Posted:
Awesome... Simply amazing... I have read last 5 chapters all in one go and I am super amazed at your story teling. I loved your the way the story has been put across. So crisp and neat.
Looking forward for more of your story.
Chapter 11: Action, Reactions and Future Plans.
"Shivay Bhaiya, why did you do that?" sobbed Prinku, "Anika was not stealing and why were you insistent on declaring her a thief?" she added. Om who walked up to Prinku's room after seeing Anika off said, "This is for the car incident isn't it?". "Come on O" said Rudy, "The car thing happened in the morning, the earring thing now, Bhaiya is not passive aggressive". "Oh but he is, for the first time maybe" said Om. Three pairs of accusing eyes now bore down on Shivay , "Come on guys, I reacted to what I saw and I am not passive aggressive!" said Shivay. "But bhaiya even if it looked like Anika didi was stealing, why did you not relent once Prinku told you what happened?" asked Rudy innocently. "Prinku is young and naive, a perfect example of which is her befriending that uncouth feral woman!" spat Shivay. "Stop it Shivay!", said Kalyani, "Anika was far from uncouth, in fact it is remarkable how dignified she was in face of your baseless accusations" she continued. "But dadi...you do not know her, she smashed my windshield" started Shivay. Before he could continue, Kalyani held up her hand and said "And why is that Shivay? from what I saw she is not insane to keep going around smashing things without any provocation". Kaylani knew why, but what fun is it in letting Shivay know that she thought, besides she wanted to know what he would say. "Yes, why did she smash your windshield Shivay?" asked Om. "Because she is mad!" yelled Shivay, "And I don't like her" he added. With that Shivay left Prinku's room and headed up to his own.
Kalyani sighed, hugging Prinku she said "There there, now don't you cry, I am sure Om has apologized to Anika and I am sure you will as well". "But dadi, this is why, I never told Anika about us" started Prinku, "You mean Prinku you imagined that Shivay Bhaiya would accuse Anika didi of theft?" asked a rather bewildered Rudy. "No Rudy bhai, I wanted to gradually break her into our family, I know how class conscious Shivay Bhaiya is, but Anika has a hear of gold,...she is not..." said Prinku as fresh waves of tears hit her again. "We know beta" said Kalyani, "Do not worry, call her up tomorrow and apologize, and if she does not accept it, lets all go down to her place and apologize to her Ok?" said Kalyani. With that Prinku managed a small smile and stopped crying. "Why don't you and Rudy go down to the party and wrap things up?", turning to Om she said "O beta, go to Shivay". Om smiled, nodded, hugged his dadi and headed to Shivay's room. "Come on Prinku, I am sure the young debutants are waiting for me" teased Rudy "and here wipe your face he said handing her a tissue, "you look like a panda with all that liner smeared around your eyes". Kaylani smiled at Rudy and with one last hug she left Prinku and Rudy and headed to her room.
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Much as Kalyani adored Shivay, she was not oblivious to his faults. Shivay was perfect, a little to perfect and that what managed to kill his humanity. There was no doubt in her mind that Shivay would take a bullet for the ones he loved, but Shivay's love was flawed. Being the heir to the Oberoi empire perfection was expected from Shivay. That Pinky was ambitious of Shivay was not a secret, but what was unexpected was at the bond Shivay and Tej shared. Unlike other men who would have wanted their own flesh and blood to inherit richness like that of the Oberois, Tej was more than happy to have Shivay as the heir and face of the Oberoi industries. Young Shivay adored and looked up to Tej. In Shivay, Tej saw an improved version of himself, a faster, smarter and handsomer Tej, a Tej who would have never got duped by Rukmini. That Tej who would have been able to value Jahnvi for what she was. And so, Tej tutored and mentored Shivay from a very young age. Kaylani saw this and though happy, she was worried Tej would destroy Shivay's humanity like he had destroyed his. But Kalyani was happy that Jahnvi and Om save Shivay from turning into an inhuman creature. While Tej stressed on the need to excel at things, Jahnvi and Om taught him compassion. Pinky though taught him prejudice. See since Pinky always undervalued herself, she constantly relied on others to form an opinion. It is for this reason that Pinky taught Shivay that if something cost 10 times more than another thing, it was for sure better. It was Pinky who exposed Shivay to the material world. As Shivay grew, he was aware of his position in the world and at home. This power flawed him. Nature and nurture bestowed Shivay several admirable qualities yet left him with one flaw, hubris.
