“Anika, why are leaving?”Shivaay said as he confusingly looked at Anika.
She was facing the inevitable.
Contemplating her fate Anika just looked at the floor, unsure whether to tell him or keep quiet.
She however, didn’t seem to be aware of the fact that he had moved towards her cornering her.
Ding!
The door opened and never has the sound of the elevator door opening sound so good but when she looked up her eyes met his.
“Look, I don’t care about…” Shivaay started.
“The reason……” Anika interjected.
Shivaay waited for her to fill in the blanks, answering all the questions that gave him many sleepless nights.
“Is he bothering you?” a voice asked from behind them.
Anika’s eyes widened when she heard that voice.
“It’s a personal matter”, Shivaay said not even bothering to turn around.
“Ranveer!” Anika gasped.
“I mean Mr Randhawa”, Anika said coming out from behind Shivaay.
“Shivaay, please don’t make a scene” her eyes pleaded with him as he’s eyes went darker piercing her.
Shivaay looked at Anika who looked very uncomfortable in the situation.
He tilted his head sideway as he looked back at her curiously, they didn’t need words; he understood.
“Shivaay Singh Oberoi” he said sticking out his hand towards an ominous looking man staring back at them with utter disgust on his face.
Anika tried to swallow the lump that formed in the back of her throat, but it just bobbed back up every time.
“Anika, you ok?”Ranveer asked as he came closer to her but she just stepped away from them towards the door.
Her past and her future just met, she needed get away from all the tension and awkwardness.
She could feel their eyes on her back which was confirmed by reflexions of them on the door surface.
“So how do you know Ani, I mean Anika”, Ranveer asked.
Shivaay almost lost it.
“She worked for me”, he affirmed his tone of voice was cold, Shivaay didn’t even think of how his answers sounded.
Anika wrench at his answer.
“Anika and I go way back, right Ani” Ranveer said.
As she stepped to the door a three young men entered the elevator just as it closed, leaving Anika strapped with them.
Anika hurriedly pushed the next available floor she was willing to take the stairs anything to get away.
“Hello there, beautiful”, one of the guys said to Anika causing her to retreat back between Ranveer and Shivaay.
“You look lovely”, another said.
Ranveer instinctively put his arm around Anika, as to show them that she was with him.
But the moment his hand touched her, the only response her mind comprehended was hold Shivaay’s hand.
The guys found it strange here this girl was standing in the middle of two guys; with one having his arm around her but she is holding the others hand.
It felt like an eternity but finally the elevator stopped.
Anika rushed out for the stairs, leaving behind two bewildered men.
“I wonder how much time I have until they will find me” Anika thought as she ran down the stairs.
“Not enough, probably” she concluded.
When Anika reached the entrance she was pleased to find a taxi nearby.
She sprinting off in the direction of it when Shivaay spotted her getting in it.
“Just drive” she instructed.
“Saved!” she thought as she caught her breath.
Little did she know that Shivaay was in the car behind her following her.
“We need to talk and I need you to tell me why you left me, Anika” Shivaay thought to himself looking outside the window, as cars and buildings rushed by in a confused blur.
When the taxi came to a halt, Anika was thrown back into the seat.
Shivaay raced through the uneven paved back streets, trying his best not to lose the taxi.
He was lucky that there wasn’t a lot of traffic on the streets and it was easy following the taxi.
The dark streets didn’t make it easy for Anika to see much in the dim lit street.
This wasn’t a bad area, middle-class at best and Shivaay wondered how she could afford this area.
As Shivaay saw the taxi from afar he saw the brake lights go off as the taxi drove off and a figure leisurely walking towards a red brick building.
From the street he saw the light go on and Anika moving towards the kitchen area.
The walls were white but subtle pops of colourful shatter cushions made her place look very homely.
Shivaay decided to stop all the sneaking around and just go in.
Shivaay stood at the door pushing the doorbell.
“Sahil, why do you keep on forgetting your key” Anika said opening the door not even bothering to turn around to tend to something on the stove.
From the comer of her eye she spotted Shivaay not Sahil.
Anika’s heart started to beat faster as she stared at the one person she was trying to avoid.
Shivaay looked back at her with desperate eyes but he didn’t move.
“Billu ji,” she said, calling him by her nickname she had given him.
He liked it when she called him that but from the tone of her voice he could sense her fear.
Anika should have been use to these kinds of situations but with Shivaay it was always different.
“Hi” He said but Anika didn’t respond.
Instead Anika blocked the way so he couldn’t get inside the house.
“How did you know where I live?” Anika asked, folding my arms in front of her chest.
“What do you want Shivaay?” Anika said hoping he didn’t notice that her cheeks have turned a deep hue of pink.
He looked past Anika surveying the room for a moment then his eyes went back to her, “Where is everyone?” he asked.
A sudden realisation came over her; she was alone as Sahil where a school camp.
Anika just retreated backward afraid and as she did that she stumbled over a small table.
She let out a cry, Shivaay rushing to her grabbing her as she was about to fall.
Shivaay buffered her fall as they landed on the floor with Anika lying on top almost straddling him.
Anika froze up and Shivaay could read the emotion that was in her eyes.
Her hair caressed his face as their faces were so close that their noses touched.
Her lips were partially opened and they were inviting him in.
He had to fight his every urge not to just kiss her lips.
But she quickly got up and composed herself.
Anika walked to the door closing it going back to the kitchen with Shivaay following suit.
Precap
Shivaay’s knuckles cracked and a jolt of pain shot up his wrist as he let out his anger and frustration.
“You should have told me this, Anika” He said his eyes turned a shade greener as anger took over.
Shaking his hand, Shivaay looked at Anika’s tear stained face.
Part of him was hurt but he also knew that she had no choice.