The New York Trip (Shivika SS) Chp 6 Pg 42 - Page 15

Chapter 4

After dinner and some late night strolling about, Shivaay and Annika decided to call it a night, both being tired and jetlagged since their lengthy flight. They took a cab home and then got changed, desperate to get in bed. In gathering their night clothes, Annika took out a change of clothes for Shivaay, a blue tshirt and a pair of plaid pj slacks and his boxer shorts (Yes, they were on that level, the other way around, however, HELL NO) and handed it to him before proceeding to get her night clothes as well. She noticed only two nightwear were packed for him, one kurta suit and the pjs. What irked her, though, was that as she rummaged through their clothes, there were none of her salwar suits nor any normal pjs like what Shivaay had packed for himself. However, her hands came upon two night gowns which had her eyes bulging as she yelped and dropped them back into the suitcase. Totally mortified, she backed away and sat on the bed.

"Are you okay?" Shivaay asked, confused.

"Uh woh. Haaan. I'm fine." She stammered, fixing her hair casually, okay, not so casually.

"Oh I see, you must be so tired. Don't worry, I'll get your night clothes for you". He reassured suddenly remembering something and understanding that her feet may have been aching more due to her kneeling over the suitcase looking for their clothes.

"NAHI!" She shouted and shut the suitcase before he could get his hands on it.

"Annika, stop being a baby. Come on let me do it." he prized her hands off and started looking through while Annika looked in the opposite direction, closing her eyes in embarrassment.

All she heard was his ridiculous laughter echoing throughout the room and stood in front of him, jabbing a finger at him.

"You think this is funny?" She gestured to the knee length, burgundy, lacy night gown he held up.

"It's just... ahahahaahaha" He started and then broke off laughing again.

She shook her head and grabbed it from him, holding it up against her.

"How am I supposed to wear this?"

"Oh come on Annika, it's a normal night dress. Just put it over your head and you know..." He said mocking her, gesturing with his hand how to wear it, as if she were a total moron.

She smacked his arm away, hard, and scoffed.

"Ouch!! Tum...Brains... Brains nahin hain? That hurt!" He rubbed his arm and glared at her.

"Main buddhu dekhte hoon? Huh? I know how to put on clothes but this... I mean... the length could work but it's neckline is so.." she blushed realising what she was going to say.

"It is so?" He smirked.

"Ugh! You're no help at all. There must be something else I could... What the!" She rummaged through the clothes only to find the other gown, a teal one to the burgundy.

"Do you really have business to do here?" She asked, with accusing eyes, grabbing the night gowns and shoving them onto the bed.

"What do you mean? Now he was honestly bewildered.

"I mean, what did you really bring me to New York for, Mr. Cheapda Singh Oberoi?"She asked boldly, raising her eyebrows, one hand on her hip, the other gesturing to the sexy night gowns.

She was inwardly cursing herself but she had to know. After all, she had noticed how extra romantic he had become recently, especially due to their busy schedules. She knew they had been married and things were getting extremely normal. They practically behaved like an ideal married couple, except for that aspect. She knew what their proximity did to each other. She was a woman and she felt their attraction too. She knew he felt for her, maybe not exactly what she did, but she was not a fool. She blushed a little as she saw the realization of what she was asking dawn on him, his expressions changing from genuine confusion to a smug smile, but she shrugged it off confidently and stared up at him.

He walked up to her, a hint of mischief adorning those sky blue orbs. He took three strides which seemed to take forever, and finally he was in front of her, and took one hand in his.

"If this trip was a honeymoon, you wouldn't have to even ask. You'd know it by now." He smirked as he leaned in and whispered huskily into her ear.

She felt her cheeks heating up, her shoulders rising as she gulped and inhaled deeply. His warm breath tickled her ear and made her shudder, the after effects of the wine rendering her even more receptive to his scent, his body oh so dangerously close to hers. In every breath of air, she was graced with his scent, damn that cologne, ... but more than that, damn that hint of manliness, the muskiness of his skin mixed in the perfect configuration with his perspiration. She almost felt lightheaded as he moved away from her ear to look her in the eye, his breaths also becoming shallow, emitting a subdued bittersweet essence of the wine they had indulged in. She felt extremely breathless, sharing the air with him, as he stood there just enjoying her expression, he reaction to his closeness, his scent, his teasing. There was this sensation in the depths of her which she could not comprehend. She wanted to impulsively latch her arms onto him and let him hold her even closer. Before she could do anything, however, he stepped away, clearing his throat. The moment was over.

