. She didn't want to face Shivaay Singh Oberoi. She couldn't, not after what he had said to the whole world about her. Today everything broke at once. Her faith on him and her trust on their relationship. She realised how IMPORTANT she was to him. All that he had said to her about her being important felt so useless now. She was tired of crying. He betrayed her trust and left her broken.
Now there was no emotion left in her. She felt numb and nothing. The only thing that really pierced her heart was the love she had for him, which she knew she would never be able to forget. The problem was one night they were attending a family function and had taken a few drinks. They both were out of their senses and they had gotten intimate.
You can't call it lovemaking but they consummated. Annika had born her soul to Shivaay but Shivaay was driven only by desire and lust. They had decided to not talk about that night but she knew after that night things had changed positively for both of them. They both had better understanding of each other. So it was even more difficult to let go of her love for him. She found it easier to let go of him. She was going to do that.
She decided she was going to leave the house, as mistresses don't stay where she was staying.
She decided to wait till midnight, and then she would go, pack her stuff and leave.
She sat there remembering every moments spent with him. All the laughter they shared. All the pain they suffered together. With him around she never felt alone. They had laughed together and cried for each other.
All these memories were stabbing her heart.
Memories are shards of glass, the tighter you try to hold them, the more they pierce you.
Shivaay was looking for her everywhere but he couldn't find her anywhere.
He was frustrated and he wanted to let go everything. All this was becoming even more hard to bear. So he went to the bar and knocked himself out.
Annika got up and decide to go pack her things. She just hoped Shivaay would be asleep or he would be somewhere else.
Annika reached her room, now his room, she packed her things slowly and quietly. She let her tears flow freely.
Suddenly the magalsutra and the sindhoor felt very heavy to carry. Now that the sanctity of the bond was broken, she didn't want to wear them anymore. She struggled with her mangalsutra but it finally came out. She placed it on the bedside table. Then she went to the mirror and removed the vermillion adorning her hairline.
Without the sindhoor and mangalsutra she felt an emptiness inside her. She told herself she had to be strong.
She realised that there was nothing left to be strong for. She was already broke and she had to leave anyway as she no longer considered herself as his wife or him her husband.
She didn't even want to meet him before leaving. She went to Om's room for the last time, she saw both OmRu awake and crying.
She went to them and told them that she was leaving. They were not surprised by her answer and they didn't even stop her.
"Did you meet Shivaay?" asked Om with hurt laced in his voice. He really hadn't expected Shivaay to say this.
"No I didn't meet Mr. Oberoi" was Annika's cold reply.
Annika continued,
"OmRu, thank you for always being there for me and supporting me. Take care of yourselves. Take care of Mr. Oberoi also. If he asks anything, tell him I left for good. Tell him not to come looking for me, and also tell him that mistresses don't stay here. But please don't abandon him, you both are his strength. He'll be broken if you both don't talk to him. You guys can't break the promise you made to him remember? All for one? You have to be with him please."
"But Annika how can you say this after everything that happened? And he hurt our bhabhi and you still expect us to talk to him? Annika why are you doing this?" asked Om.
"I know, he hurt me. In fact he broke me, he finally completed the promise he made to me a longtime back. But I know Shivaay, (Om noticed the effort it took for her to take his name without flinching. It hit him that she was now scared of him, scared of everything he was capable of doing.) he's doing all this for your family."
"Yea, having a mistress keeps the family reputation right?" snorted Rudra.
"No Rudra, there is something bigger than this. I know it. There's something he is hiding from all of us, something that is bad for all of us. Hence he is taking all this upon himself. He hurt me I agree. But if you see, he is counting on me to keep his family intact. He is also hurting himself in the process. He needs you both now, please don't leave him? Do this for me? Let this be your promise to me? Please take care of him for me?"
"Promise bhabhi, we'll do this but only for you. Bhabhi, we'll miss you a lot! It'll be very difficult to stay without you. You've become our habit. Bhabhi whenever you need help, please call us. And please don't forget us, we still are your family and always will be. We'll keep calling you, you don't have to tell us where you are, we'll not seek you, but we need to be assured you are fine. Promise us?" said Om.
Both Om and Rudra were crying badly. Their eyes were red and swollen.
"I'll try. Okay then goodbye. Take care, I love you both." said Annika.
She hugged them and left. They followed her till the door. And just like that, their Annika bhabhi was gone, maybe forever.
The next morning, Shivaay went looking around the whole house for Annika. His heart craved for her. His body missed her, and especially after the night they had taken their nameless relationship to another level. But now he wanted to explain things to her. She deserved it. He asked everyone but no one had seen her. Om's words rang in his mind and he cried out of agony. This can't be happening and he was in denial.
He rushed to Om's room. He needed someone. As soon as he was about to enter, he saw OmRu hugging and crying.
