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Hii... congratulations on the new thread!! May this one be more successful than the previous one!!😉
Please update soon... waiting eagerly to know what happens next!!
Chapter 35: I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad ... till death do us part
Saptapadi: With the first step, we will provide for and support each other.
To say that there were huge fireworks that followed, after Shivvay announced his options to Mrs. Kapoor and Tia, would have been putting it lightly. It was also amazing to see a very quiet and unassertive Robin suddenly turn very vocal and very confident about what he wanted for Tia and himself.
What was even more amazing to all present was the authority with which he spoke to Mrs. Kapoor when she tried to run him down. No one had witnessed this side of Robin before and all were quite surprised by the change. One would go as far as to say that they saw a glimpse of Shivvay in him that day.
His attention towards Tia and his concern for her were very much visible to all, including Tia, who actually seemed to be breathing a little easier with all this out in the open now. When Mrs. Kapoor threatened Robin, a.k.a Dushyant now according to Tia, with bodily harm they were even more surprised to see Tia lash out at her mother for even thinking such a thing.
As Mrs. Kapoor, Tia and Robin sorted things out; Annika noticed a very bored Shivvay had begun to show signs of irritation at the petty bickering that continued and observed with quiet amusement how the Bhagad Billa reacted to the petty conversations he was witnessing which were 'no fun' for him anymore.
While Shivvay had been enjoying this exchange initially, it became apparent by the look on his face, that he was fast growing weary of this game he himself had started. It looked as though it was beginning to lose its attraction for him, now that he had won such a huge landslide victory.
I knew very well, from past experience, that once the challenge was over my husband normally grew bored of the nitty-gritty of simple minds. He did not care two 'rats tails' about what happened to any one of them so listening to them was grating on his nerves now.
The man truly could be a cold, unfeeling and heartless beast when he chose to and I was mystified at how he could have two people live inside him that were so naturally different from each other. One SSO and the other Mere Shivvay'!!
As he turned to look at me I was not surprised to see irritation written clearly all over his face. Demi God!! I thought and shook my head in wonder.
As the bickering, mudslinging and the name calling between mother and daughter got worse it became downright petty and crass for those witnessing it. Gone were the sophisticated women that we knew and in their place stood two very well dressed 'fisher women'.
It was a saving grace that Robin intervened and, like a true gentleman, explained very calmly to Tia that this is exactly why he had decided to take Shivvay up on his offer. He was certain that away from her mother's negative influence he, Tia and their baby would have a better and safer life.
I saw Robin throw one quick look in Shivvay's direction and quickly assess, from the brooding look that Shivvay openly wore, that he was fast losing his patience with Mrs. Kapoor and Tia.
The
intelligent man that he was, I saw that he decided to make the wise decision to
leave before things got worse again. It was clear to me that he wanted to leave
before the beast got bored and started demanding more blood for his sacrifice
or even a pound of flesh from a place close to their heart.
I am sure he would have gladly volunteered Mrs. Kapoor if Shivvay ever asked for that ransom from him.
He
walked up to him and after shaking hands with a very ill-tempered and sullen
looking Shivvay, who wanted nothing more than to get this gaggle of geese out
of his house, Robin held Tia firmly by her elbow and led her to stand in front
of a very bewildered looking me.
His nod to Tia in my direction, indicating that she apologize to me, made me understand the kind of man Robin truly was and I respected him even more for it.
A tearful and repentant Tia did apologize from
her heart but I accepted it only because of the man standing beside her was sporting
the most adorable and honest boyish looking grin at me. She was a very lucky
girl to have a man like Robin love her and care for her inspite of all that she
had done to him.
I suppose Robin and I were very alike in that respect, we both loved the people who had hurt us the name of Family duty and responsibility. I guess you could call us kindred spirits in a way.
I
have no idea if something in my eyes and smile alerted my husband but with a
few slow and very purposeful strides, he came to
stand beside me, wearing a very annoyed and thunderous look.
At
my acceptance of her apology I was astonished to see Robin take my hand in a
gentle hold as he looked at Shivvay coolly and with a mischievous twinkle in
his eye he bowed over it, only to end up placing a firm kiss on it.
I heard my husband's sharp intake of breath and realized then that it was nothing more than 'pay back' for Shivvay affording the same attention to his wife earlier.