"As for these," he picked up the gowns and replaced them into the suitcase, "you can thank your dearest devranis."

And that was more than enough to snap her out of it.

Her mouth dropped, literally an o shape. "O bete ki! Sach?"

"Mhmm, I asked them to pack your things. No wonder they were giggling so much that day." He grinned, remembering wondering what was so funny that his girls were laughing their heads off and talking secretly as they packed Annika's clothes.

"Ugh I swear, when we get back, un dono ka chop hoga!" She bit out, whipping her hand out, almost knocking him in the eye before she flopped onto the bed, wondering what she would wear.

He laughed a little before plucking his black night kurta out of the suitcase and handing it to her.

"Here, you can wear this." He said as he placed it in her hand and walked towards the bathroom.

Before he entered, he stopped and tilted his head slightly so he was looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with you wearing the gown, though." He said mischievously before closing the bathroom door, leaving Annika stumped, her heart racing.

"What's gotten into him?" She tapped her head, wondering if she was imagining it.

"Maybe it's the wine. Haan." She concluded and shook her thoughts away. She got up and walked out to their balcony to clear her head.

She realized she would never get tired of the view, of the wind, of just standing there and taking it all in. She did not even realize when Shivaay was finished with his bath and came out to call her.

She took a warm shower and changed her clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror, and a proud smile of contentment adorned her face.

A few strands of wet hair, her mangalsutra around her neck, a hint of her sindoor still visible, and last but not least, she was wearing his kurta. It almost smelled like him. She hugged herself, reveling in the fact that within recent times, their relationship had progressed to more than what she had ever thought it would. It had been a long road, he was right. Now he wanted to spoil her, and boy, was he doing that or what!

His touches, his care, his forehead kisses, his stares, everything had become more and more intense, more frequent and more familiar. When he had announced publicly that she was his wife, when he had stood up for her in front of Daksh, Kamini and Pinky, she felt it, she was truly his wife. He would bring hell on Earth if anyone dared to harm her, to hurt her.

And just when it couldn't get any better, it did. During the Mahi diabolical, he became even more loving, distance really made them closer. That's specifically where her innocence was tampered with by the very man himself, the result being that they both came face to face with their raging physical attraction. Thanks to Mr. Bhagad Billa for making her realize, of course. Moving past his Naam, Khoon Khandan completely was another milestone. Her position was secure, he wanted her as his wife, under any circumstance. Whatever happened they would conquer it. But staying apart was not an option.

And lately, she hadn't missed the way he would wake up extra early to make her breakfast before he left for work on days when he had known he would return after nightfall. As if he needed to leave her something to carry her throughout the day without him, the same way he would smile to himself cooking her favourite food, the thought staying with him the entire day. The way he'd arrive home late and drop-dead weary, but would demand he shared clean-up duty in the kitchen with her. What kind of psycho does that? Oh right, Shivaay Singh Oberoi.

He literally did everything and anything to make her happy, to make her feel wanted. Sometimes, he'd message her during the day when she had orders to see how she was doing, if she needed him to pick up anything for her on the way home. His kisses became a more frequent affair, his hugs were countless and yet they gave her the same fuzzy feeling every time. From his demeanor, she could tell he felt the same.

And this trip, she was still wrapping her head around it. It was a dream, quite frankly. As if they were both off on their own, living a different life, taking on the world together. There was something intimate in the way he spoke to her on their plane ride, the way they opened up.

Then again, they had been opening up even more to each other. There was once a time when their only conversations would consist of arguing. What a turnover! Recently, there had not been any arguments to win against each other, no major problems to plan their solutions, no dramas to carry out to expose raging psychopaths intruding on their lives.

Suddenly, things had taken a mundane turn. Thoughts of their late night conversations as they sat by the pool flooded her mind, her telling him about her day at the culinary institute while he played with her hands and told her about his long day in return. The way they'd both share their experiences, their views. The way she'd tease him about his cooking and finally having the upper hand on him. They way he'd flirt with her even in front his brothers. Not to mention their cohesiveness in literally handling every single problem that came their way. They were a team. In every way, they were each other's partners in crime.

But most of all, she was compelled to think that now, it was official.

She was his.

There was no doubt. She loved him, yes. But all along, she had thought she would be the one losing. That it would be only her wanting this marriage to work. He proved her wrong. He did not let their marriage break after Tia. He did not let Daksh shatter them either. When he stood up to his own mother, that was even more reassuring. So great, their marriage was valuable to him. And yet, when she could not have even fathomed more acceptance from him, he whipped up more surprises and served them to her on a platter.

