Hey guys bak wid another os … Happie reading!!
Billuji, I’m sorry for your loss. How did she die? And why didn’t anyone tell me? Why didn’t you tell me?” Anika hugged Shivaay while she said those words, tears falling from her eyes, anguish in her voice.
Shivaay had been in his room, working on a presentation for a new deal he wanted to crack when his oasis came in, pulled him up and hugged him. Had it been any other day, Shivaay would have relished having her this close to him, and that too of her own free will. But today, today he pulled back on hearing those words. His eyes widening, he looked at her shocked. “What? My loss? Who died?”
“Your sister. Why didn’t you tell me Billuji’? No one told me” Anika replied, taking hold of his hand she held it between both of her. Her eyes red and tears still falling from them, she looked absolutely distraught. Seeing her like that, Shivaay started to panic, at first he thought she was just fooling around like she always does, but seeing her tear streaked face and saddened eyes, he felt fear grip his heart. Prinku? God no. No.
Without waiting for her to say anything more, he pulled his hand out of her grip and raced out of the room. Skidding to a stop outside Priyanka’s room, he burst through the door shouting for his sister, on finding her not there he turned on his heels and ran towards the lounge shouting his sister’s name. No, she’s fine, nothing can happen to her. She’s Shivaay Singh Oberoi’s sister. Nothing. Will. Happen. To. Her. Entering the lounge he saw that Dadi, his mom, bade ma, Saumya and Priyanka were lounging about enjoying biscuits and tea. “PRIYANKA” he screamed out in a strangled voice, his eyes blurring with tears.
Hearing her brothers anguished shout, Priyanka stood up quickly and just as soon almost lost her balance. Because her brother had ran up to her and pulled into a bone crushing hug. “B b bhaiya, w what h h happened?” She managed to get out, his tight hug causing her stutter, that she had gotten over, to return. Hearing her stuttering voice, Shivaay loosened his grip on her and pulled back alittle, still keeping her close. He ran one of his hands over her hair, pressing a kiss to her temple and said in a soft relived tone “You’re ok. Thank God you’re ok”
“Yes Bhaiya, I’m o ok” She repeated to him, confusion evident on her face and in her voice. She looked at her brother’s face and saw that he was clearly scared, but scared of what? Luckily her chote ma had also seen this and voiced out Prinku’s thoughts by asking Shivaay in a worried voice “Oh My Mata Shivaay, what’s wrong? Why are you running around the house shouting for Prinku and looking like someone died?”
“Because Prinku died mom” Shivaay said which got his mom to pull Priyanka aside and stand in front of him. She looked at him for some time, then put a hand to his forehead and checked his temperature. Pushing away his mom’s hand gently he gave her an annoyed look that asked her what she was doing and she replied to his look by saying “I’m checking to see if you have a fever? Because that would be the only explanation as to why you’re shouting for Prinku, trying to squeeze the life out of her and then saying she’s dead”
Shivaay looked at Pinky like she had told him that she wanted to become a monk and go live in the Himalayas. “Mom! I didn’t say that Prinku died. Anika told me that!” He said in a defending voice, offended that he was indirectly being called mad. Anika will definitely be killed today. “Haawww, when did I say that Priyanka died? Why are you lying to your mother? Bad manners Billuji. And why did you run out of the room like you just heard that there was a sale happening on your Americano” Said an out of breath Anika who had finally found Shivaay.
After he had raced out of the room, Anika had stood there confused at what just happened, wondering if he was so affected by his sister death that he couldn’t talk about it. Shocked at his behaviour she ran after him, wanting to know what was going on. She had just entered the lounge when she heard him say to Pinky that she told him Priyanka had died.
Shivaay turned to Anika, who was now doubled over, holding her knees. Good! Now she knows how I feel when I have to run a after her all the time…and Fhat the Wuck? Sale? Shivaay Singh Oberoi would never buy anything on sale! Hmpf! The cheek of this women to utter such a thing…Focus Shivaay…She played such a dirty trick on you. “You put on a good act Anika, the tears, the convincing sadness, everything. Well done.” Shivaay had started advancing on her, his wayward thoughts taking a back seat as his anger came to the front. Hearing the tone of his voice Anika straightened up staring at him moving towards her like a predator.
His eyes had turned steel blue, that shade it turned whenever he was angry and seeing this Anika got confused. What’s he angry about? Phail gaya raita, maybe he didn’t like that you asked about his sister. Run Anika. Run… No! You’re his wife. It’s your right to know about this. Before she could gather her full courage to take Shivaay head on, she found that he had reached her and was reaching out to hold her arm. Sensing he was at peak with his anger she quickly side stepped him and stood next to OmRu who had just joined them in the lounge.
