Contemporary Cinderella • completed

Bonus | First Crash with Prince Charming

This part is set before the first chapter, more like a prequel chapter. Shivaay Anika meeting for the first time.

Shivaay sighed as he finally finished the last meeting for the day. It was already 2 a.m. Getting into the car, he messaged Rudra and Om that he would be home in half an hour.

The car smoothly came to life as Shivaay pressed his foot on the accelerator, happy with his decision of not letting Khanna tag along. He didn't remember the last time he had driven a car so peacefully.

His entire focus was on driving, his eyes on road. It was when he spotted a figure stumbling right in front of the car that Shivaay immediately pressed the brakes, the car tires screeching to halt. He got out of the car, furious.

When she spotted him, she furrowed her eyebrows animatedly, grinning to herself. He needed no expert advice to know what was wrong with her. They were on top of the old bridge that lead to the posh area of Mumbai, usually not used anymore. Before he could tell her anything, she stumbled away and leaned against the rails od the bridge. Shivaay looked on as she jumped on top of them and sat down, her legs dangling off them.

Shivaay gulped. He was definitely not going to witness a suicide. Rushing to her, he grabbed her arm and turned her towards himself, glaring at her. It didn't really affect her. Instead, she frowned at him, her nose scrunched up in anger.

"What do you want?"

"I cannot let you commit suicide."

"Even though you are handsome and could play my knight in shining armour very well, I do not need you." Anika gave him a drunken smile.

Shivaay rolled his eyes. Without thinking, he wound his arms around her waist and picked her up, only letting her feet touch the ground when they were at a safe distance from the edge.

"Now tell me where you stay. I can't leave you here."

"I am omnipresent." Anika slurred. "No home. Only bricks and idiots."

Shivaay smiled but frowned again. "You want me to leave you here?"

Anika nodded. "I don't want to go back to what is supposed to be home. At least let me be drunk in peace."

Shivaay sighed. "Come on. I am not leaving you here."

Anika was easy to pull, given that she didn't resist. Shivaay wondered what she would have done if it had not been him and someone inappropriate. How careless of her to go around, drunk and without supervision.

Making her sit in the car, he thought for a few seconds. The only thing she had was a purse. Could he check for any identification?

When he caught her staring at him curiously, he looked at the wheel. He could take her to his apartment then? What if she woke up and blamed him the next morning? He hardly knew anything about her. The last he wanted was the world labelling him something he wasn't. He still took her there, messaging Om that he was busy and wouldn't be home till morning. Answering his brothers would be one nice thing the next morning.

He managed to walk a stumbling Anika till the lift but things only went horrible after that. She fell down once, almost made him fall too, the next time and the third time, in the lift, something went really wrong with her brain.

"You know, lifts always give a weird sexual tension vibes."

"Sorry what?"

"I have read a lot of books. What exactly is remotely gorgeous in elevators that people decide to make out here? I mean, no offense to this wallpaper in here, I am talking about elevators in general. The dingy ones." Her words were slurred and Shivaay had a hard time comprehending them.