ShaKhi FF: Secrets of the Courtship *Chapter V pg 27* (7/5) - Page 21

Waiting eagerly to read more...please update soon....tq

wow sincerely waiting for this story next part

please do continue

bye sumi

Chapter V

Shaurya was really growing to hate this conference room. Every damn day he was expected to show up and see her. Despite promising himself that he wouldn’t let her run him off his campus, Shaurya had avoided coming in. He booked all his meetings off campus and only came in for his lectures. He didn’t even bother going to his office in case he walked by her room and saw her.

“Good morning.” Despite being perfectly polite, her voice was grating to his ears. Time changed so many things. This very voice had made his day in the past and now, it was enough to ruin it. Nonetheless he pressed a forced smile on his features and returned the pleasantry. Silence fell between them once more.

Anokhi wondered if this was the right time to bring up her behavior from the day before. It wasn’t like she went overboard but she chose to interpret his gift to her as a peace offering. He was choosing to put professionalism above their personal grievances, something she should have done first. The silence between them wasn't charged. Rather, an awkwardness that had never existed between them suffocated her now. It was again Shaan who cut the tension, surprised to find the two not at each other’s throats. He could only hope that things were improving already.

After another round of forced pleasantries, Shaan got started with business. “So, what’s the plan.” Shaurya didn’t bother saying anything, waiting for this meeting to be over. Why was his presence necessary anyways? It wasn’t as though Ms. Bhalla would bother taking his suggestions into account. She would do what she wanted anyways so what was he even doing there?

Anokhi began to recite her proposal and Shaan nodded along, deferring to her since she was the one who had done these projects in the past. So long as they got to see the initiative take off, that was all that mattered to him. Once she finished her initial proposal, Anokhi paused for a second to look at Shaurya.

“But there is an alternate plan as well. One that would be a bit longer and smaller in scale but that would ensure that the project gets off to the right start.” If he was surprised, he hid it well. Because he wore the same unimpressed look as always. Shaurya Sabherwal was unreadable. As always. She detailed the proposal that he had given her and Shaurya decided that this Anokhi was unpredictable. Given the haughty rejection of everything he suggested, he could never have imagined that she’d modify her plans. If anything, he figured she’d bulldoze her way through only out of stubbornness. But he had to commend her ability to separate her personal dislike for him from her professional role as a Project Director.

Shaan turned his attention to his son who was distracted. “Shaurya?” Snapping back to reality, he furrowed his brow right away to hide any slips in his mask. “What do you think?” The man merely nodded his approval.

“The alternative is actually based on his suggestions.” Anokhi credited, eyes flashing to meet his as she did so. She knew he wouldn’t care but she was not about to claim someone else’s suggestion as her own. Shaan told them to keep him updated and signed off on the projections. Shaurya was the first one out the door while Anokhi gathered her documents and went after him.

“Shaurya,” she called out to his back. He halted and stifled an exasperated sigh. Did she vow to make every single day impossible for him? Maybe she came back just to make him miserable again.

“Are you calling me?” She caught up and he gave her a sarcastic smile, hoping that this would be over quickly. Perhaps next time he should just ignore her.

“Do you see anyone else around?” Anokhi was determined to keep calm today and not let his sarcasm or taunts deviate her from her goal.

“I’m just surprised that Anokhi Bhalla has something to say to me.” He began, words dripping with bitterness that he simply could keep at bay. No matter how hard he wanted to feign indifference, she made it impossible. “Please, tell me, what can I do for you?”

“The amended proposal that I spoke about inside. Let me know if this plan works.” Anokhi met his eye, hoping he would understand this as her peace offering. If he had given her the cactus as a way to suggest they be professional, she incorporated his suggestions as a tacit acceptance of those terms.

“What happened to you knowing what you were doing? To launching a full-fledged program, logic be damned?” Shaurya was not having any of this professionalism nonsense. After the ego trip she had taken a few days ago, was he expected to believe she just magically turned over a new leaf?