“Shivaay what are you doing? And why were you shouting for Prinku like that?” Om asked his brother while he draped a protective arm over his bhabi’s shoulder. Om had seen that his brother was angry at Anika, and judging by Anika’s confused look, Om knew that even his bhabi didn’t know what she had done. Answering his brother’s question, Shivaay rubbed two fingers over his eyebrow while he turned around. “Your bhabi decided to play a prank on me, one that wasn’t very funny! She came into the room, crying and looking distraught and told me that she sorry for the loss of Prinku”
“You are mad! Totally mad! Did I say Priyanka’s name? Did I? Did you lose your hearing while you were swimming this morning? Do I have to look for it in the pool?” Slightly shouting at him, she stepped away from Om’s hold and went to stand in front of Shivaay. “Did I say her name?” She repeated when Shivaay just stood there looking at her shocked. He looked around and saw that the family was looking on with peaked interest at their favourite couple. A little embarrassed that Anika would shout at him in front of their family, his anger quickly disappeared as he tabled it for later. “Anika” He said softly trying to stop her from scolding him.
But Anika was hearing nothing of it, instead she stepped even closer, her eyes tearing up again that look of distraught back she said to him, holding onto his upper arm “Why didn’t you tell me Shivaay? I’m your wife. I should have known. If I hadn’t found her photo today and figured it out on my own, I wouldn’t have known”. Shivaay who was now totally confused, looked once more at his family and saw his confusion mirrored on their faces. Looking back at his wife he asked her “What photo Anika? Who’s photo?”
“Your sisters photo Shivaay, your twin sister that is no longer with us” She said to him, her tears now flowing freely. It hurt her to know that he had kept such a big secret away from her. Why couldn’t he share his pain and sorrow with her, like she did with him? “Twin sister? Bhaiya’s twin sister? Where did she come from now?” Rudra who had been trying to keep up with all that had been happening, stepped up to his bhaiya-bhabi and put his confusion in words.
“Arre, meaning you also don’t know about her? What’s this Shivaay how can you hide this from your own brother?” She turned to her husband, her voice accusing. “Ohh I get it, she passed away before Rudra was born and you didn’t want to sadden him by telling him. But Shivaay he needs to know” Anika continued after she quickly figured out why they hadn’t told Rudra about the elder sister he would have had.
“Ma, atleast you could have told me. I’m like a daughter to you right? So why didn’t you share this with me?” On getting only a blank stare from Shivaay, a confused look from Dadi and a ‘nope, can’t help you’ look from Om, she had rounded on her mother-in-law wanting to get answers. Pinky looked at her bahu, wondering whether both, her son and bahu, had gotten a fever. This two, I had told Shivaay that he and Anika need to stay out of the pool now that it’s winter, but no, it seems like that’s the only place they can have serious discussions. They have got to stop this, that pool can be dangerous. Lost in her thoughts, she finally realised why her bahu was acting so weird.
“Ok, you all think I wouldn’t find. Wait I’ll show you the picture” Saying that Anika quickly left the room while everyone else shared shrugs, confused and not knowing what their most loved one was going to bring. Shivaay rubbed his forehead, tired from all the happenings, he had just walked over to the sofa to take a seat when Anika came back, photo album in hand. Walking to stand beside Shivaay, she shoved the opened photo album in his hand saying in a hurt voice “You hid this from me. Why Shivaay?”
One look at the photo and Shivaay shut the album with so much force, the noise echoed in the room. His face had turned a light shade of red and his ears had turned 2 shades darker. “This…It’s nothing…You…You…Where…Why do have this??” He stuttered. “Shivaay, let me see the photo” Om told Shivaay, wanting to know what had caused his brother to respond like that, but all he got was a loud hurried “NO!”. Anika quickly took the album out of Shivaay’s hold and held it out to Om, opening to the picture again.
Om gave the picture a look, threw his head back and burst out laughing, his deep voice ringing through the Mansion. Not wanting to be left out on the joke Rudra looked over Om’s shoulder and he too started to laugh. Holding onto Om for support, the two of them continued laughing. Anika looked from OmRu who was laughing uncontrollably to her husband who was standing there battling between wanting to be angry and wanting to turn another shade of red, then to the rest of the family who looked curious to know what the photo was.
Unable to wait any longer, Jhanvi walked to her sons and took hold of the album, she looked at it and started smiling, giggling slightly, handing the album to Pinky she tapped her son’s shoulders gesturing towards Shivaay. After seeing their brother’s expression, who was in SSO mode, they sobered up, but Anika could see that they were having a hard time controlling their laughter. Frustrated now, she went to her mother-in-law and said “Ma, why are they laughing? How can they laugh seeing your deceased daughter’s photo!”
And the only answer Anika got was Pinky laughing as Om did a while ago. “Ma! How can you laugh?” Anika asked shocked to see this behaviour from everyone. Is there something in the air that’s making everyone crazy? Am I immune it? Or is this their way of coping with the pain? Luckily, Jhanvi had seen her eldest bahu’s expression and knew that Anika was about to burst. Saving everyone, she went to Anika and answered all her questions.