As
I lowered my head a little to hide a small smile at Robin's courage for taking
on Shivvay Singh Oberoi, I felt Shivvay stiffen at my side. He quickly
extracted my hand from Robins and led him towards the door, with Tia following
meekly behind, as he pretended to brief him on the paperwork that would be
needed to sign before he left for London.
During this whole exchange between Robin, Tia and me, I realized Pinky Aunty had managed to make a major 'O My Mata' of Mrs. Kapoor and had already marched her out of the Mansion. Mrs. Kapoor promised pay back for the humiliation that she had endured at Shivvay's hands but Pinky Aunty just turned up her nose and waved her off to Khanna.
After that she walked past Shivvay, Robin and Tia, completely ignoring her 'Tia beta', as she swept past her to go and sit beside Badi Ma and sulk. As I looked at the expressions worn by Papa, Badi Ma and Dadi, seated beside her, I knew that the real explosion was going to happen once the Kapoor's and Robin left.
Shivvay would have a lot of explaining and apologizing to do and I could see that it was going to be a long night at the Oberoi Mansion.
As
the door was shut behind Robin and Tia, I braced myself for the storm that was
going to hit Shivvay. I watched as he turned from the door, jammed his hands in
his trouser pockets and sauntered over as if he did not have a care in the
world while I puzzled at how the man could be so calm knowing what was in store
for him?
Then
he looked at me and smiled his sad smile and I knew that he was calm only
because he had prepared for this very storm all day today and it was the reason
why he had distanced himself from me. As he proceeded to walk past me to go and
sit by himself, I reached out for his hand and pulled him gently to the seat
beside me.
His stared at me with a surprised look as he sat down and I squeezed his hand gently as I whispered, "We face it together, remember??!!" His eyes turned the colour of the summer sky as he raised my hand and kissed it tenderly.
"Are you going to explain or do we need to ask the reason behind your disgusting, ungentlemanly and shameful act Shivvay??!!", I heard Papa state very calmly but with a steely tone in his voice I had never heard before. I dared not turn to look at the man who had only ever shown me his gentle and paternal side.
I could hear my heart hammer in my chest as I stared wide-eyed at Shivvay flinching at his father's tone as if noting the controlled rage and disdain in his Papa's voice. With one hand already firmly in his, I wrapped my other one around Shivvay's arm as if worried that Papa would send him away from me as a punishment for what he had done.
"Shakti..", started Bade Papa in a peace-makers voice and was cut off by a very polite but firm, "Please Bade Bhiaya.." from Papa as he raised his hand to silence Bade papa and looked straight at Shivvay," don't start making excuses for his sins even before he has had a chance to recount them to us."
I
turned to see Bade Papa raised his hands in surrender as he crossed them at his
chest and leaned back giving Shivvay an apologetic look. He did see his younger
self in Shivvay and I knew that for a fact. The roguish, reckless, ruthless,
intense and obsessive side of Shivvay was 'Bade Papa' all the way.
I heard Shivvay reply in a firm voice lacking any emotion except courage, "I will not make any excuses for my actions because they are inexcusable and I completely agree with that. I will not justify my actions because there is no justification that I can give which will make sense to any of you. I will not apologize for my actions because I owe that apology only and solely to my wife, against who I made them. I will however explain why I did them but that is not so that I am judged for them but because it is the sins I choose to make and bear on my soul", and then he paused.
I felt his eyes on me and I turned to look at him. He looked into mine, his filled with honesty and remorse as he continued, "I did them for the respect and the reputation of my Family Name. I sacrificed an innocent and drew tears of blood from her that day to pour them at my Family's Altar as an offering. I broke the Spirit of a pure and unblemished soul so that I could feed the beast that kept the Family Pride alive. I and I alone am to blame for these sins because they were only of my doing, no one else."
I felt tears filling my eyes and running down my face while my heart tore remembering every moment that day and I whispered in a broken voice, "Please stop Shivvay!! We cannot keep reliving this over and over again, causing torment and pain to each other. You don't have to do this! You know I have forgiven you already!!"
But
he shook his head in negation, his eyes shining with un-shed tears, pleading
with me and telling me that he needed to do this to unburden his soul. He had to confess and repent.