As they moved on from all the family drama, not once did he make her feel as if she were alone. They handled everything together. He knew she was just as affected and never lost himself in the chaos enough to isolate her. In every situation, at every step to closing the gaps in their family, he held her hand. Even on days when he was frustrated and took out his anger on her, she took it all. And when he came to her with a peace offering of aloo puri, she forgave it all too.

She saw past his struggle to come to terms with Pinky's behavior. Dealing with everyone else's issues gave him enough distraction, but when he looked at his wife, his eyes could not hide anything.

She loved this the most, that he stopped hiding himself from her. He let her see everything. His anger, his tears, his frustration. The good and the bad. It wasn't just "Main sab kuch theek kar dunga." Now it was "Hum".

What made her feel even more content was that she was able to heal him in a way no one thought was possible. She took it upon herself to treat Pinky with kindness, courtesy at least, hoping Shivaay would follow pattern eventually, and if not, at least she was doing it on his behalf.

In every way imaginable, he was there for her as she was there for him. There was a certain level of trust, of care and of solace between the two.

Their conversations and their connection had grown in depth. These innocent yet intimate moments they had starting sharing made it known, that she was just as important to him, as he was to her. He wanted her. He saw a life with her. She was finally his. She finally belonged to someone. She was number 1. Love or not, this was the biggest truth of her life. Sometimes she even dared to think that had he believed in love, he would have definitely loved her too. But that didn't matter to her anymore. Everything he did and said defined what she was to him. She finally belonged, and that's what mattered.

She felt like his.

She looked at herself, clad in his kurta. God, she even looked like his. The kurta reached just beneath her knees, the two slits revealing half her thighs. She decided she was actually more comfortable than she thought she would be, wearing it in front of him.

A knock on the door broke her out of her reverie.

"Are you done? I need to brush." He called.

"Uhh Yea you can come in." She called as she hung her towel out on the towel holder next to his.

She felt his eyes on her and when she turned, she knew from the look on his face that he was innocently admiring her.

"You're mine." His eyes spoke for him.

She didn't know what she had expected, but when he simpered and looked away before brushing his teeth, she felt a little disappointed. Why? She didn't know. Maybe she was still too high off her thoughts. She too got her toothbrush and brushed alongside him.

"When we go back, remind me to get a double sink like this for us. Makes sharing a bathroom so much easier, especially when you take so damn long." He said, wiping his hands on his towel, rolling his eyes at her.

"Heyyy!" she pushed him a little as she too wiped her hands.

He raised his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry! But you did take quite a while. I was falling asleep waiting to brush." He yawned timely.

"That's because I was think..." She bit her lip, realizing what she was about to reveal.

"You were?" He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Nothing. Next time I won't take as long." She said lamely and walked out of the bathroom, cursing herself for almost telling him that she stood, looking at herself in his clothes, thinking about him for a solid fifteen minutes.

She felt irritated and at unease, she didn't know why. Maybe she expected him to not tease her, but instead be romantic with her. After all, believe it or not, that was the first time they were sharing a bathroom, doing something as mundane as brushing their teeth together. She felt dejected, she did not know why. Shivaay was behaving absolutely normal. Why was she feeling so low? She shrugged her thoughts away wondering what was wrong with her.

Had she not been so overwhelmed by this sudden trip, maybe she would've remembered it was that time.

Shivaay turned off the lights as she jumped onto their bed. He noticed her mood looked a little off. Maybe she was missing home.

"Annika?" he asked, "you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said curtly and pulled the blanket up to her, facing the other way.

Even if she was upset with him, why would she face away from the amazing view? Such a big compromise? Then Shivaay nodded knowingly, realizing why she was reacting the way she was.

Over the months which had passed, their relationship was more domesticated. He built a home with her, he repaired their family with her help, but more than that, he had learnt about her every habit, every detail and every peck peeve of hers. Within the four walls of his room, he molded a foundation with her, their own world in which for the first time, Shivaay Singh Oberoi began committing her every movement to his memory. He had done so before, unknowingly, of course. He had never cared to delve into someone else's life other than his family members' till he had decided that this woman was his for life. All the things she never said, he had wanted to know. All the things she was embarrassed about, all the mundane attributes that made her everything that she was, he needed to learn. Sharing his life with her was his most priceless blessing and he hadn't failed to notice or pick up on the slightest change in her behavior. So knowing when she was approaching that time of the month was literally a reflex action to him, though he was sure that had she known this, she would faint in embarrassment. He dismissed these thoughts quickly and looked at her.

