Annika.. Ya.. Paanika??? Episode 29

EPISODE 29
Tada! I’m back….Hello everyone….!!!I’m good as my word, I hope…..
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Recap: An OBros moment. Shivaay decides to do something that he sees as a last attempt to save his sinking skip. Or rather…Sinking relationship….

Annika POV:
What a futile world we all live in! As I walked into the decorated hall for another fakeness in display, my belief is reaffirmed. Only then my mind begins to slowly think of the probabilities,possibilities,consequences.The outside world knew only Tia Singh Oberoi not any so called street trash ,with ‘unfortunate’ written all over her head as Shivaay’s wife. And for all that I know, Shivaay would never put their credibility, reputation and other such heavy words with an accentuated paunch under risk. I thought of the best possible way to slip away but was then reminded that Akira would be stuck alone here.And my, that girl, her tongue could get into trouble with anyone. I tried best to camouflage myself ,to throw off the mind but it seems kismet had other ideas. For at that instant….

All eyes were on Shivaay Singh Oberoi ,who walked out,regally as ever,in a black and violet tuxedo. But the bigger surprise was when they saw where he was walking to….
Or rather. Towards whom. He walked with a confidence that shone through his whole persona .And pinky promise,had tia been there, she would have said, “Shivaay Baby, my positive energies and reiki have finally cleansed your aura.Now ,Universe will make sure there’s good riddance to all negative energies around you,Baby!”

“Chi! Bad Timing Annika!”, she chided herself. She just prayed her cheapda of a farzi husband in a farzi relationship wouldn’t walk towards her and phelao all the raitha that was in control for now. But no, the man seemed hell bent.
“Mr.Oberoi! Glad to meet you! I’m Malhotra. Cheers for a great party!”, came the cheerful voice of the man whose daughter he had offered to marry in order to save his business from getting bankrupt.

Shivaay cursed his memory.Once.Twice.Several times.
Meanwhile, Annika made good an escape. What she didn’t know was that she was going to be the fodder for some crunchy gossip that evening.
“Mrs.Mistry,Isn’t that the girl who was supposed to be the Oberoi’s eldest son’s wedding planner. What is she doing in this party?”
“Hmm…Maybe come to plan the ‘chaat section’ in this party. That’s what these girls are worth!”
A round of laughter.

“But look at the clothes! The Oberois sure are lavish towards their servants…”
“Careful…She can hear you. And she looks so nasty to me!”
“Wait till you all hear the end of this! She was in an affair with Shivaay Oberoi.Most probably ,a one-night stand!”
“This smells so much of scandal. Oh I feel choked being in the same party as her!”
A round of gasps,whispers and mocking.

“What nonsense are you all speaking!I saw her sitting in the sofa with Shivaay the other day!”
“Mrs.Kumar!What are you telling us?”
“The truth..And I saw it with my own two eyes…..!!What can this mean?”
“Scandal..Scandal…Scandal…After all like uncle…Like nephew….I can’t believe this!”

And Annika who was intently listening felt a thin film of tears clouding her eyes.Her vision was blurred for sometimes.

And the guy with the Annika meter, he sensed, turned to see Annika on the verge of breaking down. And a group of socialites making faces at her. It didn’t take time to put two and two together. He raced forward, tearing through the line of people waiting to block his path. But Annika already had her knight, in shining armour.
“Please stop badmouthing this girl. Look at her pale face,it seems she’s sick.Can you all just stop badmouthing her for a little while.She’s just like your daughter,granddaughter,sister .Would you dare talk about them like this?”

“Oh….Neerja Bhabhi,Please don’t come in between all this.You don’t know this girl.I just heards she was Shivaay’s wedding planner few months ago.And now,sitting in this house,shamelessly for so many months….Shi.shi..shi…”
“Shail..”,Neerja said in a voice of forced calmness.”We are nobody to judge a girl,without actually knowing virtually close to nothing about her.You better stop now,or you shall all know how decorum ad etiquette can be crossed too.”She gestured with her eyes,now rudeness filled ,her right outstretched in the other direction,asking her sister-in-law to join her brother.
“Ew…!!Disgusting!How can you?…”

“Oh….Mrs.Mistry…Pleasure meeting you!”
“Do I know you,Ms.Nobody?”,she asked haughtily to Akira.
“Just know me as the person who knows that your son had a fling with a woman,who was already married.Ahmm..10 years elder to him,I think…And ran off with her 10 crore worth jewellery and all for what……Sports cars?DO you want me to elaborate? And you all here, you aren’t made of gold. So if you try to put muck in my sister’s character, I’ll remove all the ghosts in your closet. The media’s here too. Trust you all to make a wise decision.”
There was pin drop silence.

Neerja looked at the girl in total surprise.
It couldn’t be. The same tone. The same pride. The same confidence with high handed-ness…
All what she had fallen for.
She took the girls away to a room, so that they could collect their cluttered thoughts.
Shivaay saw the elderly lady gesture with her hands in the same, familiar way Annika did.
It reminded him of what she used to be.
And what she was now.
And before Shivaay could follow them. There was more bad news as he was led away.
“Sirji,I am sorry!”

“What do you mean by sorry, Khanna?”
“We hit a wall, sir.We found nothing but few, basic information that almost leads to nothing!”
And just like someone’s honour was torn moments ago, another’s hope of saving his hopes and dreams seemed tearing away that instant…