"Why isn't she receiving my calls..?!" He throws his phone on the floor in anger when Pinky came to him, "Tia isn't in India."
"How.. How do you know?!"
"Tia visited me today early morning. Shivaay, your behavior really upset her. You shouldn't talk to her like that. You know this alliance is much important for us." Pinky tried to make him realize but he cut her saying, "Mom.. I know, how to do business, don't interfere in between. This marriage will take place surely, I'll sort out everything with her."
"... And that girl..?!!" She asked.
Shivaay took her hand in him saying, "You trust your Shivaay right?!" Pinky nodded. "Then believe me, her presence will not affect on anything. She with stay here until she regains her memory. Okay?!"
"If you're saying then fine." She said caressing his face and left from there.
After talking with Pinky, Shivaay returned in his room and saw Annika was sleeping very peaceful, he saw calm feeling on her face as if after long time she is having her beauty sleep. He couldn't resist himself and kept staring at her until his phone rings. Hearing the sound, Annika woke up with a startled. "When did you come..?!" She asked to him.
Shivaay composed himself, "Just now..!"
"Oh.. I am sorry, I wasn't feeling good, so I slept." She explained.
"Annika, it's okay. You should take rest." Shivaay said and was going to leave but turned at her asking, "Do you have your medicines?!"
"Umm.. I.." She looked at the medicine with nervousness.
"What happened?"
"I didn't understand which one to have.. So..." Shivaay sighed and walked to her, he gave her the medicine. "Have it.." after placing the glass on the table, he said, "You take rest." And he was going to leave but Annika held his hand, he looked at her.
"Shivaay, is everything alright?!"
"What do you mean??!" He asked while free his hand from her grip. Annika realized his uneasiness, "No.. I feel you're behaving like an unknown. You're my husband right?!"
Her question made him shocked, he didn't know what to answer her when he heard her saying, "I know this is silly question but this thought is making me restless Shivaay. Tell me is everything okay between us? Weren't we happy together?! Why isn't here any picture of us?" She asked looking around the room and he each question making Shivaay worried. "Tell me Shivaay, you aren't hiding anything right?!" She shook him, Shivaay looked at her and saw her crying bitterly. Seeing tears in her eyes, Shivaay felt something piercing in his heart, he couldn't see her crying.
"Annika.. Annika.. Stop crying." He pacified her while sitting beside her.
"Then tell me what happened between us?! How did this accident take place?! I don't remember anything Shivaay, why?!" She cried.
"Annika.. Annika.. Sshh.." Seeing her getting hyper, Shivaay shook her. "Listen to me.." He cupped her face saying, "Nothing wrong happened between us okay? It's just that I have work pressure that's why I couldn't give you time." He lied.
"Is it so?" She asked sarcastically. Shivaay nodded. "But why didn't we keep any picture of us here?" She asked innocently.
"Ugh.. Umm.. It's.." Shivaay wondered what to reply while Annika waited for his reply.
"Arey bhabhi.. You wanted to renovate your room, so we kept all of your pictures in store room." Rudra said in a go while walking in, Shivaay sighed in relief.
"Are we going to renovate our room Shivaay?" Annika asked excited. "That's good. Even I don't like those wall color, it's all around white.. Is it a color? We will paint pink color." As Annika said, Shivaay almost jumped, "What?? No.. No.. No pink color."
"Why? Is it bad color? Everyone loves pink."
"No. Only girl loves. I won't let you paint pink in my room." He denied.
"It's my room to Shivaay." She frowned at him. "We will change the color, that's final. See..! On this wall.." She looked behind, "We will hang our photo and on that wall..." She continued explaining while Shivaay was lost in on her, he never thought this one thing could make her excited and seeing her so happy, his lips automatically made a curve.
"Bhaiya, are you smiling?" Rudra shook him, making him compose. "No.. I am not. I have to make a call." Saying this he excused.
****
"Tia.. Pick up the call." Shivaay was trying her number continuously, but she didn't answer any of his calls. Finally getting ignorance from her, he dropped a message, "Call me when you will be free."
"Shivaay..!" He heard Omkara calling him from behind, he turned at Omkara replying, "I was trying to call Tia. I don't know what's wrong with her."
"Shivaay, it wasn't Tia but it's you.. who isn't understanding anything. To merge the business with Kapoor's you are getting married with her but you aren't happy."
"Who told you?" Shivaay asked looking away. "Ofcourse I am happy. Tia is nice girl."
"But you don't love her. Without love, will you be able to hold on the relation for life time..?"
"Om.. You are saying as if there's no love between the couples whose marriage arranged by their parents..! See.. Everyone likes Tia in this house, even I and Tia knows each other so well, we can be a perfect match." Shivaay tried to convince him.