“I gave it some thought,” before she could finish, he cut in. “Ah, and you realized that it was impractical?” He was goading her and Anokhi curled her fist subtly to keep from losing her cool, an act that didn’t slip his notice. She would have taken deep breathes if it wouldn’t be so obvious that he was getting to her. “I realized that I should have a contingency plan.”

“Wow, and what brought about this revelation, Ms. Bhalla? I thought you only listen to yourself?” After all, she had a blind faith in her beliefs and abilities. A faith so strong that she refused to accept her faults or entertain the thought that maybe, she could be wrong.

“I do,” she threw back without pause. “And when I thought about it, I decided to build in a contingency plan.” Shaurya resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, stuffing a hand in his pocket he gave her a forced smile.

“Great. Glad to hear it.” With that he turned to leave, only to be stopped once more by her words. “One more thing,” she waited until he was facing her. This time, he took his sweet time turning on his heel. Anokhi knew that ground rules were important, and she was willing to take the first step in setting them. Besides, a part of her wanted to come out of this looking like the mature one, especially given that he had made a peace offering first.

“If we’re going to be working together, I think it’s best for both of us if we stay professional. It’s not productive to keep fighting.” Shaurya’s gaze bore into her, studying her expression to figure out what was going on behind her mask.

“Who’s fighting? Me or you?” He threw back, feeling the anger he tried to suppress bubbling once more. This Anokhi Bhalla thought she was above him and above maintaining any relationship with him. Even one of adversaries. It seemed she was dead set on forcing distance between them, destroying even the animosity that existed.

“We can say me if that makes you feel better.” Anokhi offered, despite not believing it was only her. She threw a few punches, yes, but he was far from innocent in this war of words.

“Either way, it should stop.” She stated firmly, truly believing that maintaining a professional relationship was the only way for them to move forward. Shaurya on the other hand was not willing to drop the years of bitterness only because she, all of a sudden, wanted to play nice. Their relationship—be it one of hatred—would not be defined on her terms. He refused to let her singlehandedly end it on a whim. Not again.

“Ms. Bhalla,” he began, growing awfully close like he did whenever he wanted to drive a point home. “You never were, nor will you ever be, important enough for me to fight with.” The silence between them was yet again charged. He saw anger flicker in her eyes and knew that he had hit the right nerve. If he was going to be mad, he’d make sure she was too. If he was going to hate her, he’d make sure she felt the same way. Because there was nothing worse in his books than her apathy. Her professionalism.

“Or fight for.” She hissed maliciously, the memories of a past flooding her conscious when she was so determined to not let them. He always found a way to push her buttons and undermine her well intentioned plans. She thought she’d call a truce, apologize for being rude a few days ago, and they could maintain a good working relationship for the short time that she was here. Did things have to be so difficult? With him, of course. Shaurya glowered fiercely, ready to denounce her allegation. But she didn’t give him the chance. Like always, she said her bit without leaving any room for the other person to contest.

“You know what,” she began, scoffing at her own stupidity. “I’m the idiot for thinking you’d be mature about this. How could I forget that mixing personal with professional is your age-old habit?” Shaurya’s lip twitched up in triumph, seeing her spiraling away from indifference. Anokhi couldn’t decipher what his smirk meant but she didn’t care. He wasn’t even worth it. Why waste her time trying to reason with a man who refused see reason?

“Forget it. Here, take the proposal. Review it if you want, or don’t. I don’t care.” Taking his hand, she roughly placed the file in his palm and stormed off, leaving him basking in his small victory.

❈~❈~❈~❈~❈

It was not the first time, nor would it be the last that his mind was stuck on Anokhi Bhalla. He considered her request for them to be civil that night. While he had impulsively rejected it on the spot, he reflected on the impetus for the suggestion. Despite his better judgement, on his way back to his cabin, he passed by her office. He told himself to not allow his eyes to wander. Yet they did. And his brief look into her office did not reveal that she had found his gift. If she did, he had no idea if it had been locked away in the drawer with her other gift, or if it ended up where her bouquet had. In the trash.

