Broken Hearts and Strange Girls || Shivika AU FF

𝐗𝐕𝐈

The beach had mesmerized Annika. It was perfect for photography with its soft sand, crisp water, and ambiance. Juhu paled quickly in comparison.

Annika didn't much like the quiet. It often brought with it a feeling of loneliness. It often touched her in a place left rather sore and empty. But here, the waves seemed to flood that empty space. They made her feel not alone, if such a thing existed.

And Annika liked it very much.

She'd been sad when she was told that she'd have to leave at 6. She hoped to see the sunset. However, she made the most of the time it took for Shivaay to finish work and pick her up. She snapped a few more pictures of her bare feet in the sand as the waves gently rolled above her toes. She was heading back further up the shore when a little girl ran right into her legs and caused her to drop her camera.

"I sowwy!" the girl squealed. Annika smiled at her as she bent down to pick her camera up. "It's okay! I'm Annika, what's your name?" she asked.

"Kiara!" the girl smiled. Behind Kiara, a pretty woman with curly brown hair came running. "I'm so sorry!" the woman exclaimed as she approached the duo. "We were playing tag and I guess my little lightning bolt ran into you," she chuckled. "I hope your camera is okay! It looks expensive!"

Annika smiled. "Oh, this guy? He'll be fine! If he's managed to survive with me for so long, he'll definitely survive that."

The woman laughed, sticking out her hand. "Mallika."

"Annika."

"Malli-Anni!" Kiara shouted. Mallika smiled, picking up the toddler. "And you, my naughty little devil!" Kiara giggled as her mother bobbed her. "How old is she?" Annika asked.

"Two," Mallika replied in a heartbeat. "Do you have any of your own?"

Annika shook her head. "No,  but I do have a four-year-old nephew." Mallika nodded understandably. As Mallika and Annika exchanged conversation and pleasantries, Annika didn't notice when Shivaay came up behind Mallika with a cone of ice-cream in his hand.

"Hey, Annika. I got you some—" Shivaay began when Mallika turned around. Shivaay stopped mid-sentence and his face turned pale. "Mallika?"

Face to face after three years. Shivaay expected a sting of pain after meeting her again. He often thought that seeing her again would paralyze him, he suspected crawling into his shell again, deeper than before. He imagined all of her memories hitting him like a wave, knocking him down, drowning him.

But it never came. Neither the wave, nor the sting. His eyes fell on her wedding band, and still, nothing came. He reached the curious brown eyes of her daughter; it never happened. And his brain was yelling at him.

Feel something, Shivaay! Feel something, dammit!

But he couldn't.

Was it possible that Shivaay had moved on? No. I couldn't have. Mallika, it's Mallika. You loved her, Shivaay. She moved on, not you. You still miss her.

Shivaay didn't want to believe that he had moved on, because he had grieved for too long, for it to just be over once he met her again. He had missed out on three fourths of Adi's life for this woman. It couldn't be over. He couldn't stop resenting her.

"Shivaay!" Mallika said brightly. Annika smiled in surprise. "You know each other?"

"Yeah, we go way back!" Mallika said before turning to Shivaay with a playful frown. "You didn't show up at my wedding!" she complained. "Wedding?" Shivaay asked. He never knew anything about Mallika getting married, let alone think of attending it. "Yeah! I got married! Sid's a great guy, you would be happy to meet him."

Shivaay nodded.

Kiara's eyes inspected Shivaay's face. "Mr. Kitty!" she exclaimed suddenly. Shivaay looked at her curiously.

"What kitty?" Mallika asked frantically, jerking her head around. "Chill, Mallika! There aren't any cats around," Shivaay said, steadying her. "Are you afraid of animals?" Annika asked once Mallika had regained her composure.

Mallika looked up. "No. Kiara is allergic to cats, like her dad. Last time, she pet one in the middle of the road and her skin turned bright red! I actually love animals."

"Didn't you volunteer at that animal hospital for some time?" Shivaay asked involuntarily. Mallika smiled at him, surprised at him for remembering. "I did. Hey, Annika, is Shivaay still afraid of puppies?" she asked mischievously.

Annika's jaw dropped and Shivaay groaned. "Shivaay is afraid of puppies?!" Annika squealed.

"No! I was never afraid of puppies, okay? I simply did not love the idea of their slobber all over me," Shivaay defended his honor. "Mhm, sure, Shivaay," Mallika nodded over sweetly. Annika snickered.

"Mommy, don't shame-shame Mr. Kitty!" Kiara yelled at her mother. Mallika looked at her daughter in bewilderment. "Mr. Kitty?"

Kiara pointed at Shivaay. "Mr. Kitty," she stated.

"Why Mr. Kitty, Kiara?" Annika asked out of curiosity. Kiara looked at her with her big brown eyes. "He has kitty eyes. Mr. Kitty."

Mallika and Annika laughed, and even Shivaay smiled. "Kia," Mallika managed between her laughs, "he is Shivaay Uncle!"

"No!" Kiara pouted. "Kiara's Mr. Kitty!"

"I'm sorry, Shivaay! She's a handful!" Mallika apologized. Shivaay shook his head. Suddenly feeling the dripping ice cream on his hand, he offered it to Annika. "It's, uh— cookie dough," he stated lamely.

Annika's eyes reached his and she smiled. Shivaay smiled back. Yes, you saw that right. SHIVAAY SMILED BACK, Annika thought quietly. Her eyes then reached Kiara.

The two year old was looking at Annika's ice cream longingly. With a quick glance at Shivaay, Annika outstretched the ice cream to Kiara. "Oh! No, you don't have to—" Mallika went to interrupt when Annika stopped her mid-sentence. "For my new friend! If I can call you that?" Annika asked.

Kiara looked up at Annika, then at Shivaay, whose gaze was tracking Annika's every movement. There was something in Shivaay's eyes, unreadable to Mallika, Annika, and Shivaay himself. But Kiara saw it, and she understood it.

"Friends," she said at Annika, or as she was now going to call her, Pink Kitty.