ShivOmRu SS ~ Cross Connections

Chapter 15

His phone was ringing but he wasn't picking up. Shivay sat in his room impatiently waiting for Om to answer his call. Finally he did after the phone rang for a few times.
"Yaar Om, what took you so long?" he enquired.
"Hi. Sorry was driving." He replied coldly and Shivay was taken by surprise. They both were dating the women who were close to the other, now they were even, then why was he acting annoyed? He wanted to ask him that, but that could wait.
"Driving? But you left college so long back. Been somewhere?"
"Yes. I was with Anika"he replied curtly and for reason unknown Shivay automatically clenched his fist.
"Oh. Nice. How is she? I heard she had a panic attack last evening? Is she better?"he enquired. For some reason his call wasn't getting through to Anika, and he was very concerned for her. In fact he had called Om to enquire for the same.
"Yes she is okay, if she wasn't, I am here for her, don't worry. You have fun with Tia" Om replied, and even he didn't miss the sour tone that came through. For a moment he felt bad about talking to Shivay like that, but Shivay's thick headedness managed to get the better of him, and added to that was Mallika's revelation from Anika.
Shivay was surprised, why was Om using such a tone with him if he was okay with him having fun with Tia? And he knew Om was there to take care of Anika if the need be, but he was her friend too, and he cared about her, then why could he not take care of Anika with Om? Was Om angry with him about something?
"Cool. Err..Om, you okay?"
"Yes, but I got to go now. A bit occupied. Bye"
Shivay disconnected the call all flabbergasted at his behaviour. He decided to call Anika once more, and her phone was ringing for once. Shivay stood there fidgeting and feeling anxious for God knows what reason, but the phone kept ringing till the call got disconnected, she never received the call. A frustrated Shivay gave up for the night, he would catch hold of Anika the next day he thought.
***
It was the 31st time Om was calling her, but she refused to pick up. Each time he called, there were fresh tears in her eyes, but Mallika didn't pick the call. Finally this time she went to Tia and asked her to take the call and tell Om that she was out with her fiance Daksh, she would call him later. A surprised Tia did as told, but stared at Mallika wondering why she was ignoring her bhai who was Malli's sister's boyfriend. Mallika saw her expression and explained Om had called many times to ask her about Anika di's likes and dislikes, and now she was plain bored. Since it was Tia hearing in place of someone slightly less selfish, she never realized Malli's expressions and her eyes were giving away her lie, she was happy that she and Shivay weren't involved in whatever was going on.
When Om had called in the evening after meeting Anika di, she had told him clearly that he was a rebound for her and now that Daksh was back, there was no place for Om in her life - she would have imagined Om to hate her, but that boy laughed at her, not believing her - he knew how strongly Mallika felt for her and he wasn't going to buy it - Mallika had to lie through her teeth to even let the slight place for doubt seep in his heart. Mallika hung up after that and never received his calls again - each time he called, it killed her, but it was all for di, and she could lay down her life for Anika di.
***
Anika was sitting in the classroom and reading her revision notes, she had arrived early and the classroom was empty - in her room with Soumya around, she could never forget Shivay even for a moment - she needed to pull herself together and study, hence she decided to be in class and study till her mind calms down. The first lecture wasn't due in another one hour, so she was surprised to see a distraught Om walk into the classroom, still wearing the shirt from the day before - he was unshaven and maybe a little drunk too. She was alarmed.
"Om! What have you done to yourself? Why do you look so dishevelled? What's the matter?" she asked as she nudged him gently. He seemed to come out of his reverie. He looked at Anika in the most vulnerable way for a moment before his face clouded with an unknown resolution.
"Anika, it's nothing. Was a bit disturbed"he mumbled, but Anika didn't let him off that easily. She implored him to tell her what was wrong - she cited that she had always been honest to him about her feelings than why not him? She assured to support him and keep it a secret. Om thought for a while, true that she was the closest friend he had and he could confide in her, but how could he break his promise to Mallika? Maybe she didn't love him, but he did right? If only there was a middle way he wondered, then it struck him.
"Anika, it's my girlfriend - she thinks I am rebound and has left me. I love her a lot" he whispered. Anika gasped in shock, how could someone break Om's heart? He was such a sweet heart. Her heart bled for her friend ad she slowly patted his shoulder.
"Om, forget her, she isn't worth it - you deserve much better. If she can't value you, it's her loss"
As much as Om found solace in her comfort, he was guilty because he was responsible for making Anika bad-mouth about her own sister without realizing it herself.
"Bunk it Anika. Maybe she has her reasons. You don't worry about it" he replied and tried to get up, but he staggered. Anika rushed to support him but he reeked of alcohol. Realizing it wouldn't be prudent to let him be in class, Anika decided to go with him and drop him home and then return to class.
***
Shivay was sitting for the lecture with Tia by his side - that Daksh bloke had receded to the other end of the classroom. The first thing he noticed was Om and Anne both weren't present - Oh so they are bunking together now, he thought irritated. He tried calling Om but his phone was unreachable and Anika's kept ringing - another no show he muttered. What surprised him was Anne's behaviour. First she didn't tell him about her and Om, then he never really got the opportunity to thank her for helping with the Tia case, then she had a nervous breakdown and yet didn't inform him and now she had disappeared without informing him - why was she acting so strange? He wondered.