Shaurya couldn’t say what compelled him to even buy that damn thing. Somehow when he went to get the flowers, seeing it there triggered a stupid memory and he bought it without thinking. Perhaps he was not yet done testing this Anokhi to find even a sliver of the woman he once knew. The woman he once loved. Shaurya pinched the bridge of his nose, agitated by his own thoughts. He needed to stop thinking about her and yet as though no time had passed, he found himself slipping right back into his old ways. As though he hadn’t just spent the past five years erasing her from his mind and heart.

“Shaurya,” Devi’s voice broke through his frustration and immediately he donned a neutral expression. She had a way of seeing through him but Shaurya could not handle a round of her interrogation that night. When he himself did not have answers to the questions he saw in her eyes, what could he tell her?

“Yes, Badi Ma, did you need something?” He stood up to greet her, wishing, not for the first time, that this would be a quick conversation.

“You haven’t been home these past few days. I heard you came back tonight so I thought I’d come and see you.” Devi could sense his restlessness and knew the reason very well. This was exactly what she had been worried about. The past five years, though he hadn’t been himself, at least he had been close to her. A few days with Anokhi back and he was already starting to avoid her.

“I’ve just been really busy, so I’ve just stayed at the apartment instead,” he brushed off. It was an unsatisfactory excuse because even when he was extremely busy, he always made sure to pay her visit. But since Anokhi had returned, he had been avoiding everyone in the house.

“With work? Or is there something else on your mind?” Her question was probing, perhaps more so than she otherwise would have asked. But her desperation to determine how much time she had pushed her to be direct.

“Work. What else would be on my mind?” He asked pretending to not know what she was referring to. If he had spent the past five years trying to convince himself that he was fine, he had spent even more energy trying to convince his family of that fact.

“Nothing. You’ve just seemed disturbed, so I wanted to see if there was something else bothering you.” Devi knew better than to ask him upfront what was on her mind. Rather she cast a glance behind him, noting the way the pillows were thrown around his bed, the duvet unmade, clothes flung across a chaise.

“Your room looks just like you.” He furrowed his brow in confusion, and she gave him an astute smile. Devi stepped around him to go to the bed and reset the pillows he hadn’t bothered to take care of. After all, he had pretty much cooped himself up in here for a few days, not letting anyone in. And the last thing on his mind was tidying up.

“Badi ma, leave it. I’ll take care of it,” he insisted, but she cut off his protests. This was the perfect segue into the conversation she wished to have with him.

“It’s okay Shaurya. If not me, who else will do this for you?” She paused by his closet, smoothing the fabric of his blazer as she hung it back on the shelf. Keeping her back trained to him, she paused dramatically, choosing her words carefully.

“But you know, I won’t always be there. And if anything were to happen to me, you also need someone who can take care of these little things that you don’t have time to do. How much will you handle on your own?” Turning to face him, she searched for understanding or resistance in his eyes. They were merely weary and lifeless.

“I’m fine, Badi ma. It’s just a jacket.” It was a weak protest. Shaurya knew that this wasn’t the time to have this conversation. Nor was he really looking to go down the path that he knew she was leading him. Devi however was unrelenting because she knew that the longer she waited, the more unmanageable the situation would become for her. She had made that mistake once, but she couldn’t let history repeat itself now.

“Today it’s just a jacket, but what about tomorrow? What about in a few months? A few years? When you come home from work late, who will be waiting? If you’re sick, who will take care of you? Shaurya, how long are you going to keep torturing yourself with the past?” Her words laced with feigned concern, she approached her son.

“I heard that Anokhi is back on campus. That she walks around like nothing ever happened.” She watched as his eyes shifted, the otherwise dead haze replaced by a flash of rage. “Whatever your past was, it apparently makes no difference to her. So why are you punishing yourself when she clearly doesn’t care?” So long as she could fan the flames of his hatred, she would be safe.

