Tu muskuraye har jagah

12

[Annika - A, Shivaay - S]

A: Shivaay, did I offend you somehow?

S: I'm busy Annika and we weren't supposed to meet today

A: Two minutes, can you spare two minutes? Just tell me what mistake I made. You canceled meetings, I get that, you're a busy man. But you refused to meet me when I came to invite you, I saw you with Rudra, you weren't busy. You didn't reply to my texts either

S: Are you my girlfriend?

A: What?

S: Are you my girlfriend or my wife? Why are you expecting me to reply to every text?

A: You didn't come for the launch, that was a professional invitation

S: And do you know how many invitations I get from all the people I deal with? Do you think I attend all of them?

Annika felt her heart crush but she controlled her emotions and just nodded.

A: You're right. I shouldn't have assumed.

Shivaay could see she was hurt but so was he.

S: When were you planning to tell me about daadu? We had been meeting week after week and you never mentioned any of it. You made me feel like a fool. I had no clue that the person I have been working with was somehow connected to my family. I thought we were on good terms.

A: Shivaay, I'm sorry for not telling you about your grandfather. I should have told you myself. I tried when you had come over, but you had to leave so we never got to finish that conversation. I never meant to hide anything from you or hurt you. I'm really sorry you felt like that.

Shivaay did not respond, he stood by the glass wall and looked outside. He didn't want to scream at her or say something he would regret later so he chose to stay silent. She moved towards the door since he didn't look interested in talking to her. Before leaving, she turned around and gave him the box

A: I got this for you, it's prasad from the pooja.

He stared at the box after she left for quite some time. He could see the honesty in her eyes, she truly didn't mean to hurt him. What bothered him more was how easily all his anger had vanished. She apologized and his heart forgave her right away. His heart and brain were at odds.

S(in his mind): Why does her absence bother me so much? Why do I like talking to her, even if it's just about work? She lied to me and still I couldn't stay mad at her. How can she hold so much power over me?

A couple of days later, shivaay stopped by the store. It was closing time and she was doing inventory with one of the sales associates

S: The store looks nice, quite a collection

A: Shivaay! Thanks.

S: Why do you look so surprised?

A: I.. I just didn't expect to see you here

S: Do you stay here all day?

A: No, I.. I stay at the office. You haven't seen the office right? Give me a moment.