"I did them because the beast inside me took over wanting to make an innocent pay for sins I had judged her for even before I gave her a chance to refute them", he continued in the same firm voice, "I was the judge, the jury and the hangman, not giving her a chance to even defend herself from my silent accusations. In reality I was a man making her pay for being the object of my obsession. For being bold enough to make Shivvay Singh Oberoi want something so bad that he was willing to go against his very nature. For taking over Shivvay Singh Oberoi's thoughts and feelings, and forcing him to change."
He looked towards Papa and stated in a voice that shook with emotion, "I confess, I married her to possess, humiliate and punish her just for being who she is and not conforming to my idea of who she should be, a cheap middle class girl with no morals and without principles. I punished her for proving me wrong but I never in my wildest dreams realized that while I was punishing her every wound and every slash that tore at her heart, tore at mine as well. The more I hurt her, the greater the pain in my chest became till one day I came to the realization that her pain had become mine!! And because of the pain I caused her she began to put more distance between us."
He looked back at me and then down at our hands clasped together saying in a soft far away voice, as though speaking to himself, " But the more distance she put between us emotionally the more I felt the need to cause her that pain so I stayed connected to her in some way. I was caught in a trap of my own making and could see no way out till I was fortunate enough to have a solution come knocking on my door one night in the form of Saumya. You know the rest Papa", he finished his fingers caressing my palm by making circles on them unconsciously with his thumbs, still lost in his own thoughts.
The room was so silent that I could hear myself breathe. Shivvay did not let go of my hands and I too felt the need to leave them there. It seemed like caressing them made him feel better and comforted him in some way.
At last Dadi spoke and I heard the disappointment in her voice as she asked, "We gathered that Annika did not have a say in this forced marriage but to see the terrible reason why she didn't, is a shock to all of us Billu? It means she was an innocent victim and is presently trapped in a marriage that she may not even want to be a part of! Do you even realize the implications of what you have done? How it affected her and what she must have suffered??!! Is this how I bought you up Billu!!??"
"Maji", started Papa in a very stern voice, "right now my only concern is to hear what Annika has to say and what she would like to do. As Shivvay's father I cannot undo the injustice and wrong he has caused Annika but I can at least stop any further injustice from happening."
"Annika
Beta...", he addressed me in a soft kind voice full of pain, shame and remorse and I
turned to look at him my own eyes filled with tears at the pain I was causing all
the people I loved so dearly in the room.
Papa lowered his head slightly in shame as he stared at his fingers, as if unable to face me,"I am sorry for what my son put you through and I promise to do all to ensure that you never have to ever go through that again."
Then looking up past me at Shivvay, with a look full of shame and hurt look that tore at my heart, he continued in voice that broke with emotion slightly, "I am Shivvay's father but I am telling you this in all sincerity, he does not deserve a loving, kind and gentle girl like you as his wife. You have already done him a huge favour by not bringing his sins to light but I think the time to be a saint stops now. The Oberoi's never divorce, and that is the rule, but I will make an exception to that rule and even willingly break it, to keep you happy"
"Shakti!!!", I heard Dadi gasp in unison with Badi Ma and DevRu , "how can you even say that!! I cannot live without Anni Bahu."
I
felt Shivvay's head snap up next to me, as if he had broken out of his daze with someone landing a whip on his back,
and heard his sharp intake of breath. I felt him clutch my hands tighter and
turned to look into his eyes that looked like they were half crazed with fear.
"Papa...please
... please !!, he implored softly, as if afraid to even try begging with his furious father right now, "please don't take Annika away from me. I will die", he whispered beseechingly, so soft that
only I heard him clearly. His hands tightened around mine, like a drowning man grasping at straws.
I
turned to speak with Papa, my heart ripping to shreds at Shivvay's desperate
look and words, because I knew fully well that Papa meant every word that he said. He would
make good on his promise of keeping Shivvay away from me, if that is what I
wanted, and there would be not a single thing that Shivvay would be able to do
to make him budge from that promise.
He was Shivvay's father in that respect; once he made a commitment he stuck to it no matter what it cost him.
But I wanted to assure him that it was not so, I did not want to stay away from Shivvay because I too could not live without him. I may have been forced in the marriage by Shivvay then but today I wanted to stay in it of my own free will! I could not imagine my life without Shivvay in it now.
"Maji",
I heard Papa reply before I could speak, taking Dadi's hand in his as if assuring
her, "she will always be our Anni Beta even if she does not remain our Anni
Bahu. WE will still see her and visit her even when she is no longer our Bahu!!
