Shivika One Shots

#9 A confusing painting

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• A confusing painting •

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Annika had no plans on keeping the painting but she could not return it to Shivay. What would she say? Hey dear husband, I hate your gift, so here return it to where you bought it from. And he’d smile and take it. No.
She stared at the painting trying to understand it. But nothing. Shivay had sent a parcel home yesterday before he returned from a trip. When the delivery man was at her door, Annika tried calling him. But he was busy in a meeting. So she signed for it. The parcel was wrapped in plain brown paper but it still made her mad. She couldn’t wait. So she scrapped the paper, rapturing the bubble wrap.

And pulled it out to reveal a. . A painting. She squinted her eyes at it. What are you supposed to be. She thought. The canvas was splash white except a few geometric shapes. Annika stared at it for a few seconds before her head started turning.

She placed it on the couch and distracted herself with some television. But the painting was sitting right beside her.

When Shivay called her that night, he sounded tired and weary, he did not mention the painting even once. So she didn’t either. He was returning the next day anyway. She would ask him then.

The morning after, Shivay appeared on the doors, a charming smile on his face.
“Hey,” he said, crushing Annika in a hug.

Annika sighed, breathing the cool airplane air instilled in his suit, “Hey,” she said, pulling out.

Annika was still in her PJs at 11 am.

He did not say more as he entered. Shivay just aimed for the bedroom.

Annika fell on the couch itself, sleep still tugging at her. She knew Shivay was going to take a long bath, read some more, send his trip reports, and then make them breakfast. This was a settled routine.

Sometimes Shivay skipped business recalls and created an intricate breakfast. Some juice, some salad and a main course for the breakfast. This main course was not unhealthy, but not completely healthy either. Shivay got creative with his cooking. Because Annika hated all the healthy dishes he made initially. She just nodded and smiled as she ate them the first few times. But Shivay knew by the servings she took. Because the servings she took barely quantified to a baby's belly.

So he reached a middle ground, wherein he fused something healthy like spinach with something unhealthy like noodles.

Today he had cooked a plain ginger soup with potato crisps. When the aroma spread, Annika woke up in a thud. Her hands slid to the painting that still sat beside her. She sat up as Shivay presented a tray on the glass table.

He served her a cup of soup with crispy wedges. She picked up a wedge first of course, weighing it in her fingers, “Are you sure this is healthy?”

Shivay smiled, “Yeah, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing this,” he chewed a crispy stick. He pointed towards the new air fryer he bought.

“Ooh,” Annika took a spoon of the soup. She did not want to admit how good it was. Shivay had a a way of making healthy things. . . tasty.

She closed her eyes, drinking from the cup directly, “I need the recipe Shivay.”

“Of course darling, but what is behind you?” he said, eying the canvas slipping out.

“Oh! This is only the most amazing painting ever!” she said. Oh gosh she had overhyped it. She always did that when she meant to lie. It was her tell.

Shivay smirked, “If you don’t like it, you did not have to buy it.”

Annika twisted her head to face him, “I bought it?” She picked the painting up with her greased hands, “You think I bought this? I don’t even know what it means. What are these? Squares? Triangles?”

Shivay wiped his hands with a napkin and reached out to take the painting off her, “Its an abstract painting Annika.”

She stared at it, “I don’t get it.”

Shivay laughed, “Who gave it to you?”

“You mean. . .You didn’t?” she asked.

“No, why will I ever give you a painting full of shapes?”

“Okay, that is great news,” she let out a breathe, “Because I hate it.”

He laughed again, “I know.”

She smiled. He knew her so well. Her mind travelled to the question, “Who sent it then?”

Shivay stared at the painting, his eyes glinted in sudden realization. The painting was a gift. Not from Shivay but to Shivay. His business partners must have sent it here. But he did not tell Annika. His mind formulated an evil plan. He spoke a moment after, “Do you think it’s one of those mind control paintings?”

Annika's face squeezed. The thought was so absurd, but her stare went back to the painting, she did have a headache yesterday just by looking at it too long.

But that was still absurd, “No.”

“Why? it could be hypnotising us and we don’t even know it.”

Annika stared at his stupid face, “Nice try Shivay. But I am not that dumb okay.”

“No. But don’t you feel it heating in here. Like something is on fire.”

“Did you keep the stove on Shivay?” Annika lazily got up to walk to the kitchen. But shivay held her hand, “It’s off Annika.”

She sighed, settling back in but Shivay didn’t leave her. She turned to look at him, he had washed his hair so his hair was wet and frizzy. He had freshened up and worn a tight knit shirt and loose pants.

Annika knew exactly what was heating then. Where this was going. But she did not say a word.

“Leave my hand Shivay I have to take a bath,” she said, trying to sound bored.

“Okay,” he exhaled, letting her loose. She turned to go, “Atleast finish your food.”

She stopped, the wedges called to her. She decided to only look at the plate and not anything else. Not the painting, Not her man.

She stuffed the wedges in her mouth.

“What’s the hurry. Eat slow,” he said. She could swear his voice had dropped.

“I need to freshen up,” She was not taking the bait. Shivay needed to try harder. He noticed she wasn’t even looking at him. He had to somehow make her look at him.

“See,” he bit into a wedge slowly, “Eat like this.”

Annika tried not to. But she couldn’t resist it, she swallowed as she finally looked at him.

Shivay smirked in delight, nodding his head. He walked up to her, and sat beside her, “What, you don’t like my face anymore?”

Annika did not wait, she wrapped her hands around that face, “I love your stupid face,” she smiled before giving him a peck on his lips, like a bird.

Shivay froze as she tapped his shoulder, “Got to go take a bath.”

He still sat there, staring at the empty space where Annika was there a minute ago. This was what she did with a tiny little kiss. Thank God it was just a peck, Shivay had a meeting in a few minutes.

He squinted his eyes at the painting. Annika shouted from the door, “Maybe it was a mind control painting. But it wasn’t my mind it was controlling.”

Shivay huffed a breathe, whispering, “You think you need mind control for me to lose my mind.”

“I heard that,” Shivay could hear the smirk in her voice.

“I wasn’t lying,” he shouted back.

“I know,” she sneaked around the door, smiling.

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Last one, and I know many of you liked these but I really loved this book of mine. Because not only are they here, it's a completed one shot book. Thank you for your love. Maybe it was just a read, a vote, a comment. But thank you <3