Shivaay and Annika: the Courtship (post 1 & 2)

Ok time for a long essay article. (Maybe those spoiler websites can hire me so I can get paid for all this work) ...😆 .

I have been wanting to revisit the "Faraq padta hai" episodes after the big reveal of Shivaay's involvement. Mainly to look at the little moments between Shivaay and Annika. And I thoroughly enjoyed going back again with a new perception. I want to appreciate the writing on the show for how entertaining this was in both perceptions. Some parts have turned out extremely funny after knowing that it was a pretence and still they were winging it in such an impromptu manner.

I was one of those people who thought Shivaay and Annika moved extremely fast into that last hug and wholehearted commitment. But this was because I had reset my counter to half way, back to when they had just started working together (pink clothes, Kaun Tujhe Pyaar karega scene) BEFORE Shivaay and Annika admitted to pretending throughout the memory loss drama.

But in fact they had been progressing further in their relationship throughout the memory loss drama.

If I may say, it was their courtship.

1. (EP 205) Annika is a consummate actress. Shivaay had asked her to pretend to lose her memory and go undercover with the NBs. But he hadn't written her a script or anything. She was winging it impromptu and he was at points totally flabbergasted with her unpredictability. Many times he was left bumbling and mumbling as she sprints off, saying She's mad ! Stuff were completely off script and she was enjoying it and even poking at him with her sarcasm at times. Using his words back at her, making fun of his W*F reactions to her madness.

e.g. Annika suddenly claiming to be Kalavathy Thakur after meeting Tia, was the first clue to the ObBros that Tia was up to no good. But they missed the Svetlana angle.

2. Naagin dance . This was especially hilarious considering how Shivaay must have thought how crazy unpredictable Annika was. He just looked at her like she had gone bonkers, and he and Rudra shared a W*F moment. Annika winked at him and he was going, What the HECK are you doing Annika?!

Annika was completely off script and he was struggling to control the situation. Hence the Chaaku..

3. The chaaku threat. This suddenly looks extremely hilarious. He needed to control the situation, and before Annika took the plot completely out of the planet in her bewakoofiyan and pagalpan, he had to set some rules. You do what I TELL You to do. No arguments. Annika gets the message. Less madness was seen afterwards..

Troubles with a new unpredictable teammate. He threatens her but then asks for a pinky promise to soften the scolding... "This girl will drive me crazy !!"

4. Phone : The essential communication tool. He was mad at her for going without her phone, he was to know at all times where she was and especially since she was associating with the enemy. And we know they always communicated via messages.

5. (Epi 206)Mangalsutra and sindhoor. He tied the mangalsutra twice more during this time, and each time he was more and more sure he wanted it there on her. He was touching her and making her blush, because I think he was losing control over his feelings. She kept making eye contact and asking, yet he was not stopping with the yaad hai?, abhi? In the end, she ran off, just like all the times he made her blush.

6. Sleeping on the bed with Shivaay. He didn't like the distance she was putting between them, and he needed to know what she was up to at all times. She was freaking out about sleeping there and he was equally determined to keep her there. He decides to play games with her too, because her unpredictability in the daytime really vexed him.

He finds her on the floor later, insists that she stays put in his bed. She has slept there since then. Distance bridged and he gets to keep an eye on her as well.

7. Pati Parmeshwar . Annika makes a comeback after being played by Shivaay with the chaaku. Suffocating him with her adoring sanskaari wife avatar, he was clearly rattled with the morning tea. SSO cannot do without his morning espresso !! espreSSO !( see what I did there??)

"I think it's better if I lost MY memory !!"

8. Svetlana in the wardrobe. Shivaay was really angry that she was extorting Omkara. He decided to send her off with cops for blackmailing. But Annika stopped it by hiding her in his cupboard. I believe it was just to convince NBs that Annika was working against him and for them. Outwardly, they all can see Shivaay's efforts to revive Annika's memories were not working at all.

"Your Queen is on our side, Shivaay !!"

"You watch your back, Svetlana, You won't know which pawn of mine will make a move on you. Get ready to lose !! Because I never lose.."

He really got mad, and even tossed her into the pool for it. Think about it, the last 2 times he tossed her in, it was because she disobeyed his direct order.

9. "Tell me your memories have returned !!" I wasn't sure why, perhaps Shivaay wanted to end the charade already, because it wasn't working. All the plans were failing, they were getting nowhere with Tia.

Bringing the buffalo and gobar was a shock. Annika couldn't hide her mirth. She gave him a look, What are you up to Shivaay? Which he replied with a micro-eye-smile.

10. We're like that! I break things and you throw things (at me). An acceptance to the weird dynamics of their relationship. Meanwhile, Annika works on exposing Dushyant.

11. Dushyant. Annika worked on Tia to get information out. When she finally got an address and got there, Shivaay appeared and stopped her from going in. Probably because she was about to blow her cover and endanger herself, but we found out that later Mrs.K had cleared the house. But Annika was on her own here, Shivaay was kept out of the loop.

