An Aesthetic Love: A Collection Of Shivika Short Stories

35| a love like ours.

"Shivaay," Annika goes closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and looks at him with a smile. 

"Kya hua Annika?" He asks, reciprocating the smile, as he wraps his arms around her waist. 

"Woh...meri na ek purani dost hai, Neha. Woh aaj milne aa rahi hai." She says, and before he can reply, cuts him short, "Maine toh usse mana bhi kiya tha lekin woh maani hi nahi, keh rahi thi mai toh shaadi ki baat gayab hi ho gayi, zidd kar rahi thi milne ki," She says, looking at him, "par koi baat nahi! Aap office chale jaiye na, jab woh chali jaayegi mai aapko phone kar dungi,"

She is about to speak more when Shivaay holds her shoulders to pause her. 

"Shaant Annika," he says, and she looks at him, "Tumne usse mana kyu kiya tha?" He asks her gently.

"Yeh baat aap puch rahe hain?" She asks him, "Mujhe laga tha aap usse milna nahi chahenge."

Shivaay looks at her weirdly. "Tumhe aisa kyu laga? Ofcourse mai milunga tumhari dost se," he tells her. 
She looks at him with a smile.

______________________________________

In the evening....

"Waah Annika, kitna bada aur sundar ghar hai!" Annika's friend Neha, who just arrived, exclaims in excitement, and Annika smiles at her.

"Chal chal, ab jisse milne aayi hai usse bhi milegi ya ghar ko hi dekhti rahegi?" Annika asks with a cheeky smile, and nodding at her, Neha walks with her to her room.

They sit down on the bed together, "kya, Annika! Shaadi ke baad toh tu hum sabko bhool hi gayi hai. Tujhe yaad bhi hai last time humari baat kab hui thi? Kya dosti dikhai hai, yaar!" Neha says with fake anger, and Annika giggles.

"Chup kar, nautanki!" She replies, and they both share a good laugh.
"Waise sach me. Shaadi ke baad se tum sabse baat karne ka time hi nahi mila, itna sab kuch ho gaya, mai kya bataun. Kabhi kabhi toh situation aisi ho jaati hai ki saans lene ka bhi time nahi hota, toh iss sabka time kahan se milega," She tells her.

"Ab aise aadmi se shaadi karegi toh yahi hoga na," Neha mutters under her breath, but Annika hears her.
"Kya kaha?" She asks, evidently surprised, "kya matlab aisa aadmi? Samjha kya hai tumne Shivaay ko?"

"Sach hi toh kaha hai," Neha retaliates, trying to prove her point, "jahan tak mujhe yaad hai, ya jitni kahani tumne mujhe sunai hai, mujhe pata hai ki tum unse kitni nafrat karti ho. Kitni baar unhone tumhe bura-bhala kaha hai. Aur mujhe yeh bhi pata hai ki tumhari shaadi zabardasti hui thi. Toh zabardasti ki shaadi me aise bandhe kyu rehna hai?" She asks her.

At this moment, Shivaay, who had been in the kitchen preparing Annika's favourite aloo puri for her and her friend, walks to the room with his preparation, however, reaching there, he overheard their conversation.

"Toh zabardasti ki shaadi me aise bandhe kyu rehna hai?" He heard her friend say, and as is obvious, the topic interested him. He stayed back to listen more to it.

"Mera matlab hai," Neha continued, "ki dekh. Unhone tujhe itna bura-bhala kaha, tere paas koi naam, khoon, khandaan nahi hai iss baat ka mazak banaya, teri burai karne ka ya tujhe neecha dikhane ka koi mauka nahi chhoda, aur Sahil! Tera bhai, sirf wahi tha tere paas family ke naam pe, aur unhone usse use kiya, tujhe shaadi ke liye blackmail karne ke liye, aur tu abhi tak ussi shaadi me band hai?"

Annika wants to retaliate, but she continues, "teri koi self-respect hai ya nahi? Saari zindagi aise hi rehna hai? Tujhe hua kya hai? Tu toh kabhi aisi nahi thi?"
Annika nods negatively with a distraught expression on her face.