“Shaurya, I’m not saying this to hurt you, but you’ve tried finding someone your way twice. And we’ve seen the result.” Placing her hand on his cheek, she continued softly. He brought his eyes to meet hers, crumbling under the truth she presented. “Why don’t you let me try this time? Someone who has the same values as us. Someone who will stay with you, no matter what happens. Not someone who will leave when things get difficult.” He couldn’t bring himself to say yes because his faith in the concept of marriage shattered the day Anokhi left. But another part of him figured maybe his aunt was right. Maybe it wasn’t the institution of marriage but his way of finding a compatible partner that was wrong. Yet his heart couldn’t come to agree, just like it hadn’t been able to in the past five years.

“I’m not saying decide tonight Shaurya. Just think about it.” The sooner she could get someone else in Shaurya’s life, the sooner the threat that Anokhi Bhalla posed would be neutralized. She watched his clouded expression, sensing his hesitation. But for the first time, she saw a glimmer of consideration in him that hadn’t been there in the past five years. A moment of weakness she could capitalize on.

“Go to sleep. Don’t stress too much about these things. When you have time, just think about it.” She assured him calmly and he gave her a weak smile. Bidding him a good night, Devi headed to her room, knowing she would need to move quickly. Otherwise, she could lose her son once again.

❈~❈~❈~❈~❈

Anokhi studied the envelop that sat on her desk wondering if she should even bother with it. All the other invites had already gone out a while ago, but she held onto this one. Granted, she didn’t even need to give it to him because she could always just ask if he was planning to come, but somehow avoiding Shaurya felt like the best strategy for her. He already rejected her ceasefire, which left her wondering if his gift wasn’t a peace offering but a war cry. Her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip and she was about to stand when she caught a familiar face walking past her office.

“Ravi!” She called out with more enthusiasm than she intended. Standing up and rushing over to the door, she called for him once more. The peon stopped in his tracks and gave her a perplexed look before approaching.

“Yes, madam?” Anokhi truly felt that he was a god send in that moment. “Ravi, can you do something for me?” She donned the most hopeful, bordering on desperate look. One that would have convinced anyone to help her. “Of course madam, just ask. Do you want me to bring you something?”

“No, I want you to deliver something.” Rushing over to her desk she grabbed the envelop and offered it to him. “Go give this to your sir and ask him if he’s going to come. And come tell me what he says. Okay?” Ravi didn’t know what was in the envelop or why she needed him to do this for her, but he just nodded. “Alright.” She gave him a bright smile and when he left, let out a breath of relief.

“Shaurya sir?” Shaurya cast a glance over at his cabin door and nodded his head to indicate that Ravi speak. His mind was slowly settling back and he was, for the first time in weeks, being productive. These days, he just avoided Anokhi, figuring that she would come to him with updates as necessary.

“Sir, Anokhi madam wanted me to give this to you,” the peon handed Shaurya the thin envelop and his eyes alternated between the card and the man delivering it. “Is she not in today?” He asked, confused that he was getting this at the hands of a messenger. Her door had been open that morning, though he didn’t bother to look and see if she was inside her cabin.

“No sir, she’s in.” Ravi responded honestly, furthering confusing Shaurya in the process. He brought his eye back to the envelop, wondering what was inside that Anokhi sent it at the hand of someone else.

“Then why are you giving me this?” He pondered aloud, looking up to see if Ravi would have an answer for him. Instead, the other returned his inquisitive look with a blank one, almost shrugging his shoulders.

“I don’t know sir. She saw me and asked me to give this to you. And then she said to tell her what you respond.” When under with the interrogatory gaze of Shaurya Sabherwal, no one dared to lie. Ravi was no exception and he was quick to spill, only wondering after if he should have kept what she asked him in confidence. But it was too late and Shaurya thought for a moment before grabbing the envelop opener that sat in his drawer.

Running the metal through the thin film that held the two ends shut, Shaurya pulled out a beautifully designed card graciously requesting his presence at a fundraising event for their initiative. The date was for days later, but he assumed that he was the last to receive this invitation. Observing the card for a moment longer, Shauya’s eyes flashed up to the peon who was awaiting his answer. He contemplated handing the RSVP back to him before choosing a different course of action.

“Ravi, go. I’ll tell your madam myself.” He responded calmly. Sensing his hesitation, Shaurya raised a brow, daring him to challenge. Ravi, who figured that facing Anokhi would be safer than facing Shaurya, shook his head and excused himself.