"Are you convincing me or yourself..?" Omkara asked. "Shivaay, we always wants your wellness and now it's up to you which gives you more happiness.. Wedding with Tia or the changes which suddenly happened in your life. Think of it before its get late." Omkara indirectly indicated him about Annika and tried to make him realize changes in him but He is The Great Shivaay Singh Oberoi, how can he admit such a small thing so easily.
He firmed on his decision. "Nothing changed in my life Om. Business is my first priority always and I can do anything for that."
****
Shivaay was standing outside his room and praying God so that Annika won't start investigate again. He walked in saying, "Annika, your dinner." He placed the plate on the table near to the sofa. "Come..!"
"Shivaay, why did you bring it here..? Now, I am completely fine, I could have go downstairs and joined the family." She said disappointed.
"Everyone had their dinner, only you left."
"What..?!"
"Yeah..! We don't have dinner together. When they gets free from their works, they asked servant to bring their dinner at room. Only I, OmRu and dadi have it together." Shivaay said in very low voice and it didn't take much time for Annika to understand how scattered his family - though they're living under one roof, but there's no good bonding with anyone except ShivOmRu.
Shivaay looked up at Annika who was staring at him, "What happened..?"
She moved her eyes replying, "Nothing."
"Have it then." Shivaay said forwarding the plate at her.
"But how will I have it..?!" She asked innocently showing him the plaster on her right hand.
"Oh..! Shit..!" He murmured. "Okay.. I am calling Prinku, she will fed you." He said while getting up when Annika asked, "Why? Don't you have hands..?"
Shivaay turned at her shocked as well as frowned as he was expecting this would coming and that's why he was trying to escape from this situation. "Why are you calling your sister for this small thing..? I won't mind if you fed me." She said smiling.
Shivaay was standing, wondering what to do, when he heard her saying, "Shivaay.. I am hungry." He looked down at her and with no option, he nodded.
Shivaay took a morsel near to her mouth when Annika placed her left hand on his hand and moved back to his mouth when Shivaay said, "I had my dinner Annika, it's for you."
"I know. But it won't look good to have food alone when someone is sitting beside you. So, have this first morsel for me, please." She pleaded so cutely that Shivaay couldn't deny.
"You are mad." He said sighing and then fed her, after feeding her few morsels, Shivaay saw a drop of tear escaped from her eyes. "What happened Annika? Do you want water..?"
Annika shook her head in no. "Then?" He asked worried.
"I don't know. But it feels after ages, I am having peace. It feels like, I was living in dark and now getting a ray of light in my life. I never thought I would get such a lovable husband who loves me so much, who cares for me so much." She placed her palm on his cheek, with her touch, he felt a electric sensation ran through his whole body's making his body numb, he could feel his fast heart beat. "Thank you Shivaay for coming into my life."
"Dadi says, never drop tear while having food. So stop crying and finish your dinner." He said while keeping her hand away from him but still he could feel his fast heart beat, he wondered, "What's going on?" He looked at Annika and to divert himself from this, he thought, "It's the right time to ask about her parents."
"You are saying as if you never got this treatment from your parents." Shivaay chuckled and looked up at Annika who was looking at him bewilderedly. "What happened? Did I ask you something wrong?" Shivaay asked hesitate.
"Shivaay, do you forget I am an orphan." Shivaay looked on shock as this is something new he got to know. "... And in an orphanage who will treat me like this?" She chuckled, "But yeah.. Shamsher chacha was there who treated me as his own daughter."
"Yeah.. I was talking about him only. He loves you a lot." Annika nodded believing his words. "By the way, what's the name of your orphanage? I don't remember it." Shivaay pretend to remember the name while asking her.
"It's Shantidevi Orphanage Home."
Shivaay nodded. "You had finished your dinner. Now go and sleep."
"You aren't sleeping now?" She asked.
"No. I have some pending works to finish, you go and sleep, I will sleep later." He's made an excuse to stay away from her.
"Okay, you finish your work, till then I will wait."
"NO..!!" He said all of sudden making her panic, "I mean, you aren't well enough. You must sleep."
"But..."
"No if but.. Come.." He held her hand and took her near to the bed and made her sit. "You sleep now.. I will come later." Saying this Shivaay switched off the light but as soon as the room turned dark, Annika sat back horrified. "No... Don't."
Seeing her panic, Shivaay immediately turned on the lights. "Annika relax.."
"Shivaay.." She hugged him wrapping her arms around his waist. Shivaay was taken aback, he felt hesitate but seeing her so restless, he rubbed her back, "It's okay Annika.. See..! I am here." He made her face him and wiped her tears, "Relax." He gave her water and made her sleep.
"Don't go please." She said holding his hand.
"I am not going anywhere. Sleep.." He assured her while Annika closed her eyes. Shivaay seated there until she slept properly and then slowly free his hand from her grip and leave the room.
Anupamaa