12. (Epi 210)"I am infertile !" Let me offer a different perspective. They had hoped they would have gotten to Dushyant by then, and exposing it in front of all had also failed. She was fretting in their room, and he brought aloo puri. He was feeling bad about the way Pinky was defending Tia's lies, and wanted to make it up to her.

In the typical Annika fashion, she decided to make light of the situation and flustered him with her infertility sadness, Shivika and Ansh babies. But he did see her unrest through all the jokes, gave her strength and kissed her affectionately.

Annika needed to know how Tia reacted to her revelations. So she sleptwalked into Tia's room to investigate. She heard Tia and Svetlana discussing it but almost got sent to her death for it. Thankfully Shivaay is at hand to stop it.

13. (Epi 211)The divorce and wedding to Tia. Annika walked into a scene where the whole family was at him to let her go and marry Tia. He was fighting the battle defending her position and antagonizing everyone. At this point , he admitted to himself that he didn't want to divorce her. But he has no answer for her questions. She gave him an out, right there, but he didn't take it.

"I Can't let you leave! Because I ..." The words were at the brink of tumbling out. With a Pinky Promise, and complete trust in each other, they went out to put in motion the plan for the fake wedding.

Part 2 below

1. What we went through together, it's branded in our hearts, Tell me you remember that. Most of the angst may have been faked. But when he asked her if she understood the feelings they had for one another, through all the hardships and pain, she denied it. That hit him hard. She is denying that they meant a lot to each other.

"Why am I important to you? Who am I to you?"

"You are important because I..." There it was again, almost out. He loved her, but it wasn't the time to say this. He was definitely sure , he was never going to let her go.

"KOI FARAQ NAHIN PADTA???! "

"No..."

"We'll see about that.."

He was definitely not happy about this fake wedding. But it was the best option at the moment. He also needed that video clip of Daima.

2. He never let her out of his room. He continued to insist that she sleeps in his room, and on his bed. He was insistent, despite the change of plans, her position in his life was still the same.

What was he doing , unbuttoning his shirt and intimidating her?

He wanted her to say, "No don't go to Tia's room undressed like this."

But she said, "Mujhe faraq nahin padta..."

The poor tree by the pool got the brunt of his frustration. She said what they had didn't matter to her.

3. Jealousy. As the wedding prep began, he began to needle her purposely by overdoing all the rituals with Tia. But with each ritual he did with Tia, he made sure he had a small moment with Annika. To reassure her or remind her she was the one who was important to him.

~Proposing with much pomp, ends up catching Annika as she fell, getting lost in her eyes and forgot himself. Drops the engagement ring,creates a bad omen, makes her pick it up. Tortures her for faraqs, and puts it on Tia. But his eyes are solely on her.

~Romantic poses : Deliberately goes up close and in her personal space, that space that she had allowed him into recently, where she ends up blushing furiously and totally putty in his hands.

Did you like it? "Yes.." You feel something for me Annika. Don't deny it..."

~Swing ritual. He uses her romantic poses on Tia, and Annika is really upset. She drops her roses, and he picks them up, puts them back in her hands. She denies feeling anything again. He holds both her hands, flowers and all, and says "I will stay with the one, whom I choose to stay with.." But continues his jealousy inducing games.

~Rohit : Annika too can play an equally khidkitod jealousy game. Just one mention of another man, and Shivaay is steaming and smoking from his ears in jealousy. He does not like the idea of another man around Annika, and he projected that across very effectively.

~Mehendi ritual : Shivaay refuses to share a drink with Tia. Feeling bad that he wasn't sharing that moment with her, he escapes into his imagination: where he is able to hold her and tell her everything that he is feeling in his heart.

She walks up to him, really close, and he feels breathless and stunned. With all his bravado, it looks like he might be rather overwhelmed over Annika's feelings for him. But she plucks out rose petals and leaves him swallowing hard and flabbergasted.

Later he hates it that she has to mix the shagun mehendi with her bare hands, instead of it adorning her hands. Absolutely loses it when she almost burns her hands in the acid contaminated mehendi. He forgot his role play there, and held her close, extremely worried. Later when , Prinku's well meaning bump turns Tia's T into an A on Shivaay's hand, he leaves it on and starts the dancing. While others dance he holds her hand lovingly.

~Faraq padta hai, and I can see it in your face. I will keep asking until you admit it. Despite her concern for his tensed state, a pill for his headache, she still refuses to admit it, but he feels her faraq all around him.

~Annika's jealousy: Annika reacts to the sight of Shivaay getting a head massage from Tia. She decimated the flowers in the basket watching them. He needed to see that, and he was bolstered by it.

~Mujhe Faraq Padta hai, bohot faraq padta hai, Annika. So stop evading and just admit it, that our relationship means something to you too..The man vows to make her admit what she feels for him.

