Hum Apke Hai Kaun - SS: ShivIka Aug 1 - page 57 - Page 2

"What do you mean she has vanished Khanna? She is not a genie to simply vanish into thin air without a trace?", rasped Shivvay through clenched teeth as he aimed the words at Khanna's bowed head, making sure no one overheard their conversation as they stood by themselves in an alcove far away from the crowd that had begun to trickle in slowly.

It was a good thing that the soft music and light conversation made by the visitors was drowning any exchange he was having with his head of security and right hand man. It would not do for anyone to know what he had asked Khanna to do for him.

"I mean no one knows where she has gone since the night after the.. the ...", Khanna hesitated to even say the word 'reception' for fear of incurring Shivvay's wrath for not forgetting that important but unfortunate event when his boss had made the biggest mistake of his life.

Shivvay cut him off abruptly obviously thinking in the same lines as Khanna was by growling angrily, "She sent home the jewelry and clothes the next day so what reason would she have to vanish? Think Khanna! It's not like she was running away with those things and needed to make sure she was never found?!"

Khanna fidgeted uncomfortably as he said what knew might earn him an earful but then he had to state the obvious to his boss who had apparently gone blind to reason when it came to tracking this girl down, "Maybe she does not want to be found specifically by you Sir after what happened that day at the reception and on the day of the wedding. It could be she fears for her brother's safety and hers as well."

Shivvay narrowed his steel grey eyes at Khanna's remark and asked in a low threatening voice, "Are you judging what I did Khanna or is this merely an astute observation?"

"Mere observation Sir", came the poor man's quick response, "it is because the boy has been taken out of his school, the door of the house is locked and the aunt who returned from a trip has been staying at a neighbours place since then. It has been a month now and she plans to return to her village as she too is unaware of where Annika could have gone."

Shivvay had been listening to the recount of his investigation with his head bowed as though assimilating the facts he was being told.

At the word 'Annika' his head snap towards Khanna and his eyes blazed like ice on fire as he stated in a very cold voice, "That is Annika Ma'am or Mrs. Oberoi to you Khanna till the divorce comes through. You or the rest of the staff are not given the freedom to call her Annika till she remains an Oberoi Bahu. Is that understood!?"

God forbid Dadi heard Khanna address her in that manner. She would blow another gasket and probably sack the poor man then and there.

"Yes Sir", stuttered Khanna nervously, "I will investigate a bit more in her neighbourhood to find out if she has any friends or relatives she might have gone to", and saying that he made a hasty exit to the door.

Shivvay rubbed the back of his neck to ease the tension he had been feeling there since the past month now. It had started the day after the ill-fated wedding when the post wedding rituals had to be done.

Since his Dadi had refused to take part in any post wedding rituals with anyone but Annika and his mother had insisted on them waiting for Tia, the battle lines had been drawn in the house that had split it into two warring sides. In the end no rituals were done and 3 days later he had received an anonymous call asking him to pay a ransom for Tia's release.

When Tia came home and was announced a few days later in the media as Mrs. Shivvay Singh Oberoi, it caused the matter to be settled once and for all because Annika walked out the second time after the wedding night,never to be seen again.

He had felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach when she had disappeared out the front door but he had put it down to relief then that she was not going to create a scene in front of the whole media. He knew now that he had felt that sinking feeling because subconsciously he had known for the first time in his life that he had grossly miscalculated.

It all blew out of proportion two weeks after the reception when a video clip about Tia and her illicit relationship to some man had been sent to Dadi as an attempt to blackmail them all. It showed them in an intimate light in her dressing room on the wedding day and then running away from the ceremony together.

That blew a huge hole in her statement that she had been kidnapped and was held ransom. Upon Dadi questioning and intimidating Tia, she confessed all which then had been the biggest blow to him and his mother.

For him to be so wrong about the girl he knew so well for years was impossible to digest and what made it worse were Annika's words of caution haunting him over and over again, about the other man in Tia's life. He was glad that Dadi had taken charge of the situation then only because he had been in such a daze about the events that did not make sense in his world.

Dadi had threatened dire consequences to both Tia and Mrs. Kapoor who had agreed to tell the media the truth about the kidnapping and that it had been another who had married Shivvay in that mandap, not Tia.