He got into bed with her and pushed her around so he could spoon her, and she let him, both facing the view of the city, his arms around her waist.

He felt her lighten up immediately.

"Did you enjoy your first day here?" he asked softly, soothing her by brushing his fingers gingerly against her tummy.

"I did." She smiled genuinely, her previous irritation vanishing.

"Me too. I've never enjoyed being here as much as I did today, here with you." He whispered, kissing her hair and pulling her more tightly against him.

"Really?" She glowed as she asked, for she already knew the answer.

He made her turn to look at him.

"Really. And this is just the beginning." He said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Can we get a bath tub too?" she asked as she yawned.

He laughed at her randomness.

"Anything you want. It's your bathroom too. That's why I said we should get a double sink so it'd be easier. It's about time we start sinking even more into our roles, sharing our bathroom like normal people do..." He hesitated a little but when he saw her droopy eyes and her soft smile at what he had said, he knew she wanted the same and he felt more confident about continuing. "I want to see you groggy from sleep, brushing your teeth with your hair in a mess, completely comfortable, as I step out the bathroom shower, hustling to get ready for work, you know."

She blushed a little pondering the dynamics of him stepping out of the shower but more than that, she was overwhelmed. He craved the very intimacy she did. Honestly, after their conversation on the way to New York, they both felt a certain peak in their comfort level, as if something had changed, some gap they hadn't known existed had been bridged.

"That's what this trip is about, isn't it?"

"Mhmm..This trip is about us."

"Us... I like the sound of that."She said dreamily, biting back another yawn.

"Me too, Annika, me too." He pecked her nose before leaning back completely onto his pillow.

She snuggled closer into him, her own personal pillow, as they both slowly fell asleep, with smiles on their faces.

Around 3am, Annika twisted and turned on her side of the bed in her sleep, only to wake up to a sharp pain in her tummy.

"Shit!" She bit out as she realised what was happening. No wonder she had been so irritable and hot and cold before. She panicked as she jumped off the bed and looked in her suitcase for it. When she didn't find it, she freaked out. They must have packed pads right?

She breathed a sigh of relief as she checked the pockets and made a mental note to thank Gauri and Soumya as she found it and rushed to the bathroom. When she came out, another cramp had her gripping the edge of the dresser. Her eyes landed on Shivaay's medicine box which lay there next to where her hand was resting.

For once, she was beyond elated that her husband was a literally mobile pharmacy. She fidgeted around till she found the painkillers and popped two as she gulped down a bottle of water. She felt nauseous and she knew she would not be able to sleep right away. The first day was always the worst.

She peered over at Shivaay, fast asleep, his mouth slightly ajar. She grabbed one of the thick hotel robes and tiptoed out of the room not wanting to wake up him as she pulled the robe over her and headed to the balcony.

The winds caressed her, humming through the strands of the hair, and she pulled the robe even more snugly around her, warming her body, yet enjoying the feeling of the cool New York breeze engulfing her. The city lights twinkled, and she looked on, staring out, amazed at the view, amazed at the city, amazed at life itself. A thought crossed her mind. It would be day at home. She quickly got her phone and took a picture of the view, sending it to her group chat with Gauri and Soumya. Immediately, they replied and called her. She chatted with them softly for a while and told them about her first day. When she thanked them for packing her essentials, shocked was an understatement to what she felt after she learnt that they hadn't. Did that mean Shivaay did? She brushed the thought away, not wanting to explain anything to them.

After she spoke to them, she stood basking in the ambience for a while longer. This place was too dreamy, this kind of stuff only existed in movies. Even the sky was smiling down at her, the stars shimmering, reminding her about the light of her life who would probably sense that she was missing from his bed. What has my life become? She mused with a crooked play on her lips. This was the definition of serendipity.

She felt him before she saw his shadow approaching.

"Sorry if I woke you up." She said, still facing out, slowly disengaging her mind from her previous thoughts.

"Why are you up?" He groaned, rubbing his eyes as he stood next to her, leaning on the balcony.

"I had to use the bathroom, and then I just couldn't go back to sleep. Why are you up?" She didn't lie, technically. She wanted to tell him but she was still a bit shy about the whole matter.

"I didn't feel you next to me." He said softly, casually, as he yawned and stretched his arms, one swooping around her waist as he released them.

She smiled at his confession.

"I saw the pill box in a mess, are feeling okay? Did you need something?" He asked.