He waited, and he heard Rudra saying, "There can never be anyone like bhabhi O. She truly is Bhaiya's guardian angel. She's hurt because of him, he hurt her so badly, still she made us promise that we will not leave him alone and take care of him."
"I know Rudra. If Annika hadn't made us promise to take care and be there for Shivaay, I would never have spoken to Shivaay after what happened yesterday. I miss her already Rudra. I miss her so much."
"I miss her too O! But we have to look after Mr. Oberoi for bhabhi."
Then Shivaay saw them hugging each other tightly and crying.
So Annika had left. She had made OmRu promise to never leave him. All this took time to sink in. Why had she done this? Why was I missing her so much? Why was the thought of her not being around suffocating me in my own body? Thought Shivaay.
What hurt Shivaay most was OmRu were calling him Mr. Oberoi.
Om saw Shivaay at the door, and called out to him. It hurt him again because he had called him Mr. Oberoi.
"Mr. Oberoi, bhabhi has left. She made us promise to never leave you and to take care of you. Mr. Oberoi, do you at least now realise how much she loves you? I know you don't. And I also know there's no point in expecting it from you."
"Annika left without telling me." cried Shivaay.
"There was nothing left for her to tell you Shivaay. Whatever she wanted to tell she told us." said Om.
"What did she tell, and yea where is she? I'll go get her right now."
"So that you can hurt her again and then again? No we won't let that happen to our bhabhi, so we won't tell you where she is. And she told us to tell you that don't try to seek her, because she won't come back. She also told to tell you that mistresses can't stay here and she left!" said Om.
It hurt OmRu to see their brother so torn between his responsibilities towards the family and his responsibilities towards Annika. They knew it was difficult for him to prioritise one.
"Om please tell me where she is. I will not ask her to come back. Please. I will only tell her what she deserves. And she deserves an explanation. Om she's my responsibility, Om I can't let anything happen to her."
"Shivaay, honestly, she deserves nothing from you, she deserves way more which you will never be able to give her. Secondly you called her your mistress so she's no more your responsibility. And yea we don't know where she is. And we told her to tell us if she's not safe so you don't have to worry. Now come and have breakfast, we need to fulfill our promise we made to our bhabhi." said Om.
With that OmRu went to the kitchen and Shivaay was still in deep thought.
Shivaay could see the hate in his brothers eyes. He was starting to hate himself.
Later in the day when Shivaay entered his room, he saw the mangalsutra at his bedside table and it tugged at his insides.
He started crying. He collapsed on his bed and said "I'm sorry Annika. I really am. I didn't mean what I said. I really didn't. I was forced to say it. No you aren't my mistress, you are my wife. You will always be my wife. Nothing can change that. I'm sorry I ruined everything. I don't deserve you, I really don't."
And just as a ship collides with an iceberg, realisation collided in Shivaay Singh Oberoi's heart that he loved her. Yes he loved her and it killed him to stay away from her.
OmRu witnessed this scene from outside and they became very sad. Finally their brother had realised his mistake and he also realised that he loved her. That is all they wanted.
Their anger dissipated and it hurt them to see their brother in that condition, suffocating.
They decided that they would take care of him properly for Annika and for themselves because they needed him. They couldn't live without him.
Annika had gone back to her old house and she was exhausted. She felt deprived of energy and she collapsed on the bed, her mind taking a break, she fell asleep.
She got up around evening the next day because she felt like puking. She missed Shivaay.
TWO MONTHS, THREE DAYS LATER.
OmRu were in their room and they were seriously concerned for Shivaay. He had stopped talking to anyone except them. He ate little, he always locked himself in his room and stared at Annika's picture the whole day.
He was only alive because of that picture and because he had to say sorry to Annika. He had to tell her how much she meant to him.
He woke up at nights screaming Annika. And some nights he would just lay and shed tears remembering her. He was no more Shivaay.
And the whole day, he would say only one thing, to Annika's photo, I'm sorry Annika. I love you. Please come back to me. You are not my mistress. You are my wife.
Like a broken tape recorder he would go on saying it. He had also put the mangalsutra around that picture and every day he would put sindhoor on her forehead.
He was breaking everyday. Only once in the past two months did he smile. That was when Annika had called OmRu. He was there too. His face lit up immediately. He wanted to speak but refrained. He was happy to know she was fine and doing well and when OmRu asked if she missed Shivaay, she was honest and said everyday. She said it was hard not to.
Annika was in the same position as Shivaay. She missed him a lot. Talked to his photo to comfort her and woke up at nights screaming his name. And all of it was worse because Annika was carrying a part of Shivaay within her. Yes she was pregnant. She had lost lot of weight and had to work long hours so that she could raise their child. She didn't know if she should tell Shivaay or not. He had the right to know. But she didn't know how to tell it. Probably she will tell OmRu over the phone. He had to know. Accepting the child or not was upto him. She would respect his decision. But he deserved to know. She didn't want her child to grow up without a father.