But don't you think she deserves to make that decision herself?? That she
deserves happiness and joy??!! Would you
give Prinku to a man who is a monster like my son??!! And if he did manage to force her into a
marriage, would you not do all in your power to free her from him??!! How is Annika any different?? I have said she is my daughter and I meant it
with all my heart", he finished glaring at Shivvay as if daring him to challenge his decision.
"But at least ask what Anni Bahu's decision is and what she would like??!", beseeched Dadi tearfully, as she turned to me and spoke almost pleading, "You tell us Anni Bahu, what is your decision??!"
I
turned back to looked at Shivvay who looked like a desperate man by now, his
eyes wild and searching my face as if worried that I would have started having second thoughts about my decision. My heart was breaking
and the tears were flowing freely by now, not only because I could not bear to see Shivvay breaking down but also scared that I too was going to lose
him forever if Papa did not accept my decision.
I launched into Shivay's chest to find solace, our hands still entwined, and stated in a broken and tear-filled voice for all to hear, "Good or bad, perfect or imperfect, it does not matter to me anymore now. He is My Shivvay and will remain such till I die."
I felt Shivvay release my hands as he wrapped his arms, like steel bands, around me and planted kisses in my hair, whispering over and over again, "Sorry!! ... oh! God!! Annika I am so sorry!!... I promise to never hurt you or cause you tears and to always provide for and support you no matter what comes our way. Will you forgive me??!"
I
nodded in his chest as I let him hold me, tears of relief washing over us both.
"That settles it then", I heard Dadi's happy voice as I heard cheering while we were enveloped in a hug by Om and DevRu.
"No it does not!!", I heard Papa's stern voice cut through the happiness. As we broke out of the embrace we looked up to see a very severe looking Papa who was addressing Shivvay, "You have not proposed to my daughter yet young man or asked for her hand in marriage. Till as such time that you do, and I accept that you are worthy of her, she will be lodging with Saumya. I hope I have made myself clear Mr. Shivvay Singh Oberoi!!. "
"Perfectly Sir!!", grinned Shivvay as his eyes shone with laughter and he wore the most adorable look.
Papa's
expression did not alter and I wondered how he could resist his only son look
so lovable! He truly WAS Shivvay's father I thought as I smiled.Nothing budged this man from his commitment.
Then I was surprised as he gently but firmly un-wrapped me from Shivvay's arms, pulled me up to stand and placed me slightly behind him saying, "Now if you don't mind Mr. Oberoi, please restrict your public displays of affection till after the proposal is accepted. You are to maintain an honorable distance from my daughter till as such time the wedding is over. Feel free to go on one knee any time now and propose. The field is clear", and with that he stepped to one side.
I heard OmRu chuckle at Shivvay's shocked face as I too smiled slightly at how only Papa could manage to throw the great Shivvay Singh Oberoi off balance.
But then I gasped in shock as I saw Shivvay stand up, straighten his waistcoat and take the floor on one knee, wearing the biggest smile I had ever seen, while he stretched out his hand and asked, "Will you do the honor of marrying me Annika? Will you take me with all my faults, shortcoming and flaws as your husband?"
"Say No!!", screamed Om, DevRu, Saumya and Prinku in unison and laughed.
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/142840907
MysticRiver, AYUSHIVISHU water9786 farinaks tanu3579 Mystery1234 fffan123
vivacious_gurl Black_Maniac Tremors
Thank you all for the congratulations and the encouragement 😊
idolovestories
WOW!!! Waiting for an update!! I just love
your writing style and the way the characters effortlessly come to life( thanks
to your efforts though). Thank you 😊
Willing Oberoi Wife eh? curious... There are 2 - that is the only hint I will give for now ...lol You know the first one already right? 😉
bworm
Shucks...title dekh ke confusia gaye hum. ..tumhare naam dekha to batti jali
Badhai ho badhai...second thread ke
tum ko lol ... TY
Eagerly Waiting for the next update
.Please do put a link for the old
thread on this one too. Took you suggestion and did 😉 ty dear
sky-if
Congrats on the new thread and here is hoping it turns out as long the first - so we get multiple updates! Will try 😊 If the demand is still there - will keep the supply coming ...lol
lol ... no it is for thank you's you greedy gurl 😆Originally posted by: NYCForever
why is this res - i am hoping we have another part coming our way 😉
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