"Uhh it's just.. I had cramps. It's.. uhh that time." Not that you don't already know.

"Ohh.. you poor thing."He frowned as he stood behind her and took her in for a back hug, rubbing his warm hands on her belly.

"How did you know?" She asked, catching him off guard.

"What?"

"How did you know it was time? I mean you packed... you know.. the pads.." She was glad she was not facing him.

"Oh.."

"How did you know? I mean, it slipped my mind completely, especially because of this trip you pulled on me. How you even know something like this about me?" She turned in his arms, looking at him, the curiosity eating her away.

He chuckled a little.

"Don't blame the trip okay? NYC bekasoor hai. And you really do suck at being a girl. How can you forget something like that?"

He earned himself a slap on his tummy.

"Are you a girl? Do you get your period? Do you know how random it can be sometimes? Hmph. You're telling me." She pouted and turned away from him, her back against him again.

Now he was dying with laughter at her outburst, and she herself couldn't help but giggle a little.

He held her tightly against him as their hilarity died down, swaying her to the sides before he kissed her hair.

"I'm your husband, if I don't know, who else would?"

"That doesn't answer it. How did you know?"

"Oh come on. Are you really that stupid? We share a bathroom, where do you think I got your pads from to pack them?"

"Did you call me stupid?Shivaay.. " He cut her off.

"Besides, I notice when you get more angry than usual, more annoying and irritable than usual." She elbowed him but he continued.

"I see you wearing socks for your aching feet and being all miserable and taking pain killers around this time once a month. It's not rocket science. Not everyone is as clueless as you, you know."

She laughed a bit and sighed, satisfied with his answer but then, to her surprise, he went on.

Inhaling her hair, he said, "You smell different too, you know. On your first day or two, you sweat a lot more than usual too."

She scrunched up her nose and squealed, her discomfiture quite evident, wondering how he could notice these things and say it with such ease. She almost felt terribly self-conscious. He shook his head as he saw her reaction and kissed her temple.

"Itni michmichi kyun mach rahe hain? That's nothing to be embarrassed about, especially in front of me. Not to mention you aren't as shy as usual, if I were to do something like this." He kissed her hair again, this time not as lightly, and held her more tightly and pressing her body into his, her curves aligning with his figure in every intimate way possible, his palm sliding across her tummy slowly and sensationally as she leaned back into him, her eyes closing down on her.

"Or this." He teased by kissing her ear, and she remembered when he did that in front of everyone.

She turned in his arms. "I'm really starting to doubt your intentions about this 'Work Trip'. "

"Work and play go hand in hand." He grinned, kissing her nose.

She turned away blushing.

"I didn't know you noticed these little things about me."

"I notice everything about you." He revealed as he rested his chin in the crook of her neck.

"Thank you, Shivaay. For this trip, for you, for always taking care of me. I never thought I'd be here with you, like this."

"No thank you's allowed, however, actions do speak louder than words." He said wittily, nuzzling her cheek.

"You're getting too smart." She shook her head.

"I told you before... this is for us. You don't need to thank me. Just... let's make the best of it. Maybe give me a few more thank you kisses if you'd like." He grinned and turned her, pulling her flush against him.

Her arms were flat on his chest, and the way his eyes peered down at her, oozing nothing but warmth and a heated glint of mischief, that deepening shade of blue had her at his feet. Before she knew it, she was already tip-toeing to press a soft kiss against his left cheek when she suddenly hissed, and clutched just beneath her tummy. A sharp clenching cramp shot through her and she yelped as she held the spot with one hand, the other gripping his t-shirt.

He looked at her apologetically, understanding what was going on.

"Let's get you to bed, Ani." He sighed.

She nodded furiously.

Without wasting time, instead he bent and pressed a kiss to her cheek before scooping her up into his arms and taking her inside.

Her feet were aching and freezing, he noticed, and gave her a pair of his socks. He let her curl into him, fidgeting until she was in a comfortable enough position; one leg lodged between his legs, her head resting on the pillow next to his, their hands interlocked.

The next morning Annika rolled around in bed, only to find herself alone and in need of another body next to hers, not just anyone, but her husband. The faint and delicate yet invigorating aroma of coffee hit her senses as she got off the bed and folded their sheets. She smiled knowingly as she headed to their bathroom to brush and take a quick shower and get herself cleaned up. She threw on the same black kurta when she was done and gave Sahil a short call noticing the time. It was 8:00am here and he would be now be done with school work in India. She spoke to him for a couple minutes and walked outside to the kitchen where she knew she'd see Shivaay engrossed with making them both breakfast.