“That is not Shivaay’s twin sister Anika, that is your husband” Anika wasn’t sure if she heard right, so she asked again only to get the same answer again so she tried to explain why it couldn’t be Shivaay.”Huh? My husband? That is Shivaay? But…Uhm how is that Shivaay? I mean look there, that child has long hair, such rosy cheeks, long beautiful dark lashes and see the lip, so plump pink lips. She looks like a cherub in that white dress. Yes, see. Dress! How can that be Shivaay?”
Dadi who had was the only one still sitting down, watched as her eldest grandson gave up his SSO stance and began turning a shade redder at each word of her eldest bahu’s. Curious now, she stood up, walked to Anika and took the album in her hands. After looking at the photo she too started laughing, understanding what the confusion was, and seeing her laugh caused the rest of the family to burst into laughter again. “That’s Enough!” Shivaay’s voice thundered through the laughter, and they all controlled their laughter at once knowing what his anger could get like.
Anika had been standing silently, watching everyone laugh uncontrollably and she would have smiled at the beautiful sight had she not been so frustrated and confused. Flinching when she heard Shivaay’s shout, she quickly went to Dadi, not wanting her husband to burst a vain by shouting again, and asked her to please explain what was going on. Voice still fill of laughter Dadi took pity on seeing Anika’s expressions and explained “What Jhanvi said is true. The child in picture is Billu. Before Omkara was born, Shivaay was the only child in this house and so both Jhanvi and Pinky used to play with him, pamper him, take care of him. Once they had been talking about how Pinky should have another baby, maybe a girl and how cute the baby would be if she also inherited kanji eyes like Billu’s…those kanji eyes with the baby girls long hair and rose cheeks would make her look like a baby angel. Billu! Let me complete it. You stay put!”
Shivaay who had being walking towards Dadi, stopped in his tracks as he heard her direct those words at him. Pulling at his shirt collar, he could feel the heat rising to his face. Looking towards his wife who was holding onto every word she heard, he vowed to make her pay for this as he heard his Dadi continue “They had been discussing how a girl baby would look and they decided that why only imagine when they could infact see the child in reality. So they had dressed Billu up in a dress, did his face up with blush and some mascara, put a wig on him that they had bought and they had the vision they had imagined in front of them”
Anika had been listening to Dadi , paying close attention to everything the elderly woman told her, mentally preparing herself to hear the tragic story. But nothing, nothing could have prepared her for this. Oh Bete Ki!! This is Shivaay???…Expression of bewilderment on her face, she looked from Dadi to the picture in the album and then to her husband who was now staring at her with murderous eyes and then back to the picture again. Damn you Anika for your foolish thought. This is why you should never assume things. But at least his twin sister didn’t die…That’s because he didn’t have one, silly! She continued this process for about half a minute then walked to stand in front of her husband who was throwing daggers at her with his eyes, put her hand on his cheek and said in a revered voice “You looked beautiful as a baby girl”
Laughter, loud uncontrollable laughter echoed through the Mansion at hearing Anika’s words. Anika too laughed out hearing her family’s heartfelt laughter. But seeing Shivaay’s jaw clench, his eyes turning that steel blue again, her laughter died down, not because she was scared of him but because she didn’t want the family to get scolded. Turning quickly, she smiled at the sight in front of her, OmRu were using each other for balance as they laughed, Prinku and Saumya were on the sofa holding their stomachs as they laughed, her ma and bade ma were laughing behind their hands and Dadi was laughing silently.
All them had that gleam in their eyes, that gleam they got whenever they laughed from their hearts and that sight warmed Anika. Not wanting to stop them from laughing this freely, she turned back to Shivaay to tell him to let them be but he wasn’t there. Now you’ve got to go and calm your Baggad Billa, Anika. Looking back at her family one more time, sighing she walked quickly towards the pool area knowing that’s where he’d be. Walking to stand behind him, she held his shoulder hoping he’d turn around so she could say sorry. But the only thing she said was “SHIVAAY!!” because her kanji eyes baggad billa had swiftly turned around, picked her up and threw her into the pool.
Gasping for air as she came up the surface of the water, she pushed her hair out of her eyes and gasped as she saw Shivaay standing in front of her. Being in this water does wonders to his looks. Just look at him…Anika you’re staring! Stop before he accuses you of being tuchi luchi 2 rupees…Ohh please, he likes when I stare. She was abruptly pulled out of her thoughts as her husband jerked her to him, holding her one arm behind her back. She placed her other hand in his chest, feeling his heart beat pick up just as hers had.
“The pool is for swimming, not for getting apologies out of me, you know” Anika told Shivaay teasingly, but her voice betrayed her, telling him exactly how their closeness was affecting her. “So are you going to apologise or do I have to force it out of you, like I always have to do?” He asked her in a low hoarse voice as he tightened his grip on her waist, bringing her even closer to him.
Shivaay watched as his wife brought her face closer to his, saw her lips curve into a smirk and heard her say “No, because atleast I got to see what our daughter would look like” before she pecked his lips lightly, pushed him away laughing loudly and scrambled as fast as she could out of the pool leaving him smiling at her words, anger forgotten. Our Daughter.
Buhbyee