Strangers to Lovers

Clearing Misunderstandings

Anika next day visited the hospital and saw her father sleeping. She went near to him and held his hand, he meant so much to her.

"Dad, I will do whatever you say. If you want me to marry Shivay I will do, please get up" she started crying.

"You will beta"? her dad asked slowly

She smiled among her tears, seeing her father awake.

"yes, I will Dad, once you get well"

Her dad was happy with her decision.

She came out of his room and started crying more.She didn't want to marry Shivay, he had things from her. Just then her mom touched her shoulder.

"I don't like Shivay mom, he hid things from me" she hugged her mom

"Shhh beta, he must have had his reasons"

"yes silly reason like dad asked him not to tell me. I hate him mom"

Shivay overheard their conversation and felt like something died within. Anika hated him, and just because he didn't tell her about her father's business problems. He felt dejected and left.

"Do you really hate him Anika" her mom asked

Anika was silent for a moment and then shook her head NO. She could never hate him, but she was angry with him, and he did not call her even once.

The day was almost over, Anika was waiting for Shivay, but he had not shown up at the hospital. She was anxious and called him number, but it was coming off.

She then tried Om's number; she was shocked when he told her he left town for some business meeting. Was business always going to be more important for Shivay than her. But what could she do now, she had already agreed to her father's wish? But she wanted to talk to him, she had overreacted yesterday and missed him today.

Her phone buzzed and she was shocked to see the photos of Shivay with another girl. It was all over the news. This is what he was in reality? Her brain asked. No, he isn't like that, her heart argued. She felt so hurt seeing that she just left for home and cried herself to sleep.

Next morning, she woke up to Shivay's face sleeping near her bed. Her heart swelled with happiness, but her mind was angry. She looked at him sleeping, his forehead had creases as if he was in lots of stress. She tried to smoothen his creases and that woke him up.

They both looked at each other.

"Nothing in the news in real Anika, please believe me" he said as if scared she won't believe him. 

"She is just a business partners daughter, and wrong timing"

She touched his cheek then, he looked at her "I believe you Shivay"

He relaxed then that Anika trusted him" Please believe this also that I wanted to tell you about your fathers' business, but he had asked me not to, That's the only reason I didn't tell you"

She came closer to him, touched her forehead to his " I believe you Shivay"

"I was so worried that you hated me" he whispered

She moved back and looked at him" I heard you at the hospital"

"No Shivay, I don't hate you, I was just emotional then"

He came closer this time, held her cheek "Do you like me then, like me enough to get married to me"?

Was this a proposal, she thought? What kind of proposal was this?

"Yes I like you... I like you enough to get married" she said with a slight blush

Shivay was so so happy he wanted to shout to the whole world that Anika was going to marry him. She said she liked him... that was one step towards love