"Haan haan, tum bhi na, bass ab chup kar!" She blushed into the phone as Saahil teased her about a certain Bhagad Billa, and as if on cue, Shivaay smiled as she stepped in and winked as he told her good morning.

She shook her head as she grinned. She moved closer to where he stood stirring a pot. She peered into it and discovered it was berry compote as she enveloped him into a back hug with one arm, the other still holding her phone to her ear as she let her body rest completely on him.

"Good morning." She said softly, away from the phone.

He let one hand rest on hers where she held him at his shoulder, the other, continuing with the task at hand.

"Okay you take care. Make sure you revise your work okay? Exams are around the corner hmm. Okay love you too. Yea hold on." She handed over her phone to Shivaay.

"Hi champ!" He beamed as he got lost in talking comically to his baby, completely forgetting about her as he moved away, not that she minded. Rudra would've been jealous had he been there too. Sahil was Shivaay's baby now, Rudra being promoted to second youngest baby.

Annika saw him buttering some toast with one hand and gestured she'd finish it. He smiled and pointed to the mug next to his, "For you." He mouthed.

Smiling, she took a sip of the steaming hot chocolate and finished buttering their toast. She realized he was trying to perfect the berry compote she had made for breakfast a couple times back home. She gave it a taste and raised her eyebrow in surprise. It was almost perfect.

As he got off the phone, he saw her add a tiny nub of butter as she took the compote off the flame.

He looked at her, with questioning eyes.

"That's the secret." She said mischievously as she gave it a small stir.

"You add more butter right before you serve us!" He gasped.

She chuckled as she took another sip of her chocolate and got their toast on a plate, spooning out some berries onto it.

"How come you never told me that before? And there I am trying to figure out what did I miss every time I try to replicate your recipe! You're a cunning woman." He accused playfully.

"Woh toh main hoon, so better be careful around me." She taunted as she sprayed a gracious swirl of whipped cream on their breakfast, and they dug in.

"How do you feel this morning?" He said as he downed a glob of whipped cream.

"Mmm getting the michmichis but this hot chocolate is doing me great. I'll take some more painkillers and I'll be fine. What's the plan for today?"

"We can stay in if you like?"

"Noo it's fine. In any case, tomorrow you have your meeting, let's go out today." She pouted.

"Okay, let's head out to the city then. 42^nd street. If you want tomorrow while I'm out you can go again, there's a lot to do."

"We'll see. But yes, let's get some shopping done today. I do need some uh.. clothes." She pressed her lips together, looking down at the kurta.

She had to admit though, no matter what night wear she had on her hands, this kurta of his was her favourite. She pondered over this, thinking if she'd be able to pull off wearing this at home without being caught by someone.

"Hey!" he snapped his fingers in front of her, shaking her out of her thoughts.

She nodded as he told her he was gonna shower and get changed and she too finished her chocolate before heading into their room to change.

She donned her favourite denims and her yellow off the shoulder top, her hair pulled slackly in a ponytail and her lips nude and pouty. As she popped two pills and downed them with some water, Shivaay came out of the bathroom, shamelessly waltzing around in his navy blue boxers alone, a towel hung around his neck, his appearance causing her to choke on herself.

Him rubbing her back in a soothing motion did not help the situation.

"What are you doing?" She asked, regaining her composure.

"What do you mean?" He innocently furrowed his eyebrows, trying his utmost best to conceal his smirk.

"Go clothe yourself, you cave man!" She rolled her eyes as she stepped away from him, looking everywhere but at his torso, still beaded with droplets of water, his hair damp and his entire being in that condition made her inside queasy.

"Hmm, dard hua?" He smirked taking a stride toward her.

"You really don't wanna mess with me right now.!

"Sure about that?" He took a step closer.

Thinking quickly, she yanked the towel off him and smacked him lightly before running out to the small living area, leaving him grinning.

When he came out wearing a light blue and yellow t-shirt, along with a pair of rugged denims, she nearly fainted.

"Okay, now, someone has really abducted the real SSO . You look totally out of character. Is that a rip onyour jeans?"She asked incredulously, gesturing to peek of skin at his knee.

"That's the style, darling." He flirted, and she was nothing but appalled.

"I know I'm quite handsome but that doesn't mean you can stare at me all day, come on, let's go." He teased her.

"Itna taadi theek nahin hain." She retorted, before going inside quickly to get her handbag and both headed out.

Chapter 5