Since he had already announced Tia Kapoor as his wife to the media he had found himself not only having to apologize for the false statement to them but had also been asked that he prove there had indeed been a 'bride swap' made last minute that proved that Tia Kapoor was not married twice.

To avoid further scandal and being made a joke of,he would have to find Annika and bring her home at least for a brief period.

He was constantly being hounded by the media to reveal who the real Mrs. Oberoi was, if it was indeed not Tia Kapoor and he was finding that difficult to do because his attempts at finding the real Mrs. Oberoi were now proving futile.

To his immense frustration he could not make his legal wife apparate, like Mr. Potter, at his will anymore even with all the money and power of Shivvay Singh Oberoi.

She had, it seems, vanished without a trace and with her gone it would be impossible to prove to the media that he had indeed married another woman, not Tia Kapoor.

He dared not lie to the media a second time by presenting a 'stand in' as her since they might not prove to be that forgiving if he was found out lying to them once again. He would never surface from that disgrace in a hundred years.

He needed Annika to own him as a husband publically just as he had disowned her publically. That it was a blow to his ego was another matter altogether because it was he who needed her now and who would have to plead for the sake of his Family's reputation. The same reputation he had tried to save when he had forced her to marry him.

He knew, from experience, that money would buy anything and anyone. Even a wife for a few months till the hype died down and he was no longer the front page news.

The dissolution of the marriage would be easier if she went abroad with her brother where he would see that they were settled with all the luxuries of a new life in a new land. The media would consider it to be another high profile divorce and would chalk it up to just a weeks' worth of sensational news. All lose ends tied all he would have to worry about is making Dadi see sense by then as to why he could only marry one who would match his standard and class.

"Penny for your thoughts!", he heard his brother say as he clapped him good naturedly on his back and came to stand before him and questioned "I thought you were here to support the opening of my new gallery and art studio?"

"You mean Rohan's gallery and your art studio", stated Shivvay in a hurt voice.

Om smiled affectionately and put his arm around his older possessive brother, steering him into the sparse crowd that had gathered around the small podium where Rohan stood talking to someone that he had completely obscured from view because he was leaning down to talk to them from the dais on which he was standing. As Shivvay watched him he felt a pang of jealousy for sharing his brothers with another man though he too was related by blood to them as much as Shivvay was.

"You are going to be surprised at the new venture, though I am not sure if it will be a pleasant or unpleasant surprise once you see it", stated Om simply wearing a slight smirk.

"Since you left me out of this venture and chose to go with Rohan I would guess unpleasant surprise", grumbled Shivvay under his breath as he reached the Family with Om and found Rudy drape another arm around him.

Flanked by the brothers he loved more than himself he should have been feeling happy and content but somehow watching the man on the dais, who he shared them with, made that happiness a little less today.

In addition to that he found that there was certain inexplicable irritation he was feeling about the man today though he had done absolutely nothing to earn that extra level of animosity. As he heard his phone buzz and vibrate he threw an apologetic look at Om and slid out of the crowd to the back of the room.

The caller Id said Khanna. He deftly slid his finger over it to take the call, placed the device over his ear and started to walk to the corner of the room to get away from the opening speech that Rohan had already begun. As he heard him give his welcome and introduction speech he could hear Khanna on the other end go, "Sir you will not believe it but I think I have found Annika Ma'am."

As Rohan listed Om's praises as an artist and a creator Shivvay whispered eagerly into the phone at Khanna, "Where!? Where is she?"

Now Rohan seemed to be introducing the new interim manager of the gallery and art studio as, Mrs. Raman, the manager they had for the past 3 years had left on pregnancy leave for six months. He was wishing Mrs. Raman well and was listing the admirable qualities of the interim manager taking over as he heard Khanna continue in his ear, "Sir you won't believe it but she is ... ",and just as he heard Khanna state that he heard as clear as day the voice on the podium announce, "I give you Ms.Annika."

"... she is here", finished Shivvay spinning around and staring at the podium.He saw her take it with the Rohan's help as she stepped up to take his place there. Her slight nod and a radiant smile at him would not have gone unnoticed by the flashing media bulbs who would, no doubt,link him to his very attractive interim Manager.

He had to admit as he stood there looking at them, that they made a very handsome couple and he was not sure why, but he felt his bile rising at that very thought.

"Sir?... Sir?", he could hear Khanna on the other end trying to catch Shivvay's attention.