Whatever work he had been getting done earlier was paused. Shaurya’s lip curved up when he slowly began to realize why things had been so peaceful. It seemed Ms. Bhalla was avoiding him. While he had been doing the same, Shaurya had been quite upfront about allowing his personal feelings towards her color their working relationship. But she had been all righteous about putting aside their differences for the good of the project and now, she couldn’t even come and deliver a simple invitation to him. Tapping the corner of the card against his desk, he reveled in this discovery. It was petty and likely beneath him, but the small victory did make his day that much better.

Anokhi could only wonder whether or not Ravi had given the card to him. She shouldn’t have anticipated the response but a part of her wished that he would decline. Perhaps his animosity towards her meant he did not want to see her at all. Their paths hadn’t crossed since their last disagreement and she took that as a message. One she was more than happy to comply with. If they couldn’t be cordial, it was better they ignore each other than fight. All Anokhi was here to do was complete this project and prove that she wasn’t the same stupid girl that fell for his sweet promises years ago. Her work would accomplish both without her needing to speak with him.

_____________________________________________________

A/N: After forever I finally got the chance to continue. I am so sorry for the wait and thank you to everyone that has been giving this story so much love. I also really appreciate all your thoughtful comments as they give me the motivation to keep writing and make me see my own take on these characters in a new light!! I hope you enjoyed this update and I'll try my best to keep updating more frequently ❤️❤️❤️

Oh Dear had been waiting since so long will wait eagerly for the next update

Originally posted by: infinitie

A/N: After forever I finally got the chance to continue. I am so sorry for the wait and thank you to everyone that has been giving this story so much love. I also really appreciate all your thoughtful comments as they give me the motivation to keep writing and make me see my own take on these characters in a new light!! I hope you enjoyed this update and I'll try my best to keep updating more frequently ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you for updating!! This was really needed as a pick me up! You're an amazing writer. I love that you're showing both the main character's feelings without it being too introspective. I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Wow Sruthi!! You have survived your exams and everything else and well and writing!! Missing your daily updates and forum activity!!

Join there too!! Lol positivity is in dire need here 🤣

I will come back and read this lovely update!! Thanks a lot!

Yayyyy you updated, i am so happy💖😊...was worried that you had decided to abandon it...please dont🙏, would really love to see this wrapped up the way you intended...a really interesting story...

Thanx for the long update💖😊...so shaurya has refused the olive branch...interesting...he prefers her anger to apathy...glad he is still disturbed by his feelings for her...nice...

Anokhi on the other hand thinks she is the mature one trying to avoid a fight...deluding herself too i think since she has so much leftover feelings for him too...

Very much excited to know what happened between them especially that "fight for" comment...were they married?🤔

Devi scares me bcos villians who pretend to be your benefactors are so scary...they pounce when you are low or have a weak moment...hope shaurya doesnt succumb...

So happy to hear you will be updating more frequently now...tq...this story has a special place in my heart😊💖🌹

Originally posted by: Aimsha

Oh Dear had been waiting since so long will wait eagerly for the next update

Thank you so much for reading!! I'll definitely try and update more frequently 😊😊

Originally posted by: mallukumari

Thank you for updating!! This was really needed as a pick me up! You're an amazing writer. I love that you're showing both the main character's feelings without it being too introspective. I can't wait to see where this story goes.

Of course! Honestly writing ShaKhi gives me so much peace and they truly never fail to inspire me to write more! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and thanks so much for reading and bearing with my slow burn storytelling. I'm super excited to keep developing the plot 😊

Originally posted by: anamika365

Wow Sruthi!! You have survived your exams and everything else and well and writing!! Missing your daily updates and forum activity!!

Join there too!! Lol positivity is in dire need here 🤣

I will come back and read this lovely update!! Thanks a lot!

Anamika!! I barely survived and now work is consuming all my days but I finally was able to find some time to get back to writing this story! I hope you enjoy the update and looking forward to your thoughts 🤗🤗