Attraction Is The Easy Part | ✓

Chapter 15 : Dazed Curiosity

Anika smiled as she read his message, it was a simple 'good night' but she couldn't stop smiling anyway.

"Anika, will you kill this suspense and tell me how was your trip?" Her mother's voice made her turn to the right where her mother sat.

She eyed her mother thoughtfully, "If you promise to not scold."

Her mother observed her with precision. "What happened?" She asked anxiously.

"We went parasailing."

"Para-sailing?" Her mother repeated, as though to make sure she heard it right.

"Yes." Anika grinned like a Cheshire cat opening the gallery on her phone. She swiped to the pictures she had received from the sports company's photographer. She held her phone before her mother for her to see. Mrs. Talwar's jaw dropped. "That's you?" She asked unable to believe her eyes.

"And the person behind me is Shivaay!" She beamed.

"Are you okay?" her mother glanced at her.

"Perfect. It was the most beautiful experience ever. You must try it too."

"So, this was pre-planned?" Her mother probed while swiping through her gallery.

"Sort of," Anika muttered gathering her hair into a pony-tail to tie it up.

"And I wasn't informed."

"I just told you." Anika looked at her mother like she was being unreasonable.

"This isn't done Anu. What if you fell sick! What if something untoward happened?"

"Nothing happened, right? It was an out of the world experience Mumma!" She exclaimed dreamily laying back on the bed. Her mother smiled and leaned over her to kiss her forehead.

* * *

"Shivaay, I am definitely sure something happened! Did you guys get laid?" Omkara blustered entering Shivaay's room.

Shivaay sighed turning around to face his brother. "No, we did not. We stayed in separate rooms FYI. Nothing happened." He argued.

"I am not buying that. It was written all over your face when you walked in!"

Shivaay squinted his eyes and drew his eyebrows upwards, "Exactly what was written?" That he had shared a hot kiss with his wife-to-be?

"That thing..."Omkara said while thinking of the right words. "that thing when a man is satisfied."

Shivaay's features contoured to express distaste. "Like seriously, satisfied?"

Omkara nodded seating himself on his brother's bed. "Something like that. I can't put it into words. But you definitely had that written on your face. And...." he looked at his brother grinning ear to ear. Shivaay folded his hands waiting for Omkara to continue. He had mastered the art of not letting his real emotions show on his face or in his body language. However, it failed when he was with Anika.

"And, you seem happy!" A genuine smile drew itself on Omkara's face, contrary to the cocky smile that always graced his lips.

Shivaay couldn't help but smile. Here, he was anxious thinking what else had Omkara's hawk eyes noted. Thank God!

Omkara sat up his smile fading. "Shivaay, don't you dare say it's love. Love equals doomed."

Shivaay frowned meeting his brother's serious eyes. "You're saying as though you have experienced it yourself. And, honestly, I don't know what it is. But you're right, she makes me-- happy." He shrugged with his lips curving to a heartfelt smile.