"It's alright Khanna. I found her. You can stop looking now", stated Shivvay in a cold voice as he heard her voice tremble a bit when she began her speech but got stronger as she stared at someone in the audience and smiled, as if she had found the strength to carry on because of them.

He tried to figure out who it could have been but could only come up with the face of the man he was starting to loathe with every growing second.

Rohan Yash Singhania

Speech done and gallery inaugurated everyone wandered to the art pieces in the gallery and into the art studio where Om panned to teach art to students that were attempting to pursue the profession but were financial incapable to do so.

As he strode past the studio and into the lounge that had been set up for cocktails and drinks he, predictably, found her there alone looking over the arrangements made. As if warned by some unknown internal alarm he saw her turn around, look at him and make a hasty exit out the side door to the offices attached.

It only took him under a minute to figure out that she was in the one with the closed door and he rapped sharply, his voice holding back the anger he was feeling for some unfathomable reason, "Open up Annika! I know you are in there."

He continued knocking and calling out more and more loudly, agitated by her refusal to open the door or respond to him until he found a hand on his shoulder and turned around to come face to face with Rohan Yash Singhania.

"Shivvay? What are you doing back here? Can I help you?", he questioned his voice holding a note of surprise.

"If you don't mind I am trying to speak to my wife", stated Shivvay his voice dangerously low.

"Your Wife? Here? Really!?", laughed Rohan amused at Shivvay's statement, as he moved to the door beside Shivvay and rapped softly asking, "Hello??!! Who is in there? Could you open the door and step out please."

As the door opened softly and was held ajar the two men stepped in to see a very calm and cool Annika stepping away from them both and turning around to walk to the other end of the room.

"Ah! See it is just Annika, our interim Manager", said Rohan good humoredly, leaning against the office table and shoving his hands in his trouser pocket nonchalantly, "...not your wife. I think you are barking up the wrong tree 'ol chap."

Shivvay turned around slowly and walked purposefully up to Rohan, rubbing his temple as if he was keeping his finite patience with him. He stopped in front of him, his face almost level with Rohan's as he said in almost a warning growl, "... and that interim Manager of yours IS my wife Rohan."

"No I am NOT!", he heard her snap in response from behind him,as she defied him, her voice betraying a slight tremor for doing that"and you cannot prove that I am."

She gasped slightly as he forgot Rohan in that brief moment and turned to stride over to her, reminding her of the panthers she had seen stalk their prey. As she backed into the wall she found him continue his advance and stop just a hairsbreadth from her, his scent enveloping her as if to capture her into his clutches once again.

"Annika you are testing my ...", he started in a warning voice but was cut off by Rohan's timely interference as he pulled Annika away from him and placed her behind himself.

"I have no idea which of you is telling the truth and frankly it is none of my business to judge that but wife or not Shivvay, I cannot let you intimidate and frighten the girl while she is my employee, is that understood?", stated Rohan his voice holding the very real threat of things getting ugly if Shivvay chose to challenge him.

Shivvay made a move towards Rohan but was cut off by Om and Rudy entering the room at that moment.

"You both knew about this and you hid it from me", he stated angrily as he brushed past them and strode out the door with Om and Rudy following him in hot pursuit.

"Thank You Rohan and I am sorry for causing you trouble. It seems that is all I ever cause people around me. I will understand if you would like me to leave", whispered Annika shakily as she brushed the hot tears from her eyes and ran out of the room in the opposite direction that the brothers had taken.

Rohan felt his heart twist at her simple words and wondered what exactly had Shivvay Singh Oberoi done to turn such a confident, bubbly and independent girl, he had grown to know in the past month into the scared, lost and bruised woman he had just seen a few minutes ago.

Did the man really not see the damage he had caused her or was he too proud to acknowledge that he had done her a grave wrong?

That the two had something between them was clear even to a blind man but what was surprising to Rohan was that neither of them had registered that there was that certain something. It was as if they chose to ignore it on purpose, letting their anger cover that up should it surface and show per chance.

If he was a betting man he would have said that Shivvay Singh Oberoi was majorly and completely obsessed with Ms.Annika and she, though clearly hated him, seemed drawn to him at the same time.

Rohan laughed and shook his head at the thought that this was turning out to read like one of those M&B novels Prinku was fond of immersing herself in most days. What in God's name had he gotten himself into?

Chapter 3 - page 9

Chapter : Safe Haven Discovered
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