She knows what's it's like to have no father and mother and she didn't wish the same for the child.
So she called Om, but he didn't pick up. She called Ru and even he didn't pick up. She thought of calling Shivaay directly but decided against it. She couldn't talk to him now.
Then she saw Om had called back.
It was Shivaay who had seen Annika's missed call and had asked Om to call back immediately. He also asked Om to keep the phone on speaker.
"Hello Om!"
Shivaay literally breathed in her voice. He missed it so much.
"Hi Annika. How are you?"
"I'm good. How are Rudra and you?"
"I'm good. Rudra's fine too."
"Where is he now?"
"Rudra's gone to the gym."
Shivaay smiled at the concern she had for him and his family. It really warmed his heart.
"How's shi- I mean Mr. Oberoi?"
She was calling him Mr. Oberoi? But why? He was dying to hear her take his name. He was about to tell something but Om clasped his mouth.
"Annika to be honest not really good. But don't worry we're taking great care of him. He better now though." smirked Om seeing Shivaay's face lighting up like a bulb and growing brighter every second.
"Okay, Om there was something I want you to tell him on my behalf."
"Yea sure bhabhi go ahead."
"Om I'm pregnant."
"Fhat the wuck!" this time it was Shivaay who spoke.
"Shivaay" Annika breathed his name. And Shivaay's heart fluttered.
There was silence.
"Bhabhi?" Om asked.
"Yes, I'm there. Om tell him that I'm two months pregnant. And before Mr. Oberoi's brain comes up with weird ideas of it being someone else's baby, please tell him that the baby is ours."
She had resoluted back to Mr. Oberoi. Shivaay sighed. But it hit him. She's pregnant. She's god damn pregnant.
"Annika tell us right now, I mean it when I say right now, where are you? We are coming to get you! Keep your stuff packed."
But Annika didn't reply and the phone went dead.
Shivaay was furious that she ended the call.
Just then Annika called back and said she was at her old house. But Annika was panting and the call ended again.
Now Shivaay and Om were worried. They both rushed to Annika's house.
Shivaay found her passed out on the bathroom floor semi naked. He saw that she had puked three four times. He realised she was having morning sickness. He told Om to call the doctor. He sent Om out and then lifted her, and as the towel fell of her, he saw her tiny bump.
His heart fluttered, flipped and did somersaults. He was so happy. They were having a baby. Their baby. Their symbol of love. He couldn't believe it.
But Om was confused as to how Annika got pregnant and made it a point to ask him later. He saw his brother tending to his wife. It warmed his heart. He saw his brother this happy after so long. This time he wanted this happiness to stay.
Doctor checked Annika and told Shivaay, she has been working hard and stressing herself but she's fine. Just take care of her.
That is when Shivaay noticed the amount of weight she had lost, and the dark bag under her eyes. The doctor told him the do's and donts and left.
Shivaay packed her bags. He took out his shirt and made her wear it. He then made her wear leggings and carried an unconscious Annika to the car.
Annika woke up and looked around. She was in Shivaay's room. But the room was different now. Nothing had changed but still the room screamed of her. Some way the room was the way she would have loved to have it.
Looking around she noticed the amount of her pictures on the walls, and tables and almost every where in the room. She looked to the side and saw her photo with a mangalsutra and sindhoor.
She found it funny but the gesture was sweet and she liked it. She then noticed something else, rather a someone sleeping on the floor, holding on to her hand. She slowly got up and went and sat beside Shivaay. Shivaay immediately got up and asked why she was on the floor.
"Annika are you mad, don't sit down. Go on the bed. You're pregnant. Take care." He was rambling.
"Shivaay shhh."
With that Annika got up and went to the bed and Shivaay went along.
After a few moments Shivaay spoke.
"Annika I'm sorry."
"You don't have to Shivaay. I forgive you, and I know you mean it. I can see it in your kanji aankhein." With that Annika giggled. And Shivaay laughed too. His old Annika was back.
OmRu noticed this from outside and smiled.
Finally everything was getting back to being normal.
Later that night Shivaay and Annika made love to each other.
When they were lying on the bed, Shivaay asked, "two rings, one cat, six kids, forever..?"
"Yes forever." Replied Annika
And then the tube light of her head glowed and she asked in surprise, "you really want six kids?"
"Yea darling and all from you only." Winked Shivaay.
They finally realised, love brings people together even as life keeps them apart.
"Love brings us together even as life keeps us apart."
-a phone call from heaven.
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I'm sorry for the long os, but in my defence this was my first try at a shivika os. Please comment to share your views. Negative comments are welcome too.
Anupamaa