Anika entered the class in the second lecture, Shivay saw her enter and a sigh of relief escaped him. He smiled brightly at her, but she seemed too lost in her thoughts and too absorbed to notice. He frowned, what was with Anika?
When she sat down, he casually turned around to enquire why she missed her lecture, and to his surprise, she replied saying that she was with Om. An unknown and very unpleasant feeling lurched inside him, but he supressed it for now, she looked too troubled anyway. She tried to smile at him, but could hardly do it - something was wrong thought Shivay and Anika wasn't going to tell him so easily - did Om know, he wondered.
In the following lecture Om came back to college all freshened up, but before he could reach their spot, Anika rushed up to him and placed a caring hand on his shoulder and spoke - Shivay flinched at her action - it wasn't going down well with him - she was not even noticing him anymore. Her attention revolved around Om - who was Shivay to her now? He thought and an unknown dislike towards Om developed inside him. Anika in the meanwhile brought Om with him and sat him by her side and supplied him with notes - this was a direct breach to Shivay's privacy - Anika wasn't allowed to share notes or do anyones assignment other than his - wasn't this an unspoken rule between them? But did Anika remember even? It had only been two days that she was not with him, and he was already feeling a hollow inside him.
He tried one more time, he turned back to talk to Om, "Hey man, bunking lectures huh? Late nights much?"he winked and looked at Anika who was looking at Om not him, it irritated him to see that around Om he failed to notice even him.
"No l had come in the morning, and then went home with Anika.." he was saying something more too, but Shivay didn't catch them, did he just say he was at HOME with Anika? What were they doing at HOME?!? He wondered savagely and turned to look at Anika, who for once was looking at him - he gave her such a dirty look that she whimpered almost before drowning in her books. Hearing her whimper, Om turned to look at her and then Shivay.
"Oh, Anika went home huh? Pretty close you've become that to so fast? Sudden best buddies? Or am I undermining the relation here" asked Shivay with a nasty smirk that did very little to hide his malign. Om didn't miss the tone, and an almost exasperated smile escaped him - maybe, just maybe there was still hope - Shivay wasn't completely indifferent to Anika, and her attention towards Om was bugging him. Then it hit him, what if Shivay wasn't in love with Tia himself? What if he never realized himself that he liked Anika? In that case, all wasn't lost after all.
Om suddenly grabbed Anika's hand and smiled at her and then turned to Shivay, "We were best friends for a long time Shivay, guess you never noticed, after all, all you ever noticed was my pretty sister Tia right? But I can't just say we are best friends only now, I am very happy to have Anika by my side, she is too special" he finished and turned to look at an innocently smiling Anika and then turned to Shivay, his eyes were black with jealousy, he didn't realize he was slightly hurled up too, but all he did was nod and turned around, never turned back for the rest of the day.
***
Anika was sitting in the canteen with Om, when Om decided to act upon the second part of his plan.
"Anika, apart from me, who all knows about your feelings for Shivay?" he asked quietly.
"No-one. Why?" she asked concerned.
"I was wondering if you could help me a little then, since no-one knows you love him." He mumbled.
Anika's heart went out for him, "Of course Om, anything for you, say nah" she replied holding his hand.
"The girl who broke my heart, err..she is in the same college as us, I want to try once last time - to see if she loves me. If it's not too much to ask, would you pretend to be my girlfriend for some time? I mean, only if you are comfortable huh." He requested humbly. Anika was taken aback, to pretend to be Om's girlfriend? How would she do that? She never felt for Om that way, but she knew neither did Om, as much as she wanted to resist because the girl wasn't worth it, she couldn't say no to him and squash his last hope too. With a heavy heart she agreed - what difference would it make? It's not like anybody (read Shivay) is waiting for her, its not like anybody would care and after the dirty look he gave her for no reason at all, she knew for reasons unknown (though she expected Tia's foul play) things between her and Shivay wouldn't be the same anyway.
"Oh Anika, thanks so so so much Anika I owe you one. But remember to not disclose about this to anyone, not even Shivay okay?"
"Anything for you Om"she smiled.
"That's why you're the best Anika and I love you so much!" he replied while walking away from her now, smirking to himself, now he will test Shivay once and for all, if he had unknown feelings for her, it was to ebb for sure, but if he would have told Anika, she would have had her hopes high, and if Shivay really didn't love her, then she would meet with a greater heart break then - this was better, Anika was unknowingly going to play her master stroke under his guidance.
As he walked past the next table without really looking, Mallika's shed another drop of tear from her eyes, she was right - Om was a nice guy, she only had to take one step back, then as she expected he would automatically accept her di. Om wouldn't refuse her because she was Anika - Om really was loyal to her, but if di loved Om, she would never come in between, if di was happy, so would she be.
But tears had their own stories and hearts followed their own logic, as she sat there, neither did her pain subside, nor her tears stopped - she so wished she could be happy for her di, but something inside her broke, when she heard Om tell her di that he loved her. No di hadn't come in between their relationship, she had come in between their friendship that was destined to turn into love someday she thought as she wiped her tears away silently.