~She's beautiful, and he can't take his eyes off her. He notices every little thing about her and finds her really beautiful, and couldn't stop himself from expressing it. Dadi makes him admit how much he notices about Annika, when she overhears, he knocks shoulders with her in full attitude. Admit it, Annika.

~Angry Shivaay is fed up with all the hoops he is made to jump through, they are going nowhere with this plan. He takes it out on Annika and she is helpless as to how to help. He insists for her to admit she cared. She has supreme self control, and it was frustrating for him to insist so much and fail. He broke the moon charm that had attached to his watch, it broke her stone face, tears fell from her eyes despite her control.

~Both hurting, and both upset their plans were going nowhere tangible, no chip, no proof of Tia's lies, nothing. Only wedding is looming.

"Thank You?? All the things we went through together, all those times, ALL you have to say now is THANK YOU?? What I want to hear from you , you will never say. I don't want your thank you! "

[Shivaay is basically asking her to please tell him that he meant something to her. What he can see in her eyes, he wants in words. Their plans were not working, the stress must have been mounting.]

~ Again , his family is celebrating and dancing, and she is hiding in the shadows sadly. He is even worse off than before, unable to see her walking away, or even turning away, feeling very sorry for saying harsh words to her when she was just playing along in his plan. He reaches out for her hand, grabbing tighter when she tried to leave again. His heart was in his eyes, the naked caring was too obvious. She had to snap him out of it.

[ I wrote details on the wedding already, this is becoming a novel by itself already...but the breakthrough only happened when Annika met Romi and found out about Robin... Then Annika ran for all she was worth with her discovery, and Shivaay gave her the huge task of bringing Dushyant in front of everyone...Team ShivIka+ObBros won a great victory that day, but it was a close shave...]

4. Post wedding and Tia expose. Comfort and teasing continued, in fact Annika was being a little forward too. Their banter was now moving to a back and forth two ways, with the chaaku.. Shivaay started including her in all Prinku's wedding rituals. He was very willing to take her by the hand and go do all the rituals as man and wife. But Kamini and Daksh came in the way. And there was Prinku's secret to keep.

5. The Grand Gesture: Starting with a stammer, Shivaay rose to announce with the maximum amount of conviction as to what she was to him, and how he has accepted her as his wife from the bottom of his heart. NKK seemingly gone, petty in the scheme of things.

6. Annika's expression of what he meant to her. Finally, it was the correct time to say what he meant to her. " You are that one person, that I hold very important. " She poured out all her faraqs so generously, he was stunned into a speechless Awww...

7. LASTLY, Shivaay tells her what she means to him. She is his moonlight in the darkness, and that he wanted to be the Sun that gives her light in her life.

I am yours Annika, get used to it, you're stuck with me.

Hug me Annika, Come on.. is already the husband Shivaay staking his claim.

What a journey , guys. Shivaay and Annika are too beautiful for words. Hope you enjoyed this, because it took REALLY long to write it... [creativity block is high right now]...

Journey down memory lane.

My heart went Awww...❤️

Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece.

What a wonderful analysis..and detailed one too..

Full marks to you for this..😃

Every scene makes sense when we look back.

Shivay, who is otherwise always in control of the situation, loses his sense when it comes to Annika.

She is the one who always challenged his mind and heart, where no one could. She ignites his senses. She is slowly becoming his strength, the one person he can rely on. She supported him when on one did, when everyone believed Tia about the baby. When she said 'mujhe fark nahi padta', something broke inside him. He wants be her strength, one person she can rely on, her number one priority, just as she is becoming one to him. He wants to matter in her life. Hence this game within the game they were playing.

Annika knows what is at stake, and hence her iron clad control. She is the one who picked up the slack, when Shivay faltered.

All their banter, funny talks had a deeper meaning. For they knew, this plan could go either ways. IF they could not find anything about Tia, then Shivay may very well have to divorce Annika and Marry Tia. They wanted to avoid this at any cost, hence the ML plan.

Towards the end of their plan, they still were not able to find anything. Even if it is fake wedding, it could very well mean a separation for Shivay and Annika. Hence the mounting frustrations, anger. Shivay desperately wanting to know what Annika feels, because he may not have any other chance.

If they cannot find evidence about Tia before wedding, then Shivay would have to continue the charade of marrying her, Annika would have to be moved out of his room, his house and even his life. They could never meet or talk openly. It was dangerous gamble they took and it paid off.

Now that everything is open, we can see the intensity of their feelings. They almost lost each other just few days back.

Love

Kshithi

...And the angst!! Off the charts . I think the turning point for Shivaay was the introduction of rohit. He doesn't touch Tia unnecessarily after that. It's Tia who holds his hand when they walk in for the mehndi, Tia who offers a head massage.

The naked longing , the desperation is wonderfully portrayed by Nakul