Kaylani noticed tonight that unlike others, and at times even her, Anika faced Shivay with remarkable strength. Kaylani noticed that though Anika was shaken up by the raw power Shivay exuded, Anika bravely looked him in the eye. She knew then that Anika would be the one to help me over come him hubris. Besides, she saw the evident sexual tension and knew that Anika was good for Shivay in more ways than just to humble him. Glancing at a picture of Prithviji's on her bedside table, she said "See Prithviji I think I found the perfect girl for Shivay" and giggled like a young school girl. A plan was forming in her mind and she had to set it in action. She would need Jahnvi for that and maybe Pinky as well. But she would not tell Pinky that. This shall be a lesson for Pinky too.
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Shivay was angry. Not at Prinku, Rudy, O or Dadi. Actually Shivay was angry with himself. He wanted to ignore Anika, he told himself she was not worth it. But the moment he saw her at home, dressed like that, looking him in the eye with that confidence he was not able to control himself. Earlier in that day, she dared to look him in the eye. He was incensed. No on looked Shivay Singh Oberoi in the eye. "How dare she?" he thought. But then again he thought, she did not know off who he was. As much as it seemed impossible for this to happen, he thought that she must come from a world much removed from his. This ignorance could be pardonable. Yet, she dared to do it again, under his roof. If she previously did not know who he was, she should have known by then, and yet...she dared... "How can she ignore him, when he was struggling to ignore her?".
"Shivay" said Om, walking towards his brother who looked like the epitome of the eye of the storm. "Let it go Shivay!, why are you so angry?". "How dare she Om!" thundered Shivay, fists clenched and jaw tightened. "How dare she what?" asked a very puzzled Om, not getting an answer from Shivay, he said "How dare she not steal Prinku's earrings?" he began to tease. "Come on, Om!" snapped Shivay, "Oh I see, how dare she smash your windshield, then?" asked Om. "Yes!" said Shivay quickly. He did not want Om to know the exact reason why he was angry. "I agree with Dadi, I am sure something must have happened for Anika to react like that, I certainly don't think she is unreasonable" said Om. "Enough, I do not want to talk about that girl anymore" said Shivay. "Ok Ok, chill Shivay" said Om, he knew that saying anything now would irritate Shivay further. He knew that there was more than what met the eye, but he also knew that Shivay would confide in him when he wanted to. Now he had to focus on getting Shivay back to his usual self. "Shivay, let us forget this, but I think Prinku won't let it go and to make sure she does, you know what you have to do" he said smiling. Shivay sighed, "Ah yes!, Prinku, she must learn not to associate with people like that girl, but thats a lesson for another time". Smiling lightly, he said "To the kitchen then!" and with that both brothers smiled and headed to the Oberoi private kitchen.
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Party done, and Shivay's peace offering for Prinku, a decadent tiramisu devoured the junior Oberois headed to bed.
"I must apologize to Anika, again and in person!" thought Prinku.
"Something is fishy, I am no kid" huffed Rudy, "Must meet Anika didi again" he thought.
"Will wait for Shivay to fess up" thought Om.
"I will forget she exists" thought Shivay.
But fate had other plans. The cosmos conspired to keep Shivay with Anika and decided to do so in the most interesting of ways possible. While Kalyani was perfecting her plan of bringing Shivay and Anika closer, opportunity would present it self the very next day without Kalyani trying too hard.
It would all start with a phone call Anika would receive the very next day.
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"Hello Anika didi, this is Raju" said a very nervous voice, "What happened Raju?" inquired an anxious Anika, "Didi, can you please meet me today?by the old post office?". "Sure" said Anika, "but why don't we meet by Ishani didi's gallery?, it is closer for both of us". "No didi, please, I don't want to be seen" pleaded Raju. "Ok!" sighed Anika, "I will meet you after work today, at 6?" she asked. "Sure didi, see you then!". Anika was puzzled. Wonder what this would be about.
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